The Blush Factor Read online

  Synopsis

  Eleanor Ashcroft is at the top of her game. Revered by stockholders, feared in boardrooms and by employees all over the Eastern Seaboard, her life changes when she decides to restore an inherited makeup company to its former glory. While doing research, Eleanor discovers the YouTube makeup gurus and the most successful channel, “The Blush Factor,” becomes her guilty pleasure. She finds the much-younger woman in the videos mesmerizing and profoundly attractive in a way she had never felt about a woman before.

  Addison Garry loves makeup. A YouTube celebrity, her video tutorials and reviews attract hordes of viewers. When Eleanor wants Addison to do consulting for her company, Addison needs the money and knows she can’t refuse the infamous businesswoman. Working with Eleanor, Addison finds it hard to act strictly professional as she both fears her and dreams of winning her heart. Eleanor in turn realizes that her attraction to Addison is not a mere midlife crisis at all, but looks very much like love.

  The Blush Factor

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  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

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  The Blush Factor

  © 2014 By Gun Brooke. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-022-5

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: February 2014

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Shelley Thrasher

  Production Design: Susan Ramundo

  Cover Art By Gun Brooke

  Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  Course of Action

  Coffee Sonata

  Sheridan’s Fate

  September Canvas

  Fierce Overture

  Speed Demons

  Change Horizons

  The Blush Factor

  The Supreme Constellations series:

  Protector of the Realm

  Rebel’s Quest

  Warrior’s Valor

  Pirate’s Fortune

  Acknowledgments

  This story means so much to me. Of course, all my stories are special to me in their own right, but this one lived with me a long time before I wrote it, and I thought about the characters afterward, more than usual. I have a certain affinity for May-December pairings—not sure why—and this is very much the case in this romance. Age is not an issue, unless when it is, if you understand what I mean. Love knows no numbers, but reality checks can be harsh, and when two people have such different outlooks on life, and different statuses as a whole, love has to be really strong to smooth out the grooves.

  I’ve been blessed by being surrounded by several people who help me smooth things out on a professional level. Len Barot aka Radclyffe, who appears ready to take a chance even on my more unorthodox ideas, sometimes. You are absolutely great, and I hope you know how much your faith in me means to me.

  Dr. Shelley Thrasher, my editor for twelve novels now…where did all the years go and all the books come from? You are my safety net, my teacher, and my friend.

  Everyone associated with helping me make this novel the best possible—Sheri, Stacia, Cindy, Lori, Sandy, et al—you are amazing and I appreciate all of your hard work.

  As always, I have people around me who are invaluable when it comes to helping me by reading through my manuscript before I send it in to BSB.

  Laura, Texas—you had a total understanding of these characters and, like me, especially adored Stacey. Maggie, Stockholm—your interest in my writing combined with the best of friendships was inspiring. Sami, South Africa—my friend and longtime first reader, your comments added their own flavor. Eden, Arizona—meticulously, you helped me find foolish grammar mistakes and strange wordings. All four of you—thank you for rescuing me from embarrassing mistakes and for offering your opinion and encouragement.

  My family and close friends, what would I do without you? You always express your pride in my writing, and when it comes to Elon, without your never-ending love, your support and the way you cook, I would not fare very well. My kids, Malin and Henrik, you always show your joy when each new book is published, and that gives everything that special magical dimension. My brother Ove and his Monica, my son-in-in law Pentti, my extended family in the USA, Joanne, Carol, and Francis—you all express your support on a continual basis.

  Last, but perhaps most important of all, you, my beloved readers. I love every note, Facebook greeting, Twitter, Tumblr, and e-mail you send me. If I can provide some entertainment and/or escapism for you, that’s a truly humbling feeling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Dedication

  For Malin and Henrik

  My brave children

  For Alexandra and Angelica

  My wonderful granddaughters

  Chapter One

  Something about this young woman made it impossible for Eleanor to merely close her laptop and stop watching. Eleanor noticed the nearly transparent hazel eyes immediately. A charming band of freckles danced across her nose, which, together with her full, soft, pink mouth, gave her an aura of innocence. Her blinding smile, wide and guilelessly open, pulled Eleanor in. She called herself “Blush,” and this girl seemed to know everything about makeup, hair, and skin products—anything related to beauty. Blush acted so natural in front of the camera, whether at her vanity or in any other room in her home. Her voice was melodious and her laughter contagious.

  Eleanor had found this woman’s channel on YouTube while searching for the beauty gurus that had the most subscribers. With more than 350,000 subscribers and millions upon millions of hits on her more than five hundred clips, Blush was among the most successful. Young girls and women couldn’t seem to get enough of her advice, her reviews, or her tutorials. Eleanor snorted. She was no different. This was the third evening in a row she’d sat for hours, thinking she would click on just one more link, watch one more clip of this fresh-faced young woman. So she did, like an addict.

