by Coralie Moss
He returned to contemplating the view in front of them. “I have an uncle who knows me well. He’s been more than an uncle; he’s been a friend and a mentor. And he suggested I take a few weeks off and go far enough away from my work that it would be a pain in the ass to jump on a plane and go home before I was ready.”
“Sounds like good advice.”
“It was. And I love being outdoors, so this place is perfect. I want to explore more of British Columbia while I’m out here.” He leafed through his copy of Gaia’s book, put it on the rock between them, and splayed his fingers across the cover. “I know this is going to sound totally out of left field, but would you be interested in practicing some of these exercises together?”
Leo’s question caught her off-guard. Anna searched her empty coffee mug for answers.
“I mean, a lot of it is stuff I can practice on my own,” he continued, “but I felt very comfortable with you. If you’re married or seeing someone, or—”
“I’m not in a relationship,” she said hurriedly, “and I felt comfortable with you too.” There was a lot to ponder in the contents of her mug. “I know if I tried to do some of the exercises with my friend, Elaine—the one who signed me up in the first place—we’d be doing a lot more laughing than inhaling.”
And we’d probably get ourselves arrested in the process.
“I’m willing to give it a try,” she continued, “but I think I’d be more comfortable if we got to know each other a bit. And if we met at my house.”
“I’m not in a relationship, either, and my schedule is wide open. Mostly wide open. I’m planning to go hiking and camping for a week or two.”
“You might want to think about doing that soon. Because if you’re heading north of Vancouver, you should leave before the snows start.”
Leo’s eyebrows lifted. “Snow? This time of year? Good advice, thanks.”
“You sure a city boy’s ready for the Canadian Rockies?” she teased, praying the strain of reining in unfamiliar, flirtatious urges didn’t show on her face.
Leo laughed. The outer corners of his eyes crinkled, reminding her of the first time she’d seen him smile, in the market. She’d like to see him do that more.
“I know the east coast isn’t known for its majestic mountains, but I’m a competent outdoorsman,” he assured her, holding her gaze in a wordless exchange. There was nothing about him or their interactions—so far—that would cause her to have misgivings about continuing with some of the more basic breathing exercises.
“I have appointments in the city tomorrow, but what about Wednesday morning?” she offered.
“Deal.” Leo extended his hand. Anna shook it and smiled, a new variety of tingle flitting about in her belly. It was probably the caffeine, but it could be Leo.
“See you on Wednesday, Saffron.”
“See you on Wednesday, Leo.”
Anna managed to make it through the rest of the day without stumbling into walls or forgetting her keys. She even made it to the next morning’s six-twenty ferry to Vancouver with time to spare. From the mainland terminal, an hour’s bus ride dropped her three blocks from her daughter’s place of work.
“Mom, you brought food!” Gigi enveloped Anna in a hug and kept her arm around her shoulders as she steered her into the spacious design studio and over to the woman who’d founded the small clothing design company where she worked as an apprentice.
“Neena, this is my mom, Anna, and this is her world-famous apple crumble.”
“Hi, Anna,” the designer said, extending her hand and smiling. “And welcome. Rumor has it you have a hot date and you need a special dress?”
Neena exuded grace and style in a black, knee-length tunic made from a lightweight knit fabric paired with a flax overdress styled like a chef’s apron. A pencil and ruler peeped out of its center pocket, and unusual eyeglasses framed her kohl-ringed eyes. She’d have to ask Neena where she shopped. New frames were another item on her makeover list.
Anna turned from the designer and glowered at her daughter. “Gigi, I never said anything about a hot date!”
“Mom,” she countered, “seriously? Suddenly you need a sexy velvet dress, for what, washing dishes? Mucking out the bilge pump on one of the boats you’re working on?”
Looked like it was going to be a day for pink cheeks. “A mother can get a dress for no other reason than wanting something nice for the holidays.”
