April Snow (Dana McGarry Series Book 2)

by Lynn Steward

  Susan was speechless. Smartly dressed in a navy pantsuit, she was thirty-nine, a tall woman with short brown hair, little makeup, and a medium frame. She continued to look around the table, trying to find the right words.

  “When did all this happen?” Susan asked. She glanced at Mark and Dana. “You’ll have to excuse me. This is the first I’m hearing about any of this. And I’m happy to meet you, Dana. Sorry I ran so late.”

  “It all came up quite suddenly,” Irwin explained. “Mark and I spoke this morning, which is when he told me what he and Dana wanted to do. Dana and I have been talking shop in the last half hour, and I think this is how I can pump some energy back into the business. You’re aware of how our sales have been steadily down for the last three quarters.”

  “Yes, of course,” Susan said, “but ladieswear?”

  “I’m a garment manufacturer and I’m overloaded with fabrics,” Irwin countered.

  “I know,” Susan said, “but who will design the line?”

  Mark spoke up quickly. “That’s the beauty of it all since—”

  “I’m going to design it,” Dana interrupted, unable to contain herself. “I’ve spent quite a bit of time in England during the past eight years, and my wardrobe was built around Jaeger sportswear. We’re going to use my clothing for patterns.”

  “It sounds very intriguing,” Susan said, sipping from her fluted champagne glass. “But didn’t you say something about a boutique, Irwin?”

  “I certainly did.”

  “It’s a concept I came up with for an accessory line I was buying,” Dana said, jumping in once again. “I was going to call it Nantucket. Mark already started the build-out. This idea, however, has greater marketing potential, and it’s in keeping with today’s popular separates look for the active career woman. We’ll also carry some outerwear, as well as wool and cashmere sweaters, and all of it will have a distinctive British character.”

  Susan smiled. “You three have my head swimming! Jaeger, boutiques, ladieswear, private labels.” She paused and looked at her husband before speaking again. “I love the enthusiasm here at the table, but isn’t this all a bit too ambitious, Irwin?”

  “Mark’s already begun the boutique,” Irwin said. “He’ll finish it once B. Altman gives its approval.”

  Susan swallowed her champagne quickly and coughed. “Oh my goodness—please excuse me. You caught me off guard again. Irwin, you don’t even have B. Altman’s approval yet and the boutique isn’t finished? How can you commit to something at this early stage?”

  “I have the ear of our executive vice president,” Dana said. “I think he’ll jump at the chance. A private label is cost effective, giving the store a higher mark-up.”

  “Think?” Susan said.

  “Dana has done some amazing things at the store,” Mark interjected, “and she’s overcome some formidable obstacles in the process. I have every confidence that she’ll be able to sell the whole concept.”

  Irwin laughed. “So do I. I’m getting the impression that she’s intrepid at both work and play. Mark’s even thrown down the gauntlet on riding, and Dana’s picked it up. She’s going to start lessons at Claremont.”

  “That’s wonderful, Dana,” Susan said. “That’s how Amanda started. I’m sure Mark’s told you she’s a show jumper. Mark, is Amanda still working with the trainer in Muttontown?”

  “Yes she is,” Mark replied. “Pepsi is still boarded at Judd’s. In fact, she’s going straight to Muttontown when exams are over. She’ll be there all summer, preparing, for a competition in August. This is her first year in the adult division. “

  “Well, I wish you all the best,” Susan told Dana. “I assume you live in the city?”

  “I do. In Murray Hill, which is just a four-block walk to B. Altman.”

  “Dana’s a Long Island girl, Susan,” Mark said. “Her parents have a home on Macy Channel.”

  “Oh, have you met them?” Susan asked.

  “Not yet, but I’m looking forward to it. Dana’s mother is a champion mah-jongg player. I may take on the challenge.”

  “Did you go to Temple Beth El?” Susan asked.

  Dana, Mark, and Irwin laughed.

  “No,” Dana answered. “I’m Catholic, but my mother’s dear Jewish friends taught her to play mah-jongg years ago. She loves the game and is really good.”

