Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) Read online

  I’d been in that damn salon for the past five hours, and in those five hours they plucked, pinched, polished, and waxed every inch of my body. Margot disappeared a few hours ago and left me to Kelly and her torture team. The entire time they worked on me, they would not let me look into the mirror, so I could end up looking like the Bride of Frankenstein for all I knew.

  When they finally finished, Kelly handed me another glass of champagne and sat me in a back room in nothing but a robe. A few minutes later Margot came bustling through the door with an arm load of shopping bags from Saks. She closed the door with her hip and turned, dropping her bags to the floor when she caught sight of the new me. Her hands flew to her face as she covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide and quickly filled with tears.

  “What? Is it bad?” I asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.

  Margot shook her head. “No, Madison. You are breathtaking.” She just stood there, staring at me with her jaw practically on the floor. Finally, she cleared her throat and snapped back into focus. “Here.” She shoved two of her bags at me. “Put these on.” Then she quickly breezed out of the room.

  I was a little nervous to see what was in the bag, but I pulled out a sleek tuxedo style jacket, black skinny jeans, and a cream colored silk blouse with a thin black trim around the neck line and hem. The other bag held a gorgeous pair of sky high, peep toe pumps. It was strange because I would never pick something like that out myself, but it felt so…me.

  I dressed quickly and slipped on the shoes, teetering a bit from the height as I hurried out of the dressing room.

  Margot and Kelly waited for me at the end of the hallway. When they caught sight of me, Margot’s jaw hit the floor again and Kelly smirked. After a moment they both stepped aside to reveal a floor-to-ceiling mirror, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

  “Holy shit!” I said, stunned at the woman looking back at me. I waved my hand back and forth to test that it was indeed my reflection I was looking at. It was amazing. I was a completely different person. That’s what I wanted, yeah, but it seemed too good to be true. Kelly did an amazing job. She cut my long, flat, brassy blonde hair into a short, sophisticated pixie cut, dyed a dark rich brown with subtle highlights. My eyebrows were beautifully shaped and framed my eyes, which seemed to have regained some of their color. My make-up was done with soft nude tones and a thick cat eye liner. The outfit Margot put me in made me look thin and chic. Not too young, but it easily took off a good ten years.

  I took in the full effect from head to toe, and tears began to well in my eyes. Kelly stepped up behind me, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “Sabrina,” she said.

  I turned to hug her and tried not to let the tears fall and risk ruining my make-up. I looked over to Margot, who was fanning her face and trying to keep herself together as well. I quickly gathered her into the hug with Kelly.

  “Thank you so much. Both of you,” I said, taking a step back. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

  Margot grinned at me and reached for my hand. “Now, let’s see what this look can do.”

  Chapter 2

  Sean

  “Papa Jack!” I said as I walked into The Den. The familiar smell of beer and fried food filled my nose with the comfort of home, more so than the house I grew up in.

  Papa Jack just nodded and went back to wiping down the bar.

  I made my way to the back toward our usual table as my phone buzzed in my hand. I looked down at the screen that flashed an incoming call from Dad. I groaned and hit ignore, shoving the phone deep into my pocket. Asshole could just leave a message.

  Liam, the new guy, was mixing drinks and smiling at two chicks I’d never seen in here before. They were a little older but still pretty hot, if not a little out of place. I smiled at them as I passed.

  The one closest to me smiled, flipped her long, dark hair over one shoulder, and sat up straight, sticking out a truly fantastic set of tits to be sure they had my attention even though they already had the attention of every guy in the bar. She was smoking hot, no doubt, but it was her friend who had me intrigued. Short dark hair and legs for days. She was stunning.

  I stopped dead in my tracks when our eyes met and smiled. A soft, pink color flooded her cheeks, and my smile widened when she gave me the smallest hint of a smile. I opened my mouth to say something, but came up empty, something that doesn’t happen often for me. She turned away quickly, and the spell was broken. I shook my head, chuckling to myself as I headed back toward where Drew and Alex were already arguing.

