"Marriages change over time," he offered helplessly.
"I watched your parents the other weekend. They're amazing. You can see how much they genuinely like and respect one another."
"My parents are kind of freaks that way," he said. It was something he'd never seen in another couple. It was something he'd always hoped to find one day. "Your parents' relationship isn't necessarily wrong, it's just that you can't understand it from the outside."
"I don't know if it's always been that way or not." She moved her shoulders. "Maybe it was. Somewhere along the line, I realized he treated her like he treated me."
"How's that?"
"The same way you'd treat a pet." Her voice was bleak. "Indulgent, but never real y listening. Never real y respecting anything she did, never giving her a say in anything. Even the times he asked her opinion, you could tel he'd already decided what to do. They haven't slept together in the same bedroom for years."
She was silent for a minute. Rand reached out and ran his hand up and down her back, not saying anything.
"I want him to see. I want more from him than fatherly love. I want his respect." She turned to look at Rand over her shoulder, her eyes sad and vulnerable in the faint reflection of the city lights, and for a moment his heart stuttered.
And in that moment, he fel .
* * *
THE SUN ROSE PINKISH-GOLD into the morning sky and Cil a's mood rose with it. She'd tossed and turned al night, but each time she'd woken, Rand had been there, arms around her, keeping the worst of her demons at bay. Now, optimism fil ed her even as the light fil ed the room. The opening would be a success. How could it fail to be? She rol ed over and kissed Rand awake. "Get up, sleepyhead, I'l take you out to breakfast. What do you want to eat?"
"You." His eyes flashed open and he trapped her, giggling, against the sheets. Then her laughter turned to gulping gasps and time became irrelevant.
It was a fine way to start the day, she thought later as they did the final tidying at the Annex. The important couture shipment had arrived. Paige roamed the store, restlessly checking and rechecking the details. The manager for the Annex, Charla Saunders, supervised the opening of the registers.
In less than an hour, they'd unlock the doors and see who came.
Nerves bubbled in Cil a's stomach. She stood with Rand at the front of the store. "So what do you think?"
He glanced over his shoulder. "I like the chaises," he said blandly.
Cil a suppressed a smile. "Don't they give the right ambience to the place? It was money wel spent."
"And how. The place looks great," he replied, turning back to survey the sleek styling that put the focus on the clothes but stil had a look of its own.
"I think we did good," she murmured and hooked a hand over his shoulder without thinking as they looked out over the room. She glanced at her watch. "We should get the paper down off the windows."
Cil a kicked her heels off and climbed up on the platform of the window display. The red chaise was surrounded by beautiful clothing. They'd skipped mannequins, electing to go with garments draped over metal fixtures. It would be eye-catching, stylish and, she hoped, different.
"Okay, last minute pep talk. How much of a success wil it be?" she asked Rand as he moved into the far corner of the window and began pul ing loose the tape that held the paper in place.
"Stel ar. Staggering. Getting cold feet?"
"Just a little chil y."
"Maybe you should put your shoes back on." He winked at her and started rol ing the paper back off the window, moving toward her as he pul ed it loose. "The room might be chil y, but I don't think the market's going to be. I think we're going to be okay once we get—"
"Rand."
Cil a's voice was low and shocked.
His gaze shot to her, but she was staring, white-faced at something behind him. He turned, and where they'd torn off the paper, he could see the knots of people waiting outside.
Waiting for them to open. He felt a spurt of triumph.
And the smile spread over Cil a's face like sunlight.
* * *
ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS about living in L.A., Cil a thought, was that you could get just about any kind of food brought to your door, at just about any hour. It was after 10:00 p.m. and the two of them sat in her living room, eating Thai food directly from the cardboard containers. It had been the most extraordinary day. Cil a forked up some pad thai, stil giddy with success. "I remember three weeks ago standing in Diavala and thinking how much I wished the Annex could be like that."
"Looks like you got your wish," Rand said lazily, reaching for the green curry. "I think we've got a winner."
"So we've conquered the world. What do we do now?"
