“True, but I get to unwrap you later. Right, Haylee?” His voice went an octave lower.
I stepped closer and straightened his tie. “You said my name on purpose, didn’t you?”
He grinned, and it was contagious. “Maybe I like knowing how that affects you, Haylee.”
Damn. I probably should have kept that tidbit to myself about the effect of hearing my name on his lips. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the scent of him. When I opened them again, I could see Josh’s eyes clouded with desire.
“I guess since you know how it affects me, you now have to think about it all night.”
Bingo. I watched his eyes flash and a shudder go through him. “Fair point. Let’s go so we can get back here as quickly as possible.”
I definitely liked that idea. I kept it in mind as he led me out to the car, and we drove to the art gala a few blocks away.
***
Upon entering the art museum, I was glad that I had decided on such a formal gown as there were diamonds and furs all around me. A waiter came by with a glass of champagne which I gladly took.
I gave a small smile to Josh, who appeared hesitant to leave my side. “It’s all right, just text me when you’re ready to go.”
He looked relieved that I wasn’t going to consider he was abandoning me. He sauntered off toward a group of gentleman, all of whom were very happy to see him.
After an hour of smiling my way through the crowd and scanning the art around the room, I made my way to the ladies’ room. Cursing my luck, I realized I had started my period. At a party in London and wearing a formal gown, I was without a freaking tampon. “Terrific,” I muttered. Wadding up some tissue, I came out of the stall and searched around the ornate bathroom for a dispenser. Beautiful paper adorned the walls and a chandelier hung in the middle of the posh sitting room, but I couldn’t locate a dispenser. There was nothing near the door or on the far wall. What was it with the British?
Sighing, I didn’t realize I had an audience until I turned and saw a beautiful woman watching me with one eyebrow arched and her expression amused.
“Please tell me the party isn’t so bad that you are looking for an escape window?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Her lack of accent told me that she was American, too. “No, no. I was looking for a dispenser.”
She was gorgeous, with her blond hair in a sleek chignon and a beautiful red dress which accentuated a small waist and impressive curves.
“Condoms or tampons? Which I guess is kind of personal, considering I’ll know how you’ll be spending your evening.” She laughed.
I chuckled, too. “Tampons, unfortunately.”
“Well, that I can help you with. Here.” She opened her clutch and offered me one.
“You’re a lifesaver. I really can’t thank you enough. Um, I’m Haylee. I figure the least I can do is introduce myself after this personal conversation.”
“I’m Catherine, and it is a pleasure. Another American at a stuffy party across the pond is always a good sign.”
I excused myself to go back to the stall and was pleased that she hadn’t left when I came out to wash my hands.
“I’m not trying to be fresh as I check out your dress, but it looks a lot like a Jean Desses design.”
I instantly beamed. Not many people knew vintage fashion. “It is a Jean Desses. I’m impressed you know that.”
“It’s gorgeous, and I should know that. I’m in fashion, and I love vintage designers.”
It was if we were destined to become friends. “Well, in that case I should tell you that I have a green one at home and a whole wardrobe of vintage 1950-1960s clothes.”
She looked genuinely interested. “I think we should take this out to one of the tables. I want to know more. Which designers do you have?”
We walked out of the ladies’ room and over to a nearby table as she snagged a glass of champagne.
“I don’t want to keep you from any mingling if you need to…” I hesitated, suddenly self-conscious as Catherine was put together and poised. She was in the fashion industry, and I knew time was valuable at functions like this.
But she waved a hand. “Please. I only came because I was in town for business. It was this or spending the night alone in my hotel room, and, well, I love dressing up.”
I studied her dress and its lines and the fact that she wore it impeccably. “Calvin Klein?” I guessed.
She smiled. “God, I should hire you away from whoever you work for now. It is Calvin Klein. Nice eye. So tell me more about your collection.” She was sincere, down to earth, and a fresh breath of air considering the kind of people I had expected to meet at a party like this.
