Holiday by Design

by Patricia Kay

  “Where does she go to school?”

  “She’s taking some courses at the Art Institute.” Then he added, “She dropped out of college after the spring semester.”

  Joanna could tell he wasn’t pleased by this. “Maybe design school would be a better choice for her?”

  He shrugged. “She said she needs a break from college. I hope she goes back. I’d like to see her get a fine arts degree. At least then, if designing jewelry doesn’t work out for her, she could go on, get her master’s and possibly teach.”

  Joanna wondered if Marcus and her mother had compared notes. He certainly sounded like her mother, who’d wanted the same thing for Joanna. “Teaching isn’t for everyone, either,” she said gently.

  “I know that, but it would be a great fallback for her. At least until she marries.”

  Joanna would have liked to say something else, but just then their waiter approached, poured glasses of water for them and gave Marcus the wine list. While Marcus was studying it, a tall young woman walked in their direction, and Marcus looked up, smiling. “Here she is.” He stood, kissed his sister’s cheek and turned to Joanna. “Joanna, this is my sister, Vanessa. Vanessa, Joanna Spinelli.”

  Vanessa was gorgeous, Joanna thought. Very tall, probably five-ten. In her heeled boots, she was pretty much eye to eye with her brother. Thin and svelte, she had thick wheat-blond hair that fell in shining waves and striking blue eyes fringed with long lashes. She wore low-cut faded jeans, formfitting layered T-shirts, one white, one dark blue, a wide brown leather belt and a lot of chunky silver jewelry—probably her own designs. Joanna wondered what Marcus thought of his sister’s outfit. It wasn’t exactly Junior League.

  “Hi,” Vanessa said, giving Joanna a cautious smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you, too.” Joanna had the distinct feeling Vanessa Barlow hadn’t been thrilled about this meeting, which meant she probably was less than enthusiastic about combining their design talents into one show. Joanna just hoped her opinion didn’t sway Marcus, and that he would stick to their agreement. Because if he wasn’t one hundred percent on board with it, Joanna knew he could easily get out of the contract.

  In the bustle of Vanessa getting seated and Marcus consulting them about possible wine selections—Joanna declined, knowing she needed her wits about her today—she had a chance to really study Vanessa. The girl was certainly a looker, stunning even, with her high cheekbones, elegant turned-up nose and large eyes. And she had that confident way of carrying herself that reminded Joanna of the models she had used for the photos in her portfolio. In fact, wouldn’t Vanessa be the perfect model for the black satin skinny pants and ivory lace halter top Joanna was currently working on? The ensemble would be one of four in her collection geared toward the young end of the market. The idea excited Joanna, and she couldn’t help smiling at Vanessa.

  “I love your jewelry designs,” she said once Vanessa was settled and had had a chance to look over the menu.

  “Thank you.”

  Joanna didn’t miss the fact that Vanessa hadn’t commented on her clothing designs. Had she seen any of them? Joanna only had six designs on her website, but those six were ones she was proudest of. She was about to ask her about them when their waiter reappeared with the wine Marcus had ordered, as well as iced tea for Joanna.

  Once the wine was poured, they placed their orders, and after the waiter had finally left them alone again, Joanna turned to Vanessa and said, “What do you think of your brother’s idea that we should combine our shows?”

  Vanessa shrugged. “Honestly? I’m not sure. I mean, your designs are beautiful. I did look at your website. But they’re so different from what I do. Your clothing is romantic and classical, geared to a different kind of woman than I design for.” She took a deep breath, and met Joanna’s gaze squarely. “You may not agree but my designs are meant for a younger, more cutting-edge market.”

  Joanna nodded. She liked Vanessa’s honesty. “I do agree that on the surface our two sensibilities don’t seem to mesh, but after thinking about it and playing with the possibilities, I think combining the two could work very well. You wouldn’t know this, because I don’t have any examples on my website, but I’m going to have at least four pieces in the collection that are strictly for the youth market.” She smiled. “In fact, the moment I saw you, I thought how perfect you’d be to model one of the outfits.” Her smile widened as she saw the look on Vanessa’s face. “And your jewelry would look fantastic with the outfit I have in mind.”

  “Me? Model?” Vanessa said. Her gaze moved to Marcus.

  Joanna looked at Marcus, too. He was frowning.

  “No,” he said.

  No? Just like that? Joanna opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Vanessa said, “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me,” he said. “I don’t want you modeling.”

  If her brother Tony had ever talked to her in that tone of voice, Joanna knew she would probably have done whatever it was he’d forbidden her to do just out of spite. She looked at Vanessa.

  Vanessa turned to her and smiled. “You know what? I would love to see what you’re doing for the youth market. And despite what my brother says, if I decide I’d like to model for you, I will.”

  Joanna didn’t dare look at Marcus. She wasn’t afraid of what she’d see on his face; she was afraid of what he might see on hers. She wanted to cheer. Good for Vanessa. She might be young, and Marcus might be a father figure for her, but she had guts. Joanna decided then and there that no matter what, she wanted to work with Vanessa—for the show and just possibly for the future, too.

