Page 15 of An Epic Voyage (The Epic Beauty Salon Files #1)
G riffin made a circuit of the boat, ensuring all was well.
Was he expecting to run into Indigo? Possibly.
Okay, yes, he hoped to find her lying by the pool in a Jinger-sized bikini.
In other words, microscopic. Sadly, her deck was empty.
The weather may have contributed to her absence.
The sky was dark with an impending storm.
It was a precursor to the hurricane he still hoped would bypass them.
“Griffin! There you are.”
With a sigh, he pasted on a friendly smile and turned. “Hey, Jinger.”
She wrapped her arm around his and sucked in a breath. “Wow, your arms are rock hard, like stone columns. Why haven’t I felt them before?”
He assumed it was a rhetorical question, so he kept quiet while she stroked his biceps inappropriately.
“I’m going to have to get Benny into a gym,” she muttered.
Griffin couldn’t see that happening. Benedict wasn’t one to get his hands dirty doing anything, and Griffin had never seen him sweat. The man was too polished, even if it was a facade.
“Wow, what did I want to talk to you about?”
“The weather?” he offered.
“No, but I’ll need to dash if it starts to rain.”
He took a moment to enjoy the visual of her melting like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz .
“Oh, I remember. Benny told you about dinner tonight, right?”
No way did he want Indigo anywhere near the man now, especially after he’d gone to her room late last night. Griffin assumed Jinger was ignorant of that fact. “He did, and about that—”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” She continued to caress his muscles absently. He wanted to pry her fingers off, but her following words stopped him. “Indigo confirmed that she will join us. She’s pretty in a plain, girl-next-door sort of way, don’t you think?”
Hell no, he did not think that. Not that there was anything wrong with natural, approachable, unassuming beauties, and that did describe Indigo, but she was also movie-star, drop-dead gorgeous.
Not plain in the slightest. Jinger wasn’t even in the same universe, looks-wise.
Or kindness-wise. Or intelligence-wise. Or female-wise.
“I mean, she could use some makeup.” Jinger snorted a chuckle. Charming . “It’s amusing to me that she’s so skilled at applying mine, but not to herself.”
Another plus in Indigo’s column.
“We’ll expect you at seven. Dress in the best outfit you brought.”
She released his arm with one last pat and a sigh. “See you tonight.”
Jinger was gone before he could decline.
He’d better find Indigo and let her know what was in store for them tonight.
After the excitement with Van Houten visiting her room and becoming ill, he’d forgotten to text her last night.
Then he’d been distracted by her sexy body at the gym.
Having dinner with Van Houten and Jinger had been the farthest thing from his mind.
#
S omehow, Indigo had avoided Van Houten all day. She hadn’t seen him again after catching him break into her room. That made her wonder if he’d searched her belongings. She wouldn’t put it past him.
Jordy had finished her dress, so they hit the arcade and played old-school video games before engaging in several spirited bowling matches. Then they ate popcorn and watched a rom-com, Jordy’s favorite, in the movie theater. She was more of an action/adventure girl.
It had been an enjoyable way to spend a day, but Indy felt guilty for playing instead of searching for the nuke, even if her hands were tied in that area.
She headed to Jinger’s room to fix her up for their dinner. She hadn’t seen Griffin all day, so she didn’t know if he would be attending. Yes, it mattered to her. Spending time with him was enjoyable.
“Indigo.”
She turned toward the voice. Speak of the devil.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“You have?”
“Yeah, I have some bad news.”
She grabbed his forearm and almost got sidetracked. He was so solid, and she could feel the heat emanating from him. She wanted those arms wrapped around her. “What is it? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but we’ve been summoned to have dinner with Van Houten and Jinger tonight in his private dining room.”
She forced herself to release him. Her hand didn’t want to comply. “Oh, that. Yeah, Jinger told me. I got the impression I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“Same,” Griffin replied. “I’ll stop by your room around seven and escort you there.”
Her heart thumped as if it were a date, but it wasn’t. “See you then.”
With a wave, she continued to Jinger’s room.
Benedict’s assistant opened the door for her again. He really couldn’t get out of there quickly enough. As soon as he saw it was Indigo, he practically knocked her over to get away.
“Hello, Indigo,” Jinger said when she arrived. “Did you have a good day?”
“I did. Thanks for asking.”
Jinger held out her arms. “I’m your blank canvas. Paint me.”
Gross. That sounded vulgar.
Indy started with Jinger’s hair, piling it artfully on her head and arranging curly wisps to brush against her neck.
“So, Griffin. He’s one hot tamale,” Jinger cooed. “Have you touched his muscles?”
“Have you ?”
Jinger mimicked fainting and waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh my, yes, and they’re rock-hard like granite. Honestly, I didn’t want to let him go. I told him I was going to have to get Benny into the gym.”
Indy scowled. Why had Jinger been feeling up Griffin? She ignored the stab of jealousy and applied cosmetics with a heavy hand. Jordy had shown Indy the dress Jinger would wear, so she used tones to complement the color.
Jinger prattled on the entire time, mostly talking about herself. It was an excruciatingly boring subject. Twice, Indy had to force herself not to yawn. It was especially hard since Jordy had fallen asleep behind Jinger’s back.
When Indy finished, she elbowed Jordy, startling him awake. He almost fell out of his chair. “You’ve got some drool here,” she told him, pointing to her chin.
He wiped his hand over his face and frowned at her when it came up dry. She smirked.
Jordy helped Jinger into the dress. Jinger stood in front of the full-length mirror and twirled before repeating her favorite mantra, “I’m the most beautiful woman in the world.
I knew I had the potential to be so, and I was close, but you’ve made it happen, Indigo.
” She clapped her hands in front of her chest. “Maybe tonight will be the night Benny finally proposes! Mrs. Jinger Van Houten. It sounds perfect, right?”
Oh, good grief , Indy hoped not. Getting through the dinner with that narcissist and her cheating beau would be hard enough. Having to listen to Jinger plan a wedding might well break her.
Jinger doused herself with Les Récoltes Majeures La Rose from Dior, with a price tag north of thirteen-hundred dollars a bottle. The only reason Indy knew that was because Jinger had bragged endlessly about Benny’s expensive gifts.
Then she was gone.
Jordy waved a hand in front of his face and pretended to gag. “That would smell good in small doses,” he groused. “Let’s get you ready for your date.”
“It’s not a date,” she corrected.
“Is so. Come on.”
“Jordy, I can put on my dress. You don’t work for me.”
“An artist must admire their creations. And for you, darling, it’s not work.”
She grabbed her kit while Jordy carried the dress to her suite.
She hadn’t been inside since Van Houten’s impromptu visit earlier in the day.
After carefully opening the door, she searched to make sure he hadn’t returned before stepping inside.
What had he been doing here? Her secret agent’s mind went to bugs.
Had he planted cameras to watch her? Surely not.
Indy checked her bags. They didn’t appear to be tampered with, so that was good.
She pushed the thought aside and went about getting ready.
Jordy chatted while she styled her hair and applied a tasteful amount of makeup, nothing near what she’d slathered on Jinger.
Jordy’s alterations were perfect, and the dress fit beautifully.
“You are my new muse, Indigo Adair,” Jordy crowed as he used a steam iron to vanquish wrinkles. “Stand there while I get my phone. I’m adding you to my portfolio—wait, is that okay?”
“I’m a nobody, but sure.”
“No, you are a goddess. Jinger better watch out, or Benny will be hitting on you tonight.”
If he only knew.