by R. G. Winter
Three glasses of champagne later, Jane was pleasantly full, and even more pleasantly buzzed. The whisky sours from earlier were mixing well with the fizzy drink, leaving her in a contented haze.
“Helen, as always that was lovely,” Mr. Schwick rose from his seat to embrace their hostess. Patting at his sizable belly as he moved away. “I’m gonna have to fire my trainer next week when he sees me. he likely to throw a fit.”
“Bill, you’re allowed a bit of excess on Thanksgiving. I’m just happy I could enjoy this day with you.”
Mr. Schwick lingered for a few moments longer: Enough time to sneak a shot of expensive liquor with the other boys when Helen went to take dishes to the kitchen. Once the crowd began to wear thin, Jane sat back in her seat, her hand in Franklin’s lap.
“See, you had nothing to be worried about. I told you that they’d love you.”
“They are very nice,Frank.” She said, laughing at his scowl. Their moment was interrupted by James Schwick, who cradled a crystal glass filled with brandy.
“Jane, you’re coming to the wedding, right?” He asked casually, as if Jane would know what in the world he was talking about.
“I hadn’t asked her yet, James.” Franklin said, “I didn’t want to overload her.”
“Well, ask. You’re my best man…”
Franklin turned to Jane, “James is getting married in February, Nadia,” He said, speaking of the model that she’d spied Mr. Schwick talking to earlier, “Is very excited. Would you like to go with me?” His voice was quiet.”I was going to ask when we got back.”
Wow, meeting the parents and going to a society wedding? Jane didn’t think she could take anymore family venues. “I would love to go. Congratulations,” she added to James, who smiled in thanks. “Where is it going to be held?”
“We are having a service on my family's estate in upstate New York, then having the reception at the White Hill Club.”
“Oh, exclusive, I like it.” Jane said, “Well, as long as Franklin will have me, I’ll be there.”
“Great, oh,” James started, “Do you mind doing me a favor? Nadia doesn’t have many friends here, and most of them aren’t flying out of Moscow until the end of January. Can you keep her company when we all get back home? I know you work, but she’s beginning to get stressed out with all the wedding planning.” He snorted, “Though how you can be stressed when you have the world's most expensive wedding planner is beyond me...”
“I can do that! I’ll give her my number before we leave. Rebecca teaches pilates on weekend, I hear models love it.”
James clapped Franklin on the back, “I like her, McKinnon, she’s a keeper. Don’t screw this one up, okay?”
Chapter 7
Admittedly, Jane was happy to get back to work after the holiday, as much as she loved spending time with Franklin, Jane missed the methodical crunch of doing figures.
“Hey, wanna get some lunch today.” Rebecca said as she poked her head into Jane’s cube.
“Do you mind having lunch with a Russian model?”
“Not at all, is Nadia bringing her driver again? I swear that man is a godsend.” The brunette came further into Jane’s cube,looking amazing in a new shift dress and blazer. On her feet were a pair of $3000 pumps.
“I don’t think you need any more free stuff. You and Bean still going strong.”
“You know, I still have to thank McKinnon for introducing us. He’s really a great guy, even with all his Southern roots. His mother's a real monster though. Spent an entire day telling me how real women are debutantes.” Jane pulled a face. All of a sudden, her relationship with Franklin seemed much more relaxing.As scary as she knew Helen could be, Jane was glad that she hadn’t foudn herself on the receiving end of it yet.
She let Rebecca vent until she absolutely had to get some work done. Skipping out on Nadia wasn’t in the cards. The woman had been a near constant factor since Jane had stepped back into Chicago from Vermont. They’d done their fair share of happy hour specials, fabulous lunches and even a spa day or two. On days when Jane wanted to spend with Franklin,Nadia and Rebecca did painful to look out workouts at the gym. Turns out, Nadia was an even bigger fitness buff than Rebecca, and did pilates religiously.