  I dropped into my chair at the end of the table and folded my arms across the back. Those eyes and that shy smile were still at the forefront of my mind, and fuck me those legs. I immediately started to imagine how it would feel to have those long legs wrapped tight around my waist as I…

  “Are you insane?” Alex shrieked, breaking me out of my little fantasy.

  My head snapped up and I swallowed thickly, adjusting my dick that was already rock hard just from the idea of those legs, and focused on the love birds.

  “Why are all my ideas insane?” Drew asked. “Last time I checked, this is my wedding too.”

  “Because I am not walking into my reception to Def Leppard,” Alex sneered.

  “Why not?” I asked, throwing in my two cents. “You’d definitely make an entrance.”

  “Thank you,” Drew said, his expression smug as Alex fixed me with her trademark glare.

  “You stay out of this,” she said, pointing her finger at me.

  I snapped my teeth, pretending to bite it off as Bridget slammed my beer down in front of me. I smiled up at her but was only met with a glare. She still hadn’t forgiven me for that little misunderstanding last year. The hatred in her eyes made my smile fade as I picked up my beer awkwardly. So maybe I came on a little too strong when I pulled her into my lap like that, but it was just a little harmless flirtation, a fact that she was well aware of. I took a long swig, focusing on the wall in front of me until she walked away.

  I looked at my so-called friends, who were attempting to fight back a fit of hysterical laughter. Assholes.

  I rolled my eyes at them and looked back over to the bar just as Tits wiggled her fingers at me. I smiled and nodded my head at her and threw a wink to her friend with the legs, who turned away from me again. Even from a distance, I could see that beautiful pink color flood her skin all the way to the tips of her ears.

  “Come on, that song makes a statement,” Drew argued.

  “Yeah, it says bring on the strippers,” Alex spit back.

  Drew leaned toward her, waggling his eyebrows. “So maybe we save it for the wedding night,” he said.

  Alex laughed and playfully shoved against his chest. Drew held his ground and smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. Jesus, they were nauseating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that the two of them are happy. They belonged together. Anyone who was around them for more than five minutes could figure that out, but for whatever reason they fought it hard for six years, denying their feelings for each other that were all too clear to the rest of us.

  I’m man enough to admit that I’m a little jealous of what Drew and Alex have. Someone to challenge you to be better, to have fun with, to love. Who wouldn’t want that? For now, I’d settle for just getting laid.

  Alex and Drew were still going at it, and I had no choice but to sit there and watch my two best friends make out. Not my idea of a great Saturday night. I took a long swig of beer and focused my attention on the other end of the bar, where Tits and Legs were sipping martinis. Those two looked like a hell of a lot more fun than listening to the love birds argue over wedding plans between make-out sessions.

  I got up and headed toward them without bothering to say anything to Alex and Drew, who were back to arguing over another wedding detail.

  “Hello, ladies,” I said, stopping directly between Tits and Legs, not a bad place to be. Legs looked up from her drink and turned toward me. Up close she was even more striking. Her eyes were a li
ght almost gray-blue, and despite the small smile on her lips, there was sadness in them that made my heart clench inside my chest. It was like she hadn’t laughed or been truly happy in a very long time, and it bothered me a lot.

  I’d always been a bit of a clown, the life of the party, the guy who always made a joke or some stupid comment to break the tension and make everyone smile. It’s who I am. I live by my own set of rules, and rule numero uno, in life according to Sean, is do what makes you happy, and fuck if I didn’t want to do everything humanly possible to make this woman happy, even if only for a night.

  “Hi, handsome,” Tits said. I turned toward her reluctantly and she leaned toward me, her boobs practically bursting from her low cut dress. It was pretty clear that she had spent good money on them and wasn’t shy about showing them off. I forced myself to look up into her face and smiled.

  I held a hand out to Tits. “I’m Sean.”

