Dreaming of Tomorrow Read online

  “I choose the women I date because of their personalities,” David said tightly. “Looks are nice, but if the personality inside isn’t right, I don’t date the woman. I certainly would never date the woman in that picture.”

  “And I wouldn’t date him either. It’d be too tacky.” Emily was startled to see Nikki standing behind her, grinning. “Of course, if David wasn’t my brother, I just might.”

  “You’re his sister?” Emily found it hard to believe that the woman standing in front of her, dirty and without make-up, was that same glamorous woman she’d seen in all those magazines but it was undeniable. “But you’re a famous model.”

  “He’s still my older brother.” Nicole went over to grab the rest of the carrot sticks out of the refrigerator. She also grabbed a piece of fried chicken. “I have to run. Go out with him, Emily, he’s not so bad. Really. He’s a fairly decent guy with basically good table manners, and some women say he’s a good escort.”

  She winked at Emily then continued, “I’ve even heard some of them say he’s good looking, but I can’t see what they’re talking about. All I can say is he’s not too bad, for a brother.”

  “Gee thanks.” David scowled at her.

  “Anytime.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Seriously, Emily, he wouldn’t ask you out if he didn’t want to go with you.”

  She sat down, peeled the skin off the chicken breast, and began to eat.

  They finished eating and David brought out a chocolate cake. He cut a generous piece for himself and one for Emily, then he looked at Nick and raised his eyebrows. She nodded with a smile, holding two fingers out with barely half an inch between them. Her slice was correspondingly small.

  “Wow! This is good!” Nick ate her tiny piece of cake very slowly, savoring it intensely.

  “It sure is.” David ate his piece with gusto, Emily ate her piece slowly, almost reluctantly.

  “I wish I had your willpower, Nicole.” She looked at the model.

  “Please call me Nick or Nikki.” She smiled, her famous, dazzling smile. “No one calls me Nicole.”

  They heard the announcer call out that the next event would start in fifteen minutes. David then excused himself for a moment to check on Target.

  “David, check my horse too,” Nick asked before answering Emily. “If you had as tight a contract as I do, you would,” she told her. “Willpower has nothing to do with it, really. It’s dollars and cents. And I hate it. I like modeling, for now, but I hate the phoniness of it, the feeling that all I am is a collection of body parts. And the feeling that my only value is in this face I show the world.”

  “I can see what you mean, but everyone is judged by their appearance, and most are found lacking,” Emily said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

  “I know people can be cruel, but David won’t judge you by your appearance.” Nick stood up and began gathering up the plates and putting the leftovers in the small refrigerator. Emily stood up and helped her. “Are you going to go out with him?”

  “I don’t know,” Emily whispered.

  “What can it hurt?” Nicole smiled softly. “He’s a genuinely nice guy, and I can tell he likes you.”

  “Well, okay, I’ll think about it.” Emily smiled back at her.

  As soon as Nicole left the RV, Emily’s insecurities began to mount up again. David came back in and told her the events were ready to start.

  “David, why would you want to go out with me?” Now that he had asked her out Emily’s thin veneer of confidence had fled completely. “I know I look terrible, I’m dirty and my hair is filthy.”

  “So before we go eat, take a bath and put on something nice. I’m not going into a restaurant looking like this either.” He was patient.

  “David, it’s not entirely that. I have a lot of responsibilities at home. I may not be able to go out.” Emily used another excuse, but it was a real excuse, based on fact.

  “Couldn’t Laura stay with them tonight?” he asked.

  “Maybe.” She sighed. “I can ask.”

  “If she can’t, I’ll take care of finding someone to stay with them. It sounds to me like you need to go out. So take a shower, wash your hair, and put on something nice.” David smiled. “So when and where can I pick you up?”

  “I don’t want you to take me out because you pity me. I know that I’m not very attractive.” Emily paused before continuing. Her voice was low as she finally added the dreaded words, “Besides that, I’m fat.”