“Well, I have several Chanel, Oleg Cassini and Givenchy pieces, and then I have a couple pieces of YSL, Pucci, Halston, DVF, and Ralph Lauren. Let’s see, what else... Oh, Balenciaga, Valentino and Tahari.”
She looked impressed. “You seem so young. How did you amass such a wardrobe?”
“They were my mother and grandmother’s dresses. My mother was obsessed with Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn and was a governor’s daughter in the South in the late 60s. She would love that I’m wearing the dresses and suits now for work and for parties like this.”
Her eyes suddenly looked sympathetic. “When did she pass?”
I sighed. Catherine was very perceptive and easy to talk to. “Last year. Now that I’m working in New York, I finally have an occasion to wear a suit every day and use her purses and coats.”
“I’m in New York, too. So tell me, what is your very favorite piece?”
That was an easy question. “The Valentino wedding dress. It is simply exquisite, the type of dress that makes you sigh.”
“I’d love to see the collection—maybe the top ten pieces in your mind. For both personal and professional reasons, I’m truly interested. Maybe I could come by sometime? Not to invite myself, but I feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit. Plus, now that I’m divorced and out there dating again, I find that I need to have younger friends. The women in my age group are either married, divorced—busy with kids—or they are so embittered they don’t want to go out at all. Jeez, I’m not coming off as too depressing and desperate, am I?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Not at all, As for coming by, well, I’m kind of crashing with friends right now. But I’d love to bring my dresses by your place. Anytime. As for the other, I don’t know anyone in New York aside from my boss and a couple of my coworkers. They are all men, so it would be nice to have a female friend in the city.”
“Here is my card.”
I glanced at the title and was momentarily stunned. “Fashion Editor for Cosmo?”
She smiled. “I’m still thinking of stealing you away from your current job. Any interest in fashion?”
It was tempting. “I do like what I’m doing, especially with the travel, and my boss has been great about helping me relocate out to New York. If I didn’t have plans for law school next year, I would definitely be interested as I love fashion.”
“Law school, wow. Well, then it works out better this way to be friends, don’t you think?”
I had completely lost track of Josh and the fact that he was probably looking for me by now. As if on cue, I caught his eye across the room. I watched his approach and was ready to introduce him, only to see his surprised expression when he looked at Catherine.
She wore the same look of recognition. “Hi, Josh. I knew you were traveling until next week but had no idea you were in London.” Her eyes were wide and her face flushed. It was obvious she was more than interested in him. But then again, how could a woman look at Josh and not be affected that way?
“Catherine, it’s good to see you. I didn’t know you were here, either,” he explained, kissing her cheek in a familiar way.
“I had a fashion show to attend. Then of course I came here because it was the hot ticket of the evening. We need to do dinner again soon and catch up. It’s been a couple of weeks.”
My stomach knotted at the thought that they had a personal relationship, but the truth was I liked Catherine too much to be jealous. “Oh, my, where are my manners? Josh, this is Haylee. Haylee, this is Josh Singer, a friend from New York.”
We both looked at her with surprise, and then Josh laughed.
“Haylee is my assistant, Catherine. She is helping Nigel out as he’s had to take some time off.” He scratched his chin. “Uh, how is it that you two know each other?”
Now it was my turn to smile. “Ladies’ room, actually.”
Catherine laughed. “I’m trying to steal her away from you to come work for me. Obviously, I didn’t know it was you she worked for, but anyone who knows fashion like she does should work in the industry.”
He gave a slight smile. I couldn’t tell if he was more uncomfortable with my job offer or with the fact that Catherine and I had become fast friends. “Well, she sort of does, at least on the side. Haylee did the Cassius Rum shoot,” he revealed.
Her eyes widened, and she glanced back at me. “Oh, my goodness, I knew you looked familiar. Josh told me all about you stepping in for Katrina Tross. What a mess that could have been, but the spread turned out amazing. Matter of fact, it’s in my magazine this month.”
