“It works,” Peter shouted.
Renee glanced at the projection. She turned fully around. What she saw was herself, wearing the gown that was in the book. She was the hologram. The gown glittered as if it was real.
Pressing the button again, the office went back to normal. For a long second, the three of them looked at each other. Then they rushed together and shouted in a group hug.
“You try it,” Renee said to Wanda.
Wanda smiled and stood up. She walked to the place Renee had stood and pressed the button of a second prototype. It worked like magic.
“Look at me,” Wanda crooned. “I love this.” She twisted around, checking the dress from all angles.
“Especially the shoes,” Pete chimed in.
Renee looked at the red sneakers on Wanda’s feet. She usually wore high heels, but after seven this evening, she’d changed into more comfortable footwear.
“What about you, Pete? Try it,” Wanda encouraged, already removing her device.
“Those are women’s gowns.”
“Yep, and you’re a man.” She made fists and raised her arms, imitating a macho bodybuilder. Pete was far from a bodybuilder, but he was lean and tall and the women in her office checked him out every time he passed.
“We could just as easily create a tuxedo for the men,” Wanda stated.
“We should have done that,” Pete said, his voice indicating he’d love to work on another project.
“One magazine at a time,” Renee cautioned.
“Come on, Pete. Show us your feminine side.” Wanda clamped the projection device on his arm and stood back.
With a heavy sigh Pete stepped into place and pushed the tiny pink button. The two women broke into gales of laughter.
“We’ll have to redo your hair.” Wanda could hardly get the words out.
Pete hit the button again, killing the image of himself. “I’ve seen my feminine side, and it sucks,” he said.
They laughed again. A moment later, Renee heard the main entry buzzer sound.
“Expecting someone?” she asked. Blank stares looked back at her.
The three of them headed for reception.
“Carter,” Renee said.
“What’s he doing here?” Pete whispered. Both Wanda and Pete knew Carter owned Hampshire Publications, but they didn’t know anything about her relationship with him.
“It’s all right,” Renee said. “I’ll take care of this.”
The door clicked. She pushed it open and stepped outside. It locked behind her.
“I came up to say hello, but I heard a shout. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine.”
“It’s pretty late,” he said.
She looked at her watch, only there was no watch there. The device was still in place.
“What’s that?”
“Just something I was working on.” She put her hand down, slipping it behind her back. “You’re here very late.”
“I had to catch up on the work I missed when my dad was sick.”
“How is your dad?”
“Almost back to his normal self.” He smiled. “That means he’s being a pain to everyone around him.”
“What about your mom? Is she all right?”
“She asked about you.”
Renee looked up at him.
“She wanted to thank you for all your help.”
Renee smiled. “I didn’t do much.”
“And she said she’d like you to come to dinner when everyone is better.”
“That would be nice,” Renee said. She didn’t want to commit to anything.
“Are you finished here for the night?” he asked. “I’d like to take you to get something to eat.”
Renee hesitated.
“I owe you. You were there when I needed you. Be gracious enough to accept.”
Renee glanced behind her.
“Don’t mind us,” Wanda shouted through the glass door. “Pete and I have plans.”
Renee knew Pete and Wanda had no relationship that didn’t involve a computer.
“It’s a little late for a meal. I think I’ll just go home. We have a ton of work to get done in the next few weeks.”
“Then I’ll see you home,” Carter said.
Renee couldn’t think of any reason to refuse, especially since she could see Wanda gesturing for her to accept.
“Let me get my things.”
When they were on the street, Carter took her hand and threaded it through his arm. Renee felt his strength. She didn’t try to pull free, but knew if she wanted to, Carter wouldn’t allow it. Taking a cue from him, she leaned her head against him.
They walked several blocks, sauntered through Grand Central Terminal and got a taxi at the 42nd Street entrance. Renee gave her address and the taxi pulled into the evening traffic.
Renee settled herself against Carter in the back seat.
“Tired?” he asked.
“It was a long day,” she yawned. “But a productive one.”
“What were you working on so late? You haven’t launched, so it couldn’t be the deadline for getting everything to press.”
“Just a few projects. But we’ll be ready soon.” And then all will be revealed.
The taxi stopped in front of her house and they both got out. Carter saw her to the door and said goodnight, but he didn’t leave. Renee looked up at him, and he quickly pulled her to him and clamped his mouth to hers.
It was the kind of kiss that said they couldn’t deny each other. They couldn’t go on as they had in the past. The world for them had changed, and they must change with it. It was a new beginning kiss, an I-know-we’ve-been-apart-but-we’re-back-now kiss. Renee raised her arms and circled his neck, giving up any thought. She wanted Carter.
