“Oh, where did Lance go?” she asked, trying not to feel disappointed.
“He told me to tell you he was sorry, but he got an urgent call and had to take off.” Erin grabbed Debra’s arm. “You two were fantastic out there on the dance floor. I’m pretty sure I saw some sparks fly.”
Debra laughed. “It was just a dance. But I admit there may have been a spark or two.”
“More than just two. Anyway, Jake and I need to get home. I’ll see you at work on Thursday.”
“See you then. I’m heading out too. I want to get out of here before everyone else in New York tries to use the subway.” Debra waved and went to get her bag and coat from the closet. Even though she knew Lance had left, she couldn’t help watching for him as she made her way through the crowds outside. Many still stood and cheered, but the stairs to the subway were filled with others who were trying to rush to get home.
The station was packed like she’d expected. She probably could have walked home, but there were too many partiers out on the streets and she didn’t want to be out there alone. Besides, she’d been down here plenty of times when it was busy. She climbed on and smiled at the couple next to her and had to scoot close so several more people could squeeze in.
The trip to the Upper East Side wasn’t usually too bad, but with the amount of people coming and going, it took longer than usual. She took a deep breath when she finally pushed her way out of the train. She’d been forced to breathe sour perfume and body odor for several stops, and the stale air of the station was welcoming.
After pulling her coat tighter around her, she hurried up the steps and walked the block to her building. She fumbled with her keys in the icy cold and walked inside. The black and white tiles and paintings on the wall in the entryway welcomed her. This was a vast improvement from her last place. Her mom had insisted that she start acting like a top executive and find a better place. Thanks to the bonus from David, she was able to put a down payment on her dream apartment. She took the elevator and unlocked her door.
“Happy New Year,” her neighbor called from down the hallway.
“Happy New Year. How’s your father?” Debra asked. Sandy’s dad had been hospitalized for a stroke just after Christmas.
Sandy smiled. “He’s fine. He’ll be coming home in a couple of days. It’s so much better than we’d expected.”
“That’s wonderful.” Debra opened her door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sandy waved as Debra walked into her apartment. Without the lights on, she could see the New York skyline through the large windows in the living room. It was the reason she wanted this place for her own. She started a pot on the stove and changed into pajamas. Once the water boiled, she made herself a cup of hot chocolate and curled up on the couch to watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Even though it was a Christmas movie, her family had watched it New Year’s Eve for as long as she could remember.
The movie was only half over when she pulled the thick fleece blanket over her and closed her eyes. Thoughts of Lance ran through her mind. At thirty-five, and after too many broken relationships, she had given up on dating. She enjoyed her job, so it was easy to bury herself in it. But maybe it wasn’t too late.
Chapter 2
Lance ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket on the way back into the party. The crowd had left, and he was disappointed to see that Debra had left as well. Not that he blamed her. If Erin told her the call was urgent, she’d understand that it could take hours.
“Oh, hey, Lance. I thought you’d already left.” David came over and shook his hand. Lily’s arm was threaded through his and she looked radiant in her green party dress.
“I was on a call. I guess I didn’t escape work after all.” He chuckled. “Thanks again for inviting me. I had a great time.”
“You’re welcome.” David reached out to shake his hand. “I’ll see you later.”
Lily held out her hand and Lance took it. “You really didn’t have to send me this dress. But I appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. And you look beautiful in it.”
“Thank you.” She blushed. “We need to get going. Our babysitter is probably worn out after keeping up with the kids.”
Lance walked toward the door with them and they parted ways as they left the building. His car was a couple of blocks away, near his office. The wind was cold, so he pulled his gloves on and walked quickly through the streets. He just hoped he’d be able to get to his house before the snow came down. Several people stopped him to wish him a Happy New Year, and he’d smile and say it back.
The parking garage kept the wind out, but it didn’t block the cold as Lance climbed into his Mercedes. He started it and rubbed his hands together to gain some feeling in his fingers. Once the car had warmed up a little, he left the garage and headed for his house on Staten Island.
Traffic moved slow, and Lance allowed his mind to wander back to the party. He’d planned to make an appearance and leave, but then Debra had shown up. While they’d written emails back and forth about specifics for the clothing ads, he’d never actually met her. She was beautiful, with her auburn hair that fell in waves, and those hazel eyes that held him captivated. Asking her to dance was something he normally wouldn’t do, but something about her entranced him. And man, could she dance.
Horns honked around him, and Lance realized he was sitting still at a green light. He moved forward and continued toward the bridge. Large flashing signs warned drivers of the ice that could form on the bridge, so he stayed the same speed as the traffic around him instead of weaving through it like he normally did.
It was nearly three in the morning by the time he finally pulled into his driveway. There had been an accident that backed up traffic for a while. The snow had waited until he was only a couple of miles from home, so he was thankful for that. He dropped his bag next to the door and changed for bed.
He took his laptop to bed with him and checked his email. Debra’s name appeared with an email from Silver Script Ad Agency. He was happy to see that the ads had been accepted for the new season, but it was seeing her name that helped put a smile on his face as he fell asleep.
