by Lynn Steward
“That we move on? We?”
“Yes. There’s nothing else to do.” He shrugged. “Let’s go grab dinner.”
“You really screwed this up, Brett,” Janice said with indignation. “Why don’t you go have a cozy romantic dinner with yourself? I’m going to pack and catch the red-eye to San Francisco.”
“I didn’t screw up anything,” Brett said defensively. “My information from Johnny was solid, but Dana’s prospects didn’t firm up.”
Janice rose to leave. “You should have vetted his information better before setting up a meeting with Rudnick. And your investigators leave a lot to be desired. Dana’s playing you like a fiddle.”
“Wait a minute, Janice!” Brett called. “I don’t need your attitude tonight. I have no control over Dana’s life. I left her for you, if you recall.” There was an edge of sarcasm in his voice.
“You left her? If I recall, she threw you out! Little Miss Priss seems to call all the shots. Go ahead and let her bleed you dry.”
“For God’s sake, Janice, I’m far from broke. Let’s just drop it. I’ll fly back with you tonight.”
“Take your time. I’m going by myself.”
“What are you saying?”
Janice left the office without responding.
Brett sat alone. Janice was a loose cannon. Would she be waiting for him when he arrived in San Francisco? Had she just terminated their relationship? He didn’t know. He decided to go to a nearby bar and have a drink with colleagues from the firm. Janice had made him feel like a fool.
Chapter Fifty-One
Dana went into work on Saturday and searched for Bob on the fifth floor, but he wasn’t in his office, although she knew that he had weekend meetings scheduled. His secretary said that he would return later that morning.
Dana walked down the hall in frustration. She’d been waiting for two days to get a definitive answer from Bob, and he still hadn’t weighed in on the samples she’d brought to the conference room. Had he seen them and decided that they weren’t right for an exclusive B. Altman line? Worse yet, had Helen succeeded in talking him out of the idea, convincing him that the boutique concept didn’t have all the perks touted by Dana? She decided that she wasn’t going to leave the store that day until she saw Bob face-to-face and knew whether or not The British Shop was going to be embraced by the store.
Dana decided to get some work done in her office before checking on the Nantucket display as well as other lines that were traditionally hot summer items. Two hours later, she was on the selling floor when she spied Andrew talking with a salesman from Jones New York near the escalator—and the boutique build-out. Andrew had some schematics in his hand, and judging from their sweeping hand gestures, the two men were obviously discussing what kind of display would be appropriate for the Jones New York line when the boutique was finally dismantled. The salesman had a Madras jacket draped over his arm, and Dana’s curiosity was piqued both by the good-looking fabric and what appeared to be plans to finally utilize the boutique space for something other than The British Shop. She approached them, prompting Andrew to interrupt the articulation of how the schematics would be implemented.
“Pleased to meet you,” the salesman said. “I’m Jeff Stravitz. Jones New York.”
“Dana McGarry. I’m the teen accessories buyer. Pleased to meet you.”
Dana extended her hand and smiled politely, but her heart was sinking as she stood next to the boutique where she’d dreamt that her British-inspired separates were to have been displayed. In her mind, she saw the build-out and every little detail, down to the tartan-green shopping bags with The British Shop logo. She couldn’t believe it was slipping away right before her eyes.
As the salesman resumed talking about the space he envisioned where the boutique now stood, Andrew shrugged his shoulders slightly as he silently mouthed the word “Helen,” indicating to Dana that the matter was out of his hands—he was just doing what he’d been told.
“Is that the new non-bleeding Madras plaid from India?” Dana asked, referring to the jacket Stravitz was holding. “Do you mind if I have a closer look?”
Caught off guard, the salesman smiled. “It is! We’re making it the centerpiece of our new Regatta division.”
“What else is in the collection?” Dana asked as she inspected the trendsetting fabric.
“In addition to the jacket, we’ll have matching Madras Bermuda shorts, skirts, and pants. We’re introducing our own prep blazer, cotton-striped shirtdresses, and floral-print wrap skirts.”
