The Beauty and the CEO

Dominic crossed his arms across his wide chest, making him look even larger. “So you wouldn’t care if he doesn’t pick you today?”

“He’s already picked me,” Zoe snapped.

“Well then, you have nothing to worry about.”

A set of identical twin women were returning to their seats and stopped at the sound of Zoe’s declarations. She had no doubt in the world these were Will’s sisters. The lights dimmed. So much for trying to get hold of Will.

CHAPTER 11

Will glanced down at the score sheet once again. He had no idea what in the hell half the items on the lists meant. He was supposed to rate these ladies and young girls on a scale of one to ten in several categories. Evening gowns, hair, smiles, makeup, talent and technique. What did he know about any of those?

Technique? No one fell off the stage. A few girls tripped while tap dancing and some hit the wrong note while singing, but other than that, Will didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Sasha, who sat beside him on the right, scribbled over her sheets with each contestant. Vera, on his left, did the same. She made notes, smiley faces and even drew the devil on one girl’s page. Kathleen, at the very edge of the table, already had her paperwork stacked together with her hands folded on top. Kahlil leaned forward and gave him a head nod. They were in the same boat. Sort of. Will knew what was at stake.

According to the meeting held after he left Zoe’s side this morning, his scores determined who received the Creative Design Director position. Zoe’s future was in his hands. Besides his immediate family coming to Southwood for the pageant, the anti-cousins had arrived, as well. They were tired of the position lingering unfilled and wanted him to make a quick decision. Katie and Dixon were smug with their demands, stating that as members of the board, they had a right to make him choose.

So far he hadn’t seen anything too crazy and over-the-top to make him think any of the numerous girls walking across the stage were done up by Zoe. He studied the eyeliner, but it seemed as if every other girl wore the winged look. It wasn’t until a contestant blew a kiss into the crowd that Will found his winner. The crowd loved her. Will liked her makeup. And to add icing to this cake, the girl wore the glittered lipstick the same way Zoe had applied it to the prom girls at Magnolia Palace and most importantly, the dramatic wing tip. He teetered on the contestant with the modest beauty, but after last night and this morning, Will set aside his morals. He needed Zoe near him.

To be sure he chose right, Will glanced at the other score sheets whenever the other judges came across the same girl. Everyone gave her high scores, except for the beauty queen seated next to him. Vera had been generous, even to the girl who dropped her baton, which was on fire, giving her a higher score than she did Will’s favorite. He was more confident that the other beauty queen, Kathleen, liked the same girl, too.

“Are we all settled on who the winner is?” asked Kathleen.

Will, along with everyone else at the table, nodded. The houselights dimmed. There were girls and parents seated beside him at the judges’ table. Will doodled on a piece of paper as the names were called for each category and age range. The young girls went first. Winners were called by special titles. Everyone got a small trophy for participation and then crowns were given to the winners in those groups. There were awards for the prettiest smile, friendliest contestant and most helpful. The runner-up princess of each category received a sizable tiara. But they had to go through this for each group. At this rate, Will wasn’t going to get back to Miami until late, and he still had plans to be with Zoe tonight, with or without her as Ravens Cosmetics’s newest employee.

Finally it was time to crown Miss Southwood Glitz. The top three women stood dressed in sparkling ball gowns—pink, blue and yellow—on the stage, clutching hands. They’d changed into their evening gowns. The winner, as the emcee explained, would travel across the county and represent Southwood in the official Miss South Georgia pageant in December.

The pageant contenstants were narrowed down from fifty to ten girls, and then down to five left on the stage. Each girl drew questions written by one of the judges from a clear fishbowl. The five were slimmed down to three final contestants. Will was glad his question wasn’t chosen. He’d wanted to know if any of the ladies had a superpower, what it would be. He would definitely wish for the power of transportation. He’d be anywhere else but here—with Zoe.