The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

by Rachel Burns

  Chapter 12

  Oliver and Nanny used the rest of the day to catch up. He had lots of worries to share with Nanny, and Nanny had several things that she wanted for Emily, but she needed his approval first.

  Nanny McKinney set down her coffee mug. “Sir, Emily and Samantha should have play dates.”

  “Play dates?” Oliver repeated.

  “Yes, time together but not at school. We should invite them over to the house. This would also be an opportunity for you to get to know another daddy. The summer session doesn’t have a parent’s evening. However, the fall semester does. It would be good for you to make your first contacts before then.”

  Oliver smiled at her. “Sometimes, I get the feeling that you aren’t only Emily’s nanny but also mine.”

  “It’s my job to see to it that everyone in the family is doing well, both emotionally and physically.”

  “We’re lucky to have you, Nanny.” Oliver finished the coffee in his cup and called for the check. It was time to pick Emily up from her first day of school.

  He was glad that Nanny had been here to keep him company while he waited. He’d taken the day off so he could be there if Emily needed anything.

  Oliver and Nanny stood nest to his car, waiting for Emily to come out. When she did, her arm was locked around another girl’s arm.

  She searched the crowd of Nannies picking up their charges and spotted her daddy. She lifted her free arm and waved at him.

  Oliver jumped up when he spotted her, like she’d called for him.

  “Hello, baby. How was your first day?” He went to her and took her schoolbag.

  “Fantastic, Daddy. Please allow me to introduce my very best friend in the whole world. This is Samantha Kabul. She’s the Samantha I told you about.”

  “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Samantha. The name Kabul sounds familiar to me.”

  “My daddy is the world famous designer Ronald Kabul. He always dresses to impress.”

  Oliver recognized the jingle from advertisements he’d seen around the city. There was usually a good-looking man in a suit on the posters. “Yes, that’s where I heard his name. He must design amazing dresses for you.”

  Samantha gave him a sad nod. “He designs them and sews them himself. Then I have to wear them.” She spoke as if it were a great tragedy. “I hate dresses,” she explained.

  “Opposites attract.” Oliver smiled at Emily. Thankfully, Emily loved her dresses.

  Samantha’s nanny saw her talking to a group of strangers, one of whom was a man. She went to them and asked who they were.

  “Nanny, this is Emily. The girl I told you all about. She got adopted, and she’s finally here.” Samantha looked at her best friend and smiled at her. She had a group of friends here at school, but none of them were good friends like Emily had been.

  Nanny McKinney looked at Samantha’s nanny. They’d known each other for more years than either of them would care to admit. “I think we should exchange telephone numbers. The girls can arrange a play date that way.”

  “I have one of her daddy’s cards with me,” Samantha’s nanny proclaimed.

  Oliver fished out one of his and gave it to Samantha’s nanny. “It was a pleasure meeting you, I’ll call your daddy soon so we can arrange something,” he promised.

  On the way home, Emily bugged her daddy to call Samantha’s daddy. She feared that they’d have a very busy calendar, and that it would be difficult to squeeze in a play date.

  Oliver stopped Emily. “If I promise to call him as soon as we get home, will you tell me about your day? I want to know about your teacher and the other girls and even what you had for lunch.”

  Emily told him that everyone had been very nice to her, and that she’d eaten a healthy meal until she was full, and that she even got dessert.

  Then her talk returned to Samantha. Emily bragged about her best friend. Samantha had been the fastest girl no matter what they did, be it climbing, running, swimming or anything else. Samantha was a natural talent.

  “I can’t wait to meet her daddy. Maybe I can find someone to play racquetball with,” Oliver mused.

  Oliver picked up his phone and dialed the number that Emily gave him. He winked at Emily who was standing by his side, listening to make certain that he was doing this right.

  “Hello. This is Oliver Keaton. I’d like to speak with Ronald Kabul, personally.”

  The secretary recognized Oliver’s name immediately. “Of course, sir. One moment please. Stay on the line.” She jumped to her feet and ran to the sewing rooms where Mr. Kabul spent most of his time.

  “Sir, you have a phone call from Mr. Oliver Keaton.” Ronald Kabul’s secretary was hopping with excitement.

  Ronald took the phone and smiled. He knew that smiling while talking on the phone made a person sound nicer. If Oliver Keaton were calling him, then it could only mean that he wanted a suit or a couple of suits. Having someone like Oliver Keaton wearing his designs would inspire other men to buy.

  “Mr. Keaton what an honor.”

  “The honor is all mine. My Emily has been telling me about your Samantha since we met her this afternoon.”

  “Samantha?”

  “Yes, your wife. I got this number from her nanny.”

  “Where did you say our wives know each other from?” Ronald walked away from the people who worked for him and into his private apartment. His wife was arriving home from school. She was hopping from one foot to the other with excitement.

  “They met at the orphanage. This is the correct number, isn’t it?” Oliver asked.

  “Daddy, you’ll never guess who I met at school today,” Samantha took hold of Ronald’s arm, pumping it to get his attention.

  “Was it Emily Keaton?” Ronald asked her.

  “How did you know that?”