"First things first, make our six-month numbers." He took a bite of curry. "Which I'm thinking we've got a good chance of doing, considering we pul ed in our ful -week bogey today." His jaw was blued with the day's growth of beard. With his hair a tousled mess, he just gave her the urge to tumble him into bed.
"You're so sexy when you talk salesspeak." Cil a leaned over and gave him a hard kiss. When she lifted her head, her tongue was buzzing from his curry. "Not only that," she said, grabbing her beer, "you're hot."
"Don't let it get around. I restrict my services to a very limited clientele."
"Lucky me." To cool the burn, she reached for a skewer of chicken satay. "So how cool would it be if we beat our numbers? The sky would be the limit, then."
"Maybe not quite that, but we'd certainly get people's attention."
"Make one proposal work and they're a hel of a lot more likely to listen to the next one." She dipped the chicken in peanut sauce and took a bite, her mind already vaulting ahead with plans.
Rand considered. "It wouldn't hurt to have a strategy in place if things go our way."
"Not an expansion."
Rand shook his head. "No. That's not how you make the profits. The way you pul ahead isn't by a ten or twenty percent increase, it's jumping by a factor of two, or three, or five."
"Open up new stores," she said slowly.
"Exactly. Find the market and the profits wil fol ow." He set down the carton of curry, warming to his subject. "Cherry-pick three or four promising locations. Rol them out serial y so you can see how to tweak the concept."
"You think they'd let us do it?"
"If the Annex proves out and we have the right business plan they'l at least consider it. Your dad wants a twenty-five percent increase in profitability for Danforth, right? So we propose it to the board in those terms."
Her eyes gleamed. "We just need places with the same demographic."
"There's no reason the concept won't fly in the right markets. Young, rich, hip. It wouldn't be that hard." He took a drink of beer and stared at the ceiling in thought. "Manhattan, of course. That's easy."
"And Miami Beach," she said excitedly. "Rome?"
"Sure. Maybe San Francisco."
"But we'l never give up the flagship store, even when we've achieved world domination in specialty retail."
"We'l never give up the flagship chaise. Some memories should last."
She leaned over to kiss him. "Some memories should."
"Maybe we should make a few more."
And after that, they stopped talking.
14
"TELL ME WHY WE'RE HERE AGAIN?" Rand asked as they walked up to the big warehouse building that was the L.A. Flower Mart. "I thought we were going to see the Lichtenstein retrospective at the art museum."
"We're having Sabrina's shower tomorrow. I told Paige I'd grab some flowers while we were down here."
The doorman took their money and handed Cil a stickers they put on their shirts.
"Why not just cal a florist? It'd be easier."
She wrinkled her nose at him. "Because, it's not my party and we're on a budget. You know about budgets, right?" She hooked her hand around his arm.
They stepped through the big open door and Cil a took a deep breath of absolute
pleasure. Color, noise and, above al , the almost overpowering scent of hundreds of thousands of flowers. It was a wonderland of blossoms in every hue of the rainbow. Narcissus and freesia, daisies and tulips.
Bunches of shocking pink delphiniums sat next to mounds of exuberant orange mums. Spears of stiff white gladiolus stood rigidly upright like soldiers. The bare concrete floor, the functional steel of the building itself were eclipsed by the profusion of colors and sheer lushness of the surroundings.
Everywhere she turned there were stal s crowding the aisles, racks of buckets holding bunches of flowers with little style and scant regard to order.
The round magenta blooms of a phalaenopsis orchid bobbed side by side on their flower spike like the smiling faces of 1920s Coca-Cola girls, making her smile in return. For a moment or two, she just wandered, drinking in the sight.
"Paige wants sunflowers, a lot of them, and statice," Cil a said, stopping to sniff some lilacs. "I figured I'd get a few bunches of some other stuff, mums, maybe, or some gerbera daisies."
Rand squinted. "Roses, I know. Sunflowers, thanks to our buddy Vincent. The rest of it, you're on your own."