  “That’s interesting,” Susan dryly said. “I guess you met at B. Altman? Okay, tell me what’s going on. I feel a little romance in the air, Mr. Mark.”

  “Well, Ms. Susan, as a matter of fact there is,” Mark said. “Dana and I have known each other for about four years, and we’ve worked together on a few projects at the store, and here we are.”

  “So why did it take so long? Why now?” Susan pressed on.

  Dana decided to let Mark respond to the line of questioning.

  “Because now we’re both available,” Mark said. “As they say, timing is everything.”

  “Do you have children?” Susan asked, hoping to find out a little more about Dana’s prior relationships.

  “No, we didn’t have children,” Dana answered softly, starting to resent the inquisition, thinking Susan might have the impression that an affair with Mark broke up her marriage.

  “There’s plenty of time for that,” Irwin quickly added.

  “Well, Dana, it sounds like you’re focused on a career right now anyway. It’s not easy doing both, especially in a corporate environment. I was lucky that my business had flexible hours and was close to home.”

  “You must have worked hard to make it happen,” Dana said. “Nothing comes easily.”

  “Some things do,” Mark said, drawing close to Dana, knowing that Susan was making her feel uncomfortable. Changing the subject, he said, “I not only have a new love in my life, but also a new pet. Wills.”

  “Wills?” Susan asked.

  “Yes. Dana’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I’m going to cause quite a stir in the park tomorrow morning when we run into Rex’s buddies.”

  Susan, who was still good friends with Mark’s ex-wife Marsha, suddenly fell silent. She didn’t have all the answers, but she knew Mark well enough to know that he wouldn’t be spending this much time with Dana or exerting so much effort to propel her career forward if he didn’t deeply care for her. She and her dog were already spending nights in his apartment, and she wondered if he’d considered how Amanda would react. As Irwin’s childhood friend, she knew Mark as well as she knew her husband, and unlike the other women he’d dated since his marriage ended, he was clearly enjoying this relationship and wasn’t shy about letting them know. They were living in a romantic bubble, oblivious to real-time challenges in the life of a forty-two-year-old man. Susan was curious to see how Dana would react to such issues and if Mark would be able to quickly work his magic on her, just as he’d done by soliciting Irwin to advance her career at B. Altman.

  As for the business partnership that everyone was excited about, she would discuss it with Irwin later. She’d always had confidence in Mark’s business acumen, but perhaps Irwin was jumping at this a little too fast given the recent downturn at Bauer & Sons . Worst of all, everything seemed to hinge on Dana’s ideas, and she barely knew the woman seated next to Mark. She couldn’t have been more than twenty-eight, thirty tops. Susan knew virtually nothing about Dana’s own business experience. The whole enterprise sounded like something that was being cobbled together at the last minute.

  She turned over these thoughts during dinner. Irwin was a shrewd businessman, although he tended to be spontaneous and gregarious. Susan was more cautious—more analytical and reserved—especially in the presence of an unknown like Dana McGarry who, to her way of thinking, was a little too outspoken when she wanted to get her way. She had no hesitation about jumping right into the conversation when other people seemed ready to speak. Were it not for the possible business venture with her husband and her tight hold on Mark, Susan wouldn’t doubt Dana’s motivations and, under different circu
mstances, could imagine a casual friendship. But considering how close Dana was getting to her life, Susan was concerned that what you saw was not necessarily what you got, and the sweet demeanor that caught Mark’s eye might be skin deep.

  The evening ended with coffee and dessert.

  “We’ll be in touch very soon,” Mark told Irwin.

  Everyone stood, and Susan hugged both Mark and Dana warmly. “It was a pleasure to meet you,” she said. “And please forgive my endless questions. When I first arrived, I had no idea what was going on. When Irwin starts talking, sometimes there’s no stopping him if he’s excited about something. I enjoyed meeting you. Good luck with your riding. “

  “Thank you, Susan. I look forward to seeing you again very soon.”

  The two couples parted, and Mark and Dana headed back to his apartment.