Another reminder that Catherine and Josh must speak with each other often. “Thank you. Bart Chesley was wonderful, and Mr. Singer was more than patient with my jitters.”
She contemplated a moment, and then her face lit up. “Josh, I’m going to need her for an idea that is forming in my head. Haylee, I just had this vision of a vintage spread, and since they are your clothes and you’re a model, it’s fate. You have my card. I fully insist you call me next week, and we put something together.”
As evidenced by his expression, Josh was in the dark.
Catherine smiled. “You will let me borrow her, right?”
“Uh, yes. I guess I’m confused, though. What vintage spread?”
Catherine winked at me. “See, you work with a man who doesn’t know fashion at all. I struck up a conversation with Haylee because she is wearing a Jean Desses original gown. Then we got to talking about all of the designers she has in her collection. I asked if she minded showing it to me, but now that I know she models too, we could talk about an actual spread.”
I was unprepared for the disapproval I heard in Josh’s tone. “I had no idea you had such an extensive designer wardrobe. Maybe you’d save more money for law school if so much didn’t go towards your clothes.”
My face burned with embarrassment and I was momentarily stunned to have him speak to me like that in front of Catherine.
Luckily, she came to my defense. “Your collection is from your mother, right?” she asked looking at me.
I could only nod, fighting the hurt anger that he could say something so rude and think so little of me. One look at my face, and he had to know how upset I was.
Catherine looked between the both of us and sought to ease the strain. “Uh, I’m sure he didn’t mean to assume…” she started to apologize for him.
My temper ignited and I finally found my voice. “No need to apologize for him, Catherine. I’m quite used to not getting an apology from Mr. Singer. Perhaps if he had ever seen my Old Navy jeans or my three-pack underwear he might not have made the same assumption.”
I got the desired effect when Josh flushed.
I faced Catherine. “The highlight of my evening has definitely been meeting you, Catherine. I’d be delighted to call you next week, and I look forward to showing you my favorite pieces, especially the beautiful wedding dress.” For some reason, it gave me satisfaction to mention this particular garment in front of Josh.
Catherine gave me a smile. “It was my highlight, as well. Are you leaving?”
Josh found his voice. “I’ll escort you back to the hotel.”
I shook my head. “No, no, you two catch up. Like I told Mr. Singer before we got here, I wouldn’t be staying long. I have friends here in London who I’m getting together with. I’ll meet you in the lobby tomorrow morning, Mr. Singer.”
I could see in his eyes that he knew I was lying, but I wasn’t giving him a chance to accompany me back to the hotel.
“Oh, good, sweetie, go and have some fun. I forget that the night is probably young for you.” She leaned in and gave me a hug. “I look forward to talking next week. It’s been a pleasure.”
I could tell she meant it, and I was grateful for the solidarity. I didn’t bother to glance at Josh again. Instead, I quickly made a beeline for the exit.
I hurried back to the hotel and went straight up to my room. There I changed out of my gown and put on my Old Navy jeans, cursing Josh all over again for humiliating me with such a rude assumption. After pulling on a sweater and shoving on my boots, I went back down to the lobby. I was thankful that the front desk clerk could give me directions to the nearest late-night pharmacy.
***
Relief flooded me once I was on the busy sidewalk, mingling with the crowd and luckily not running into Josh. I had feared he would take off after me, and I wasn’t ready to speak with him. Of course, the fact that he was with Catherine didn’t thrill me, either. But considering she had a lot more in common with him and lived in New York, well, perhaps it was for the best. I wasn’t typically insecure, but my emotions were heightened at the moment.
I stopped in the pharmacy and made short work of buying the essentials, which included chocolate. Tucking my purchases into my purse, I walked back towards the hotel.
Seeing a pub across the street from the building, I decided to stop in. Happy that it wasn’t insanely busy on a weeknight, I took a seat and smiled at the bartender asking for a cider. I had started to relax when I felt my phone vibrate.
