her wake, catching up to Maddie and rushing with her to the ladies room to freshen up.
“Oh, Maddie, how horrible was he?”
Maddie clung to Sasha’s shoulder. “Why? Why would he say those terrible things about me? What have I ever done to him?”
Sasha handed her some tissue. “Who knows? What a conceited monster! I can’t believe I wasted hours of my life daydreaming about him. Are they all that awful?”
Maddie shook her head, blowing her nose. “I hope not. I’ve only met a few. But it’s so strange. He was so nice in the elevator my first day.”
“Elevator? You didn’t tell me about any elevator encounter with Jake Hart. What happened?”
“I didn’t tell you because I knew you would be mad that I didn’t get his autograph for you. He was helping me get past the ex-wife to my interview. Remember? I said one of the players escorted me back to Jordan’s office?”
“Oh, yeah, you just didn’t mention who. I wouldn’t have been mad. Gosh, especially not now. If I had his autograph, I’d staple it to his forehead and throw darts at it.”
Maddie giggled, imagining it. “Thanks for sticking up for me. I—I didn’t know what to do.”
Sasha dug into her tiny black-sequined bag and held out a pale pink lip-gloss. “Here, get some makeup back on and we’ll get right back out there and ignore him and his friend for the rest of the night.”
Maddie nodded. “You’re right. I have to get back out there and pretend it didn’t really upset me.” She grimaced when she looked at her blotchy face and smeared mascara. “Men,” she muttered as she reapplied the eyeliner, cleaning up the smudges under her eyes. “My makeup was perfect.”
“Hurry. We don’t want to be missed.”
After fixing Maddie’s face, they turned and rushed out the door. Maddie was shocked into stillness to feel a hand on her shoulder and a tall presence looming at her back.
“Maddie?”
She turned slowly to see Jake Hart, devastatingly handsome in black tie, even with the cranberry-colored wet spots on his white shirtfront from Sasha’s drink. He looked from Maddie’s surprised face to Sasha’s and then back again, a frown between his brows.
“I came to apologize. I, um…” He seemed completely sober now. “Seems I jumped to some conclusions about you. And I’m sorry.” He looked to Sasha again. “You were right. I really don’t know her at all. Thanks for setting me straight.”
Sasha visibly gulped.
Maddie could only stare.
“Will you forgive me?” His voice was so deep and quiet and sincere. Maddie felt herself go warm all over and found that her head was nodding and shaking at the same time. “Of course,” she managed out of a tight throat.
“Will you save me a dance? I’d like to get to know the real Maddie Goode.”
Maddie thought she might faint, but took a deep breath instead. “Okay, I guess.”
He smiled, a real, warm, inviting smile that made her head swim like the time she had a terrible cold and a touch of vertigo.
“Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of her fingers. “I still think you’re an angel…no fairy looks this pure.” Then he was walking away with his long-legged stride down the hall. He turned at the entrance to the men’s room and grinned at Sasha, teasing, “You think I can get this stain out of my shirt before my big speech?”
Sasha grimaced. “Sorry,” then she shrugged, a half-pained, half-happy expression on her face. “But you did deserve it and I’ve always wanted a good excuse to do that.”
Jake laughed and disappeared into the men’s room.
They turned toward each other, both wide-eyed and staring.
“I can’t believe it. A monster one minute and a prince the next. Do you think that was real?” Maddie questioned.
“Wow. If it wasn’t, he’s a very good actor. Maddie, he asked you to dance!”
Maddie brushed back her hair nervously. “I know. Do I know how to dance?”
“Of course you do,
“Oh, Maddie, how horrible was he?”
Maddie clung to Sasha’s shoulder. “Why? Why would he say those terrible things about me? What have I ever done to him?”
Sasha handed her some tissue. “Who knows? What a conceited monster! I can’t believe I wasted hours of my life daydreaming about him. Are they all that awful?”
Maddie shook her head, blowing her nose. “I hope not. I’ve only met a few. But it’s so strange. He was so nice in the elevator my first day.”
“Elevator? You didn’t tell me about any elevator encounter with Jake Hart. What happened?”
“I didn’t tell you because I knew you would be mad that I didn’t get his autograph for you. He was helping me get past the ex-wife to my interview. Remember? I said one of the players escorted me back to Jordan’s office?”
“Oh, yeah, you just didn’t mention who. I wouldn’t have been mad. Gosh, especially not now. If I had his autograph, I’d staple it to his forehead and throw darts at it.”
Maddie giggled, imagining it. “Thanks for sticking up for me. I—I didn’t know what to do.”
Sasha dug into her tiny black-sequined bag and held out a pale pink lip-gloss. “Here, get some makeup back on and we’ll get right back out there and ignore him and his friend for the rest of the night.”
Maddie nodded. “You’re right. I have to get back out there and pretend it didn’t really upset me.” She grimaced when she looked at her blotchy face and smeared mascara. “Men,” she muttered as she reapplied the eyeliner, cleaning up the smudges under her eyes. “My makeup was perfect.”
“Hurry. We don’t want to be missed.”
After fixing Maddie’s face, they turned and rushed out the door. Maddie was shocked into stillness to feel a hand on her shoulder and a tall presence looming at her back.
“Maddie?”
She turned slowly to see Jake Hart, devastatingly handsome in black tie, even with the cranberry-colored wet spots on his white shirtfront from Sasha’s drink. He looked from Maddie’s surprised face to Sasha’s and then back again, a frown between his brows.
“I came to apologize. I, um…” He seemed completely sober now. “Seems I jumped to some conclusions about you. And I’m sorry.” He looked to Sasha again. “You were right. I really don’t know her at all. Thanks for setting me straight.”
Sasha visibly gulped.
Maddie could only stare.
“Will you forgive me?” His voice was so deep and quiet and sincere. Maddie felt herself go warm all over and found that her head was nodding and shaking at the same time. “Of course,” she managed out of a tight throat.
“Will you save me a dance? I’d like to get to know the real Maddie Goode.”
Maddie thought she might faint, but took a deep breath instead. “Okay, I guess.”
He smiled, a real, warm, inviting smile that made her head swim like the time she had a terrible cold and a touch of vertigo.
“Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of her fingers. “I still think you’re an angel…no fairy looks this pure.” Then he was walking away with his long-legged stride down the hall. He turned at the entrance to the men’s room and grinned at Sasha, teasing, “You think I can get this stain out of my shirt before my big speech?”
Sasha grimaced. “Sorry,” then she shrugged, a half-pained, half-happy expression on her face. “But you did deserve it and I’ve always wanted a good excuse to do that.”
Jake laughed and disappeared into the men’s room.
They turned toward each other, both wide-eyed and staring.
“I can’t believe it. A monster one minute and a prince the next. Do you think that was real?” Maddie questioned.
“Wow. If it wasn’t, he’s a very good actor. Maddie, he asked you to dance!”
Maddie brushed back her hair nervously. “I know. Do I know how to dance?”
“Of course you do,
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