  “In fact,” Vanessa continued, “why don’t I drive you home today instead of Marcus? That way, I can see your work and make my decision quickly.”

  Now Joanna did glance at Marcus. And she could see, even though he tried to disguise it, that he was furious. Suddenly she felt bad. She liked him. In fact, she more than liked him. And he was giving her this huge opportunity. Did she really want to take a chance on blowing it?

  Turning back to Vanessa, she said, “Maybe it would be better if you and your brother talked this over in private first.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Marcus said, cutting in. “In fact, it’s probably a good idea for Vanessa to see your designs in person. That way we can at least get one thing settled today.” His words left no doubt that he would deal with the other thing later.

  Joanna hoped his anger, still so apparent, didn’t spill over to include her. Even the thought caused her heart to beat faster. Turning to him again, she gave him a warm smile. “Thank you. I’ll be glad to have the decision about combining our shows settled today, too.” She hoped her eyes would convey the fact that she sympathized with him and wasn’t taking sides. She also hoped he knew she was sorry she’d ever brought up the idea of Vanessa modeling. If she didn’t think it would just cause more trouble, she’d even say so.

  “Yes,” Vanessa chimed in, her voice as sweet as syrup, “thank you, Marcus. I’m glad you’ve finally decided to join the twenty-first century.”

  Joanna swallowed. She wished she could just quietly disappear and let the siblings duke it out. There was obviously a lot more going on here than appeared on the surface. And, if she wasn’t extremely careful, both now and in the future, she could very easily get caught in the cross fire.

  Chapter Seven

  Marcus seethed all the way back to the office. He was no longer simply angry over the whole modeling idea—he had no doubt at all that Vanessa would agree to do it—now he was almost more upset about the way she’d talked to him. Enter the twenty-first century! How dare she say something like that, and in front of Joanna, of all people?

  It was then, when Vanessa had so disdainfully dismissed his ideas as dated and old-fashioned, that he’d realized how much he
cared what Joanna thought. The realization had stunned him. Up until that moment he’d simply thought his undeniable attraction to her was more physical than anything else, so it would be fairly easy to ignore it. But he couldn’t fool himself into thinking that way any longer. The truth was, he had wanted to kiss her that day in the storeroom, would have kissed her if Brenda hadn’t interrupted them, and now he wanted her respect and admiration, not just a sexual awareness. That kind of attraction didn’t necessarily last. Respect and admiration did.

  And he wanted it to last.

  The thought was sobering.

  When had he changed from thinking Joanna was an impossible choice for him, on any personal level, to thinking he wanted to explore the possibility of her becoming a part of his life? She would have to change some things about herself, of course, but that was easily accomplished. He knew he had the ability to convince others of his opinions; he did it every day. Maybe not Vanessa—at least lately—but surely if he and Joanna became involved, she was mature enough to understand she would need to change to fit into his world.

  He wondered what Joanna had been thinking when Vanessa said what she did at lunch. For a moment there, he’d gotten the idea Joanna was sorry she’d brought up the whole subject of modeling, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

  Damn Vanessa. He’d have a thing or two to say to her when he got home tonight. He would not be undermined in such a public way again. He still couldn’t believe she’d done it. Especially after she’d apologized to him for her recent bad behavior. So much for words. From now on, it would be actions that counted.

  By the time he reached his office, he’d only managed to make himself more upset and he knew he had better put the entire episode out of his mind, at least for the remainder of the afternoon. He had too much work to do to have his brain occupied with anything other than business. And because he was extremely self-disciplined once he made a decision, he managed to do just that.

  But the moment he arrived home that evening and saw Vanessa’s little Fiat sitting in the garage, all his anger with her flooded back.

  Intent on confronting her before he did anything else, he entered the house. He found his sister in the living room, curled up in one of the armchairs and lazily leafing through a magazine. She glanced up when he entered. “Hi,” she said, all innocence.

  He kept his tone measured. “So tell me. What did you think of Joanna’s designs?”

  She gave him an impish grin. “You were right. I really like her work, especially the pieces she’s doing for the younger market.”

  “Good. Glad you’ve decided to cooperate.” He took off his jacket and put it and his briefcase on the sofa, then sat on its arm. He said nothing; his silence would be more potent than any mention of the modeling. He knew he wouldn’t have long to wait before she couldn’t resist bringing up the subject herself.

  Just as he’d thought, only a few moments passed before she said, “The outfit she wants me to model is absolutely perfect for me. In fact, I told her I wanted to buy it.” Her voice took on a defiant edge as her eyes met his. Only the way she straightened in her chair betrayed an underlying uncertainty.

  The only sounds in the room were the hiss and spit of the fire in the fireplace as a log settled and the chimes of the grandfather clock in the foyer as it signaled the hour. Even Cleo, their mother’s ten-year-old chocolate Lab, who had walked in a moment earlier, sensed the tension and curled up quietly nearby, her big eyes wary.

  “I—I gave her a deposit on it before I left today,” Vanessa said in a rush. “It’s a beautiful outfit, Marcus.”

