“Haven’t you ever heard of personal space?”
“Yes, and I want to get into yours.”
Paige turned her head to face the wall when Matthew gently touched her chin to turn her back towards him. “Your lips are beautiful.” He kissed her softly. Meanwhile the doors had opened.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared his throat.
They turned to see the doorman standing there. “Would you like me to hail a cab for you?”
“That would be great,” Matthew answered. “You don’t mind if we share, do you?”
“No.”
They followed the doorman outside and he flagged a cab. They climbed in.
“Where to?” The cabbie asked.
“Penn Station for me, please.”
“Same destination.”
Paige was surprised. “You’re heading to Penn Station, too? Do you have some business to attend to in the area?”
“Not really. I have a little time and I figured I would spend it with you.”
“I see.” She felt bashful.
He stroked her soft hair. “I know we got to know each other that night, but I think it would be nice to get our land legs.”
“Get our land legs? How do you propose we do that?” she asked.
“I don’t know, maybe we can date. You have heard of dating, right? It’s when two people…”
She interrupted him. “I get the picture. I know what dating is.”
“Okay.” He reached in his pocket for a business card. “Here you go. This is my card with all my contact information while you think about going out with me.”
She looked at it. “Okay. So you’re leaving the ball in my court?”
“It looks that way.”
“Here you are, folks, Penn Station.”
Paige reached into her bag to get her wallet.
“Here you go, keep the change,” Matt said, handing over the fare.
“Thanks.”
Matt helped her out of the cab.
“Thanks, but you really didn’t have to pay for the cab.”
“I wanted to.”
They walked through Penn Station together until they arrived at the LIRR ticket area.
“Well, this is me.” She looked up. “My train’s here.”
“Okay. It’s been a pleasure, Paige.”
“So where are you headed now?”
“Back uptown.”
“Uptown? You live above Ninety-sixth Street?” The idea nearly put her in a daze.
“Yes.”
“That’s Harlem, isn’t it?”
“Right again.”
“You would have been better off taking the subway from the Kleins.”
“That’s very true.” He smiled, then leaned into her as if he were going to kiss her again. Paige closed her eyes. “Don’t you have a train to catch?”
Paige opened her eyes and quickly recovered. “I have to go. I’ll see you when I see you!” She disappeared down the stairs.
“She has no idea just how much more she’s going to see of me, whether she picks up the phone or not,” he said aloud.
CHAPTER 6
The ride back to Long Island seemed to take forever. Even though she had a check for $25,000 in her briefcase for the biggest wedding of the season, all Paige could think about was kissing Matthew and their one night stand. This morning she’d had everything figured out and now she wasn’t sure about anything. Except she knew she wasn’t quite ready to head to the office. Instead, Paige went straight from the train station to the Style by Siobhan showroom on the Island.
When Paige walked in, customers were busy milling around the store. Paige approached the reception area. “Hey, Maria, how are you?”
“I’m good. What about you?”
“I’m doing well, thank you. Is Siobhan in?”
“Yes, she’s in the back doing a bridal fitting. Go ahead. I’m sure she and the bride-to-be won’t mind.”
“Thanks.”
Paige’s sister Siobhan was three years younger and about the same height. A lot of people confused the two of them when they were growing up, but now that Paige colored her hair a rich, auburn red people didn’t make that mistake. Like her older sister, Siobhan was interested in fashion but she liked the design perspective. A graduate of F.I.T., she’d used some seed money from their parents and Paige to launch Style by Siobhan, a line of clothing that included casual, dressy, formal wear, and a bridal line. Though plump enough to be considered full-figured, Siobhan had made the decision that her line would incorporate plus sizes, long before other designers hopped on the bandwagon.
Paige heard the familiar sound of a happy bride-to-be.
“Knock, knock, anybody home?”
“Yes?” Siobhan answered.
“It’s me, Paige.”
“Come on in.”
Siobhan was on her knees pinning the hem on Brenda Myer’s gorgeous strapless gown with a trumpet skirt and a sweep train. Brenda was one of Bliss’s sweet and docile brides and a pleasure to work with.
“Hey, Paige. What do you think?”
“Brenda, the dress looks gorgeous on you,” Paige said.
“Thanks. I absolutely love it. George is going to be blown away.”
“Trust me, everyone will be blown away. You look breathtaking.”
Siobhan stood up. “It’s all done. Now if you would twirl around for me once I’ll make sure it’s even.” Siobhan studied the hemline as Brenda twirled around.
She took her glasses off. “It looks good. We’ll have it ready and pressed for your big day by tomorrow at the latest.”
“I’m so excited.” Brenda beamed.
“You’re all done, Brenda. Why don’t you head to the dressing room and I will have someone come back and help you.”
“Okay. Good seeing you, Paige, I know I’ll see you or Daisy on Sunday.”
“Daisy will be there to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
Siobhan pressed the intercom. “Marty, I need you to come in the back to assist Brenda, please.”
“You got it. I’ll be right there,” Marty answered.
