Chapter Two

 “YOU CAME BACK!” I yelled, running down the steps toward Ava. My hair spread out behind me in the tropical heat. I jumped the last step, being careful of my heels before taking off at a run. Bastian never understood how I could do it, but I'd been wearing heels for work long enough to know how to run in them.

I wrapped her up in a giant hug. The last time I had seen her was a little over a week ago. We had become friends just before I had left to go work on the phone app for our company. That was right around the time she and Bastian realized they were perfect for each other and were giving the most obvious love-filled glances in the kitchen. I had been glad to get out of the house and give them some alone time.

To be honest, I was surprised when I came back to work on the auction and found out that she had gone back home, leaving my brother broken-hearted. Bastian claimed she said she just didn't fit his world, but that made no sense to me. They were so perfect together that I was having difficulty understanding why she had left, but somehow I knew she'd come back.

I was so glad to see her. Since she had been gone, Bastian had been mopey and miserable. I had missed her, and not just because of Bastian's mood swings. She was my friend, too.

“I'm glad to see you, too,” she replied with a laugh.

I grinned at her, finally releasing her from my hug. “Bastian's going to flip. He's been absolutely no fun since you left.”

“Where is Bastian?” Ava asked, her eyes going to the house and looking for him. “I need to talk to him.”

“I'm sure you do,” I said with a wink. They needed to do much more than talk. “But he's not here right now.”

“Oh. Of course. I should have checked before I came...” Ava looked down at the ground, heartbreak filling her voice.

“But he'll be back for the gala tonight,” I quickly promised. Poor Ava just looked more confused and all I wanted to do was hug her again. Apparently, being apart from Bastian had been as hard on her as it had been on him.

“Oh, he'll be back?” Relief flooded Ava's voice and her shoulders relaxed slightly. She looked exhausted. Her blouse was wrinkled and her shorts stained with the signs of fast food and travel. Her usually shiny, thick red hair was pulled back and brushed, but her eyes were red and her skin drawn and pale. If I looked up “travel-weary” in the dictionary, her picture would be there. Given that the island wasn't an easy place to get to without a private jet, I could only imagine the night she'd had.

“You are coming to the gala tonight, right?” I asked, already working on a plan. This was going to be my opportunity to play fairy godmother.

“Gala?” Ava sounded utterly confused. She frowned and reached into her pocket, pulling out the golden ticket for the gala and auction. The paper was creased only once, as if she had stuck it in her pocket and forgotten about it. She now stared at it as if she were reading it for the first time. “I totally missed there was a gala on there.”

I looked at her very small travel suitcase. There was no way an elegant evening gown was in there. “What are you planning on wearing?” I asked, knowing that she most likely didn't have a plan. If anything that made me love her more. Ava had just hopped on a plane with nothing in a rush to get to the man she loved. It was incredibly romantic.

I was a sucker for romantic.

“Um...” Ava blushed and looked down at her suitcase.

“Oh, good! You didn't bring anything. That makes this so much easier,” I answered for her. My brain was already going at a million miles an hour on just how I was going to make this a night to remember. “It's always better to work with a blank canvas anyway.”

“What?” Ava squeaked. She looked a little panicked and shell-shocked. I couldn't blame her. This must not have been at all what she was expecting.

“I've got just the designer for you,” I said, thinking of the three brand new designer gowns hanging in my closet. They had been given to me by upcoming new artists specifically for this event and now I would be able to use at least two of them. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and started to guide her up to the house. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Ava shot me a nervous look, but let me lead her forward. I wasn't the princess of the story, but I was going to be the fairy godmother and make sure that Ava and Bastian got their fairy tale ending.

“I'm going to make you the belle of the ball.”

***

“Yes, yes, yes!” I exclaimed, finishing zipping up the back of the gown. It was perfect for Ava. The first time I saw the dress, I knew it would be too long for me, but since Ava was taller, it would fit her without even needing hemmed. It was as if it was made for her.

The dress was made of soft gold that flowed over her hips and made the woman in front of me appear lush and slender at the time. A gold lace overlay started right at her hips and continued down the length of the gown to create a train that was both romantic and stunning.