Having a group of female friends was by far the strangest thing to happen to Jane all year. Especially when one of those friends was Nadia Romanova. The model gained attention wherever she went, but despite her great looks, and serious case of resting bitch face, Nadia was one of the sweetest people Jane had ever met. She’d cried into the phone when Jane had called to check in on her one day. Blubbering through tears about how it was so great to have someone actually ask how she was doing. After that, Jane had made it a point to talk to the woman whenever she got a free moment.
“You are so good to me, Janie,” She said as Jane was leaving the building for lunch. “I can’t wait for you to meet my friends in a few weeks, they are going to love you. Oh, I sent the car for you and Rebecca!” Jane saw it only a moment later. The driver was holding the door open, Rebecca had made herself comfortable in the back, phone up to her ear as the spoke to someone on the other line in quick French.
“Need to work?” Jane asked as she slid into the car. Rebecca shook her head, hanging up her phone with a jab at the screen.
“Hell if I’m missing out on lunch. Just got a contract with this startup out of France. Bunch of jerks, wouldn’t work with me until I proved I actually knew how to program something,” She sighed, “Now I think the boss has the hots for me.”
“It must be so hard being you.”
“Jane you have no idea.” Suddenly the woman perked up, “Bean and I will be at the wedding, by the way. Apparently Mr. Schwick and Bean’s father are a lot more buddy-buddy than he’d originally let on.”
Jane smiled, “Great, I need to go shopping. Franklin’s been kind of hinting that if I pick out the wrong dress, Nadia will kill me. So I need to get started.”
“I’m gonna do this little red number,” Rebecca held up a picture of a sexy red dress on her phone. It was strapless, with a beaded bodice, and on Rebecca if hugged her just right, all the way down to the bottom where it flared out in a mermaid style skirt. “To celebrate our Valentine's Day couple.”
“That is beautiful,” Jane sighed, “Wait, is that a Valentino?” Her knowledge of the couture had broadened in the past few weeks as well. With Nadia showing her pictures of designer gowns, throwing out names like Cavalli, and Oscar De La Renta.
“Yup, Aaron about had a fit when he saw me in it. Couldn’t get it off of me fast enough,” She frowned, “He literally was this close to tearing it.”
The restaurant they pulled up to was a casual bistro style. Upon walking in,Rebecca spotted Nadia sitting in a booth, her wedding book spread out in front of her.
“What are you thinking about changing now?” Jane asked, picking up a picture of an elaborate floral arrangement.
“You don’t think holly and pink roses will be too much for the bouquet?”
“If it looks anything like the mockup it will be gorgeous. You love that arrangement,” Jane reassured her, a gentle hand on the model's shoulder, “If you change your mind now, you’ll regret it.”
Rebecca nodded in agreement as she pulled a menu in close. “I love those pink roses, they will look so pretty against your dress. You can’t change it.”
“Okay, okay,” Nadia said, “You convinced me. I’m just so nervous.” The wedding was coming fast at just under five weeks away. Nadia had already threatened menu changes, and worst of all, thrown a fit over her one of a kind gown. The poor designer had been so harried, that he’d stormed out of his own studio.
“Just breathe a little bit. You’re going to be stunning. You’re Nadia Romanova, you could wear a paper bag and make it couture.”
“That’s true,” Nadia sniffed, her lips turning up, “I did a shoot yesterday, and the literally had me wear a pineapple.” That lead into them conversing pleasantly about Nadia’s we
ek. When their food came, Jane bit happily into her caprese sandwich, nearly spitting out a bite when Nadia regaled a story about an overly touchy photographer.
“I can’t believe he did that.” Rebecca gasped, “Did he touch.”
Nadia pulled her face into a disbelieving grimace, “He’s still alive isn’t he? Claudia’s a ladder-climber, she didn’t care that his wife was in the next room setting up for more shots. I told him right away that him putting his hands on me wasn’t okay.”
When it seemed that Nadia’s mind had wandered away from wedding blues, Jane and Rebecca headed back to the office. There was a flurry of post holiday activity going on, as clients were rushing to spend or invest some of their tax earnings they’d gotten back after the new year. At least the lucky ones were rushing to spend, one or two of Belmores’ long standing client had taken a huge hit in tax season, now they were scrambling to cash in on stocks and the like.