  Blush’s intro played and her now-familiar face came into view. Her hair in a ponytail and with no makeup on, she seemed to be wearing only a bathrobe, which made Eleanor swallow twice. Frowning, she tried to focus on what Blush was saying.

  “Hello, you wonderful people,” Blush said, waving. “It’s been a whole week, I know, and I’m sorry. Real life entered and I had to…deal with stuff.” A shadow flickered across her features but was gone so fast Eleanor knew she would be replaying the clip later to see if she’d imagined it.

  “Today I thought I’d show you how you can look better for less. I know we all love the expensive brands, but hey, most of us can’t afford them. I can’t, normally. Some of the high-end brands send me samples and new products to test, but you know my rule: if I didn’t buy it, it’s not going on my channel. I usually end up giving those items away to charity. The sealed ones, that is.” She shrugged, a funny little jerking movement of her left shoulder. “I built this channel by earning your trust, guys, and I’m not going to ruin that by being greedy. So, here’s my idea for a nice look for work that can easily morph into a nighttime look if you don’t have time to go home and change.”

  Blush expertly
put on a neutral makeup, using brands Eleanor had never heard of, as she didn’t buy her makeup at the pharmacy or the local grocery store. No matter what she used, Blush looked stunning. She chatted about everything and anything while she applied her makeup, giggling when she made a mistake with the liquid eyeliner, but then turned that into a lesson in itself, showing how to remove and reapply.

  Once she was done, Blush leaned closer to the camera, turning her head every which way to show off the result. “There, you see? Isn’t that color gorgeous? Remember, this goes with most eye colors, especially green and brown, of course, but anyone can rock this look.” Smiling broadly, she suddenly looked off camera. “Yes. I’m recording. Yes, I’ll be done soon. Go back to bed, honey.”

  Eleanor sat up, frowning. Was that a husband? A boyfriend?

  “Sorry, guys. My sister needs my help, so I’d better wrap this up. I’ll be uploading a new clip tomorrow that I shot today when I got some new things in the mail. I know you love those haul videos.” She smiled broadly and there it was again, that shadow that slipped across her features without warning. “If you have questions or want to request videos, you can write me via the YouTube messaging service. If you have a professional issue or question, feel free to use my business e-mail below. Night-night!” Blush waved again, and the screen went black for a second before the YouTube default setting appeared.

  Eleanor had a lot to think about. She copied Blush’s e-mail address into her contacts, knowing she needed to approach this young woman. Inheriting an old makeup company that had been waning for almost thirty years, mismanaged by none other than her father, Eleanor needed an innovative approach to turning around its fortunes. Social media had been a revelation, and she’d joined Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube using a pseudonym. Now that she was about to contact Blush, she’d have one of her assistants use the company e-mail. In the meantime, she’d keep researching what young women, and men, for that matter, thought of modern beauty products.

  She finally closed her laptop, rose from the large armchair by the window, and padded over to her bed. It was way past midnight, and she had several meetings lined up before lunch the next day. As she climbed into the king-size bed and settled against the down pillows, she closed her eyes, completely exhausted. Even so, hazel eyes and a smiling pink mouth appeared in her mind. The perfect complexion, the quick, tapered fingertips that applied makeup with sure strokes, and the voice…

  Eleanor huffed impatiently and rolled onto her side. “I need to sleep.” The laughing young woman only nodded at her in her mind and stuck her tongue out to the side as she painted a perfectly winged eye line. “Oh, God. I must be going mad.” Eleanor tugged yet another down pillow close and gave in to whatever her mind was set on displaying. She knew better than to fight it. Sleep would come eventually.

  *

  “My head hurts today.” Stacey showed up in her pink flannel pajamas, holding her left temple. “I still gotta be in school. Mr. Geller is posting the final result of the auditions.”

  “And you want to be Elphaba.” Addie Garr looked affectionately at her younger sister. She remembered with both terror and nostalgia being a junior in high school. “Do you know any of the ones auditioning for Glinda?” The glee club was producing Wicked—the Musical for spring, and five girls, her sister among them, were in the running to play Elphaba. The fact that her head hurt again was worrisome though.

  “Yes, one of them. Charlene is in my French class. She’s really good. I think she’ll get it, unless Mr. Geller is suddenly tone deaf.”

  “Has he shown any such tendencies?” Addie poured herself some coffee and then pulled some extra-strength Tylenol from a cabinet. “Here. Take two. If we nip it in the bud, you can still make it today.”

  “Ugh. I hate swallowing pills, but I don’t have any choice, do I?” Stacey made a disgusted face and swallowed the capsules. “Yuck.”