  “I’m on the phone with her daddy right now.”

  “Invite them over, Daddy. Please. I’ll be so good for you. I’ll even wear a dress.”

  Ronald smiled at his wife. He lifted up his finger to hush her. “I understand now. At first, I thought you were a reporter, trying to get me to confess to something. My wife is giving me very clear signals that I should invite you to spend the day with us on Sunday.”

  “Why not sooner?” Samantha pouted. “I haven’t seen her in years.”

  “I have a show on Saturday,” he explained to her.

  “Invite them to that.”

  “You wouldn’t want to come to a fashion show on Saturday, would you?” he asked Oliver.

  Oliver looked at Emily. She was nodding so quickly that he worried about whiplash. “We’d be glad to. My wife and I haven’t made a public appearance yet. We could do it at your show. Unless that would bother you?”

  That would mean that Ronald’s show would also be mentioned in the society pages. “Sure, the press will be here anyway.” The men exchanged information about where Oliver could park and what time they should be there.

  Ronald admitted that he wouldn’t have time for them before and during the show.

  “I’ll watch the girls, and you can concentrate on your show,” Oliver told him.

  “That would be great.” This was working out beautifully for Ronald. Now he even had a babysitter for his wife.

  Chapter 13

  Oliver and Emily were escorted to the apartment that adjoined Ronald Kabul’s studio.

  Ronald had always felt rich. His hard work had paid off, but he knew he wasn’t in a league with the Keatons. He’d been able to pull himself up from a middle-class kid to someone who rubbed elbows with the crème de la crème of society.

  Still, he felt that Oliver Keaton and his wife were too high up in society for someone like him.

  “Does he know that we have an interracial marriage?” Ronald asked Samantha for the twentieth time.

  “I’m sure he knows. He recognized your name right away.” Samantha looked at the stupid dress she was wearing. She rubbed her sore hind cheeks and decided not to make any more comments
about the dress. The comments she’d made earlier had helped to land her over her daddy’s knees for a sound spanking. He didn’t understand about skirts and dresses. Not all girls liked them.

  Samantha had to tolerate a skirt at school. As a compromise, she got to where a pair of tight fitting shorts under the skirt she wore so she could still play, but at home, she wanted to wear jeans or jogging pants. Her daddy felt that wasn’t elegant enough.

  They constantly fought about what each thought she should be wearing. They didn’t see eye to eye about that.

  Samantha would have fought harder not to wear a dress, but today was a special day for her daddy. He was presenting his winter collection. She was lucky that she didn’t have to wear a hat and coat in this summer heat.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “It’s them, Daddy. Behave, I’m warning you.” Samantha lifted up her pointer finger and held it up exactly like her daddy always did when he scolded her.

  Ronald stifled his laugh. He didn’t have a lot in common with his wife, but still; he wouldn’t trade her for the world.

  “I’ll be on my best behavior,” Ronald promised. He wouldn’t be around long enough to embarrass her. He had to take off and see to it that the models were ready to walk. Thousands of last minute things needed to be taken care of.

  Their maid let their guests in and brought them into the living room where the greeting was to take place.

  Oliver was surprised to see a black man standing next to Samantha with his arm wrapped around her. This wasn’t what he expected. Emily was taking it all in stride. She’d known and didn’t think it was worth mentioning. Oliver wouldn’t show that he was surprised. The good thing was that Samantha’s daddy was around his own age. That was a huge bonus.

  “Daddy,” Samantha tugged on her daddy’s arm. “This is my best friend, Emily.”

  Ronald sort of remembered the girl from the orphanage. She’d been standing next to his Samantha a few years ago when he adopted his wife. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Emily.”

  “Thank you.” Emily smiled at him. “This is my daddy, Oliver Keaton.”

  Oliver smiled at his wife. Her words had been full of pride. “It’s lovely to see you again, Samantha. Thank you for the invitation.”

  Samantha politely shook his hand. Then she smiled at her daddy. “This is my daddy, Ronald Kabul. He’s presenting his winter collection today.”

  The men shook hands and greeted each other.

  “Can I show her my room, Daddy?” Samantha asked.

  “Sure, but hurry. I have to go backstage.” He looked at his watch.

  “Are you getting nervous?” Oliver asked, kindly.

  “I’ve done this dozens of times in the meantime, still I get nervous every time,” he admitted.

  “You don’t have to worry about the girls. I’ll make sure they behave. If they can’t keep quiet, I’ll sit between them.”

  Oliver had sounded so fatherly that Ronald had to smile. “I’m glad they’ll be in good hands.”

  “Do you do custom orders?” Oliver asked him.

  “I do for friends. Of course, I would for you.”

  “Not so much for me as for my wife. It’s difficult to find just the right things for her.”

  “Okay.” Ronald couldn’t guess what he meant. He’d noticed that Emily had one or two extra pounds, but she wasn’t fat. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find something for her that Oliver would also like. “We’ll talk about it after the show. We’ll be having an after-party. Then the four of us will have an after-after-party here.”

  Shortly before the show was about to begin, they took their seats. The press spotted Oliver, and cameras started flashing.