“Look at their logo,” Andrew said, holding up a piece of distressed wood with the Regatta name in nautical letters.
“What a great match for my accessories in the Nantucket boutique,” Dana said while glancing furtively at Andrew.
“You have a Nantucket boutique?” Stravitz asked. “For accessories?”
“No Nantucket boutique on the horizon I’m afraid,” Dana laughed, “but I know your Regatta division will be a hit. The preppy look is really hot with juniors.”
“I’m going to contact Bass and see if they want a section in our department to sell penny and tassle Weejuns,” Jeff said.
“Great idea, Jeff,” Andrew said.
“I have a better one,” Dana said with a sly smile.
“Really? For the Regatta line?” Jeff said. “Tell me quickly. The suspense is killing me.”
“Follow me,” Dana said as Andrew shook his head, not sure what Dana had in mind.
Dana led Andrew and Jeff into The Shop for Pappagallo, which was packed with Saturday shoppers trying on brightly colored flats and buying ribbon stripe belts and Bermuda bags.
“Where did you find that jacket?” one young woman asked when she spotted the Madras jacket Jeff was holding.
“Do you like it?” Jeff asked. “Here. Let’s try it on.”
The jacket caught the attention of two other shoppers, and they also wanted to know where to find more Madras pieces.
“Can I buy it?” the young girl said as she turned to her mother for approval.
Jeff explained that the new line would be available in the next few weeks and that he would send her and the others in the group a personal invitation to the Regatta fashion show.
While Andrew took the girls’ mailing addresses, Dana turned to Jeff and said, “Need I say more? The Pappagallo Shop is where you should be. Your customer is already here and waiting for you!”
“You’re absolutely right!” Jeff said. “I know Ben Goldberg at the US Shoe Corporation. I’m sure I can sell him on the idea to sell our line in The Pappagallo Shop. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
“You know, Jeff,” Dana said, “US Shoe is leasing the space, so I’m sure he would be happy to expand and have you share the cost.”
“Really, Dana?” Jeff said. “Good information. Andrew, I’m late for a meeting back at the showroom. Tell Helen I don’t want the space by the escalator. Let’s quickly work up a new design incorporating Pappagallo, and I’ll present it to Goldberg at US Shoe next week. Dana, I owe you a nice lunch. The three of us will celebrate when this gets put together.”
“We’d love that,” Dana said, looking at Andrew.
“I think you’ve made a wise decision,” Andrew said. “I have no doubt that we can put the space by the escalator to good use for another line.” He winked and smiled at Dana as he spoke.
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you,” Dana told Stravitz. “I look forward to our lunch. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a million things to do. Good luck with the Regatta line! I love it!”
Dana whirled about and returned to the fifth floor, adrenaline pumping through her veins, new enthusiasm propelling her to the office of Bob Campbell, who was walking briskly down the hallway straight towards her.
“I was planning on finding you today,” Bob said with a telling grin. “Come on in and we’ll talk. Sorry I’ve been so busy for the past two days.”
Dana followed Bob into his office, where they sat on opposite s
ides of his desk.
“Have you looked at the separates?” Dana asked eagerly. “What do you think?”
“The samples are stunning,” he said. “Irwin and his team are obviously very talented.”
“Can you see where I’m going with this, Bob?” Dana asked, her hands folded on his desk. “Aren’t the fabrics luscious? Now, add four-ply cashmere sweaters, wool jersey shawls, and dyed-to-match merino wool knits and we’re making a statement. All items within irresistible reach of each other!”
Bob nodded slowly. “Uh … yes, I can.”
Dana couldn’t understand the reticence of the executive vice president. Why was he drawing out the conversation? Dana wanted a simple yes or no, but Bob seemed so tentative in his answers.
“And the boutique?” she asked.
“Helen gave me an earful the other day, telling me that she wanted to see the boutique chopped into kindling. I told you ahead of time that she was going to be a tough sell, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but you also said that she has to get on board with what’s best for the store. Bob, we can’t give up on Ira and Dawn’s vision to bring B. Altman into mainstream retailing. This is not such a big risk, for goodness sake! Why are you hesitating?”