  • • •

  Dana and Mark took Wills out for his final walk, something else that Dana loved about Mark: sharing small moments together. When they returned to the apartment, they discussed dinner with the Bauers.

  “Irwin is such a delightful man,” Dana said. “Brimming with enthusiasm.”

  “And best of all, he loves your idea.”

  “I can hardly believe this is happening. Do you really think everything is going to fall into place?”

  “We’ll know soon enough, but for now, I’m optimistic.”

  “But what about Susan? She was pleasant, but did you notice how she scrutinized me? I felt a bit uncomfortable.”

  “Susan has been a good friend for many years. But she’s overly protective and forgets that even my mother can’t influence my decisions any longer. You know, couples don’t like it when their friends separate. If you haven’t noticed, you will. And Susan, like Amanda, for that matter, wants things as they were. In addition, you’re very different from Marsha, so she’s trying to figure that out, too. She was caught off guard tonight in more ways than one.”

  “Just like you continually catch me off guard,” Dana said as Mark wrapped his arms around her in the bedroom. “Starting with the disco party all the way through the movies, riding, and a way to keep the boutique.”

  “Any complaints?”

  “Not a single one,” Dana said.

  They kissed, and there was no more conversation about business or dinner as Mark led Dana to bed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Johnny made his daily call to Dana on Monday afternoon. He was aware that Dana knew that he, like her mother, was in reality still checking up on her, and he thought that she tolerated their intrusions in her busy schedule with patience and good spirits. She’d sounded more rushed and distracted in the past week, however, although Johnny didn’t sense irritation. Quite to the contrary, Dana sounded upbeat and energized, although lately she’d kept the conversations shorter than usual. Sometimes she wasn’t available and failed to return his calls altogether, which was out of character for his longtime friend. On Monday afternoon, their call was interrupted when Helen stopped into Dana’s office just as Johnny was about to invite Dana to a meeting at the House of Cirone. Since their discussion at her parents’ home, Dana hadn’t asked Johnny anything about his business, nor had she mentioned the offer to join them. Johnny was always careful to avoid bringing the subject up so as not to put pressure on her, but he was beginning to suspect that she was avoiding the issue or, worse yet, had decided not to accept the position as fashion director.

  Returning home from work at nine o’clock, Johnny immediately followed up with his idea to test Dana’s level of interest in joining his family’s business. He decided to invite her to attend a breakfast meeting the next morning with him, Uncle John, and the design team to review the initial sketches for the Spring ’76 line. Additionally, they would study the latest reports from the European shows, a subtle reminder to Dana that her attendance twice a year would be an integral part of her job and a perk that he knew she would love. If she were seriously considering joining the company, wouldn’t she want to observe the creative process from its inception? He didn’t think that such an invitation would be construed as pressure.

  He called but there was no answer. He tried watching television for thirty minutes, but he was too distracted, so he called Virginia. She related how she’d spoken with Dana late that afternoon. She, too, had noticed that Dana seemed to be in a hurry. In fact, Dana had said that she had to finish up and get home before five so that she could get changed, although she hadn’t specified where she was going.

  “You don’t think anything’s wrong, do you?” Virginia asked.

  “No, nothing like that,” Johnny replied. “I just wanted to ask her to join us at a breakfast meeting in the morning. We’re starting to plan next spring’s collection, and I thought the creative session would appeal to her. I guess she’s out. No cause for worry.”

  “So she hasn’t given you or John an answer yet?” Virginia said.

  “Not yet. I’m still hopeful though. I just don’t want to force her into making a premature decision. If I rush her, she’d probably be inclined to say no.”

  Virginia sighed. “You’re probably right, but I think it’s a dream job for her. I know you and John agree. I can’t imagine what could be holding her back. I think meeting with the creative team might be the perfect nudge.”

  “I’ll let you know if she’s able to attend,” Johnny said. “Dad and I would love to get her input as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you, Johnny. Give my best to your father.”

