RAYNE FINISHED TAKINGanother order of dresses and hung up the phone. Excitement danced in her tummy, making her want to shout with happiness. So, this was what success felt like.
“Ladies!” she called loudly, getting Dusti and Lacey’s attention. “We have another big order to fill.”
The shop echoed with the screams of Rayne’s assistants. She grinned and hurried toward them. This moment of elation called for a group hug.
As they laughed and hugged each other, Rayne realized how happy she’d been lately. Right before she married Calvin, her world had looked hopeless. She thought the days would drag out and she’d be completely miserable. But the exact opposite had happened, and she liked this trend in her life. She fervently believed God was blessing her in some way.
“Do you want me to place an order for more material?” Dusti asked as she moved to the laptop on one of the tables.
“Yes. Let me write down a list first.” Rayne moved beside her and grabbed her notepad and pen. “Thankfully, we have six weeks to get this order out, but I’d still like to be ahead of schedule.”
She jotted items down on her list, concentrating on the types of dresses in the order. The moment her cell phone buzzed with a text message, her mind went blank. Grumbling, she pulled out her phone and checked the message. When she noticed who’d sent it, her heart melted.
Hey, my adorable wife. This is a formal invite. I want to take you out to dinner tonight. Your choice. Anywhere you’d like to go.
Her heart leaped as a different kind of excitement entered her body.
Anywhere?She texted.
Anywhere!
She sighed, staring at his name on her phone as her mind whirled with ideas of where they could go to eat. But all she could think of was that she wanted to be alone with him, back at his condo, just like they were when he kissed her.What’s the occasion?
Does there need to be an occasion to take out my beautiful wife?
Her heart tripped. Why did she like it so much when he called her hiswife? Nodding, she texted,Okay, then... Let’s go to Marino’s Cuisine.
Yes! They have great food.
Not only did she like the food at this particular restaurant, she liked how romantic it was with the soft instrumental music playing in the background, and the dim lighting, not to mention the exotic flowers that were placed in vases around the room making the place smell like it was a tropical island. Lastly, the place was quieter than most restaurants. People whispered words of love to each other, and they could still hear what was being said by their dates.
Perfect!She texted. I’ll meet you back at the condo tonight. Dinner is at seven.
She glanced at the time on her cell phone. It was only one-thirty? She groaned, hoping the time would fly by.
When she slid her phone back into her slacks, she looked up to see Dusti and Lacey standing next to each other, watching her. Both women had wide grins.
“Someone’s in love,” Lacey said in a sing-song voice.
“Ah,mi amore,” Dusti sighed.
Rayne rolled her eyes and moved past them, walking into the warehouse to check her supplies. “You two don’t know what you’re talking about.” She felt her face heating with embarrassment, as though they’d caught her doing something she shouldn’t be doing. She was just texting!
Lacey’s laughter echoed in the main shop, and Rayne shook her head. She’d never hear the end of it now.
“If you’d like my advice,” Dusti said, making Rayne jump. “I think Mr. Attorney-at-Law is a much better catch than ole what’s-his-name who drives a beat-up truck.”
Rayne frowned. “Money isn’t everything, you know.” Her first response was to defend Eddie. Sadly enough, none of her friends and family had really ever liked him. She’d always thought it was because he didn’t have a lot of money – or in his case – no money at all.
“Truly, it’s not. Let me rephrase that.” Dusti paused as she tapped a finger to her chin. “I think Mr. Sweet-as-Melting-Chocolate who adores his newwifeand looks at her with stars in his eyes is a better catch than what’s-his-name who has never made Rayne as happy as she is now.”
Her stomach tightened irritably. She opened her mouth to defend Eddie again, but there were no words. Dusti was right. Eddie had neveradoredher as Calvin seemed to do. Although she thought she was madly in love with Eddie, she’d never been happier than she was now.
Was it because her business was picking up more orders? Or was it the man himself who made her smile more than she’d ever done before?
Tonight, during dinner, she’d have to think about what she really wanted out of life. She needed to analyze which man – Eddie or Calvin – brought out the best in her.
