Craving Cinderella: My Curvy Valentine

"You’re serious?” I blurt out, before I can stop myself.

"I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t," he tells me calmly. Surely he has to see how crazy this is to me. For me. I’m just – I'm just an elementary teacher who’s being asked out by a major Hollywood star. And I feel as though my head is about to pop with the sheer downright shock of it. It’s like my life has turned into a Hallmark movie.

"Uh, yes," I manage to reply, finally. I keep waiting for him to burst out laughing and tell me that he’s just kidding, but he doesn’t. Instead, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out his card, and hands it to me.

"Drop me a message when you get a chance," he tells me, as I look down at it, not sure that I can really be living this right now. When am I going to wake up?

But the bell rings, and I know that I would never include that in some indulgent fantasy.

"I will," I breathe, and I find my eyes widening as he nods to me and turns to head back to his car. There’s a slight swagger to the way he walks, and I can’t take my eyes off of him, the way his grey sweatpants hug his ass. I groan at the thought of what’s beneath the fabric.

Did he really just... did he really just ask me out?

"Ellie, are you coming in?” Simone, my teacher’s aide, calls to me. I glance over at her, blinking, remembering that I have a whole day ahead of me yet.

"Yeah, yeah, coming," I mutter, and I tuck the card he gave me away and head over to start my work for the morning.

I can’t believe this has just happened.

I have a date with one of the most desirable men on the planet. And suddenly, it looks as though this Valentine’s Day is going to be one to remember.

Chapter Three

Ethan

As soon as my sister walks back through the door on Saturday morning, I practically pounce on her. She’s about the only woman in my life that I trust, and I need all the womanly intuition that I can get right now.

"Hey, baby!” she calls to Tallie as Don nods to me in greeting, heaving the bags in from the car and heading towards the bedroom. Tallie sprints towards her mother and practically jumps into her arms, and I smile as I watch the two of them reunite. They’re so sweet together.

But right now, I want my sister all to myself. And I intend to make sure that it happens.

As soon as Val has headed to the kitchen to make a coffee, I round on her.

"I need to ask you something," I tell her.

"Like what?” she asks with a yawn. I frown. She should be more rested considering she spent the last few days at the spa. Then I run a hand over my jaw, tensing. Not wanting to think about why my little sister didn’t get much sleep. Damn, I need a woman. The woman. Ellie.

"What can you tell me about Ellie Dawn?”

Val pauses for a moment, screws her eyes up at me in confusion. "What about her?" she asks. "Tallie’s teacher?"

"Yeah, that’s the one," I reply. "What do you know about her?"

"Not much," she replies. "I know she moved here a couple of years ago, after her parents died, and she’s been teaching at the school since then. Why?”

"Because I have a date with her tonight," I explain. "And I don’t want to mess it up."

"A date?” she exclaims before glancing over her shoulder to make sure that her daughter isn’t listening in. She hurriedly pushes the door shut behind us and rounds on me.

"What are you doing, asking out Tallie’s teacher?" she demands.

"I couldn’t not ask her out," I admit. "I met her at the school – I was bringing in some stuff for Tallie and the Valentine’s party, and the two of us met, and it was just like... boom. Fireworks."

"I thought you of all people could tell the difference between movies and real life," she scolds, but I can tell there is a part of her that is thoroughly enjoying all of this. "You asked her out? For what, a Valentine’s date?”

"Yeah, that’s the plan," I agree. "I have a premiere anyway so it works out perfectly."

"You’re not seriously telling me that you’re going to take an elementary school teacher to a Hollywood premiere for your first date, are you?” she asks me.

I shrug. "Why not? Better that she sees what to expect as part of this life now rather than later."

"Later? What, are you planning on this turning into something serious?”

“Maybe? Aren’t you the one always saying I need to settle down?”

Val laughs. “But did you tell her she was joining you on the red carpet?”