The Bachelor Read Free Page B

the packaging attracts a man first. A smart guy, the right guy, will get to know you and then you can blow him away with your
     brilliant brainpower.”
    “Men who go for looks first are too shallow.”
    “There you go again. Jumping to generalized conclusions. And I beg to differ.” Beth placed her hands on her hips and scowled
     Charlotte’s way. “It’s the packaging that makes the first impression,” she insisted.
    Charlotte wondered why Beth could assert one thing when she was living proof of another. If Beth believed in a man being attracted
     to packaging first and then getting to know and appreciating a woman for who and what she was, why had she undergone plastic
     surgery
after
meeting her fiancé? Charlotte cared too much for her friend to hurt her by asking.
    “Look at this store, for example.” Beth waved a hand through the air. “You sell the packaging, and hence you’re responsible
     for the rejuvenation of many relationships and marriages that have gotten stale.”
    “I can’t argue with you there.” Charlotte had been told the same thing by many of her customers.
    Beth grinned. “Half the women in this town are getting lucky, thanks to you.”
    “I wouldn’t go that far.”
    Her friend shrugged. “Whatever. The point is, aren’t you sending the message that packaging is important?”
    “I’d rather think I’m sending the message that it’s okay to be yourself.”
    “I think we’re saying the same thing, but I’ll drop it for now. Did I tell you David offers packages? Eyes and chin, uplifts
     and implants.”
    Charlotte rolled her eyes. As far as she was concerned, Beth had been perfect before going under the knife, and Charlotte
     still didn’t understand what had compelled her to think she needed to change. And Beth obviously wasn’t talking. Just advertising
     her soon-to-be husband’s services.
    “Has anyone mentioned you’re beginning to sound like an advertisement for your plastic surgeon?”
    Beth smiled. “But of course. I plan to marry the man. Why not boost his business and our joint bank account at the same time?”
    Beth’s mercenary words were at odds with the sweet, down-to-earth woman Charlotte knew her to be. Another subtle change in
     Beth that Charlotte had noticed since her return. Like Charlotte, Beth had been born and raised in Yorkshire Falls. And like
     Charlotte had once done, Beth would move to New York City soon. Charlotte hoped her friend enjoyed the bright lights and big
     city. She remembered her own experience there with mixed feelings. At first, she’d loved the busy streets, the frantic pace,
     the glow of light and life even late at night. But once the newness faded, an emptiness grew. After living in a close-knit
     community like Yorkshire Falls, the loneliness had been overwhelming. Something Beth wouldn’t have to deal with, since she
     was moving to New York to be with her husband.
    “You know I’m never going to be able to replace you,” Charlotte said wistfully. “You’re the perfect assistant.” When Charlotte
     had decided to leave her sales manager job at a posh New York City boutique and open Charlotte’s Attic back home, it hadn’t
     taken more than one phone call to convince Beth to leave her job as a receptionist at a real estate office to come work with
     Charlotte.
    “I’m going to miss you too. This job has been more rewarding than anything else I’ve done.”
    “That’s because you’re finally putting your talent to use.”
    “Thanks to your vision. This place is incredible.”
    Charlotte merely blushed. She’d been worried about a chic boutique succeeding in her small, upstate hometown. It was Beth
     who’d pushed and supported her emotionally during the preopening stages. Charlotte’s concern had been unwarranted. Thanks
     to television, the Internet, and magazines, Yorkshire Falls’ women were ready for fashion. Her store was a hit—if somewhat
     of an oddity among the old-time shops that still