  “I didn’t ask you out of pity, I really enjoyed being with you today.” David looked at her long and hard, noticing the sadness and low self-esteem she wore like an overcoat. He paused, estimating her weight at well over two hundred pounds, before adding gently, “As for being fat, yes, I guess you are, now that you mention it. I hadn’t really thought about it. Even so, I’ve had a good time talking with you today. I like you and I’d like to go out with you, so who cares? Come on, at least give me your phone number.”

  “I’ll write it down and give it to you later,” Emily said as she rushed from the trailer, confused at his words and also by her reaction to them.

  She quickly left the RV, walking past David to go to the gate. Nick walked over to David and took her horse’s reins from him. As was her habit she checked the cinch, even though he had tightened it for her, and mounted. He mounted Target and they both rode to the warm-up ring.

  “What’s wrong with Emily?” Nick asked.

  “I asked her to dinner and I think it scared her,” David replied. “I don’t think she goes out a lot. She’s worried about both of her parents, because of their health. Also, I don’t think she has a lot of confidence or self-esteem. She thinks she’s unattractive because of her weight.”

  “The funny thing is, I’ll bet I could get her a lot of work as a full figure model. She’s got a beautiful face, under the dust. Good bones.” Nicole smiled. “She’d be fun to work with.” Nicole was planning to get out of modeling and into business as a physical trainer. “Let me know if I can help.”

  “Thanks Nick.” David hesitated before he asked, “What did you think of her?”

  “I liked her,” Nick admitted, “but she seemed sad.”

  “Her parents are both ill, her father’s dying of cancer. She’s the sole caregiver.”

  “She’s not your usual type, but I think I like her for you.” Nick paused. “I’ll admit, to my shame, that I was surprised when I realized you were interested in her.”

  “Me too,” David admitted, “but I am.”

  They both looked over at Emily as she stood by the gate letting the twelve and under riders in.

  “I mean, all the models that I’ve brought home to meet you. Who knew?” She looked at Emily again, shrugged and sighed. “She has a quality though.”

  “It seems like I’m not as shallow as even I thought I was because I looked into her eyes and felt that snap. The one you read about in all your romance novels.” David grinned as they rode towards the warm up pen. “I’m surprised I never felt it before but I did today.”

  “Whatever you do, David, be careful not to hurt her. She has a lot of vulnerability and not a lot of experience around someone like you,” Nick reminded him.

  “I’m always careful of a woman’s feelings,” David said with just a hint of anger in his tone.

  “I know, love, but be extra careful of Emily. She’s different,” Nick said. “And be prepared, some people are going to wonder why a guy like you is out with a fat girl and some of them won’t be shy about saying it out loud, whether Emily can hear it or not.”

  Emily was fine running the gate by herself, but David went over to talk to her again when they set up the barrel race. He not only helped her learn more about how to assist the riders but he also explained about the event. He went on to give her more insights, a few humorous, into some of the horses and riders.

  “See that big horse tied up over there?” David pointed.

  “The brown and white one?” Emily asked.
r />   “He’s a pinto,” David told her. “Watch the rider getting on him.”

  Emily was amazed to see a small girl of about four get on the pinto. “That little girl is going to ride that big horse? Is that safe?”

  “For most horses, a child like that would be much too young to handle him safely, but that old horse has been around a long time and he has an extraordinary personality, just watch.” David grinned.

  The girl’s parents led her to the gate. The girl rode the horse in, waited for the judge’s signal and kicked the old horse. The veteran horse ran through the event with very little direction from the rider. He wasn’t going full speed but he still had a better time than most of the younger riders.

  “Don’t ever repeat this but I think that old boy would run just as well without the rider,” David whispered. “He only does one event.”

  “Why don’t they buy the kid a pony?” Emily asked.

  “Some ponies can be cantankerous,” David told her, “and if they aren’t, they become some kid’s beloved pet. Then when the kid grows up he has to replace his favorite pet with something larger and faster. Guess what happens to the pony then?”

  “He gets sold to another kid?” Emily asked.

