In fact, heâs here with his fiancée, Angie DeLaura, who is our other business partner.â
âOh, I know,â Holly said. âI didnât mean, oh, we are really struggling to communicate here, arenât we?â
She dropped her hands from her face and reached out to touch Melâs arm. Mel was relieved to see that Hollyâs makeup had smeared and the tip of her nose was red. She was not quite the blotchy beast that Mel turned into when she cried, but at least she wasnât a pretty crier, either.
âIâm not interested in Tate like that,â Holly assured her. âItâs just that I find men more manageable when I have all of my weapons strapped on.â
âWeapons?â Mel asked. She looked to see if Holly was packing a gun.
Holly gave her a wry look, then she pointed to each body part as she spoke. âHair extensions, false eyelashes, padded push-up bra, Spanx, butt lifter padded pantiesââ
âNo, sir,â Mel protested.
âYes, maâam,â Holly said and she spun around to show Mel her impressive gravity-defying booty. Then she jiggled it and turned back around and said, âSupport hose, platform heels, a half hour spent contouring my face, and about five pounds of makeup. Seriously, if I ditched all of this and passed you on the street, you wouldnât even recognize me.â
âI am stunned,â Mel said.
âAnd I am ashamed,â Holly said. âItâs just that this bakery is so very important to me. Iâm a showgirl, you know, and I want to make a different life for myself. I thought all of this would help me negotiate with Tate or at least keep him distracted enough that he wouldnât ask for my credentials, which of course, you did right away.â
âThatâs because all of this intimidated me,â Mel said, and she waved her hands at Hollyâs overall appearance. She gave Holly a sideways glance. âCan I pinch your butt?â
âWhat?â Holly laughed.
âI just want to see what a butt lifter padded panty feels like.â
âWhy not? At least you asked first.â Holly shrugged.
She spun around and Mel tried to figure out how to pinch her butt in public without looking like a perv. Shesettled for just jabbing Hollyâs butt with her pointer finger. Holly didnât even flinch. Mel figured what the heck and she pinched the other womanâs behind between her thumb and forefinger. Holly didnât even register the touch.
âWow,â Mel said. âJust wow.â
Holly turned back around with a smile. âThey come in handy when you have to sit on a hard chair for any length of time.â
âIâll bet,â Mel said. They grinned at each other. âWell, should we try this again?â
âIâd really like that,â Holly said. She fished a tissue out of her purse and used the reflective surface of her smart phone to see her face while she cleaned up her ruined makeup.
âHi, Iâm Melanie Cooper, but everyone calls me Mel.â
âHolly Hartzmark, a pleasure.â
Mel gestured back to where Scott and Stuart were waiting. Scott had clearly settled in and lit a cigarette while Stuart cast him an annoyed look and moved away from him and his smoke while checking his cell phone.
âSo, what made you choose this location?â
âItâs close to the Strip, but I think when you see the inside of this place, youâll see the same potential that I do. Itâs not huge but itâs big enough to start. We can always move when we get a following going and demand increases.â
Mel forced a smile. Hollyâs enthusiasm was a bit alarming, but Mel liked it so much better than Holly crying that she nodded and gestured for Holly to lead the way.
When Stuart saw them coming, he turned and shoutedsomething to Scott. Scott nodded and turned back to the door, unlocking it. Mel and Holly were still several