Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories
Page 57
Behind her she could hear Mrs Russell’s voice getting louder as she approached. Danielle turned, expecting to see her client talking with the sales assistant, but she wasn’t. The assistant had been replaced by a tall blonde gentleman, around thirty, dressed in a pin-striped grey suit. Danielle’s legs trembled.
Idiot, he’s just a man. A man he may be but I’ve never seen one quite as handsome as that. You know what they say, the good looking ones are either queer or right Bs!
His charm was obviously working on Mrs Russell because she had more colour in her cheeks than when she’d left Danielle moments earlier.
“Danielle, dear, I’d like you to meet a very good friend of mine, Scott Jordache. He’s a business associate of my husband’s. In fact, he’ll be one of the first people to see your fabulous room. He’s coming to dinner …”
Her client continued talking, but Danielle had switched off. She was mesmerised by Mr Jordache’s piercing blue eyes. She’d never had a reaction like this to a man before, every nerve in her body was on edge and jangling out of control. She had never believed in ‘love at first sight’ and wondered if this was how it felt.
His hand shot out to shake hers. Noticing the way her hand shook he grinned. “I’m so pleased to see you, Danielle. By all accounts you’re a genius.”
Danielle’s eyes dropped to the powerful grip he had on her hand. She liked a firm handshake; her father had always told her, ‘you can tell such a lot about a person’s character from the way they shake hands with you’. The time seemed to freeze around them as he held her hand longer than necessary. It wasn’t until Mrs Russell gave a slight cough that Danielle regained her senses and released his hand.
Gazing into his eyes, her cheeks reddened. She’d never been able to take compliments well. “Oh, I don’t know about that, I believe Mrs Russell might be a teeny bit biased. You can judge for yourself when you visit.”
“Nonsense, credit where credit’s due. I know that once my friends see the results they’ll be green with envy. I’ve got a feeling you’ll be inundated with work. Actually, Scott was in here looking for inspiration for his new home, weren’t you, dear?”
“Indeed I was, Evelyn. Perhaps Danielle could give me some professional advice. Do you have a card handy? Or better still, I have a clear day today, would lunch be out of the question?” His eyes twinkled and it wasn’t from the reflection of the lights surrounding them.
Taken aback Danielle said, “I’m sorry, today is out of the question. I have a list of items to purchase for Mrs Russell.” She turned to look at her client who was standing beside her open-mouthed, bemused by their exchange.
“Don’t be foolish, Danielle, we’ll be finished by lunchtime. You said yourself it won’t take long to find all we need. It’s not every day a good-looking young man asks you out for lunch, is it, dear? It’s a business rendezvous after all, isn’t that right, Scott?”
“It’s entirely up to Danielle, Evelyn. I don’t usually have to force people to have lunch with me, business or otherwise. The decision is hers.”
His face was difficult to read. Danielle felt like the pair were ganging up on her. But if there was a chance of a new contract then she’d be foolish not to have lunch with him.
“Accessories are a vital element in bringing a room together and really shouldn’t be rushed. Saying that, I don’t think our shopping expedition should take very long.”
Danielle spoke to Mrs Russell, as opposed to the man who’d caused her heart to race. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him looking her up and down. Mrs Russell had noticed it too, by the smirk on her face.
She turned to him and asked, “Where would you like to meet, Mr Jordache?” Danielle hoped she’d managed not to sound too eager.
“Scott, please. Shall we say at one? Do you know the little restaurant on the corner of Loughton road and Chance lane?”
Danielle smiled and wished her stomach would stop churning. “That’ll be fine, one it is. Shall we continue, Mrs Russell?”
“You run along, dear, I’ll catch you up in a moment.”
When she wandered through to the other showroom, Danielle kept an eye on the couple, sensing she was the subject of their chat. She glanced up once and caught Scott looking at her, she glanced away quickly and kept her head down until Mrs Russell joined her about five minutes later.
The woman nudged her elbow, surprising her. “I just knew you two would hit it off. Isn’t he gorgeous?”
Embarrassed she didn’t quite know what to say. “Umm …”
“You know what my cheeky friends call me, don’t you? A meddling matchmaker! Well, maybe they’re right.” Mrs Russell chuckled and then continued. “He deserves a dose of happiness after what he’s been through recently, but that’s enough of that. What’s caught your eye? Oh, aren’t these divine?” she enthused, picking up a couple of matching trinket boxes.
With her interest piqued Danielle continued shopping with her client, while her mind wandered as she thought about her future lunch date.
Mrs Russell’s Jag was full to bursting when they arrived back at the house. Danielle insisted she would ferry the goods in and wouldn’t hear of her client lending a hand. It was getting on for twelve-thirty when she deposited the last of the packages in the front room. One final check on how the boys were progressing and then Mrs Russell ushered her out the front door.
Jack raised an eyebrow, knowing how unusual it was for her to take a lunch break. She shrugged and mouthed she would fill him in later.
On the drive to the restaurant her hands tightened and loosened every few seconds on the steering wheel, she hated to be late for an appointment and the traffic was backed up. But was that the real reason for her anxiety?