Belmore was satisfied, either way he got a commission. Jane and Franklin were swamped though, they barely had time for each other. If they did have an impromptu sleepover, it was merely to sleep, nothing more. Franklin was even starting to look a bit run down. The wedding would be the perfect little vacation. Jane was counting down the days. Only 46 more until she and Franklin were relaxing in upstate New York. She’d been obsessed with pouring over the hotel website, picking out things for them to do for the week they had off after the wedding.
An email from Belmore popped up, rudely interrupting her research: She sighed.
Jane couldn’t be more happy that the weekend was fast approaching. She needed to kick her feet up, but first she had other responsibilities. Rebecca wanted to try out a spin class, Nadia wanted them to all have dinner and Franklin was practically pouting whenever she told him there was no time to stay in bed all weekend. Her life had become a juggling act that she wasn’t too sure if she was keeping balanced. At least for now, it seemed to work well enough.
“Jane,” she heard a whispered voice, making her look up from her screen, “your place tonight?” Franklin asked as he gazed around the office.
“Not a chance in hell, Mckinnon. She’s mine for the night. You can have her tomorrow,” Rebecca cut in, glaring over the top of her cubicle.
Jane sighed. “I feel like the popular girl in school.” When both of them continued to stare at her, she rolled her eyes. “I’m going to spin class, then dinner and if I’m not too late, maybe you could pick me up and we can stay at my place?” She asked as she looked at them both.
Franklin and Rebecca seemed to study each other for a moment before they both nodded. When they left, she focused her attention back on her work, a smile on her face. It was difficult to juggle it all, but she loved it. A man who adored her, friends who she actually enjoyed being around and a career that she loved. It was amazing.
Work spilled over an hour later than she would have liked, but at least it had all been finished. She could tell that she was getting better at her job, the work didn’t take nearly as long as it used to. Her finger pressed the power button on her computer before she gathered up her coat and purse. Rebecca was waiting down in the lobby, preoccupied on her phone. It was clear she was talking to Bean, the soft smile on her face made her look more gentle than normal. Rebecca hung up when Jane was close.
“That took you long enough,” she followed behind Jane, pulling her coat around her more tightly, “did Nadia say she still wanted to have dinner?”
“Just drinks. We missed spin didn’t we?”
Rebecca nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not that big of a deal. We can go next week.”
Jane gave her a small smile. She knew that she was looking tired lately, but with so much on her plate she really didn’t have any choice. Still, she was looking forward to a few days with Franklin. She would force him to stay in the bed all weekend, no parties or going out. The thought made her smile, but knowing Franklin, if he wanted to take her out they were going.
They settled in at a little bar, ordering their drinks before Nadia arrived. The woman was late when she slid into the booth.She shrugged out of her coat before turning to them excitedly.
“I just got to see James for a minute. He had to leave again, but I wanted to spend some time with him. Martini please,” she called to the waiter, “anyway, I need to know what you’re wearing Jane.”
“I’ll tell you as soon as I know,” she laughed.
Jane spent a few hours with them before she had to excuse herself. She was more tired than she’d thought and the few drinks that she consumed made her want to fall asleep in the booth. Rebecca left with Nadia, while Jane called Franklin. He showed up quick, helping her into the car before they pulled off.
“Nadia seems really excited,” Franklin said as they cruised down the road.
“She is. James is a great guy too.”
“Yeah,” Franklin answered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m just kind of tired,” he gave her a soft smile.
Jane yawned, her eyelids heavy as she tried to force herself to stay awake. “Me too. Let’s not do anything tomorrow.”
“After we find your wedding clothes, I promise we’ll do lots of nothing.”
Jane couldn’t argue with that. By the time they reached her apartment, she was ready to tumble into the warmth of her bed. She shed her clothes, cuddled against Franklin’s side before she heaved a heavy sigh. Her fingers played along his chest as she started to drift off.