“Hello.”
“Where the hell are you?” Josh’s voice was angry.
“Are you kidding me? That’s the first thing you’re going to say to me?”
“Haylee, you are trying my patience.”
I looked at the phone as if I wanted to strangle it and promptly hung up. Asshole. Not my most mature moment, however, considering he was technically my boss and this was, in fact, a business trip.
The phone rang back, and I sighed. Maybe we could start this over. “Hello.”
“Haylee, if you hang up on me again…”
I cut him off. “Unless your next words are I’m sorry, Josh, I have nothing more to talk to you about.”
“What in the hell was I supposed to think with your high-end clothes and a new outfit every damn day and then to hear that they were all designer—”
I hung up on him again. It felt good to switch my phone off. I gulped down my cider, and the bartender poured me another one.
“On the house, love, that sounded brutal. My name is Greg.”
“Nice to meet you, Greg.” I smiled, and we spent the next hour laughing about some of the American versus English customs. I was in an exceptional fit of giggles over the word fanny, which meant something entirely different in London and was quite offensive as it described female genitalia, when I saw Josh walk in.
He was still dressed in his tux, but his tie was undone. He looked both pissed and sexy as hell.
“Uh, Greg, it was nice meeting you. Thank you for saving my night,” I uttered, pulling out some bills to pay my tab.
He glanced over towards Josh. “Boyfriend?”
“No. Worse, I’m afraid. He’s my pissed-off boss.” I smiled at Greg and stepped around Josh and out the door.
He followed me and we walked in silence until we entered the lobby, and the front desk clerk smiled. “Oh, good, you found her.”
I gave her a tight smile, and Josh and I went up in the elevator.
He still hadn’t spoken to me by the time we got up to our rooms. I went through my door and directly into my bathroom. I planned on taking a quick shower and then going to bed. If he was going to ignore me the rest of the night, that suited me fine.
Unfortunately, it didn’t appear I was go
ing to get that reprieve. He strode into my room through the connecting door without even a knock.
“I am so pissed off right now, Haylee, it is probably for the best if we don’t speak tonight.”
“You’re pissed off at me? You’ve got to be kidding. How hard is it to say you’re fucking sorry, Josh?”
“I’m not the one who took off in a foreign city and then hung up on me twice, and what was with the bartender?”
I threw my hands up, not believing his audacity. “Uh, what’s with Catherine and you?”
Well, that got my point across as I saw his jaw clench.
“I’m not playing tit for tat. You’re at the bar picking up on men, and I’m out searching for you, having to ask the front desk where you went. By the way, why did you need a pharmacy?”
The change of subject took me completely off guard. “What?”
“The pharmacy. The clerk said you asked for directions. What did you need there?”
His gall knew no bounds. “You know what, Josh? I’m not sure what hurts most: the fact that you would honestly believe I’m squandering my money on designer clothes even after I told you I’m saving for law school, or that you would say something like that in front of someone I had just met and respect, even if you for a moment thought it was true. You humiliated me, and then you add insult to injury by being pissed off at me because I needed a moment. I wasn’t hitting on anyone tonight. I was only being friendly with the bartender, and now you’re going to demand to know what I purchased at the pharmacy. I can’t even—”
“I’m sorry.” He cut me off, saying it softly. “Oh, shit, Haylee. Please don’t cry.”
I wiped my eyes, knowing I was being overly emotional but unable to help it. I let him engulf me in a hug and sighed. “Why couldn’t you have said that at the party? I don’t understand it. You knew you were wrong, and yet you merely stood there.”
“I know. The only defense I have is that Catherine would have seen through it. You were standing there hurt and I wasn’t sure how to apologize as a boss would to his employee. Hell, I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before, especially in front of an audience. I froze knowing I was completely over the line. Then on the phone I was worried and pissed off, so I didn’t say it. I told you I’m not good at them.”
Tell Me Something (The Something Series Book 1) Page 15
