“Don’t sweat it. But it is late. You’re just finishing up now? What do you do?”
“I work in finances for my father’s company, Crompton Enterprises.”
“Right. Diana mentioned that. What does the company specialize in again?”
“Energy,” she says quickly. I can tell by her tone she doesn’t want to talk about it.
“Hmm. Are you interested in having a stylist? Maybe updating your wardrobe or getting some pointers?”
There’s a long pause. “I don’t have much time to shop, but yeah, I could use some help in that department.”
“Great! Do you want to text me your address, and I’ll pick you up around eleven tomorrow? Would you be available then?”
“Sure. Um, I don’t really know exactly what kind of arrangement this is. How do you take payment?”
“Diana didn’t tell you? She offered to pay me on your behalf.”
“Of course she did.”
“Is that a problem?” I ask.
“No. It’s fine.”
“Okay. This’ll be fun. Don’t worry. I’ll come over tomorrow, and if it’s all right with you, I’ll take a look inside your closet and then we can go shop. I’ll put some outfits together for you. We can start out with a few meetings at first, and then get together once or twice a month, whenever you feel like getting some new things. Sound good?”
“Sure, okay. I’ll text you my address. See you around eleven.”
“Perfect. See you then.”
I arrive at Caroline’s luxury condo in Buckhead at exactly eleven a.m. She must have been waiting, because when I ring her number outside the security gate, she buzzes me in immediately. She meets me on the steps outside her condo.
Before even saying hello, she says, so quietly and quickly I have to lean in to hear her, “The code is five, six, eight, three. It spells LOVE so it’s hard to forget. That way you don’t have to wait for me to buzz you in next time.” She’s already talking about a next time. I hope it’s because she’s admiring my Madewell booties and Anthro scarf.
“Thanks.” I smile and stick out my hand. “Hayden Fox, nice to meet you.”
She shakes my hand. Hers are tiny and pale with soft skin. “Caroline Crompton, and same to you.”
Caroline is pretty in a petite way. She has a small pointy nose and angled chin. Her pale blue eyes are framed by thin reddish eyebrows, which match her short strawberry-blond bob. She’s wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and a long black cotton skirt. It’s a tad shy of a nun’s habit, but at least her haircut is cute.
“Follow me,” she says.
Her condo is sparse. The furnishings look expensive but dated. If there were plastic runners in the hallway, it wouldn’t surprise me. It’s like a time capsule. Maybe she lives with her grandma.
“Do you live alone?” I ask.
“Yes. I’m not here that often. My boyfriend, Blake, is here every once in a while, too.”
Boyfriend? I’m surprised and it’s terrible, but I think the feeling comes with the pang of jealousy that sits in the bottom of my stomach. I couldn’t even get an Uber driver to talk to me on a Friday night. I follow her up the stairs toward her bedroom and into the closet, which is filled with pairs of black flats and dress suits. Mostly pantsuits in gray, black, or beige.
“I guess there isn’t a ton of variety here,” she says, not meeting my eyes.
“We can fix that. Do you work a lot?”
“Yes, but I’m trying to work less. Blake and I both work for my father, and it’s been taking a toll on us lately.”
“I can’t imagine working for my father,” I say, and it’s true, but only because I don’t know my father.
I wonder what Blake’s wardrobe could look like. Do they both dress like this? “Maybe Blake would like some shopping pointers, too?”