New Year’s Day brought nearly a foot of snow and shut down the roads into the city. Lance used the day to take down his Christmas tree and the decorations. He’d only put them up because he wanted to have them ready in case his parents came home for the holidays. Not that he didn’t enjoy them. It brought back memories from growing up. But since he spent the majority of time at his office, he didn’t see them much.
Lance had been invited to a few football parties that day, but the event the night before had almost been too much. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he said that social situations stress him out. He decided it was a good day to do the chores in the house that he knew needed to be done.
By early afternoon, the faucets were tightened, the pantry had been cleaned out, and all the linens in the house were being washed. Lance sat down with a cup of coffee and his laptop to work on a new line. Winter had been a success and he wanted it to keep going.
Spring was coming soon, but he had a few new ideas for some gowns and cocktail dresses for Valentine’s Day to add to the rest of the collection. He hoped to catch the eye of a few celebrities for when awards show season started up. After David and Lily had worn his tux and gown for the Christmas party, he’d received a few calls, and he wanted to keep that going.
The dress for Lily was one of many outfits in the same collection and he hoped she’d agree to model it in the upcoming show. They made it specifically for her. He searched several sites and pulled up past lines of his own designs. There were a few promising ideas, but he would tweak the collars, and add more pastel colors.
It was near midnight when he looked up at the clock. He’d spent hours drawing new gowns, suits, and outerwear, and hadn’t stopped to eat. He set his pencil down and stood to stretch. Once he had dinner, he’d scan the images in and send them over to Debra. He studied a picture of a
n evening gown that touched the floor. It was black and made with a satin in a form fitting column style. He would decide on the sleeves later, but he leaned toward one shoulder.
The parties had been missed, but Lance was pleased with the work he’d been able to get done that day. He could work on a proposal and get it sent over to Debra in the morning. The thought of inviting her to discuss it over lunch came to mind, but he pushed it away. It had been a great night, but he had no idea if she thought anything of it. Once they got the advertising contract underway, he could ask to meet again.
The roads were clear by morning, which Lance was thankful for. He straightened his tie and grabbed his bag from the counter. His breakfast consisted of a green smoothie that he drank quickly so he wouldn’t have to taste it. His resolution for the year was to eat healthier, but he wasn’t sure how long it would last.
The trip into the city was fairly smooth, and Lance got to his office before most of his employees. Many of them joked that he spent the nights there. Not that he hadn’t ever done it before.
Lance’s assistant, Nikki, walked into his office with a pile of mail and her clipboard. “Hey, Lance. You have a message about those bolts of taffeta you wanted. They can be here next week, no sooner, and they only have a few colors in right now. And Anthony Rosetti called about getting us into the fashion show in February. He said to email him your details, so I went ahead and did that for you, and let him know you might have more. And Erin Tyler called to let you know that the magazine ads went out first thing this morning. And … I think that’s about it.”
“Thanks. I have a few more designs I want you to go over before I send them to Anthony and Erin. And as long as I can get some reds and blues in the taffeta, I’m good. Oh, and maybe some peach. I think that’ll be great for the spring line.” Lance took the mail from Nikki and flipped through it as she left to do what he’d said.
Most were invites to shows that wanted him to come, which he would accept. Nikki and Ella did a fantastic job with the shows, and it saved him time for the huge shows here in New York—when they could get him out of the office. He smiled when he saw the orders for the awards shows. Three actresses wanted gowns as soon as possible for the Golden Globe awards. Those were cutting it close, but he could probably have them done.
Lance pulled out the designs he’d worked on the night before and studied them. It always took a few glances at the pictures before he knew if he really liked them or not. They were still strong, although he wanted to change one of the cocktail dresses. It would be perfect for around Valentine’s Day, but it needed something near the waistline. A flower or something. He set it aside and left his office with the designs.
Ella and Nikki stood with a few of their models as they pinned up the hems. They turned and the models stepped off their pedestals. Usually he would have the models leave if it was something big, but he’d been waiting for these gowns to get here for a week or two, and wasn’t about to delay the delivery.
“Finish what you’re doing. Those need to get out today.” He walked closer to inspect the material. “When did these get in?”
“Just now. Most of them look good, but these needed to be adjusted,” Nikki said through pursed lips, where she held several straight pins.
Lance moved over to the rack of gowns and went through them. “Where are the royal blue gowns? We had five ordered.”
Ella stood straight. “We didn’t see any, and there was no note. I left a message, but haven’t heard back.”
“Great. Those are the ones they wanted the most.” Lance ran his fingers through his hair.
Nikki suddenly took the pins out of her mouth and ran out of the room. Lance continued studying the gowns as he waited. Usually when she did something like this, it was because she’d had a stroke of brilliance. It was the main reason she was one of his top employees.
Ella finished with a dress and moved on to the next model. “So, did you actually leave your office on New Year’s Eve?”
“Yes, I went to a party.” Lance chuckled at Ella’s look of surprise.
