After changing out of the dress, Regina comes back out front and glances at her watch. “Oh my. Look at the time. I have an appointment, so I’m going to run. Havea great rest of the day, you two.” She finger wags a wave goodbye, and I don’t believe for a minute that she actually has an appointment elsewhere.
The boutique is suddenly quiet and I realize Stone and I are completely alone. Following an awkward silence, I fill the void.
“Can I show you something? I have a vintage dress collection, including my grandmother’s wedding gown. These dresses are my personal collection, not something I’d ever sell to anyone. I was thinking it might be fun to display some of them at the show.”
“Sure. I’d love to see them.”
I take him back to the storage area where I have a space designated specifically to protect the delicate collection. The dresses and gowns that can hang without getting damaged are cocooned in special Tyvek garment covers. Even the velour hangers are covered in the protective material. The items that are heavy with a lot of adornments are stored in special archival cardboard boxes to protect them from lint, dust, pests, and the glare of lights.
“Wow. You’ve taken great care to protect these.”
I take that as a compliment and I hope I’m not babbling as I try to intelligently respond. “It’s very important. Vintage clothing can damage so easily if not stored properly. The storage bags are made of a special material, as well as the boxes and tissue paper. Anything that touches these garments must be acid-free and pH neutral. Nothing plastic, wood, or metal.”
Stone nods his head. It feels good, seeing that he’s interested in things that are important to me.
I pull out the box containing my grandmother’s gown and open the lid, spreading apart the tissue paper so that Stone can see the intricacy of the embellishments up close. The crystal and pearl beading, along with the sequin accents, sparkle in the overhead light.
“The embroidery around the trim of the gown was done by hand by my grandmother.”
As I reach to point that out to Stone, he touches it at the same time, causing our fingers to brush. The accidental contact sends an unexpected shock of awareness through me. Our eyes meet, and neither of us speaks.
The moment is interrupted when I hear the tinkle of the doorbell. What was I thinking, leaving the front unattended? I probably should have locked it when we came to the back room. “I’ll be right back.”
I rush to the front to greet the visitor, stopping in my tracks once I realize a ghost from my past is standing in my boutique.
“Hello, Desirae.”
“George. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, of course. It’s been a while. Thought we could catch up.”
My bullshit detector is blaring an internal alarm. George Payne has an ulterior motive for everything he does. Like when he wanted to postpone our wedding until we were more financially secure. That was simply a ruse to buy him some time to pursue a younger, thinner woman. He’s not here just tocatch up. He wants something.
My eyes narrow, and I glare at the man who I once thought I would marry wearing my grandmother’sgown. I’m not the same person as when I was engaged to George, and he’s certainly not the man he purported to be. He’s vain, self-centered, and shallow. His unwelcome presence threatens to bring back painful memories that I don’t want to think about again. It took years for me to regain my self-worth and take back control of my life. Because of him, I don’t trust easily, and I guard my heart carefully. I’m not about to lose myself again. To him or any other man.
“I don’t have any interest in catching up with you, George. I’m quite busy right now, and need to get back to work. You can see yourself out.”
CHAPTER 8
STONE
“Stone, what a great idea that was, proposing a charity event here in Pelican Point! Seems you’ve finally come to your senses about what this town needs. And you picked the perfect person to partner with. Desirae is successful, smart, and beautiful.”
I wonder if my mother notices that I’m grinding my teeth in frustration in between bites of lasagna. Not because she’s wrong about what she’s saying right now. It would be a hell of a lot easier to get Desirae out of my head if my mother wasn’t going on and on about her. But the main reason I’m irritated as fuck is just when I was having a moment with Desirae at her shop, some asshole interrupted it, showing up at her store obviously uninvited. Although I was in the back, I heard the entire exchange. He spoke to her like a pompous prick. She threw him out before I could charge out there and claim her as mine. The thought of her having a past with someone like him had me seeing red. And from whatI’ve seen from Desirae so far, she probably wouldn’t be too happy with me playing alpha male caveman.
Back in West Palm, I open the slider on my balcony, hoping the sound of the surf ebbing and flowing below will release the tension I’ve been holding all day. For some reason, I’ve always been drawn to the sea. Whenever I’m troubled about something, or need to think, looking out at the water calms me and helps me focus. Maybe I was a boat captain in another life.
After pouring a whiskey, I pull out the latest project plans, determined to find a way to preserve more of Seabreeze Avenue, and by extension, Desirae’s business, without compromising the development’s viability. Mentally exhausted after the long day, and knowing I won’t solve this problem tonight, I head to bed, hoping the subtle warmth of the alcohol and the sound of the waves through my open window will lull me to sleep.
I’m up early the next morning, waking with a start after dreaming of a beautiful Desirae wearing her grandmother’s wedding gown, walking toward me with a smile. As I take my morning run along the beach, my feet pounding the firm wet surface of the sand and the salty air filling my lungs, I’m still trying to figure out a solution for this project that works to everyone’s benefit. Once I slow to a walk for a cool down, it comes to me. And before I can act on it, my cell rings.
“Anginelli.”
“Hi, Mr. Anginelli, this is Joselyn Vargas, I’m working with Desirae on the fashion show.”
“You’re the event planner she told me about.”
“Yes. I was wondering if you’d be willing to help out with something.”