Gigi rolled her eyes and continued her creative prying, drawing Anna further into the room. “Okay, if that’s how you want to spin it, but I think it’s high time someone dashing and irresistible escorted you into the realm of the Fabulous Fifties. Now, show us the fabric you brought.”
Anna handed over the bag of frozen home-baked goodies, shrugged off her jacket, and slid a paper-wrapped bundle onto one of the atelier’s cutting tables.
“These are all for you.” She unwrapped the velvet and a few other pieces of yardage, including a cream-colored raw linen. If she was going to order a dinner dress, she might as well order a beach dress too.
And nothing with horizontal stripes.
“What’s this?” her daughter asked, as she pulled out one last bundle.
“Those are some vintage slips from the 1950s. I started collecting them in college. Here. Let me show you.” Anna separated the folded garments and shook them out one at a time. Gigi and Neena almost bumped heads when they came in for a closer look. “I brought these with me because I need a good foundation under the velvet. I’m so much curvier these days, and I’m not tall like you two, so this,” she said, gesturing to her chest, waist and hips, “needs some support.”
“No Spanx?” asked Neena, peering at her over her glasses.
“No Spanx. I want to feel sexy, not sausage-y.” She giggled, feeling her face redden again.
“So, you do have a date. I knew it!” Gigi pounced on Anna’s inadvertent confession and clapped. “Who is it, Mom, anyone I know?”
Neena glanced from mother to daughter and stepped in with a timely intervention. “Let’s get some numbers first. Then you can tell us everything, Anna.”
She rolled a mannequin to the table, handed a tape measurer to Gigi, and began to customize the form for Anna’s figure as Gigi called out bust, waist, and hip measurements.
“The velvet’s going to work well as a bias-cut,” she noted. “Are we making sleeves?”
“No, no sleeves,” Anna replied. “I was thinking very thin straps or even a halter style. I want to wear it in the evening, and it’ll be warm enough for a light wrap or a shrug.”
“I heard that, Mom,” Gigi said under her breath. “Evening. Warm. Would there be a plane ticket involved?”
Her perspicacious daughter seemed determined to draw out as many details as she could. Anna debated how much she wanted to reveal. Figures her daughter would be just like her father at that age. Persistent.
“A man I dated in college—before I met your dad—has emailed and requested my presence at a rather lovely resort in Cabo San Lucas. His name is Daniel Strauss.”
Gigi lifted her eyebrows, her mouth forming a wide O.
“In two weeks,” Anna continued, “so I suggest you get cracking, Ms. Granger.”
“Way to go, Anna,” Neena said, winking a conspiratorial congratulation. “Gigi, close your mouth and hand me the swatches of silk charmeuse. And Anna, with your coloring, we’ll go for a silver or gray slip. What do you think?”
“I like that idea,” she agreed. “And I know this is a rush job, so whatever you need, let me know. I can even help sew.” It was nice to be the center of attention. Made her stand taller. She studied Neena for other subtle fashion cues.
“Mom, when were you going to tell me?”
“Daniel emailed me on Sunday, after I got home from my party. I think I’m still in shock.”
Anna hoped her daughter could get used to the idea of seeing her enter the dating game. The few eligible men she knew locally were either chronically single or fathers
of Gigi’s friends and former schoolmates. Dating any of them would be frowned upon.
“You know I’m totally fine with you dating again,” Gigi said, her voice swinging from unsure to cajoling in the space of two breaths. “So, c’mon, Mom, tell us everything. Where does he live? What does he do?”
“Daniel lives in New York City, and he owns an interior design business.” There was no harm in giving Gigi a general outline of Daniel’s life. Besides, it felt good to share her excitement with her daughter, even if she did have to tamp it down.
While they talked, Neena finished customizing the mannequin and held swatches of silk lingerie fabric to Anna’s face and chest and to the velvet. “Gigi, please get the slips your mom brought in. Let’s see which one most flatters her figure.”
The vintage garments were too small or in too fragile a condition for Anna to physically try on, but the three women agreed unanimously on which one looked custom made for her shape and proportions.