  Marcus was determined to keep his temper under control, so his tone, although firm when he finally answered, was quiet. “Whether it’s beautiful or not is totally irrelevant. We’ll discuss the actual modeling in a minute. What I want to talk about first is the way you spoke to me at lunch.” Vanessa opened her mouth, but he forestalled her by raising his hand. “I’m not finished.”

  She swallowed.

  “Do not ever make fun of me or show such a total lack of respect for me in public again. What you say at home, in private, is one thing, even though I would think you would choose your words more carefully here, too, but embarrassing me in front of someone else, especially someone I’m working with on a professional level, is inexcusable. And I will not stand for it.” Now his voice rose in volume. “Do you understand?”

  Again she swallowed, then wet her lips. “I—I...”

  “Do. You. Understand?” All his pent-up anger...and hurt...and disappointment in her...shuddered in the air.

  “I...”

  She was shaken, he could see that.

  She took a deep breath and collected herself, then in a burst of bravado, said, “You know, Marcus, you showed a lack of respect for me when you wouldn’t even listen to what Joanna had to say about the modeling.” Two spots of color appeared on Vanessa’s cheeks. “I mean, you just said no, like I was some little kid. I’m not a child. I—I think you could have at least said let’s talk about it later...or something...” The bravado disappeared, and her voice trailed off. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  Marcus didn’t want to admit it, but in fairness, her point was valid. He had done the same thing to her that he was accusing her of doing. He sighed. “I apologize for that. You’re right. I should have been more diplomatic.”

  Swiping away the tear, she said, “Thank you. And I...I apologize for what I said. I was just mad, that’s all. I was embarrassed that you’d talked to me that way in front of Joanna. I—I like her.”

  For the first time that evening, he smiled. “I’m glad we cleared the air.”

  She nodded. “Me, too. So it’s okay for me to model, then?”

  “I didn’t say that. I still don’t think it’s a good idea for you to model in the show.”

  “But, Marcus, can’t you see you’re being completely unreasonable?”

  Marcus sighed again. Why was she so set upon doing this? It wasn’t as if she had aspirations of a modeling career. That, he could possibly understand, although he still wouldn’t want her doing it. Modeling was not a suitable pursuit for a young woman like Vanessa. He couldn’t help feeling she was just saying she wanted to model at the show because he didn’t want her to.

  She wanted reasonable. He’d give her reasonable. “I don’t think you’ve thought about this from all angles. You’ll need to be available to talk to potential customers of your own that night. If you’re modeling, you won’t be able to give your full attention to your own business.”

  “Oh, that’s ridicu—” She stopped herself, visibly took a breath. More quietly, she said, “Of course I will. It’s not like there’s going to be a runway show and I’ll only be out among the customers for a few minutes. The models will be circulating the entire evening, won’t they? And I can accessorize my outfit any way I want to—Joanna said so—so I’ll be wearing quite a bit of my own jewelry.

  “Come on, Marcus. It’ll be fun,” Vanessa added in the wheedling tone she always used to soften him up. “I don’t know why you’re so set against this.”

  “It’s not the image you should be projecting.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about? What’re you afraid of? That I might like it and then decide I want to be a model? Is that it?”

  “I’m not afraid of anything. I just don’t like the idea. It’s not suitable.” But now that she’d said it, that’s exactly what he was afraid of. His sister was entirely too impressionable. And even though he liked Joanna—right now she wasn’t the best role model for Vanessa.

  “I don’t understand you. I thought you’d be happy that I have agreed to work with Joanna.”

  “Working with her by combining your talents is not the same as modeling for her.”

  “Marcus, you need to lighten up. For someone who’s only thirty-f
ive, you act like an old man sometimes. You’re not my father.”

  “How well I know that,” he muttered.

  Vanessa sighed. “Look, I—I love you. I don’t want to hurt you, but you can’t control everything in my life. It’s not like I want to do drugs or become a groupie with a rock band or give all my money to some worthless jerk. I just want to model in the show. For one evening. And you haven’t given me a single good reason why I shouldn’t. So, I’m sorry, but the only way you can stop me is to cancel the entire show.”

  Marcus would have liked nothing better than to do just that. But he knew—and she knew it, too—that he wouldn’t cancel the show. For one thing, he’d given his word, and he never went back on his word. For another, he didn’t really want to cancel. He just wanted to shake some sense into his willful sister.

  Where had this stubborn streak of hers come from?

  It was on days like this that Marcus wished he had someone he could talk to. A best friend or a brother he could count on. Even a sensible mother who would dispense practical advice. But there was no one. His college friends had long ago gone their own ways. Most of them led distinctly different lives from his.

  “What in the world is all this ruckus about?”

  Both Marcus and Vanessa turned at the sound of their mother’s voice. Laurette, frowning, stood in the doorway of the living room. As always, she looked impeccable in a beautiful gray wool dress and her pearls.

  “I could hear you all the way up in my bedroom,” she said. “I’m surprised the neighbors haven’t complained.”

  “Just a disagreement, that’s all,” Marcus said, standing. He walked over and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry we disturbed you.”

  “Disagreement about what?”

  Marcus knew there was no point in getting his mother in the middle of this. “It’s not important.”

  “If it’s not important, I can’t see why you two are making such a fuss.”