Ella shook her head and had the model turn around so she could work on the back. “Like a party where actual people were?”
“I was invited to the Silver Script party. It was tempting just to go home, but I figured people should see me every once in a while so they don’t think I’m dead.” Lance found some ribbon to put together a flower for one of the dresses. The neckline was too bare how it was. His fingers moved without needing to think about what he was doing.
Ella stared at him. “Wow. I’m impressed. So did you hide in a corner or something?”
“As much as I’d wanted to, no. I talked to Erin Tyler and a few other people.” Debra in particular, but he didn’t add that. He grabbed a few pins and attached the flower to a red satin dress. The black was just enough to make it pop. Perfect.
“Oh, that looks better. I’ve been trying to decide what it needed.” Ella straightened out the skirt she’d been working on and moved to the next model. “Erin doesn’t count because she’s engaged. Did you talk to any other women?”
Lance laughed. “You’re hopeless. Yes. I did. I talked to Lily when I talked to David. She loved the dress, by the way. Oh, and Debra Thomas.”
“What’s this about Debra?” Nikki dropped a large box onto the floor and coughed as a cloud of dust lifted off the lid.
“Our dear Lance went to the Silver Script Ad party and actually talked to people.” Ella smiled at the model as she climbed down and went to the dressing room to change. She walked over to the box Nikki had brought up. “What’s this?”
“I had to go down to storage just before Christmas and found an old box of dresses that we’d put away who knows how long ago.” Nikki lifted the lid and pulled out gowns that had been wrapped in plastic. “They’re out of style now, but I bet we could fix them up pretty quick.”
Lance took the dress from her and held it out. It was royal blue with ruffles down the hem. Definitely not in style, but he could make it work. “Let’s do it. Have everyone try these on and we can get to work.”
Ella hurried to the back with an armful of gowns while Nikki and Lance went through the rest of the box. A couple of the dresses had stains and went to the trash, but they found a few others that had promise.
“So, how was the party?” Nikki asked as she pulled out her scissors. “And by party, I mean Debra.”
Lance glanced up quickly and turned away without saying anything.
“Ha. I knew it. You like her.” Nikki laughed.
Lance shook his head. Nikki was hopeless. She’d wanted to set him up for months. The ring on Nikki’s finger had turned her into an instant matchmaker because she wanted everyone else just as happy as she was. She’d actually tried to set him up with Ella at one point, but both Ella and Lance had vetoed the idea immediately.
“I barely know her.” Lance could feel his face burn. “Ah, here we go.”
The models trailed in one by one and stood up on the pedestals. Lance walked around each of them, coming up with ways to make the dresses work for what he needed. The colors were perfect. Lance rattled off what needed to be done to each while his assistants jotted everything down in a notebook. Once it was all decided, they allowed the models to leave and pulled out the mannequins. It would be much easier to make the adjustments on them.
Tailors came in to take over, and Lance went back to his office. He pulled out the drawings and made a few changes he’d thought of as he’d worked on the other gowns. Once he was done, he scanned them and sent copies off to Debra and Anthony. The fashion show wasn’t too far away and he was anxious to get started on advertising.
Chapter 3
Debra twisted on her chair, tapping her fingers to the song playing on her computer. It was a new jingle written for a Super Bowl commercial. The tune was catchy, but the words weren’t quite right. She’d told her writers several times that it needed some adjusting, but it still wasn’t flowing for her.
Her comput
er pinged with a new email, giving her a welcome break from the song. She could go back to it later. Or see if Erin or Carissa could come up with something. It was an email from Lance. Debra couldn’t help the small flutter in her stomach as she opened the message.
Several pictures were attached to the email along with ideas for commercials. But then down at the bottom, he signed his name and added how much he’d enjoyed the party with her. Debra grinned at the message. So he’d also felt something that night.
After several attempts at a return email, she gave up and decided just to go through the attachments he’d sent. The dress ideas were gorgeous. It would be easy to create an ad for them. The dresses practically sold themselves.
She wrote a quick email back, letting him know his ideas for the ads would work wonderfully, and hesitated before mentioning that she’d enjoyed the evening as well. It was just courteous to say that back, right? She sent the email before thinking twice and lifted her phone to call Erin and Carissa in to her office.
While she waited for them to come, Debra started arranging the ad to give each dress the best exposure. A short knock was followed by Erin and Carissa coming into the office.
Erin walked around Debra’s desk. “These are the dresses? Wow, he outdid himself, didn’t he?”
Carissa leaned forward. “Man, I should have had him design my dress.”
“Do you recognize this one?” Debra pointed her mouse at a green dress on the screen.
“It looks familiar, but …” Erin narrowed her eyes, studying the screen. “It looks like the one Lily wore at the party.”
“He’s wanting to get her into the show if it’s possible.” Debra laughed. “It’ll take a miracle. After all the press she’s had, I’m guessing she’ll be hiding out in her house.”
Fashioned for Love (A Silver Script Novel Book 3) Page 2