She raced into the hall after freshening up from working all afternoon. And stopped. The table was set for a formal dinner complete with fresh sunflowers in the middle.
“Bouquet, complements of Gerard,” Conner said.
“Hey, it’s the least I could do. Ari, how much do I owe you for my half of the groceries?” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, then flipped it open.
“It wasn’t much. I’ll cover.” He
couldn’t
know how much she loved sunflowers. “The flowers are enough.”
“Sit, or you’ll ruin my creation.” Conner looked at his wrist. “The game starts in an hour. Dessert can be during the seventh inning stretch.”
“You made dessert too?” Ari pulled out her chair. “I’m going to have to dance extra tonight.”
Gerard skewed his head to the side, “Dance?”
“She brainstorms around her room, in the form of dancing. I’ve learned if I want to sleep, I use headphones.” With his last word, Conner pulled the cork out of the wine with a corkscrew. “I thought a nice bold red would pair nicely.”
“You’re still not going to tell us what we’re having?” Gerard took the bottle from Conner to pour while Conner went to the counter for a platter.
“For appetizers, I have a variety of cheeses from soft goat to hard and crackers and sliced baguettes.” He placed the array on the table with a flourish. “As far as I’m concerned, the harder and stinkier makes the best flavored cheese.
Gerard spread some goat cheese onto some of the bread, and scooped some more onto his plate. “I agree if it smells like sweat socks, then you’ve got a winner.”
Ari swallowed, dirty stockings somehow didn’t sound too appetizing to her, but she’d try a bit of everything. She tentatively used her fork to slide a little slice of each cheese to her place. Conner rattled off the name of each as she did so. Not that she’d ever remember.
Much to her surprise she enjoyed all of them, some more than others. “And what are you having for the main course.”
“Coming right up.” Conner had his back to them, working on something. When he turned, the dish looked fabulous. “Here is your dinner. Beef tenderloin medallions with a roasted shallot and port reduction sauce. Also, we have new red potatoes a few fresh-from-the-garden baby carrots, in a butter garlic sauce.”
She’d guessed a few things he was going to make from the list, but hadn’t known how he would prepare it. They were certainly in for a treat.
Several minutes passed. The wine was gone and the plates empty. “I don’t think I can move to the couch to watch the game,” Gerard said echoing her thoughts.
“Conner you’re going to be a Sous Chef by next week at this rate. I can’t believe I’ve been buying prepared food to nuke when I could have been eating like a queen. Dinner was superb.”
“Thanks Conner,” Gerard said. “You go relax and find the game. Ari and I will clean up.” Gerard stood and cleared away the glasses, expecting Ari to help. Together they made short work of the clean up.
Ari wasn’t sure she’d be hungry by the seventh inning, but she’d do her best. She couldn’t wait to try whatever dessert Conner had planned.
“What are you going to do if the Yanks win again? Dinner sometime this week?” Gerard asked in the fifth inning when his team was up three runs.
“Wednesday evening is the only day I have off. I’m dying to try what I helped Henry make today. For once, I’m hoping my Mets lose.” He looked to the sky. “Please don’t strike me down oh ye Met Gods.”
Ari giggled. She never giggled, must be all the wine she’d consumed. “Conner believe me, you don’t need to lose a bet to cook here. Just leave me a grocery list and I’ll be glad to buy the food anytime, as long as you cook.”
Gerard’s deep chuckled curled her toes, “I’ll invite myself to dinner whenever you’re cooking, and I’ll bring flowers.”
“Deal!” Conner sipped his wine. “Are you ready for dessert? The seventh inning will be here soon and I need to do a bit of preparation.”
“I’m still stuffed from dinner, but there is no way I’m turning down whatever you created for dessert.” Ari stifled the groan that wanted to erupt at the thought of anything more in her poor overstuffed tummy.
“Crème Brule.” Conner lit up a thing that looked like some kind of blowtorch and whisked over the tops of all three desserts. “Caramelizing the top, here you go.”
He placed a plate for each on the coffee table. “Be right back with spoons and napkins.”
Each bite was a delight. Had she died and gone to dessert heaven? That’s what it tasted like. Maybe having Conner cook all the time wasn’t a good idea, she’d be rolly polly in no time.
“I’m going to have to run an extra mile in the park tomorrow.” Gerard patted his stomach his expression disgruntled.
“Boys, I have some sketches to finish for tomorrow. I am about to fall asleep after that delish meal. It’s been fun, but I’ll have to find out who won the game in the morning.”
She gathered the dishes, rinsed them off, added them to the load in the washer, and started it. As she passed by the men, they barely acknowledged her swift goodnight. They were too engrossed in the subway match.
Kicking off her flip-flops, she grabbed her shorts from where they still lay from that morning. She stripped of her sundress and for once hung it in the closet. Only a few minutes later, she had settled into her designs from the night before.
“Bella, I wish you could have joined us tonight. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Conner is going to be an executive chef in a prime New York restaurant someday.” Ari giggled at the thought of her dress eating dinner. Another indication she wasn’t used to consuming so much wine. Two giggles in one night had to be a record.
“I’m too tired to dance, so Bella you better send me inspirational thoughts. Think blue. Subtle though, because I still want the bride in ivory.”