  Johnny called Phoebe next, asking if she knew Dana’s whereabouts. Phoebe was in the middle of a forty-eight hour shift at the hospital and said she hadn’t heard from Dana for several days.

  Holding the receiver, Johnny exhaled and tapped his finger on the cradle of the plastic beige telephone. He tried Dana again at eleven, but there was still no answer.

  He decided to call Andrew. Andrew was a good friend, and if Dana had made plans for dinner or a late night, Andrew would know what they were. They worked together closely, and he was her confidante in matters both personal and professional.

  “Hello?” Andrew said.

  “It’s Johnny Cirone, Andrew. I was wondering if you knew where Dana was. I’ve been trying to get in touch with her all evening, but she’s not at home. I tried calling her mother, but she doesn’t know where she is either.”

  “Sounds rather important. Is it an emergency of some kind?”

  “No, nothing like that. It can keep.”

  “Hmm, let’s see. I know she had dinner plans with Mark Senger, but I’m not sure where they went.”

  “Thanks, Andrew. Hope I didn’t disturb you.”

  “Not to worry. I’m a night owl. Take care.”

  It was a Monday night, and restaurants were usually closed by ten thirty. Surely Dana was at home and already in bed. Since he was calling to invite her to an early meeting, she wouldn’t think he was checking up on her. There was still no answer, and the same held true at twelve thirty and one.

  Johnny dropped the receiver onto the cradle and then froze. He opened his eyes wide, as if experiencing a revelation. “She’s not going home tonight,” he said to himself. “She’s staying at Mark’s. I can’t believe it.” He decided to call Dana at seven in the morning, thinking she may have returned home to get dressed.

  It was time for bed, and the last words he uttered as he turned off the light were “Mark Senger? That’s not what I would have guessed. Not at all.”

  • • •

  Johnny wasn’t surprised when he couldn’t reach Dana at home the next morning. Later, he stepped away from the breakfast meeting and called her at the store to arrange a lunch date at one o’clock. Johnny gave no indication as to why he wanted to meet, so he was surprised when Dana herself asked the first question when they were seated at Bienvenue on 36th Street, one block from B. Altman.

  “My mother and Andrew said you were looking for me late last night,” Dana said. “Mom said something about a creative meeting?”

&nbs
p; “Inviting you to the meeting was a last-minute brainstorm of mine, although Dad thought it was a great idea, too. We met this morning to look at Frances’ initial drawings for next spring and to discuss the trends from the European shows. I thought it might be helpful for you to actually see the creative process at work so you can make a more intelligent decision about working with us. Like Dad said, the offer has no time limit, but we thought you’d enjoy talking with Frances and meeting our new piece goods buyer.”

  “Thanks, Johnny,” Dana said, “but I’m afraid the next few weeks are going to be incredibly busy. I’m hoping to resurrect the in-store boutique, although nobody knows about it except Mark Senger and his friend.”

  Johnny furrowed his brow and cocked his head. “I thought that ship had sailed. In fact, the collapse of the Nantucket boutique was why I offered you a position in the first place since you seemed so frustrated.”

  “True,” Dana said, “but Mark introduced me to a manufacturer who believes he can help me revamp the whole boutique concept.”

  “Whoa! You lost me. Manufacturer? Revamp?”

  Dana explained that she hoped to open The British Shop in order to sell B. Altman’s exclusive line of women’s separates.

  “It sounds like you’ve got a lot of time and energy invested in this project,” Johnny said thoughtfully. “And that you may be at B. Altman’s longer than anticipated.”

  Dana decided that she had to be forthcoming with Johnny since she knew he had her best interests at heart. “The bottom line is that I need more time to decide what career path I’m going to take. Mark agrees that my concept is great, as does his friend Irwin, the manufacturer he introduced me to last night. He owns Bauer & Sons Clothiers. Irwin is going to make some sample pieces based on my Jaeger wardrobe. Plus I’ll even get to design the line, something that goes far beyond my aspirations for the Nantucket collection.”

  “How did all of this come about?” Johnny asked, aware that designing an entire line of clothing might well rival the position of fashion director.