  “If he’s a very lucky pony, but more than likely, he winds up as dog food,” David said grimly.

  Finally the conversation left the horses and went back to how their lunch ended.

  David caught up with Emily. “Emily, why did you run out like that?”

  “Because I don’t want to go out to dinner with you if you’re asking me because of pity,” Emily snapped. Then her voice dropped and she continued, “I know men don’t find me very attractive. And let’s face it you’re gorgeous, you probably date a lot of beautiful women.”

  “Emily, you don’t know me very well but I don’t ask anybody out because I pity them. Let’s face it, I have dated a lot of beautiful women. It’s one of the benefits of being related to a model. She brings home friends from work. I’ve learned that beauty is only skin deep. Some of those women are nice enough, some of them are very nice, but some of them are bitchy, or greedy, or just plain dumb. It’s more than looks.” David was finally irritated. “So I am very capable of seeing you for more than your looks. Not that your looks are bad. Even Nicole said you have great bone structure. It’s just too bad that you can’t do the same for me. You don’t seem to see more than my looks. If we’re talking about judging someone by their appearance, you’re the guilty party. Think it over. I have to get ready for the next event. If you want to go out with me then give me your address. I’ll be here the rest of the day.”

  Emily watched him walk away, suddenly feeling alone and more than a little guilty. She wondered if David really meant what he said. Maybe she was the one guilty of judging someone because of his appearance. She worked at the show for the rest of the day without any trouble. After lunch she switched from beer to her usual iced tea so that by the time the show was over she would be able to drive home safely.

  She never wrote down her address and phone number. In fact, she avoided speaking to David for the rest of the day.

  Chapter Five

  Emily finally dragged herself home around 6:30 that evening. She was exhausted but she walked through the house to see what was happening. She found her father taking a nap on the sofa and she was careful not to wake him. Laura was in the den. After taking a deep look into Emily’s eyes, Laura scouted out her husband. She found Jack in the kitchen with Emily’s mom. They were cooking together and Laura grinned as she made a mental note to call for a pizza. She knew her husband couldn’t cook worth a darn. She told him to watch both of Emily’s parents before the two women went upstairs. Emily had to shower off all traces of horse before the smell made her dad’s allergies act up.

  “How was the horse show?” Laura asked, cautiously seeing the trace of familiar sadness in her friend’s eyes. She also saw something else, something she couldn’t quite identify.

  “You lied to me, you rat,” Emily told her with a wry grin. “I wouldn’t get near the horses, huh? Well, I had to get right next to the horses. They put me on the gate in the gymkhana arena.”

  “Good grief! Didn’t Kate tell them you were not a horse person?” Laura sat on Emily’s bed.

  “Kate and Bob weren’t there, I think the kids were sick.” Emily dug into her closet for something to put on after her shower.

  Laura quickly called her friend. She talked to Kate for a moment and hung up her cell phone. “Her twins had the flu. She said she asked her friend Frank and Lanie to look out for you.”

  “I never saw Frank or Lanie.” Emily sat by Laura.

  “Probably because their daughter rides Western Equitation and you were up in the Gymkhana arena.” She turned to Emily and asked, “So how did you handle working so close to the horses?” She seemed a little disappointed with Emily. “And why didn’t you put up a fight?”

  “The lady who sent me out there was more frightening than the horses,” Emily admitted. “I was really scared at first, but finally I got some help when a horse pinned me against the fence and one of the riders came over and helped me. He explained the events, told me stories about various riders, and fed me lunch. He was very considerate.”

  She hesitated, looked, at Laura then continued, “He even asked me out to dinner tonight.”

  “A rider?” Laura was interested. “Who was it?”

  “His name was David,” Emily told her.

  “David? A gorgeous hunk with wavy black hair and brilliant blue eyes? Rides a huge black horse named Target?” Laura was amazed because this was the best news she’d heard in a long time.

  “That’s him,” Emily admitted.

  “David Silvan asked you out to dinner? That’s fantastic!” Laura absent mindedly rubbed her bulging belly. “He’s one of the nicest guys I know, successful, and . . . Wow! He’s such a hunk!”