Paige followed her sister to her office.
“So what brings you over on a busy weekday, sister?”
“Well, I have some great news about Bliss Inc.”
“Good news, huh?”
“Very good news. I just landed the Klein wedding.”
“The one that was in the announcements on Sunday? Those Kleins?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Congratulations, that’s a big step.”
“I know, but I think we can handle it.”
“So when’s the wedding?”
“December of this year.”
“That’s cutting it kind of close, isn’t it?”
“It leaves me with essentially nine months to work every detail out. It’s going to be a real push.”
“It’s worth it, I’m sure.”
“I hope you still feel that way once I tell you why I’m here.”
“I guess I’d better brace myself.”
“It’s not bad news. Are you going to be in Manhattan tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Good, because Jennifer and I are coming so she can consult with you about her wedding gown.”
Siobhan’s eyes lit up. “That’s great news. I’d love to work on a society wedding and maybe see my design in Town and Country.”
Paige looked down at her feet.
“Oh, no. I know that look. What’s the downside?”
“Jennifer is a bit pigheaded.”
“I take it you talked about the gown.”
“Naturally. Do you know what she wants?”
Siobhan braced herself. “Go ahead and tell me.”
“She wants a gown like Carolyn Bessette’s.”
Siobhan went cross-eyed. “You’re talking about the Jennifer Klein who was in the announcement section of the Times, right?”
“Yes.”
“But she’s petite, there
is no way she can wear a gown like that. Hell, I don’t know too many people who could with the exception of Carolyn Bessette, God rest her soul, and that other girl last year.”
“You’re talking about the former Sophie Green, now Sophie Watters.”
“Oh boy, or should I say oy vey?”
“Either one is appropriate.”
“I know this is your forte, big sister, so there is no way you let her get away with that.”
“You know me far too well. I took her measurements to make a point.”
“So what’s the verdict?”
“She’s about a size 14 on top and 18/20 on the bottom.”
“In other words, that’s also the wrong silhouette for her.”
“Indeed.” Paige tapped her foot. “When I told her you wouldn’t make that style of dress for her, she asked if you like money.”
“Oh, she really doesn’t get it, does she? Who cares if you pay me top dollar? If it doesn’t look good on her I might as well make her Björk’s swan dress.”
Paige laughed. “Isn’t that the truth?” Paige sighed. “On the payroll or not, I’m not going to let her lead us around.”
“Good.”
Paige thought about Jennifer and Mrs. Klein. “After seeing Jennifer and Mrs. Klein in action, though, I can see why she bucks the system.”
“Is her mother a control freak?”
“Oh yeah, a real stickler for detail.”
“I guess that means I have to put my best foot forward and maintain control of the design session. I’ll pull some styles ahead of time.”
“Great.” Paige’s mind wandered.
Siobhan noticed there was something a little off about Paige. “Is something on your mind?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You seem a little out of it. What’s wrong? Are you worried about pulling off this wedding?”
“No. I know I can handle it.”
“Then what has you so bothered?”
Paige paused for a minute. How do I tell my sister I had an anonymous one night stand with a hot guy and today I found out he’s Jennifer’s soon-to-be brother-in-law? “You remember when I went on that blind date in Manhattan a couple of weeks ago?”
“Sure, your date with Mr. Colonoscopy.”
“What I didn’t tell you or Adriana is what happened afterwards.”
“Don’t tell me you slept with him?” Siobhan was aghast.
“Of course not. I ditched him first chance I got. I’m talking about what happened later that night when I met someone else in the hotel bar.”
Siobhan raised her eyebrows. “You met someone in the bar?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to call it a night so I decided to have a drink in the hotel bar.”
Siobhan sat down and got comfortable. ”I think I’m going to like this story.”
“I was all dolled up in my black jersey dress and I took my fake blind date glasses off.”
Siobhan made a face. “You wore those ugly cat glasses? I guess Mr. Colonoscopy really didn’t have a chance.”
“Do you want to hear this, or not?”
“Go on. So you were all dressed up with no one to appreciate it.”
“Right. Then he walked in.”
Siobhan’s ears perked up. “He walked in, huh? Describe him.”
Paige had a whimsical look on her face. “He was tall with dark, wavy hair and the most piercing hazel eyes I’ve ever seen.” She sighed. “He had strong but gentle-looking hands, if that makes sense.”
“I know what you mean. You could see your hands wrapped in his, although I’m sure that was far down on your list at the time.”
“It was the last thing on the list, although it’s the first thing I think about when assessing size.”
“In other words you were definitely in good hands and we’re not talking about Allstate.”
Paige raised her eyebrows.
Siobhan leaned forward. “And?”
“He approached me and we started talking. It was just that easy.”
“Then one thing led to another, I take it.”
“Yes. I had my first and last one night stand.”
“Good. You needed something to get you back in the saddle. I hope you don’t feel guilty. It’s not as if your headboard looks like Swiss cheese from all the notches in it.”
“Maybe not, but it has come back to haunt me.”