I hooked the top latch, making sure everything was in place. “I thought of you as soon as I saw this dress. It's perfect.”

“It's not too much?” Ava asked, looking down at the rich lace fabric bodice.

I stood behind her and put my hands on her shoulders. With a gentle push, I moved her in front of the full-length mirror. “You look amazing. Stunning.”

She smiled, taking in the dress for the first time. “I'm just nervous.” Her smile faltered. “What am I going to say to him?”

“Tell him you love him,” I told her without hesitation, squeezing her shoulders.

Ava looked up, the mirror reflecting the shock in her bright green eyes. “How did you know? I haven't said anything about how I feel...”

“Seriously?” I laughed, thinking of how obvious the feelings those two had were. “You just flew how many god-awful hours to come here? Besides, I knew you were in love with him from the moment I saw you two making flirty eyes over sandwiches. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out how you feel about him.”

Ava giggled and blushed slightly. “Fair enough.”

“He's going to be so happy to see you,” I told her. I loved the way my brother had lit up while she was here. He was a different person- a happier person. He smiled more and the lines around his eyes disappeared when Ava was near. I could only imagine how happy the two of them would be together, if they would just give one another the chance.

Her smile faded with nerves. “Okay, no more talking about Bastian and how much of an idiot I am for not realizing I love him four days ago.” She strengthened her smile. “New, but slightly related topic: Leo.”

I froze, thinking of his hand on my shoulder this morning. Of his promised dance to me this evening. And how it was all a moot point. He'd never choose me.

“There's nothing on that front,” I said with a sigh.

“Oh, come on- you two were alone all last week.” Ava turned to look at me. Her skirt made a pleasant swishing sound with the movement. “Something must have happened?”

“First of all, we weren't alone. Gabe, the other owner of the company, was there. Second, we've been alone plenty of times and nothing's ever happened.” I sighed. “And nothing ever will. He sees me as Bastian's little sister and nothing else. Nothing's going to change that. Believe me. I've tried.”

Ava put her hands on her hips. The dress gave her an amazing hourglass shape. “What have you tried?”

“More of what haven't I tried?” I moved behind her and unhooked the the top of the zipper and began pulling it down. This fitting was just to make sure the dress fit and if we needed an emergency seamstress. She needed to be out of the dress for the hair and makeup ladies to work their magic. “I've tried being coy, setting up a romantic dinner, snuggling up to him, hell, I've even tried flat out asking him to kiss me, and nothing.”

“You asked him to kiss you? And he said no?” Ava stepped out of the dress and put on a button-up shirt and shorts as I put the golden dress back on the hanger.

“Charlotte, you're drunk and don't know what you're saying,” I said in a deep voice, trying to sound like Leo. “I don't want to do anything that could jeopardize my friendship with Bastian or you.”

“Ouch.” Ava winced.

“I've know him since I was thirteen. I've done my best to make it obvious how I feel about him, but he's not interested. He has made that super clear. For whatever reason, he doesn't want me and I don't see that changing any time soon.” I shrugged. The ache in my heart was all too familiar. “I should be glad that he is my friend. I really need to learn how to be content with that.”

“I'm sorry, Charlotte. When I saw the two of you together at that restaurant...” Ava shrugged and took the dress from me. “You two just seemed so perfect together.”

“Thanks. I need to move on, I just...” I sighed, my heart aching. “I just can't.”

Ava wrapped her arms around me, squishing me with the dress in the process. “At least we can be idiots about men together.”

“I never said I was an idiot,” I teased, hugging her back. “But you're right.”

She grinned at me as a knock came on the door followed by the words, “Makeup lady.”

“Go get pretty, Princess Ava,” I said, releasing my friend from my hug. “I'll get my hair done and then we'll switch. It's a good thing I overbooked.”

Ava went to the door and paused before opening it, turning to look back at me. “Charlotte?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” Ava's gratitude and friendship flowed through her gaze and made me feel warm and loved.

“You're welcome.” And I truly meant it.

As she walked away, I couldn't help but think about what I had just said. “I never said I was an idiot.” But I knew that I was. I had been from the day that he walked into my life... completely naked.