“You can get started making a pattern off this for the slip,” Neena instructed Gigi, “and I’ll work on draping the dress.”
“Can I get you two anything?” Anna asked, her belly rumbling. It was apparent they were done with her for the moment. “I’d be happy to pick up lunch.”
“We’d love that, Mom. There’s a stack of takeout menus posted by the door. See what looks good.”
By late afternoon, Neena and Gigi had muslin mock-ups of the velvet dress and the silk slip ready for a first fitting. Anna agreed it made sense to use the slip pattern again for the linen dress and make it longer.
“I’ll cut both dresses tomorrow,” said Neena, “and have Gigi baste them. But you know we can’t do another fitting yet, right?”
Anna shook her head. “No, why is that?”
“Bias-cut dresses have to hang, give the fabric time to adjust because there’s so much more stretch when we cut it that way.”
“Should I come back next week, then?”
Neena consulted her calendar. “Yes, and if we do your fitting in the morning, then we can finish the seams and mark the hem. And if we can’t finish it by the time you leave for the ferry, I’ll just send it home with you. You can hand sew, right?”
“Yes, quite well, actually,” Anna assured her, “and I probably could have figured out the dress, but I’ve been so nervous about cutting into that velvet.”
“It was my pleasure, and it’s good for Gigi too. I know she thinks she doesn’t have an eye for draping, but I see potential.” Neena shined her broad smile at her assistant while Anna gathered her things.
“I can’t thank you both enough. Will you let me know what I owe you?”
“This one’s on me,” Neena said, waving away her offer. “Wear it like a good luck charm, and be sure to let me know how it works.”
She hugged Anna, and stepped back to let them say their goodbyes.
Chapter Five
“Anna Granger, you brazen hussy!”
Elaine was on speakerphone while Anna cracked two eggs for her breakfast into a bowl and described the surprising appearance of one Leo the Mystery Man and his inhabiting of the house next door.
“It’s kismet,” she said, shrugging. “What can I say?”
“But what about Daniel?”
“This has nothing to do with Daniel.” The eggs were whisking up so sloppily that half of them slurped onto the counter. She used the side of her hand to slide the runny mixture back into the bowl, blended in a pinch of dill, and poured it all into the waiting frying pan.
“But it will have something to do with Daniel,” Elaine argued, “if Mr. Leo here happens to be a gifted study-buddy.”
“Did you say studly buddy?” Anna reached for a plate with one hand and stirred the cooking eggs with the other, visions of a naked, sculpted Leo dancing through her head.
“Study buddy, Anna. Stud-dy. Bud-dy.”
“I thought about asking if you wanted to practice together,” Anna said, scraping the fragrant, perfectly cooked scramble onto the plate. “But I already know there’s no way we could keep a straight face.”
Elaine snorted and agreed. “True. Plus, some of the exercises are penis and vagina only, and much as I love you, last time I checked, you didn’t have a penis.”
Anna almost choked on her breakfast.
“You really should be doing stand-up, El. And in case I haven’t mentioned it lately, I’m grateful you’re in my life. I couldn’t have survived the past five years without you.”
“Aw, it’s your time to fly, Little Grasshopper.”
“I think you’re mixing up your TV show metaphors.”
“Probably,” Elaine agreed, “but that’s what a night of unbridled lust with a thirty-six-year-old will do for you.”
“Uh, who’s the brazen hussy now?”
“Me. I am the founding member of the Brazen Hussy Club, and you, Anna Granger,” she said, her voice laden with long-term affection, “are my second in command.”
“I can’t wait to see our uniforms.”
Anna was sliding her toothbrush into the wall-mounted holder when Leo knocked at her door.
“I heard you laughing all the way from my cottage,” he commented as she welcomed him in. He stepped across the threshold and reached behind his neck, grabbing a handful of his boat-neck sweater, and tugging it forward and over his head. His knit cap came off in the process and landed on the floor. Leo scooped it up and stuffed it into one arm of the sweater before hanging it on one of the hooks by the back door.