Siobhan looked concerned. “You did use protection, right?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t hop into bed without it.”
“So what do you mean, it’s come back to haunt you?”
“As fate would have it, my anonymous one night stand isn’t so anonymous anymore. He’s Jennifer Klein’s future brother-in-law, Matthew Smythe.”
Siobhan’s mouth was agape. “You had a one night stand with one of the high-society Smythes? Talk about coming a long way, baby.”
“I can only imagine generations of Smythes twisting in their graves.”
“Don’t be silly, Paige. The Smythes have been liberals since the Civil War.”
“You do have a point.”
“So what are you going to do? Does he like you?”
“I think he does but he’s almost ten years younger than me. I’m too old to play in this sandbox.”
“You know, sister, for an intelligent woman you can say some dumb things. What does age have to do with anything?”
“Okay, let’s say it doesn’t matter. I’m still working for them.”
“You’re working for the Kleins. The Smythes are the parents of the groom.”
“No, dear, I seem to be working for both of them. I have to combine a traditional Jewish ceremony with an Episcopalian ceremony.”
“So you’re combining Jewish tradition with a two-drink minimum. You’ve done it before. Remember the Cohen wedding? She was from Guyana.”
“Oh, yeah, that was something else. God, I love Jewish weddings.”
“I know. So you have no excuses. I think it’s about time you had a little fun. Who knows? This guy could be the one for you.”
“That’s a nice thought, but I need to keep my head straight.” She stood up. “Now that we’ve settled on Jennifer’s appointment, I’d better head back to the office to let my team in on the news.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay.”
Paige called ahead to arrange a late staff meeting while she picked up coffee from Starbucks and a box of Italian and French cookies from Le Patisserie. The staff was eager to find out what was going on as Paige rarely called formal staff meetings.
Folder in hand, Paige entered the conference room and put it down on the table. She went back into the hallway and returned with the coffee and treats. Once she put them on the table, she sat down.
“Well, we know it’s good news. You brought caffeine and sugar,” Adriana said as she opened the bakery box.
“Where’s Deidre?”
“She had a dentist appointment. I’ll catch her up,” Eve said as she grabbed a coffee and passed the coffee tray down.
“Thanks, Eve. I’m sure you know why I called this meeting.”
“You got the wedding,” Stuart piped up.
“Yes. Today we snagged the Klein/Smythe wedding.”
The room burst into excitement. She tapped the table to get things back to order.
“I know we’re all excited, but we have to talk about what the real deal is with this wedding,” Paige cautioned.
“That’s true,” Adriana said.
“I am very excited about the prospect of opening our doors to these types of weddings, but the truth is that it’s going to take a lot of patience and commitment to Bliss to make this happen. Socialites are used to a certain level of service, which I know we can deliver in spades.”
“The trick will be doing it without sacrificing our other clients,” Daisy added.
“Exactly, which is the reason I am the point person on this project. I’ll call you to service when I need to. This way you
r clients won’t suffer from neglect.”
“You can trust that we’ll be there for you.”
“Thanks, Eve.”
“I can count on all of you to keep on doing what you do best, right?”
“Right.”
“They want a December wedding.”
“Hold up. A December wedding for this year?” Adriana’s mouth dropped open. “No wonder you loaded us up on sugar and caffeine.” She laughed.
“I already have appointments scheduled that you need to take note of. Tomorrow I’m taking her to look at gowns and Thursday we are meeting with the banquet manager at the Waldorf. So far those are my only two appointments. After Thursday I’ll have a better idea of what we’re doing and I will send you the spreadsheets, timetables, and vendor requests as we go along. I need everyone to stay up to speed on this wedding. Anybody have questions?”
They looked at each other. “I think we’re cool for the time being,” Adriana said.
“Good.”
Eve, Daisy, and Stuart went back to their desks but Adriana hung back.
“What’s up, Adriana?”
“Your paycheck.” She handed Paige the envelope.
Paige shook her head. “Thanks, it actually slipped my mind.”
“You’ve been preoccupied with high-society nuptials.”
“I wanted this and now I’ve got it. I’ve got to roll with it now.”
“Well, we’re with you.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Adriana went back to her office. Paige needed a minute to contemplate. This one wedding could set her company up for life. She rubbed her face. I have to make it happen. I can handle this and Matthew. She crossed her fingers.
* * *
Matthew was still in a daze when the intercom buzzed.
“Yes?” he asked as he pressed the button.
“Hey, Matt, it’s me, Larry.”
He pressed the buzzer. “Come on up. I’m on the second floor.”
When Matthew unlocked the door, limping Larry walked in.
“Man, you look bad. When’s the last time you went to the orthopedist?”
“I’m not sure. I think Clinton was in office,” Larry joked.
“You should have that knee looked at by one of your colleagues. I think it’s getting worse.”
“You might be right about that.” He handed Matthew a gift-wrapped package. “This is from Helen and me for your new house.”
Bliss, Inc. (Indigo Love Spectrum) Page 6