Chapter Three
Danielle tried to steady her racing heart. She stepped out of her sports car and smoothed down her knee-length skirt that was prone to riding up when she drove. The suit showed her slim figure off well. She had already applied a fresh coat of cherry coloured lipstick and powder inside the car. Outside the restaurant’s entrance she paused to take a few calming breaths. Crikey, anyone would think I was going for an interview or something. Scratch that, in a way I am.
The strange thing was that Danielle never normally got worked-up before meeting a client to discuss business, as she had confidence in both her abilities as a designer, and the professionalism of her men. With so many dodgy cowboy builders around some perspective clients always started out skeptical of the standard of her work. That’s why she carried a folder in the car, it had dozens of recommendations and photos of the teams finished projects.
Almost every table in the restaurant was full. The tanned Maître d’ greeted her with an admiring smile.
“I’m here to meet Mr Jordache.”
“Ah, but of course. Please, follow me.”
Danielle looked ahead in the direction they were heading and saw Scott Jordache watching them. She shuddered away an unrecognisable feeling. When they were within a few feet of his table, Scott waved the Maĩtre d’ away. He rose and pulled out Danielle’s chair for her, all the time his eyes locked on hers.
She blushed. “Thank you. I didn’t think men still did that for ladies.”
He sat in the chair opposite her and smiled. “You’ve just never met the right men.”
Her heart upped its erratic pace and she had to keep telling herself this was a business meeting, nothing more.
The waiter arrived to take their drinks order. “An orange juice will be fine, thank you.” Scott raised an eyebrow. “I never drink and drive. Plus I have work this afternoon, I need my wits about me.”
“Make mine a sparkling water.”
The waiter left, leaving them to study the menu.
Danielle decided against having anything heavy and settled on the chicken salad. Scott surprised her by ordering the same.
Feeling hot, she removed her jacket and placed it on the back of her chair.
“Do you always dress sexy for work?”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t,” she mumbled clearly upset.
Removing her jacket did little to help her cool down. Maybe it was his intention to make her feel embarrassed. Perhaps he was the kind of guy who liked to control women. Like Dean? No man had ever called her sexy before especially when she was dressed in her ‘work clothes’. She’d always regarded this particular suit as classy as opposed to sexy, maybe she should take another look at her wardrobe. Don’t be daft, one comment and I’m ready to throw away all my outfits and start anew. All that says is how insecure I’m feeling at the moment. I can blame Dean for that.
She tugged her hand away from his and again tried to put her jacket back on, this time his words halted her.
“I apologise, if I offended or embarrassed you, it wasn’t my intention.”
“That’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Clearly you aren’t used to receiving compliments from men. They must’ve been either blind or idiots not to admire how attractive you are. Or perhaps, you’ve been seeing the wrong type of men?” he asked with a glint in his radiant blue eyes.
His words and his perception of her was astounding, and surprisingly accurate considering they’d only just met. She tried to steer the conversation away from herself.
“So tell me, Mr Jordache, what can I do for you?” Oh heck, that came out wrong.
One eyebrow raised and an amused smile tugged at his mouth. “No doubt you could actually do a lot for me, Danielle. Let’s start with you calling me Scott, shall we?”
“Sorry, no can do. I prefer to keep things businesslike with all my clients. I’m sure Mrs Russell will vouch for me on that.”
“Well … in that case, I suggest we call a halt to our meeting, because I’m afraid I don’t and won’t do business that way, Danielle.” He emphasised her name making his point, and the change in his demeanour was dramatic.
Sensing she might lose any future business with him, she thought it would be best for her to back down. “Scott it is, then, if you insist.”
“Thank you. Now, before I do any sort of business with people, I tend to research the company thoroughly. As I’ve only just met you, maybe you’d like to give me a little background on your company?”
She couldn’t help noticing how smug he looked after she’d backed down. Danielle let it pass.
“I started my business from scratch. I saw a gap in the market and jumped on it. I offer the best value for money in the area, employing the best tradesmen and women in London. My sister helps run the office, when she’s not pregnant or running around after her two-year-old, that is.”
He didn’t interrupt her once and she began to relax in his company.
“I see. I didn’t catch your surname, Danielle, and I forgot to ask Evelyn.”
She gave him a puzzled look and wondered if he would google her when he got back to the office after lunch. “It’s Pires.”
“Danielle Pires. Hmm … it rolls off the tongue nicely. I’m guessing your family is French?”
She wasn’t surprised he’d managed to work out her heritage so quickly. He seemed an intelligent and well-travelled kind of guy.
“My father is French, born on the outskirts of Paris. He left there in 1970, met and married my mother after a whirlwind romance. Dad’s an accountant, he has his own firm and Mum owns a florist, but she’s taking early retirement in a few months.”
Scott tilted his head. “Is your mother ill?”
His attentiveness amazed her. He was like a sponge, soaking up all the information, listening without giving her the impression she was boring him silly. He put her at ease and she felt comfortable divulging her families’ backgrounds, despite him being a total stranger.