The snug, navy blue T-shirt he wore underneath had ridden up and exposed the skin above the waistband of his sweatpants, treating Anna to a performance akin to the opening beats of a private strip tease.
She swallowed and took a half step away.
“I was talking to my friend,” she explained. “Elaine, the one I mentioned who signed me up for the workshop in the first place. We keep each other amused.”
“Those kinds of friends are important,” he offered, crouching on one knee. He looped his fingers through the laces of his boots and loosened them enough for his feet to slide out. More sexy, endearing smile lines radiated from the corners of his eyes.
Anna’s toes curled. Muscles in her pelvic floor contracted in and up with a zing of anticipation. Someone had been paying attention when she’d reviewed the chapter on the anatomy of the female pelvis.
“Can I get you anything?” She sidestepped into the kitchen and pulled her gaze away from Leo’s fine form and even finer, kind eyes.
“Water. Please.”
She filled two glasses from the pitcher she kept in the refrigerator and handed one across the countertop. “Let’s sit over there, in the living room.”
Anna felt Leo’s gaze follow her as she placed her glass on the fireplace hearth, got onto her knees, and pulled floor cushions from underneath the low table in front of the couch.
“Is this temperature okay?” she asked, once she’d plumped the cushions and sat on hers.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” He suddenly seemed more interested in a careful survey of the windows and walls than whether the room was too hot or cold. “How long have you lived here?”
“Close to twenty-five years. My husband’s grandmother owned a few cottages on the island, and she gave us this one.”
“The wood in here is in need of some TLC. And you’re overdue for some upkeep on the outside of the house. But the bones are good. Some of this is redwood they can’t even harvest anymore.” He ran his fingertips along the extra deep windowsills, faded by direct sun and gray in places with water stains. Her living room showed its age in the uncompromising morning light, and he didn’t seem to miss a thing. “Please don’t take my observations as an insult. It’s one of the hazards of my work, always wanting to see how things were made, what needs fixing. And I’m talking houses, not people.”
The smile playing at the corners of his mouth urged hers to do the same. Anna gave a soft laugh. “I’m not insulted. There’s only so much I can do
on my own, and I’ve been waiting for enough projects to accumulate to justify hiring someone to come in and fix it all.”
Leo stepped away from the window and settled himself on the square cushion facing Anna. Sunshine poured in through the skylights, highlighting the copper tips of his wavy hair and slanting sideways through his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, snaring her in a net of contemplative quiet. Her fingers remembered encountering the cool blocks of soapstone in her first sculpture class, and how she grew to love coaxing the forms hidden inside each stone to show themselves.
“So. How do think we should start?” Leo asked. He leaned forward and squeezed one of her knees. “Saffron?”
She started. Her dormant creativity might have just received an unexpected jump start, but her social skills were going through a serious regression.
“Oh, sorry!” she apologized. “I was…I was wondering if we should introduce ourselves, but then I thought I like being Saffron if you’re okay with being Leo?”
“A little bit of anonymity for the sake of privacy?”
“Yes, and, I don’t know…” She dropped her gaze to the fingertips worrying the seam of her stretchy pants. “I think Saffron might be more willing to be adventurous. When Elaine gave me the workshop for my birthday, I did everything I could to finagle my way out of going.” She smoothed her thigh and looked up at him. “But I went, and here we are.”
“Shall we start with something familiar then?” he asked, opening his copy of Gaia’s book.
She nodded. “I wouldn’t mind the back-to-back breathing.”
They pushed their cushions together. Anna reclaimed hers first, and Leo folded his legs after she settled. They leaned into each other’s backs, the extra layers of clothes buffering the initial sensation of physical intimacy. Leo’s entire body felt more substantial and slightly stiffer than before, and without Gaia’s verbal guidance, Anna was forced to pay more attention to her partner and his signals.
Which meant wading through all her internal commentary. The voice urging her to squeeze his biceps and run her hands up and down the sides of his torso was especially loud and provocative.