No sooner had she’d expressed her wishes to Bella, than thoughts of a beautiful duchess satin cashmere entered her mind. This was different from the yellowed satin she’d imagined earlier. Then over the bodice a scalloped lace in ivory with just the barest hint of baby blue. The combination would be stunning.
Where she’d find ivory lace with a hint of any shade of blue was going to be a challenge, but she was up to it. Straightening after the first touches were completed, she threw a glance at Bella. Her beads and stitching glimmered in the overhead light as if the dress encouraged her to continue.
Again, the thought that Bella was magic crossed her mind. “Too much wine,” she muttered.
As she turned she caught sight of her alarm clock on the bedside table. Maybe it would be a good idea to set an alarm as a reminder of when to go to bed. She wanted to be bright eyed in the morning for her meeting with Gertrude. Especially because she wanted to convince the woman having designer dresses would be important to Classic Manhattan.
The sweeping lines of the dress followed the story running through her head. Elegant and smooth, the blue color subtle enough only to come out in certain lighting.
When the alarm rang, she was so engrossed in her design that her hand flew to her chest, her heart did a hiccup. Bella’s beads shivered in the light, Ari turned to glare.
“You won’t think it’s so funny if I drop over of a heart attack.” The satin on the chapel train sobered and stilled.
Ari narrowed her eyes, was that even possible?
She’d think on it another time. Right now, she needed to be up early. The clothes she wore for the presentation would be important. Gertrude was all about making an impression. This time Ari’d be dressing to impress her boss, not a client.
She pressed her lips in thought, wasn’t she trying to
sell
something to Gertrude? Well persuade her was a better word, but still. Today her boss would be her client.
Dear Diary;
Selling Gertrude
What an important day it was for my bride. If her boss, the scary lady I’d met briefly at Classic Manhattan, was agreeable, Ari’s dream would come true. The zig-zag on my seams tightened in hope.
Once Ari’s dream came true, I could work on her about Gerard. I had heard a few comments from Conner regarding Gerard and Ari. Maybe he thinks the two should be a couple also. If I were truly magical, maybe I could enlist his help.
Sun peeped through the slats of the blind. Conner hummed in the other room and still my bride softly snored from the bed. Last night, she’d toppled onto the bed after her alarm rang, and I swear she hadn’t moved since.
Worry puckered my trim, was she all right?
There was a soft knock on her bedroom door, I wasn’t sure I heard it until I heard Conner’s muffled question. “Hey Ari, I thought you wanted to be to work early.”
My bride bobbed up, like a bobbin on a sewing machine. Her gaze went first to the door as if she could see through to Conner, then to the clock.
“Damn!” She scrambled out from the tangle of covers and raced to the bathroom. “Thanks Conner I owe you, again.”
I could hear his chuckle fade as he walked away. He was turning out to be a good friend to my bride. I was a bit ashamed of my earlier thoughts of him.
Since Ari had discovered his secret about boys, which I’m still confused on, he has been more serious. As if he’d grown up, or realized his boyish act wasn’t needed any more.
“Bella, wish me luck.”
Startled, I hadn’t heard Ari enter the room. I’d never seen her look so, I’m not sure of the word. My bride didn’t look her carefree self. She didn’t have her bright boots, or flowing rainbow colored clothes. She was in a somber grey suit, her skirt just above her knees. Her shoes looked like something my Cecie would have worn.
If I could have spoken, I would have told her I thought she looked wonderful if a bit boring. I understood that humans dressed for occasions. Her attire must be what she felt would help pattern her case for her designs.
I thought she should wear something she’d designed herself. After all, wouldn’t that make more of an impression?
Ari stopped at the door, looked over her shoulder at me in question. Had she felt my thoughts?
I concentrated as hard as I was able and sent them her way. Her hand dropped from the knob and returned to her closet. On the way she sent me another confused look.
Pink was about all I could see on the hanger. Once she stripped her formal grey suit off and replaced it, I sucked in my bodice.
One creamy shoulder bare, pink tulle draped her body tied in a knot over her other shoulder. It gathered under her breast, then dropped smoothly to flirt around her knees. After kicking off her heels, she slipped on some toeless matching sling backs. Anyway, that’s what Cecie had called those type of shoes.
Much better, I let my beads rattle in approval.
The smile Ari gave me was one of agreement.
Chapter Twenty-two
Ari held her breath and closed her eyes, then turned around. When her eyes opened, she saw her reflection. The dress had been for her cousin’s wedding. She’d designed it herself.
Glancing over her shoulder at Bella, she was somehow positive the dress had given her the idea to wear this. It was perfect.
The next problem, how would it look after a brief ride through Manhattan on the Love Machine? Dropping her bag on the bed, she went to her nightstand to ruffle through for a subway map. When was the last time she’d taken the train?
“Aw, here it is. Let’s see…” The 6 line would be perfect. “Okay now I’m really off Bella, keep sending me your magical thoughts.”
As she stepped off the train, she glanced at her wrist and groaned. Damn, she hadn’t worn her watch because it wouldn’t go with her dress. Not that it mattered. She couldn’t walk any faster in her heels anyway.