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EXCERPT
“Ladies, it’s one minute to countdown.” The way-too-cheery bandleader looked straight at Janis. “Grab your dates.”
Where is my date?
Janis’s cherry-pie red acrylic nails dug into her palms. She tried to look nonchalant while she scanned the hotel ballroom.
Dammit, Roy. Where the hell are you?
One minute he’d been standing by her side eating stuffed mushroom caps and mini-hotdogs, and the next, he had his cell phone to his ear, already walking away and mumbling something unintelligible.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Her first real New Year’s date in eons, and she was destined to stand in the corner alone at midnight.
The floor-to-ceiling windows framed fireworks that lit up the sky, and over her head, multicolored balloons swarmed, waiting for their cue. But the magical night had all but lost its luster.
Janis felt like Cinderella at the ball. At the stroke of twelve, the spell would be broken, and instead of a prince by her side, she’d be alone like always. She should have known that having a man like Roy interested in her was too good to be true.
“Ten!”
A drink would help. She made her way to the bar and asked for one glass of champagne. The bartender gave her a pitying look as he handed over the flute. Did everyone here feel sorry for her? The last thing she wanted on New Year’s Eve was a pity party. Screw them. At least she wasn’t working.
“Nine!”
Janis took a sip and peered over the rim of her glass. She spotted Roy headed her way, and her eyes went heavenward.
Thank you, Lord!
She plastered a smile on her face and promised herself she wouldn’t bawl him out.
“Eight!”
Roy blithely sidestepped other partygoers in his haste. Maybe he did have an important call. She really had to stop belittling herself.
“Seven!”
She downed the rest of her champagne and set the glass on the bar. Determined to be by Roy’s side at midnight, she started walking toward him.
He really did look handsome in his black suit. The lab coat he usually wore over khakis and a button-down shirt didn’t do him justice. And the air of confidence about him added to his allure. He looked like he was in his element, whereas she was definitely out of hers.
“Six!”
Suddenly, a hand reached out and clutched Roy’s arm, stopping him in his tracks. His head swiveled to see who’d waylaid him. A stunning redhead with Mae West curves flashed a big smile, grabbed the back of Roy’s head, and glued her mouth to his.
“Five!”
Janis clenched her teeth so hard she swore she heard the enamel crack. She wanted to pull the skanky bitch off her date and slap her silly.
“Four!”
She’d seen the woman once before. But she’d been wearing a white nurse’s uniform instead of a strapless black cocktail dress that fit her like a second skin. She sat at a reception desk in front of Roy’s office and acted like his guard dog.
“Three!”
Maybe Roy needed a guard dog. His status at Philadelphia Hospital had grown since some mysterious benefactor funded a new addition. With the building complete, Roy had been named head of the Foundation for Infertility and Reproductive Medicine. The FIRM turned out to be a major coup for the hospital. The sprawling complex that had once been a public charity hospital had gained new respect and became a major player in the world of research. Roy had high hopes of achieving a major breakthrough in the treatment of infertility.
“Two!”
She’d been so thrilled when Roy asked her to be his date. He’d chosen to share his success with her and show her off to his colleagues. Now it looked like she was being played as his second fiddle.
“Happy New Year!”
At the stroke of midnight, popping balloons sent streams of confetti pouring over the excited crowd. She lost sight of Roy and the redhead, and she bit back hot tears.