Cil a laughed and leaned in to kiss him. In the three weeks since the Annex had opened, he'd become more and more a part of her world. Going home to her house alone didn't feel complete anymore. Even an errand as simple as visiting the flower mart was more fun with him along. In the past, serious relationships had always seemed like something to avoid. Casual sex seemed far safer than landing in a situation like that of her parents. Now, though, she couldn't remember the reason to not go for it. Being with Rand felt right, and it was worth finding out just how far right went.
Cil a turned into a stal overflowing with blossoms. She plucked out bunches of yel ow sunflowers and stiff stalks of purple statice. "Can I get you to hold some of these?"
Rand gave her an assessing look. "There's a fee."
She raised an eyebrow. "Real y?"
"Uh-huh." He tapped his lips.
Fighting a smile, she leaned over to give him a brief peck and handed him the flowers.
They carried the bundles to the back counter, staffed by a whistling man in a green broadcloth apron. He looked just as a flower vendor should, heavyset with sleeves rol ed up to his elbows, a bushy dark mustache and twinkling eyes.
"You want some ferns and baby's breath to put in with this? Half price," he offered. He wrapped the flowers up in newspaper and handed them to Rand.
Back out on the floor, she dipped into another stal and emerged with a few stems of blue and gold irises. When they were wrapped, she turned to Rand. "Hold these, wil you?"
"Hey, the service ain't free, you know."
Cil a blinked. "I already paid you," she protested.
Rand shook his head, a smile hovering in the corners of his mouth. "Union shop, lady. It's a pay-as-you-go program. You want your flowers held or what?"
"I suppose." Cil a leaned in for another peck, feeling his mouth curve under hers. She held out the flowers, but he didn't take them.
"What, no tip?"
"I paid the fee."
"Yeah, but a guy likes to feel appreciated. Be a shame if I dropped some of these nice flowers."
She rol ed her eyes and pressd a hard kiss on him.
"Now that's more like it." Rand grinned broadly.
At the next stal , Cil a turned to him. "Can I pay you in advance?"
Rand shrugged. "Sure, but there's a waiting fee."
"A waiting fee?"
"City sets the schedule, lady. You don't like it, talk to them."
"Wel , I never." This time, her lips parted enough to taste him. Not strictly appropriate in a flower mart, probably, but she was sure people would survive.
In high good humor, she wandered in to pick up pink spears of snapdragons, vivid scarlet zinnia, and white phlox, plus another bunch of mums.
Final y, she emerged, with newspaper trumpets of blossoms cradled in her arms.
Rand turned to her. "You going to need assistance getting to your car, lady?"
"I suppose there's a fee for that, too?"
"We offer top service," he reminded her.
"That you do," she murmured, letting the kiss stretch out. When he pul ed away, she gave him a look. "I think I have some change coming, don't I?"
"I thought that was the tip," he said quickly.
"It's a little high for a tip, don't you think?"
"Oh, al right," he grumbled and leaned in to linger over her. "There. Oh, and you'l probably want this, too."
He shuffled his bundles and one hand emerged with a smal clutch of violets.
"What's that?" she asked, fal ing out of character.
He smiled. "I thought you deserved some flowers for yourself."
And her heart melted.
* * *
"SO, THREE MONTHS until the big day," Kel y told Sabrina. "Getting nervous?" The members of the Supper Club sprawled around Paige's living room, some were curled up on the low, chocolate-brown couches, others sat on the giraffe-patterned rug. The remnants of their brunch sat pil aged on the dining-room table. Sabrina's eyes danced with amusement under her cap of brown hair. "I figure I already started up a production company with him. Pledging to spend the rest of my life with him is nothing."
"Besides, it gets you wild sex," Cil a pointed out, pushing up the sleeves of her posie-pink sweater. Butterflies made of the same fine-gauge cashmere fluttered up the neckline toward her shoulder. "When did a production company ever do that for you?"
"True."
Paige took a sip of her mimosa. "Okay, everyone, presents," she announced.
"I'l get them." Thea rose to retrieve the smal pile of gifts from the dining-room table and brought them over to set on the couch beside Sabrina.