  Emily asked him why anyone would want to take pictures of them.

  “For the society pages,” he answered her. “They think I’m important, and they know that you are.” He winked at her, making her smile.

  Emily turned back to Samantha and talked to her until Oliver gave them a warning to stop.

  They were sitting up straight and ready when the curtains opened.

  Emily clapped her hands loudly as she watched the creative things that should be in style this winter. She whispered into her daddy’s ear a couple of times.

  Samantha whispered about outfits, explaining what had inspired her daddy to make what. When sportswear came out, she jumped to her feet clapping, knowing that she’d been the inspiration for them.

  Emily’s jaw dropped when the models came out in evening gowns.

  Oliver liked the suits. He wrote down the numbers he liked.

  He didn’t see anything that might fit Emily’s personality. Her things would have to be specially ordered, cost what they may, but her arms needed to be accented and only lace could do that.

  The press wanted to talk to Oliver after the show. They asked him about Emily. Oliver beamed at her and told the press that he wouldn’t answer personal questions. He laid his arm around Emily’s waist and went to Ronald to congratulate him on his success.

  Samantha was telling the press about the dress she was wearing, acting like she loved it. She knew that if she lied, other women would want to have what she wore. That she’d be wearing the designer jogging pants and sweatshirts was a secret she’d never confess to the press. They should know how amazing her daddy was.

  She excused herself and went to her husband. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss. “Did you like the show, honey?” Ronald asked.

  “I loved it. Can I place my order now?”

  “Of course you can, honey.”

  Oliver and Emily waited for the after-party to finish. It was getting late, and it was time for the evening to settle down.

  “It’s a good thing we took a nap this afternoon,” Oliver commented, taking a sip of his champagne. He was still holding his original glass.

  He looked at it and shook his head. Why had he taken it?

  A waiter had thrust it into his hand, and Oliver had automatically taken it. Oliver had wanted to quit drinking. He hadn’t even thought about alcohol since he met Emily. Before that, he often caught himself saying that he needed a drink.

  Emily had already finished her glass.

  Oliver decided that he’d finish this glass slowly. He was no longer in danger of becoming an alcoholic. As long as he had his Emily, he’d never drink too much. He wouldn’t do that to her.

  “What we did couldn’t be called a nap,” Emily whispered in his ear as a pretty pink blush spread across her face.

  “We cuddled afterwards. That was the napping part.” Oliver loved her so much that sometimes her smiles made his heart stop. She had no idea how important she was to him.

  Ronald offered Oliver a drink when it was only the four of them.

  “I have to drive. Maybe something without a kick.”

  Ronald was surprised. Oliver had a reputation of being able to tie on a few. Ronald had looked him up on the net after the phone call. It surprised him that Oliver had chosen Emily. He knew what the other girls at the orphanage looked like. They looked like the women Oliver normally dated.

  He figured that his mother’s old saying about their being two kinds of girls was true. They’d been the kind a man dated, and Emily and Samantha were the kind a man married.

  “Orange juice?” Ronald’s eyebrow lifted up.

  “Perfect.”

  “The girls are happy to have found each other again,” Ronald commented.

  “I’m thrilled. Anything that makes my Em happy, makes me happy.”

  Ronald nodded. “I understand. I’m a spoiler too.”

  “A spoiler?” Oliver asked.

  “There are two types of daddies. The strict kind: I’m only strict when she forces me to be. The other kind are the spoilers. We see an adorable little girl and want to give her the world.”

  “I’m definitely in that group. I’m lucky that she never wants anything that I can’t give her.”

  “Excuse this play on your money, but
what couldn’t you give her.”

  Oliver looked at Ronald. He wasn’t sucking up to him like most people did. He was calling a spade a spade. They were going to be great friends, maybe even best friends. “I never thought about it that way. I guess I should have said that she only wants simple things. Things that are easily given. The most important thing to her is a garden to play in. Em loves roses.”

  “Samantha hates dresses,” Ronald stated. He also realized that he could tell Oliver anything, and that it would stay between them.

  “What?” Oliver laughed, pretending that he didn’t already know that.

  “I mean it. We have a fight each time she has to wear one. She fights tooth and nail to get out of it. It’s a battle of wills each time.”

  “So you won this evening.”

  “Please. She let me win because tonight was so important to me.”

  “That was very sweet of her,” Oliver told him.

  “Yes, it really was,” Ronald agreed. “I made the sportswear line for her. If she’s going to wear those god-awful things, they better be designer.”

  Oliver laughed. “I got Emily a dozen pairs of designer gardening gloves. I always say only the very best is good enough for my Em.”

  Ronald lifted his glass. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Oliver clinked his glass against Ronald’s. It was fabulous having a friend who understood what he felt for his wife.

  The men sat in armchairs and talked for hours while the girls talked until they fell asleep on the couch.

  When it was time to go, Oliver lifted Emily into his arms. “Thank you for a lovely evening. It turned out better than I thought it would.”

  “Thank you, and we’ll see you again next weekend to get fitted for your new things.” Ronald had agreed to make the sort of dress that Oliver wanted to see his Emily in, and Oliver was also going to get five new suits.