“I’m always here if you need to talk. I have to get to the Requisitions Office. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” Krystal says. Turning on the couch, she wraps me in a quick hug. “Thanks for letting me vent.”
“Of course. Women have to stick together!”
As I walk away, I glance back at Krystal, pleased to see she doesn’t look so downtrodden anymore.
Chapter 8
Trinh
I’m running a couple of minutes late, but as I turn the corner, my steps slow. Natasha is already inside the office, sitting next to D’Merx at his desk. She must have shown up early. I swallow a grin as I note how close they are sitting. Don’t they look all cozy? I watch as he points to something on his monitor and Natasha nods in response. D’Merx looks over at her as she leans closer to read whatever is on the monitor, and I observe the look in D’Merx’s eyes as he gazes at her.
It makes my romantic heart want to swirl out of my chest in delight. I’m a damn genius. I can feel the sparks from here.
Stepping into the office, I clear my throat and enjoy the way the two of them jump apart. I feel like a parent of amorous teenagers. The urge to sternly ask D’Merx about his intentions almost overwhelms my good sense.
“Sorry, I’m late. I got waylaid.”
“It’s okay. D’Merx was showing me a little bit about the job,” Natasha says with a happy grin.
“Yeah? That’s nice of him,” I say. “D’Merx, have you heard back from the vendors about dresses and shoes yet?”
“I’m still waiting on a few to get back to me with their available inventory, but I have a decent selection already. Do you want to see?”
I walk around the desk and stand on the other side of D’Merx. No need to get in between the two of them. Gotta let those sparks ignite without interference. He pulls up a page with a screen full of wedding dresses. Clicking on the first dress, he starts scrolling through the selection for me to review.
“So far, we have more than thirty dresses to choose from in a variety of sizes. I will show you the shoes next. The vendors have a much larger selection of bridal shoes already in stock, so I know you’ll be pleased with what we have to offer the brides.”
When D’Merx clicks on the next dress, Natasha makes a small gasp. She stares at the dress on the screen with a look of want on her face. The dress is strapless with the gazar fabric gathered under the bust in a simple twist.
“Vera Wang,” I say approvingly. “That one’s pretty.”
“Yeah, pretty,” Natasha says on a soft breath. I wonder if D’Merx has noticed Natasha’s interest in the dress. He’d have to be both blind and deaf to have missed her reaction.
“Look at that slit,” I say, pointing to the slit on one side, which goes a daring degree up the model’s leg. “Your legs would look gorgeous in this dress.”
I have to bite my lips to keep from breaking into a huge grin when I hear D’Merx swallow noisily. He clicks through a few more dresses before one pops up on the screen that makes me suddenly lean forward to get a better look.
“Wow,” I say as breathlessly as Natasha was a moment before.
“You like that one?” Natasha asks.
“Yeah, it looks like a traditional ao dai,” I say. The white chiffon dress has hand-embroidered pale blue lace overlaying the bust, neckline, and the edges of the sleeves. It floats around the legs of the model like a feather-soft cloud.
“Ao dai?” D’Merx repeats.
“It’s a traditional Vietnamese dress, usually worn as a silk tunic over pants. My mother insisted we always wear one during the Tet festival every year. See the high collar, the fitted bust, and the long sleeves?” I say, pointing out the details. “But they’ve modernized it. I like the blue lace overlay,” I say, admiring how the lace trails down the front of the bodice ending near the outer thigh in a dripping curlicue.
Looking over at Natasha and D’Merx, I realize I’m rambling.
“It’s so pretty,” Natasha says. “I like the lace, too.”
I shake my head to get myself back on track. “These are great so far, D’Merx. A nice variety for the brides. They are going to be thrilled.”
“I’m glad,” D’Merx replies.
“When do you expect the rest of the vendors to get back to you?”