“Good lord, no. My sister, Claudine is about to give birth soon and Mum wants to spend more time with her grandchildren. She’s going to look after the kids while Claudine continues to work in the office for me. Mum says she wants to be known as ‘granny mummy’.”
Scott laughed and Danielle admired the whiteness of his teeth, and became aware of the sparkle that had crept into his eyes. Her heart fluttered. Conscious he was staring at her, she gazed down at the table.
“Add you appear to get embarrassed easily to the list, too.” Seeing the colour rise in her cheeks he asked, “And what does your sister’s husband do?”
Wow, he really is into research.
“Actually, James works alongside my father. Dad hopes to retire in the next few years and wants James to take over from him.”
“And, what about you? Do you have a significant other, Danielle?”
She watched as his eyes searched out her ring finger. Swiftly she withdrew her hand from the table and placed it in her lap.
He had backed her into a corner and she had no idea what to say. Yes, she was involved with Dean, and yes he’d proposed, but could his proposal really be classed as that? Surely, if she loved him, why had she been so determined to scrub at her body, erasing his scent and touch, in the shower that morning? She thought it best to evade the question all together.
“Let’s just say work is my priority at the moment.”
She could’ve sworn she saw a look of satisfaction flash across his face. Don’t be ridiculous girl, he probably has girls queuing up, a different one for every night of the month, he wouldn’t be interested in you. She quashed the temptation to ask if he was involved with anyone and had also noted his ring finger was empty.
Just then the waiter arrived with their meal, Danielle slowly let out the breath she’d been holding in, and started on her salad.
“So you have a thriving business, I’ve heard nothing but praise for your professionalism and care for detail from Evelyn.”
“It’s always nice to hear praise like that from a client.”
“Is Evelyn Russell a personal friend of yours?”
Danielle frowned and placed her knife and fork on the side of her plate. “Meaning?”
“Don’t go getting defensive on me. It was a simple question. Well?”
His tone told her that she’d misread the inference behind his question. Picking up her cutlery she said, “No. I’d never met her before this project. I’m delighted it’s worked out so well.”
“I have to tell you, I’ve known the dear lady for a good few years now and I’ve never heard her talk so enthusiastically about someone she’s employed.”
“Really?”
He nodded and took a sip of his water. “Which leads me on to my ‘not so little project’ and whether you can fit me into your busy schedule or not.”
“Tell me what type of job it is and I’m sure we’ll be able to sort something out.”
“I’ve recently acquired a house in Kensington.”
Danielle raised an eyebrow. “Nice area.”
“It might be a nice area but the house was a right tip. Unfortunately, squatters had been living there for months. Totally wrecked the place. I almost heaved when I first walked in … sorry, I’ll spare you the details, wouldn’t want to put you off your lunch.”
She pulled a face knowing exactly the kind of mess squatters left behind when they’re evicted. “I get the picture.”
“Anyway, my builders are ripping it apart at the moment.”
“So you’ve employed builders already?”
“That’s right. But as I said when we met this morning, I’m looking for inspiration because I’m hopeless with interiors. The only thing I know is blue and green should never be seen.”
She laughed at the old perception. Nowadays, every designer knew it was acceptable to use the two colours together, depending on the shade chosen.
Scott grinned. “See, told you I need help. So, I figured I’d call in the experts, it’s fortuitous that Evelyn has recommended your company. I intend checking out the standard of your work next week, when I go to dinner with
the Russell’s. But if you could drop by and give me a thumbs-up whether you’d be willing to take on the job or not, that’d be great.”
“Sounds like a big job, can I ask what sort of budget you have in mind?”
“Total budget or just the interior?”
Shrugging she said, “Just my side of things.”
“I’ve put aside a couple of hundred grand.”
She almost spat out her food. She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. “Blimey, that’s some budget. You did say it was an ordinary house and not a palace, didn’t you?”
Smirking he replied, “That includes all the furniture, it is a large house, not quite a palace, but large nonetheless. Do you think that’s a big enough budget?”
“Well … If it’s not a palace, it’s sure going to resemble one if I have that much to play with.”
They both laughed.
“Any idea what sort of time frame we’re looking at?”
“I’m afraid I don’t possess a crystal ball, Mr … er, I mean, Scott. I’d need to see the site before giving you that information. Then, it would depend on how long your builders take. I’ll tell you what, once you’ve seen Mrs Russell’s dining-room next week, and if you decide you like my work, then we can make arrangements to meet at the site. How does that sound?” She tried to sound businesslike but she could hear the tremble in her own voice, she’d never had a client who’d had such an effect on her before.
“Sounds great. I’m sure I’ll be as enthusiastic about your designs as Evelyn is.” He paused, sipped his drink while he thought. “How are you fixed for next Friday? I have a free day.”
Danielle mimicked him by taking a drink while she pretended to think. Friday was due to be her final day of work before her break, she was sure she could fit a meeting in somewhere.
Without sounding too eager she said, “I’ll have to move a few appointments around, but I’m sure my clients won’t mind.”