“Well, you already know that the boutique space has been promised to Jones New York. How do we get around that?”
“That problem has been solved,” Dana said proudly. “I was just with Jeff Stravitz, the head sales rep with Jones, and he told Andrew to inform Helen that he doesn’t want that space. We toured Pappagallo, and the young women there were wild about the Madras plaid jacket he was carrying. The new non-bleeding Madras is the focus of their new preppy line, and the Pappagallo customer is made for it. He knows a top executive at US Shoe, and he’s pitching him on expanding the Pappagallo shop to incorporate their new line. Plus he’ll share the cost of the leased space.”
“I wonder who might have put that particular bug in Stravitz’s ear,” Bob remarked.
“I just led him to the Pappagallo Shop and the customers took over from there,” Dana said innocently. “The kids were all over the jacket, pleading to know when his entire line would be available.”
“I see,” Bob said thoughtfully as he looked up, weighing the decision he needed to make. Then he leaned forward and burst out laughing.
Dana was confused. “What’s the matter?”
“You’re the new buyer of The British Shop,” he declared. “And you’ve got your boutique, which I’ll instruct Mark to complete. I wanted you to take the lead in solving this problem, just as you did last year with the teen makeup counter and the B. Altman Teen Contest. And you did just that. There’s really no objection Helen can make anymore, although she’ll grumble a bit as always. Over the long haul, we’ll give her some input, but this will be your baby, Dana. In time, Helen will brag about how she brought you along and challenged you so that you could make the whole project a success.”
Dana was speechless, her mouth hanging open.
“You can breathe now,” Bob said. “And congratulations. I’ve never been more impressed with your initiative and vision for the store. The concept, the fabrics, bringing Irwin on board, the coordinated separates—what you did was amazing, and it’s going to send ripples through the other departments. This is just the beginning of private label merchandise at B. Altman.”
Dana let out the air she’d been holding in her lungs. “Thank you, Bob. I’m so grateful. I don’t have the words to tell you how much I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“No words are needed, Dana. Your work speaks for itself.”
Dana returned to her office and called Irwin.
“Hello, partner,” Dana said.
“Dana, do you mean you did it?” Irwin said in disbelief.
“Yes!” Dana said. “Bob loved the samples, and the deal is done. I’ll tell you all about it over lunch. Are you free on Monday? We have lots to discuss.”
“I’m all yours. Monday it is. How about twelve thirty at Giambelli’s?”
“Perfect.”
“Does Mark know?” Irwin asked.
“No,” Dana said, having decided that she would write him a note instead of calling. “Would you mind telling him for me? I know he’ll be very happy for both of us.”
“Are you sure, Dana?” Irwin asked.
“I am.”
Dana then called her mother and father and gave them the good news.
“You’ve got to come over for dinner tomorrow so we can celebrate,” Virginia said. She paused for several seconds. “And bring Mark if you like.”
Dana related recent events about Mark and Amanda in broad strokes, telling her that she’d be delighted to see them for dinner. She knew that her mother had endless questions about her breakup with Mark, but Virginia withheld them all.
Filled with energy, Dana decided that she needed a long jog in the park. She ran five miles and felt delightfully tired when she returned home at three o’clock. Upon awaking from a nap, she decided to go to church and offer a brief prayer of thanksgiving for the success of the boutique.
As Father Macaulay might have said, she had once again found her balance.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Sunday was a gorgeous display of May in Hewlett Harbor on Macy Channel. Dana arrived to find that Johnny, Phoebe, and Uncle John had also been invited to her celebratory dinner.
Dana walked into the Martignetti den and froze. “I just told Mom yesterday about The British Shop,” Dana said, looking at the beaming faces staring at her in the den, the French doors open to the patio. “How could all of you possibly make it here on such short notice?”
“The hospital lets me out for some fresh air occasionally,” Phoebe said with a laugh.