  Addie checked the calendar. Stacey needed surgery as soon as possible, and she still had no idea how to come up with enough money for the rehab. Medicaid paid for the basic care, but the doctor had emphasized how vital it was for Stacey to have a topnotch physical therapist. Not just once a week at the clinic, but every single day during the first weeks. If not, she would in all likelihood miss out on most of her junior year and definitely wouldn’t be playing Elphaba in Wicked.

  Addie’s stomach hurt at the thought of it all, and she still hadn’t told Stacey the cold facts. She’d been running a virtual persuasion campaign directed at her bank contact to get a loan, even if she didn’t have any collateral or equity. Miracles could still happen, couldn’t they?

  “I’ll just grab a banana now and get something more at school later, okay?” Stacey said as she put on her jacket. “If I go now, I can ride with Maureen and her mom. The school bus sucks when my head hurts.”

  “I know, honey. Thank Mrs. Henderson properly.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Always do, sis.” Stacey gave her a hug as she passed her on her way to grab her backpack. “Good luck with today’s makeup session. Any new pervs sending you stuff?”

  “You brat. And no. Well, I haven’t checked my mail since noon yesterday. So who knows? I promise I’ll let you know when you get home.”

  “I’ll text you when I know about the part.”

  “Can’t wait!” Addie waved as Stacey walked out the door and down the narrow path to the curb, where an SUV had just pulled up. She watched through the window as Stacey climbed in and hugged her friend Maureen. They’d known each other since they were four.

  Opening her e-mails, she was once again very glad she had a great filter system. It was wonderful to get what Stacey called “Addie’s fan mail,” and she tried to answer most of it, but she usually had to resort to some automatic-response version. No way could she write hundreds of individual e-mails every day. She still thought it was totally surreal that she received e-mails from total strangers who felt they knew her.

  She shifted her gaze to the folder where anything business-related ended up. Three new e-mails. She clicked on the folder, hoping it wasn’t the usual “endorse our product and we’ll send you all the mascara you’ll ever need” kind of e-mail.

  The first two e-mails were just that, and Addie sighed deeply as she clicked on the third. It was from the president of a company, Face Exquisite. Addie frowned, tapping her lower lip. The name of the company was familiar. A quick search via Google confirmed that it was a makeup brand. It used to be highly regarded, but most people now thought of it as a brand for older women, loyal customers stuck in a rut, who wouldn’t change brand regardless. What could Face Exquisite want from her? Addie made it perfectly clear that she was mainly about the affordable drugstore brands and such. Sipping her coffee, she began to read.

  Dear Ms. “Blush,”

  My name is Eleanor Ashcroft, President of Face Exquisite and also of the Ashcroft Group, a conglomerate of companies located all over the Eastern Seaboard. I have a business proposal for you.

  I am not asking you to endorse any products, but rather to consult with us and help us bring forward new, exciting beauty products under the Face Exquisite label. As you might be aware, being self-employed as a consultant is financially beneficial and would allow you to keep up the excellent work on your YouTube channel.

  If this proposal interests you, please call my assistant to set up an appointment. If you are located far from New York, we would be happy to cover any expenses you might have to fly here.

  You will find all the details you need to contact us below.

  Yours sincerely,

  Eleanor Ashcroft

  Back on Google, Addie instantly found the information about Eleanor Ashcroft she wanted. The woman was not only stunningly beautiful, but she was also extraordinarily wealthy. The official photo of her on the Ashcroft Group’s website showed a woman of indeterminate age, perhaps her forties. Short blond hair, kept in a stylish, wavy hairdo, barely touched her earlobes. Perfectly groomed eyebrows framed clear gray eyes. Her face, wit
h its high cheekbones and slightly square jawline, suggested strength of character.

  Skimming through the short biography on the official site, which really didn’t say a lot other than that Ms. Ashcroft was single and very successful, Addie then turned to other, more gossipy sites. There she read that Eleanor Ashcroft was infamous for being a direct, no-nonsense, and not always very well-liked woman. She knew what she wanted and made sure she obtained her goal, whether in business or otherwise. What this “otherwise” entailed wasn’t quite clear, but perhaps the powerful businesswoman was used to landing the man she wanted for the moment as well. Maybe a barracuda both in and out of bed? Could Addie see herself being associated with someone like that?

  She reread the e-mail and kept returning to the sentence that spoke of their potential collaboration being financially beneficial. Was this the answer to her prayers? Was this Stacey’s chance to get the rehab she’d need?

  As a barista at Starbucks, Addie didn’t make enough to support them and keep the house, but the extra income from the ads on her YouTube channel filled in the gaps unless something unforeseen happened. Their father’s life insurance had been enough until Stacey became ill. It was a blessing that it had made it possible for them to keep the house after the accident. As usual, the thought of her parents made Addie’s stomach tremble. She pushed the images to the back of her mind.

  Addie checked her watch. She was on the late shift today. No matter what, she needed to keep her annoying weasel of a boss happy until she found something else. Impulsively, she pulled the keyboard closer and began typing.