Sabrina picked up a box. "From Delaney to the Bride," she read.
"Keep that one for last," Delaney said hastily.
"I was already planning on it." She picked up another, exquisitely wrapped in nubbly textured paper, with white-and-cream silk ribbons tied around dried flowers. "This has to be from Paige," she said. "I can't bear to destroy the picture yet." She read the tag on another. "Okay, Cil a, how about yours? Any reason I shouldn't open it?"
Cil a shook her head but a little flutter of anticipation went through her. "Have at it."
Sabrina tore off the ribbons and wrappings, revealing the large, flat silver box inside. She pul ed off the top and folded back the leaves of tissue paper. And caught her breath.
It was made of gossamer white silk chiffon with a dappling of butterflies in palest green, a peignoir that whispered and settled in the air as she lifted it by the shoulders. Underneath it lay an exquisite merry widow, with delicate lace running along the edges, scal oped where it would brush up against the breasts of the wearer. The others crowded around to see it and to touch.
"Cil a, this is beautiful," Sabrina whispered, holding up the garments one by one. "Did you design this?"
"It's Cil a D., but this is a limited production run. One of a kind, just for you."
"So where do the rest of us get our Cil a D.?" Delaney asked.
"Funny you should ask. The grand opening reception is in a couple of weeks. I'd love to have you guys there. Champagne, music, lingerie," she said, tempting.
Sabrina gave her a hug. "Sounds like my kind of party."
They made her wait to open Delany's gift until she'd gone through the box of bubble bath from Paige, the crotchless undies from Kel y and the book of erotica from Thea and Trish.
"Okay, this is more of a group gift than just from me," Delaney told her, holding out the box, her eyes gleaming.
"I can only imagine what it holds." Sabrina tore cheerful y at the ribbons and paper to reveal a cardboard box packed with lotions and other miscel anea. "Always nice to have one of these," Sabrina said, holding up a sleek vibrator.
"We figured yours might be worn out after al these years," Kel y said.
"What's this?" Sabrina asked, holdin
g up a plastic egg and a remote control emblazoned with a butterfly.
"That's a gift for Stef. Trust me," Cil a said gravely, "you'l love it."
Later, as the party was breaking up, Cil a dialed Rand on her cel phone. "Hey, gorgeous, what are you up to?"
"Nothing nearly as exciting as I would be if you were here. Thinking about going for a bike ride, maybe. How about you?"
She could hear the outdoor sounds coming through the phone and could picture him on his balcony. "We're just about finished here."
"Have fun?"
"Oh, it was great. Sabrina says Stef's going to love the egg."
He laughed. "I know I did. So what are you doing after?"
"I guess that depends on you. I have to do some odds and ends and then I was just going to hang. I don't suppose you'd like some company, would you?"
"That'd be much more exciting than a bike ride," he said immediately.
"I think so, too." She wondered when she'd stop getting butterflies at the thought of seeing him. "Look, I've got to help Paige clean up a little and stop by my apartment to get some clothes. It's what, two? Give me a couple hours."
"Around four?"
Cil a smiled. "I'l be there with bel s on."
"And nothing else, I hope."
"Guess you'l just have to wait and find out."
* * *
IT WASN'T UNTIL MUCH LATER, when she was headed to Rand's, that she realized the time. She couldn't pinpoint, exactly, where the hours had gone, but what with one thing and another, four had turned to six and later, and the afternoon was fading to dusk. Of course, it wasn't as though they'd had actual plans, she reminded herself. He'd never minded before when she'd shown up late. He knew she wasn't good at estimating time. It was just a couple of hours, it didn't real y matter. But when he opened the door, it was clear it did.
"Sorry I'm late." Diving in was probably best.
He stood back to let her in. "Did something come up?"
"Not real y." She set down her bags. "I wound up doing a couple of errands on my way home after the shower, and took care of some stuff at the house, and my mom cal ed, so I talked with her for a bit. You know, usual Sunday-afternoon stuff." Suddenly uncomfortable, Cil a trailed off. "What have you been up to?"
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