  “Aw come on, Laura. You know he’s just being nice. How could a handsome guy like that really be interested in me?” Emily protested. “I mean, look at me.”

  “Cut it out! Sometimes I get so sick and tired of the way you put yourself down I could just . . . Look, David is really a nice guy, but he’s not known for dating women out of pity. He must be interested in you.” Laura grinned. “Just go take your shower, fix yourself up, and go. At the worst, you’ll have a good dinner and maybe even some fun.”

  “I have responsibilities here,” Emily said softly. “I can’t expect you to stay any longer.”

  “Oh yes, you can.” Laura laughed. “To give you a chance to go out with David I’d gladly stay for a week.”

  “And would Jack agree with that?” Emily laughed as she realized that Laura’s husband Jack would walk through fire if Laura suggested it. “Okay, don’t even bother to answer that. Hey! I just realized I haven’t seen my mom yet. Do you know where she is? Mom?”

  “She’s cooking in the kitchen with Jack, don’t worry,” Laura said as she noted the alarm in Emily’s eyes. “I’ll wind up ordering a pizza since neither one of them can cook worth beans. Your mom’s flirting with him. It’s kind of cute, she thinks she’s twenty-five and she’s after my man. Jack’s having fun with her. He loves it. He’s such a sucker for female attention.”

  “It gets old to live with, though,” Emily confessed. “Sometimes she calls me ‘Mom’ and sometimes she calls me ‘Sis’. If I’m lucky, she remembers that I’m Emily.”

  “That just means you really need to go out. Go get yourself ready and I’ll take care of things here. Jack and I can stay until you get home,” she offered.

  “I didn’t give David my address or phone number,” Emily admitted, “and I think I made him mad.”

  “I’ll call him. Trust me. Go take a shower.” Laura grinned. “I’ll be back in a minute to help you find something nice to wear. That dress you pulled out will never do.”

  “It’s okay and I can dress myself.” Emily was indignant.

  “Yeah, sure you can,” Laura
said in a tone that clearly dismissed Emily’s assertion. “I’ll be here. Luckily you match my coloring well enough so my make-up will look good on you.” Laura was in her element now because she loved matchmaking and pushing along other people’s romances. She was also very successful at it.

  “Go!”

  Emily went into the bathroom muttering to herself: I can’t believe she said ‘trust me’ again. Emily stood in the shower wondering if Laura would even reach David. He was probably mad at her anyway for leaving the show without telling him how to get in touch with her. No, she thought, he wouldn’t be mad, he was probably relieved. She knew she just wasn’t his type. It was a shame though, he really seemed so nice.

  Emily took a long shower, shampooing her long, light brown hair. When she emerged from the shower she found Laura in her bedroom. Laura had rummaged through her closet and come up empty. She had put on one of Emily’s skirts and taken off her print maternity jumper.

  “This might just fit, if it does, it’ll look better on you than anything in your closet. Here try it on.” She held out the jumper.

  “I need a blouse to wear under it.” Emily moved towards her closet.

  “No blouse, it’ll look better. Put it on.” Laura was stern.

  Emily put it on. The jumper fit pretty well, except she couldn’t fasten the top two buttons.

  “Nice try, Laura. But it doesn’t work. These buttons won’t fasten and my bra shows. I don’t even have a blouse to wear under it.” Emily started to take the jumper off.

  “For the last time, you don’t need a blouse. Take off the bra, Emily. And leave the top buttons undone,” Laura directed. “It looks better that way, sort of sexy.”

  Emily did as directed, then stepped back to look at herself in the mirror. The jumper fit snugly across her bosom showing her cleavage, then fell away in soft lines to become full and flowing around her calves. It was a floral print in shades of orange and yellow. Laura helped her with her hair, pinning it back with two little clips at the temples and letting it hang softly down her back. Laura used all her persuasion and managed to get a little make-up on Emily, just blusher, mascara, and lipstick, before they both went downstairs.