“Jane?”
“Hmmm?”
“You know I really like you right?”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
If she hadn’t been so exhausted and slightly buzzed, she would have pressed him to tell her what was wrong. As it was, she was already drifting off. There was still much to be done tomorrow.
“I don’t like that one,” Franklin objected when she stepped out of the dressing room.
“So much for the sweet stage of our relationship,” she said with a roll of her eyes, “okay, I’ll try something else.”
She stepped back into the dressing room, pulling the door closed behind her. Franklin had been slightly cranky all day, but she had no idea what was going on with him. Maybe the wedding made him nervous, she thought, after all it was a really important event for both of them. Since it was James’ wedding, there were a lot more people from their company coming. One way or another, the whole office was going to know that they were together. Not that it bothered Jane so much anymore. She didn’t see a point in them hiding anymore, especially when things were going so well.
When she stepped out again, Franklin’s eyes traveled up her body. He nodded slowly, a smile spreading on his face. She had slipped into a red dress with a floral, lace overlay. The sleeves were short lace as well and the dress stopped mid calf. It was soft, elegant, but sexy too. The tag said Vivienne Westwood. Franklin’s fingers trailed her shoulder’s.
“You look amazing,” he said as he placed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
Jane examined herself in the mirror. Her hands ran over the front of the dress. She had to admit, she looked good. The price tag didn’t worry her so much anymore, especially not now. Going to Nadia’s wedding looking flawless was more of a priority.
“Let’s take this one, then,” she smiled.
Franklin swiped his card before carrying the box out for her. They wandered to several other shops, purchasing shoes and jewelry to match. By the time they were done, Jane was freezing. Franklin rubbed his hands over the arms of her coat to warm her up while they waited in line for coffee. When they both had big, steaming cups they decided to keep walking.
“Hey, look at that. It’s an ice skating rink. That’s new,” Jane sipped at her coffee.
“Do you want to go ice skating?”
She scoffed. “And break my leg before this wedding? No, thank you.”
“Come on, you won’t break your leg. I’m actually pretty good at it.”
Jane raised a delicate eyebrow. �
��Mckinnon, you never cease to surprise me,” she gazed at the people skating around, heard the laughter drift in her direction. “Okay, I’ll try it.”
There was a steady tent constructed near the rink that rented out skates. From inside of it also came the smell of warm drinks, snacks and sug. Little tables had been set up inside, some held families. Jane smiled as one little girl kicked her feet happily as she munched on some popcorn.
Franklin led her over to the shoe rental area. When he’d gotten them, he had Jane sit on a bench before he helped her into her skates. Jane dug into the pocket of her coat, pulling out a pair of thick, cream gloves that she slipped onto her hands. When she stood on the skates, it was like balancing on a tightrope.
“Why did I let you talk me into this?”
He laughed. “Come on, don’t whine.”
As Jane stepped out onto the ice, she gripped his hand hard. He didn’t seem to mind as he pulled her close to him. For a moment, Jane’s legs wobbled as though they would stop working suddenly. As she relaxed, she became steadier. Franklin wrapped an arm around her back before he really pushed off.
“Too fast!” Jane squealed.
“I’ve got you,” Franklin said, tightening his arm around her.
The more they went around the rink, the more Jane was able to relax. Franklin would glide in front of her, hold her hands as she slowly tried to skate by herself. As much as she was afraid of falling, she had to admit that she liked the feeling of gliding around the rink. Franklin let go of her hands unexpectedly. She stayed upright for a few moments, before she fell.
When Franklin rushed over to help her up, she was laughing. It took a moment to get her back onto her skates. She rubbed a hand over her hip where she’d fallen.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I guess falling isn’t so bad.”
Franklin laughed. “It hurts a little, but you get used to it. It’s easier to learn to do something if you’re not afraid of failing. Do you want to go again?”
She nodded. They stayed at the rink until Jane’s fingers were frozen from the cold. The later it got, the colder it became. Franklin brought both of them another cup of hot coffee before they walked back to the car. Jane sighed.