“Dad and I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Johnny added. “It’s your greatest professional accomplishment to date.”
Phil passed a tray of champagne flutes upon Dana’s entrance and handed one to her.
“To my daughter!” Phil said, giving Dana a kiss and raising his glass in the air as everyone joined him in the toast.
“To Dana!” said Phoebe.
“Dana,” said Uncle John, “your good fortune is my loss, but I wouldn’t have wanted you to work for the House of Cirone in the first place if you didn’t have the kind of initiative it took to get a line of clothing for B. Altman, not to mention a specialized boutique. The store is lucky to have you. But I must warn you—the more success you have, the more I’m going to court you to change horses one day and come work with Johnny and me. There will always be a place at the House of Cirone for someone with your talent and determination. But for now, I hope that The British Shop is—” He paused to find the right words. “A smashing success, as the English say! And I have no doubt that it will be, with you as its buyer.”
Dana advanced and hugged Uncle John. “I wanted to tell you my decision in person, not over the phone last night,” Dana said, “so I’m glad that you were able to make it today.”
“And you managed to get the entire idea approved despite Helen’s unreasonable objections,” Johnny noted.
“Helen clearly underestimated Dana’s determination,” Virginia said. “It seems we all did.”
“I couldn’t give up without doing everything possible to open B. Altman’s first boutique,” Dana said. “I knew Bob would come around when he saw it from my point of view.”
“Now who does Dana sound like?” Phil asked with a smile as he looked around the room.
“Her mother,” Virginia said, putting her arm around Dana and giving her kiss, “and if everyone will excuse me, I’m going to see how dinner is coming along. Phoebe made Lena’s Sunday gravy, so we’re in for a special treat.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” Johnny told Dana. “Would you like to walk out on the dock?”
“Sure,” Dana said as the pair walked past the French doors.
“I guess I’ve been more than a little overbearing,” Johnny said contritely. “You’re ri
ght. I’ve been a mother hen, and while I didn’t think that the boutique would fly, I was equally worried that one day it might, since that would mean losing you. I was really looking forward to your working with us. The House of Cirone is sometimes a bit too stuffy for me. You would have been the perfect catalyst to stir things up and bring a little energy to the business. But I’m happy things worked out. Forgive me?”
“Of course, Johnny. After all is said and done, it’s nice knowing that you and Mom were so worried about me, although if you tell her I said that, I’ll kill you. As for the House of Cirone, why don’t you give it the energy it needs? Build a new team. It’s not like you’re an outsider. Uncle John would be open to your new ideas to grow the company.”
Johnny shrugged. “I’ve asked myself that same question a thousand times. I can handle the business end of things pretty well, but when it comes to design and predicting trends, I wouldn’t know where to begin or who to hire.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’re very happy at work,” Dana said.
“I enjoy running the business most of the time. As Dad likes to remind me, it’s in my blood, but there are days when I think I need to go out on my own.”
“And do what?”
“That’s the problem. I’m just not sure. All in good time, though. Today is about you.”
The two longtime friends stared at the afternoon sun’s golden reflection on the waters of Macy Channel for several minutes without speaking.
“I’m sorry to hear about Mark,” Johnny said at last. “You’re putting on a brave face.”
“Thanks, but something tells me you’re relieved that it didn’t work out.”
Johnny sighed. “To be honest, I never did see you and him together, but I’ve been on the outside looking in. What’s important is that you must still be hurting, and that doesn’t make me happy regardless of what I think of Mark.”
“You know, Johnny,” Dana said, “that’s why I love you. You can be honest and sympathetic at the same time. Really. I appreciate your candor. If you’d had a chance to get to know Mark, I think you’d have felt differently about him, but that’s a moot point now. And yes, I’m still hurting. After all, Mark and I were together up until a few days ago. It’s going to take some time for my heart to heal, even with all the frenzy of working with Irwin while the boutique is set up to house the collection. I suppose people are right in saying that I’m feisty like my mother when I have to be, but nobody is immune from the pain of loss. I fall apart like anybody else sometimes.”
