Once Upon a Dare (Risky Business)(56)
When Natalia finally stepped onto the runway, the crowd was silent. She gave a brief introduction to the fall line, her usual wit and charm winning over the crowd. By the time she was finished, they were eating out of the palm of her hand, and Olivia had no doubt orders would be pouring in from the select group of buyers who’d been invited to attend the show.
The DJ cranked the music up as the models began strutting down the runway in some of the sexiest lingerie she had ever seen.
“Oh my god,” Chloe whispered, eyeing a lacey gold bustier and matching panties. “I’m in love. Look at those undies! They are killer! Please tell me you negotiated free samples as part of your compensation package?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Olivia promised. After all, it wasn’t like she’d be in need of sexy underwear any time soon.
“Seriously, Liv. This job is so much cooler than working at PBA. You are so lucky!” Chloe swore. “Well, it wasn’t luck so much as hard work, but you know what I mean.”
The rest of the show passed in a blur as they whispered about their favorite pieces and how great the models looked. By the time Natalia returned to the stage, she was grateful for the reprieve from the earsplitting music.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Natalia started, smiling warmly at the massive crowd. “Once again our designers have outdone themselves, delivering an amazing collection guaranteed to bring your inner vixen roaring to life. Please join me in giving these lovely ladies another round of applause!”
The models paraded back onto the runway amid thundering applause, reminding her fleetingly of her own time in the spotlight. The women fanned out on the runway, as Natalia started her closing remarks.
“Spring has always been my favorite time of year. And not just because it means the launch of a fabulous new Vixen line,” she teased, winking at the crowd. “I may be a hopeless romantic, but for me, spring always brings with it the promise of new love, new beginnings and, of course, new lingerie. At Vixen, we believe anything is possible when love is in the air, which is why I’ve invited a dear friend of mine to join me on stage today. This is his first time on the runway and he’s a little nervous, so be gentle!”
The spotlight shifted from Natalia, settling on a tuxedo at the back of the stage. As the suit stepped from the shadows and into the bright light, revealing the face of the man wearing it, Olivia nearly fell off her chair.
“You didn’t tell me Cole was going to be part of the show,” Chloe whispered, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Did you know about this?”
She shook her head, completely speechless. What was Cole doing onstage? It was too soon to reveal the new campaign. It wasn’t ready. So what then?
He walked down the runway, looking hella nervous and completely out of his element. The usually cool and confident Cole Bennett clutched his microphone in two hands as if it were a lifeline and he was two seconds from becoming shark bait. As he closed the distance between them, anxiety pierced her calm, reminding her of the pain he’d caused. She was also reminded of how much she missed him, and how good they’d been together.
While it lasted.
“Good evening,” he began, giving the crowd one of his dimpled smiles—and no doubt melting a few panties in the process. “My name is Cole Bennett, and I guess you could say I’m a bit of a runway virgin. The truth is, I’m probably in over my head today.”
The audience laughed good naturedly. How could they not? The man was a natural born charmer. And he looked damn good in that tux.
“Actually, I’ve been in over my head for a while now. I was just too blind to see it. I thought I had the world all figured out, that I was in complete control. Great job. Beautiful women. The right zip code,” he finished, ticking them off on his fingers wistfully. “I was flying high and nothing was going to drag me down. Nothing, it turns out, except my ego.”
Olivia’s heart began to race. Surely not. Was he really? Could he be?
“I was a superficial prick. I got burned once, and because of that I shut everyone out, never letting anyone get too close. And when I finally met a woman who made it past my defenses, I wasn’t honest with her, and I wasn’t honest with myself. I didn’t listen to what she wanted, and as a result I did everything wrong. And I mean everything.”
Once again, laughter rippled through the crowd. Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth. She couldn’t believe her ears. Cole was actually confessing to a crowd full of strangers. This was either the most romantic or the most desperate thing she’d ever seen. The jury was still out.
“Oh my God, Liv,” Chloe blurted out as a second spotlight dropped from the ceiling and landed on Olivia, setting her cheeks on fire. “He’s talking about you!”
“Shh!” she shushed her friend, not wanting to miss a word. This moment was going to be seared into her brain for all time.
Cole searched the crowd, his eyes locking on Olivia, drilling her with a passion beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Her stomach twisted in knots. How the hell did he do that?
“I didn’t know the first thing about being in a relationship. I thought I could control the world around me, and in my hubris, I lost sight of what was really important,” he explained, speaking directly to her now, the rest of the crowd forgotten as he delivered his heartfelt apology. The one she’d been doing her damndest to avoid. The one that had the potential to be lethal to her resolve. “While I wanted nothing more than to be your partner—your equal—my actions sent a different message. I know now that being in a relationship isn’t about having control, it’s about giving it up. I was stupid and thoughtless and I broke your trust, Olivia. The trust of an incredible, intelligent, driven woman—the only woman I’ve ever loved.”