The waiting taxi beeped his horn reminding them that he was there. Carter lifted his mouth and sighed into her hair. He pushed her back and looked into her eyes.
“One day I’m going to kiss you inside a place where there are no steps, no train platforms and no waiting taxi.”
* * *
A free weekend. Renee couldn’t think of the last time she’d had one of those. As a consultant, her weekends were booked with weddings. Since returning to New York, she’d put in weekend hours too numerous to count at Designed for Brides. And as soon as they launched the magazine, she’d have precious little time, so she decided to take a day off from the office.
Finally, all the boxes sitting on the floors of the various rooms in her house had been unpacked and their contents stored. Renee sat on the floor of her home office surrounded by bridal magazines. She wanted to refamiliarize herself with the competition. For the most part, the magazines were the same. There were full-page photos of bridal gowns, ads for tuxedo rentals, accessories for the bride and her bridesmaids.
Designed for Brides needed something more. Something unique that would set it apart from the many bridal magazines on bookstore shelves and newsstands. Renee leafed through the pages. While the gowns were gorgeous, nothing really spoke to her. After going through the issues for several hours and reading everything in them, an idea struck her. But she needed help.
She needed Wanda and Pete.
Renee had an idea, but her skills were only rudimentary for executing it. Maybe Pete could do it. If not, they might have contacts. Renee liked the talkative woman and the quiet spoken man.
Picking up a magazine, she looked down at the cover. It was from Carter’s company. Renee analyzed the elements. She pulled eight other magazines and spread them out in front of her. They could be mirrors of each other. All had a bride on the cover, usually the one that some designer had paid to have there.
For Designed for Brides, she would have control
over what went on the cover. They were going to go with one of Teddy’s creations for the first issue. Brides expected to see a dress on the cover—it was a mental trigger as to what was inside, what they could expect. Renee wouldn’t tamper with that, but she wanted to present it differently. Taking another look at the covers, she perused them one by one, giving each one enough time to determine if there was anything that stood out to her. If she was a bride and looking for a magazine, she’d choose the one with the dress that most appealed to her. The dress on The New Bride, distributed by News Publications, Inc. was the one she’d choose.
She spent another twenty minutes looking at The New Bride, then decided she’d need more time to come up with a presentation.
Renee got up just as her doorbell rang. She turned toward the door, staring at it as if she could see through the heavy wood. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She looked through the peephole and found Carter standing there. What could he want?
She opened the door. “Carter, I wasn’t expecting you.”
She held the door close to her arm, not opening it fully.
“Is it all right if I come in?”
Renee reluctantly opened the door and stepped back. Carter entered and she closed it.
“Would you like something to drink?
“I’ll have what you’re having.”
She’d opened a bottle of wine, and a single glass sat on the coffee table. She got him a glass then resumed her seat.
“Buzz is all over the building that something secret is going on.”
“Did you come to see what it was?” she asked.
“Just looking for ideas,” he said.
Renee gathered the array of magazines and put them in a pile. “That’s exactly what I was doing. I’m trying to find something that will appeal to brides and not be the same designs they’ve seen before.”
“I believe I’ve heard you say that before.”
“Carter, is there something you wanted? You’ve never been one to steal ideas, so I don’t think you’re here to see what I’m doing. And since we’re rivals, you can’t be here to help.”
“I thought you might want to go out for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.” He saluted her with the wineglass.
“Well, you don’t drink coffee, and we already have the wine.”
“Then how about we just walk. You’ve been locked in here all day. A little exercise might do you good.”
He couldn’t know she’d been in all day, but Renee didn’t argue the point.
She couldn’t dispute that she needed exercise. She was a jogger, and in Princeton she’d had a daily routine of running through town before she began her day. After moving to New York, most of her energy had gone into working, first on the office, then at the office. Even her nights were filled with analyzing her competition.
“Come on.” Carter offered her his hand.
Renee stared at it. Yet her heartbeat went up a notch and she found her hand moving into his. Grabbing her keys and purse from the hook by the door, she followed him out into the late afternoon.
The park wasn’t that far away and they walked toward it. Carter kept hold of her hand, and Renee felt hers grow clammy.
Three years, Renee thought. She remembered the office party where they’d first gotten together. He worked on thirty-eight, and she was two floors below that, but he often came to discuss things with Blair. When the McGuinn deal had been signed, sealed and delivered, the champagne had been brought out and a celebration had begun.
Carter had congratulated her and everyone had toasted to the huge contract. When the cases in the office were all empty, they continued at a local bar, where more wine was drunk and the loud music made others get up to dance. Carter didn’t ask her to dance, but she happened to bump into him. They’d laughed and talked and finally danced. As the night wore on and people began to leave for trains and buses, she found herself next to him.