  Tits smiled up at me, her eyes moving slowly up and down my body, not the least bit shy about checking me out from head to toe. I could tell she was trouble with a capital T.

  “I’m Margot,” she said, then she gestured to her friend with the legs. “This is my friend, Madison.”

  I looked at Madison as the color flooded her cheeks again. She was gorgeous. I’m no stranger to beautiful women. I like to think of myself as a bit of a connoisseur, but there was something different about this shy beauty. I’m not one to go for the shy type, but those eyes paired with that adorable pink tint to her cheeks and those legs sent shock waves straight to my cock. I was curious if it was true what they say about the quiet ones.

  Madison gave me that shy smile again and offered me her soft, delicate hand. I took her hand in mine, brought it gently to my lips, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

  “A pleasure,” I said, holding her gaze.

  Madison opened her mouth to say something just as Liam leaned across the bar and reached for my arm.

  “Get your hands off my sister,” he said. I looked at him, and the look on his face was intense. Did he say sister? Madison pulled her hand from mine quickly and looked down into her drink, hiding her face from me again. Liam’s sister? Interesting.

  “Your sister?” I asked, my eyes never leaving hers. “Where have you been hiding her?” Liam growled deep in his chest. The cave man type with zero sense of humor.

  Liam slammed a Sam Adams down on the bar and pointed his meaty finger toward the back of the bar. I laughed but took the hint. “It was nice meeting you, Margot,” I said with a nod. Then I turned my attention to Legs. “I hope to see you again soon, Madison.” She gave me another shy smile and nodded.

  I turned and headed back to the table. Alex and Drew had taken a break from bickering long enough to see Liam hand me my marching orders. Alex started a slow clap and shook her head with an amused grin spread wide across her face. She kept it going until I dropped heavily into my seat.

  “Hilarious,” I said.

  Alex cocked her head to the side with an exaggerated pout. “She shoot you down?”

  I shook my head. “New guy’s a cock block.”

  Drew burst into laughter. “Nice,” he said. “Papa Jack probably put him on notice. Face it, man. After that thing with Bridget, you won’t have any hope of meeting anyone in this bar.”

  “Come on, I apologized a million times. What the hell does he want from me?”

  “You messed with one of his own, man. You know how he gets.” Drew shrugged.

  “Yeah, but he’s conveniently forgotten that I’m also one of his own,” I said.

  “Give it time, man.”

  I sighed and reached for my beer, looking back at Legs. Margot leaned back in her chair and smiled in my direction. Madison smacked Margot on the arm and turned slightly to see if I was looking. I winked and chuckled as she turned back to her drink, the tips of her ears turning bright red.

  “What time do we have to be at Millie’s tomorrow?” Drew asked.

  “She said three, but we might be a little late. We have an appointment with the florist at one,” Alex said.

  “What could we possibly talk to a florist about for two hours?” Drew asked, and then they were at it again. Arguing about ridiculous details that ultimately didn’t matter. They were getting married, David and Millie were having baby number two, and I was here living life in the background.

  When you’re the only single guy in a group full of extremely happily married, or soon-to-be married, couples, you tend to end up the fifth wheel more often than not.

  I was sipping my beer and doing my best to tune out Alex and Drew’s insanity when I saw Margot sauntering her way toward me. A wicked smile lit her face as she walked, telling me she was definitely up to no good. I mean, Margot was hot as fuck and something told me that she could give any man a run for his money in the sack, but I was more of a leg man than a boob man.

  She brushed past and slid a business card on to the table beside me, then continued toward the bathroom. I raised an eyebrow and reached for the card as she disappeared down the hall. It was a pretty smooth move, and I made a note of it as I picked up the card.

  The card was made of thick, heavy textured paper, the color off white with a simple black text. I read the name, and a smile spread wide across my face.

  Patterson & Pierce Financial Group

  Madison Buchanan

  Executive Vice President

  Her cell phone number and email was listed along with her work address, information that I was sure would come in handy. Thank you, Margot.

