“Now you’re getting there.” He chuckles. He kisses the top of my head, then rests his cheek there. “Arianna, if you need to find him then we will, but you must promise me that you’re not going to try to do it alone.”
“Okay,” I mumble into his chest.
He strokes my hair then rests his hand gently on the back of my head. His chest rises and he releases a deep breath. “Would you like to start today over? From now?”
“Yes, I really would.” I close my eyes and breathe in the warmth and safety of Denham’s chest.
“Good because I have somewhere I’d like to take you.”
We walk in companionable silence, hand in hand, fingers entwined, taking in the warmth of the morning sun. We stop at a boutique, and Denham looks down at me with a smile anda wink before we walk through the large, highly polished, glass doors.
A tall, elegant lady looks up from behind the main desk and a smile graces her perfectly painted features. Her long chestnut hair is tied up in a smooth ponytail that swishes from side to side as she walks toward us. Dressed in an immaculate, midnight-blue pantsuit, she exudes class. I feel extremely underdressed in jeans and a tank, and I’m cursing Denham in my head for letting me come here so unprepared. Hell, I don’t even have a scrap of makeup on.
“Well, hello there. If it isn’t my favorite King.” She laughs. “Denham, it’s wonderful to see you.” She greets him with a warm smile and a kiss on both cheeks and I’m immediately jealous. It’s irrational and unjustified, but I can’t help it. I don’t want him to be her favorite anything. I’m hoping and praying that these two don’t have a history together because I’m not sure my emotions are under control enough to filter what comes from my mouth.
She turns to me with the same genuinely happy expression on her face. “And this must be the lovely lady you were telling me about.”
Denham squeezes my hand and looks at me with what I can only describe as pride, and I feel the tension in my shoulders soften. “Beth, this is Arianna. Arianna, this is a very good friend of mine, and the person you can thank for my sense of style, Beth.”
“Arianna…” Beth clasps her surprisingly warm hands on either side of my cheeks and kisses me as she did Denham. I’m a little taken aback at her openness, but I don’t find it offensive. Instead, it’s warming and I find myself liking her already. “Look at that magnificent bone structure. Girl, have you ever done modeling?”
“I…uh, no, I haven’t, ma’am,” I stutter.
“Oh please, no formalities. It’s Beth,” she corrects.
“Okay, Beth.”
“You are every photographer’s dream. Maybe a little shy, but we’ll work on that.”
Denham laughs. “Give the girl a chance, Beth. We’ve only been in the door two minutes and you’re making plans already.”
“You know me, Den, no point wasting time. Always on the lookout for new faces,” she says frankly.
“Well, Arianna is very interested in the fashion industry. I thought you’d be the best person to come and see.”
“Oh! This is?” Beth says with wide eyed recognition, and Denham nods. “The one who?” Denham nods again in answer to her bizarre question.
“Oh, dear lord. Why didn’t you say? Come with me, Arianna. We have things to discuss.” Beth takes my spare hand and I look between her and Denham, catching a wink that he throws her way before letting my hand drop reluctantly. “Cancel any plans you had together. I want your Arianna for at least a few hours. Go on…I’ll call you when we’re done.” She makes a shooing motion with her hand, and just like that, Denham is affectionately dismissed.
He steps forward and kisses my cheek. “I guess I’ll be back later when you’re done whatever it is that you girls are doing.”
I smile, not knowing what to say. Not really knowing what’s happening but none of it feels bad, in fact, it all feels really amazing.
Beth wastes no time, marching me to the back of the shop. I try and take in the rails and shelves of designer clothes around me, but her stiletto covered feet are moving too fast and I’m trying to keep up. We go through a mirrored door and into what I can only guess is her stock room, filled to the brim with designer clothing. She grabs a dress off one of the rails and holds it up—floor length and cut on the bias with a plunging neckline adorned with tiny crystals that sparkle when the light hits them.It’s beautiful. I reach out and touch the silk, running my finger along the delicate stitching on the neckline. Any woman who wears this dress will feel like a million dollars, I’m certain of it.
“You like?” Beth asks confidently, already knowing that I will.
“I love it, Beth, it really is a quality piece.”It probably has a quality price tag too.
“Yes, it’s a one off. I know the designer and managed to secure it.” She hangs it carefully back on the rail before pulling out another dress to show me.
“Okay, tell me honestly, what do you think of this?” She holds out the next dress—blue, green and yellow in an explosion of patterns and swirls. It’s illegally short and one of the most disgusting dresses I’ve ever seen, but how do I tell her that when I’ve known her for approximately five minutes. She owns a high class, designer boutique on the Las Vegas Strip and she’s askingmewhat I think.
“Your face says it all darling. Be brutal…”
“I …”
“Just say the words that were going through your head when you pulled those faces not ten seconds ago.”