His car service arrived and he offered to take her home. That had been the turning point. From the moment Renee made the decision to allow him to drive her home, her life would never be the same. She couldn’t go back and change history, even if she wanted to. And she wasn’t sure she did.
She’d been as happy as any of the brides displayed on the covers of their magazine. She’d thought the relationship would follow the normal cycle. But that wasn’t what happened.
Renee looked at the ground and shrugged the memory off. She’d walk and not think about what was happening. Nothing was happening. Their relationship was in the past and it had no future. She was on one side of the magazine playing field and he was on the other. There was no crossing the barrier.
Renee couldn’t say she hadn’t thought of resuming a relationship with Carter. It had been on her mind since her heart lurched in the restaurant that night she’d met Blair for dinner.
She’d told herself they were competitors, but that wasn’t the complete truth. She was just plain scared of having her heart broken again. What if the chase was all that interested Carter? What if something or someone else came along and he decided to leave without discussing it with her? Could she go through the heartache again?
That wasn’t how a relationship worked. Renee hadn’t been seriously involved with anyone since Carter. She’d had dates. She’d gone out with people she liked, but none of them touched her heart the way Carter had.
“Are we just going to walk or are you going to tell me why you felt the need to come to see me today?” Renee finally asked when they reached the park. Carter made her nervous, especially when he showed up without notice. His unexpected arrival at her doorstep was no different.
“I wanted to see you?”
Her heart lurched again.
“I went to your office, but all I could get out of your receptionist was that you’d taken the day off.
“I needed some down time,” she said, looking away from him.
“But you spent the day working from home.”
She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t deny it. The array of magazines he’d seen on her floor told him she had been working, but it wasn’t the tiring kind of work that took all her energy when she was in the office. Maybe because she knew Carter wasn’t an elevator ride away from her.
“What did you do today?” she asked.
“I thought of you.”
Renee stopped as if a barrier had been placed in front of her and looked at him. Her throat went dry. She couldn’t speak.
“We’ve got to talk about us sooner or later.” Carter’s stare was direct and unwavering. “Don’t say there is no us. We both know that’s not true.”
“Carter, I can’t go through that again.”
“I won’t ask you to.”
“Don’t you think it would be better if we—”
“No,” he didn’t let her finish. “Our emotions won’t allow it. It doesn’t matter how far or fast we run, we’re supposed to be together.”
Renee remembered them continually running into each other when she was trying to avoid him. It was like some type of force that kept putting them in the same place and time.
“And you didn’t know that three years ago?” she asked.
Renee watched as Carter winced.
“I did, but it was out of my control.”
“But you feel that you have control now? That nothing else will come up and force you to leave again.”
He nodded. “I can’t speak for the future. No one can. But I know that I will never make the same decision as I did before. I know I want you in my life. And you know it too. No matter how much you try to deny it. All I need to do is touch you and...”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Renee’s body reacted to his words.
“I can’t do this now, Carter.”
“Can’t do what?”
>
“I can’t concentrate on you and me. And I’m not saying that there is or will be a you and me. I have a lot riding on this magazine. I’m being tested with this project. Not so much by Diana and Teddy, but by myself. There’s a whole industry out there and not all of them are rooting for me. I have confidence that I know what I’m doing. But I can’t afford any missteps or any distractions. Can you understand that?”
“I understand,” he said, although Renee wasn’t sure he did. She could hear the disappointment in his voice.
“Does this mean you’ll give it some thought once everything is done?”
“I will, Carter,” she said. “When this magazine is put to bed, I’ll think about it.”
* * *
The truth was Renee hadn’t been able to think of anything other than her and Carter. He’d given her some room. She didn’t run into him every night or find him waiting in the reception area of her office. However today she expected to see him.
Renee was at the Magazine Expo trade show, admiring the Hampshire Publications booth. It covered the space of ten booths. The staff was mainly marketing and sales people. Renee didn’t know many of them, but there were a few left over from her days.
She noticed the bridal section was bright and had a large part of the real estate, but not the greatest amount. That went to magazines on fitness and sports. Renee spent several hours walking through the show and looking at what publishers chose to display. Market share was obvious to anyone who knew how to see it.
She headed to News Publications, Inc. Their space wasn’t as large as Hampshire’s, but it was close, and they also had a bridal section.
“Surveying the competition?”
Renee turned to find Blair next to her.
“I am,” she answered honestly. “I’ve already been to Hampshire. Frankly, I thought the section for brides would be larger.”
“We have an adequate showing.”
“It’s impressive,” Renee said. They did have an impressive showing, but in the back of her mind, she felt Blair was unhappy. She was smiling, but there was a sadness in it. Renee had seen that before.
“I have to get back over there. If you have a moment, have lunch with me.”
All He Needs Page 12