  I looked back at Madison, who was talking to Liam. I stuck the card in my pocket and watched her as she listened intently to whatever Liam was saying. She didn’t fidget or nervously look over her shoulder to see if I was watching her, which could only mean one thing. She had no idea that Margot just slipped me her number.

  Alex snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I flinched as I turned toward her.

  “What?” I asked.

  “What’s with you?” she asked. “You’ve been staring at her like a creeper.”

  I sat up in my chair and took a sip from my beer with a shrug. “She’s hot.”

  Alex watched me, her bright green eyes narrowed. “Uh huh,” she said.

  “What?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Aw, leave him alone, Red,” Drew said. “He’s got a crush on a girl. It’s cute.”

  “Fuck you, man.” I wadded up a napkin and tossed it at his forehead.

  They laughed at me, and I slumped my shoulders over the table, picking at the label on my beer bottle. “Remind me why I’m friends with you two again?”

  Alex leaned toward me. “Aw Seany, you know you love us. Don’t you?” she asked, her lips pursed as she pinched my cheek.

  I pulled away from her and raised my arms to defend myself against any further attacks. “Fuck if I know why.”

  Alex smiled and batted her eyelashes at me. I couldn’t help but laugh right along with her.

  Chapter 3

  Madison

  After that night at the Den, Margot declared the new look a success. I wasn’t so sure. I mean, Sean was cute…okay, more like gorgeous, but he was Liam’s age. That would make me fifteen years his senior. When he was born, I was already a sophomore in high school. That was just beyond strange.

  But that smile…my god, that smile. I’d never felt joy like that before. He was completely comfortable in his own skin. His beautiful gray eyes were warm and sweet, just happy. It was unnerving. I don’t think I’ve ever been just happy.

  Sean’s joy was infectious, warming me from the inside out, and I wanted to feel that way again. I needed it, I craved it, and it was terrifying.

  Margot and I spent the better part of Sunday shopping for a new wardrobe to go with my new look. By the end of the day, both my credit cards and I were completely exhausted, but I was starting to think this whole fresh start thing was actually a possibility.

  Come Monday morning, I was ready to get back to work. So much
had changed in the past few days, between the divorce papers and Margot’s whirlwind makeover, that I could use a little consistency.

  I followed Kelly’s instructions and styled my hair, surprised by how easy it was. I don’t know why I hadn’t cut it all off before. I dressed in the cream Gucci suit Margot picked out, paired with a pair of black stilettos and an amazing Michael Kors bag, an impulse purchase I made for myself. It made me feel incredible, like this handbag represented my freedom and the new me. It’s unbelievable what a new look, a fabulous bag, and a good suit can do for your self-esteem.

  More than ready to get my week started, I headed into the office a bit early. I had a huge presentation on Friday that I needed to prepare for, and the earlier I got started the better.

  As I rounded the corner, I saw my assistant, Jeremy, already seated at his desk, his long, delicate fingers typing away as he focused on the computer screen.

  Jeremy was a serious find. I hired him straight out of college. He had enormous potential. I was mentoring him to take over the world of corporate finance, but he was so much fun and such an amazing assistant that I would be sad to see him go when the time came.

  I was secretly jealous of him, or maybe not so secretly. His dark hair was cut close and tight to his head, and his flawless, milk chocolate skin and big brown eyes made him the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome.

  Jeremy knew who he was and made no excuses for it. He could be a bit over the top and a tad obnoxious at times, but he was good at his job and made my days run smoothly. Of course, like all of the great men in this town, he was also gay. Not that I would date someone that young, especially someone who worked for me.

  “Good morning, Jeremy,” I said.

  “Morning, boss lady,” he said without looking up from his task. I stopped at his desk and waited for him to look up, hoping to get his appraisal over and done with so I could get on with my day.

  Jeremy quickly finished what he was typing and finally looked up. His eyes went wide. “Oh my god! You look fabulous! Love the hair and the suit and the shoes.”