“Honey, if he had no attraction for you there wouldn’t be a reason for him to stay away from this home-cooked delight. He’s a bachelor, believe me he’d be here if it weren’t for you.”
Over the rest of the meal, she thought about what Conner said, and her heart did a little jig hoping he was right. Then her mind told her to forget about it and focus on her new venture.
“Go watch the tube,” she told Conner. “I’ll clean up dinner. Then I have to finish up the proposal.”
*****
Friday dawned bright and nerves settled in Ari’s tummy as she attached her bag to the Love Machine. D-day. Design day. Very appropriate because it was the day she found out if her designs would come to fruition.
She’d set her alarm early to be at Classic Manhattan in time to set up her proposal and rehearse one last time. She chuckled as she gunned the gas on the little scooter. Bella had shimmered in delight when she’d gone over it the evening before—or so she’d like to think.
Ari felt confident. For once, she wasn’t worried. Gertrude would agree with everything and take it to the bank. The wind carried her second chuckle away as she sped to work.
Darlene glanced up for her worktable. “You’re early. What’s up?”
“It’s Friday.”
“Oh right. What time do you meet with Gertrude?”
Ari glanced at the wall clock time was ticking away. “In about thirty minutes. Then she has a meeting with her banker at noon.”
“I know she’ll love your proposal. She loved your idea.” Darlene took her gloves off and straightened. “You’re not nervous are you?”
“No. I thought I’d be a babbling idiot this morning. But I know what I have is right on. I’ll let you get back to your flowers. The wedding tomorrow is going to be awesome.” Ari looked at the arrangement of black and white roses. “I thought the bride was out of her mind when she told you what she wanted. But man, you are a wizard with whatever they throw at you.”
“Ari, when you’re doing your designs, Classic Manhattan will rival the big salons in the city. I hope I can keep up.”
Ari grinned. “A force to be reckoned with, that’s what we’ll be. Our Classic team will put everyone out of business.”
She could hear Darlene’s laughter as it followed to her office. Spreading the proposal over her desk, she read it one more time.
“Right on time.” Gertrude glanced up at her knock on the frame since the door was opened. “I’ll be with you in a moment, have a seat.”
Ari waited for the nerves to start. Her tummy didn’t flip, nor did her hands shake. Her pitch was solid. She’d dressed in the suit she’d planned to wear last Monday. She looked her best.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” Ari said. Proud of her confident tone, she was a successful business woman. The next 30 minutes would prove that to her boss.
“I realize this is a large undertaking on Classic Manhattan’s part. It will take a leap of faith. But I know I can deliver. I think the first step is a bridal fair, let people of the city,
see
what we have to offer.”
Gertrude didn’t say anything, she held out her hand. Ari gulped in air, she’d assumed she’d be telling her boss everything. For the first time a rattle of nervousness ran over her. Had she dotted all the I’s and crossed all her T’s?
Ari swore the tick of the clock echoed like a sonic blast with each second. The older woman’s brow knitted in concentration and not a flicker of expression, good or bad, crossed her face.
Ari wiped her sweaty palms down her skirt, swallowed and waited. It had only been five minutes, yet seemed an eternity. Gertrude was still reading though, that must be good. Right?
“This is excellent.” Ari startled to attention when Gertrude’s voice intruded the silence. “You’ve covered everything from the cost of equipment to a part-time helper, to full time down the road. Good job. I won’t need to prepare anything for my appointment with the bank.”
“I’m glad you like it. Once you go to the bank, how long will it be before you know if they approve of the loan?”
“Since this isn’t a personal loan, and it does involve renovations to our business, I’m requesting a substantial amount. It will take a few days to a week for review. My advisor will look it over, make sure he doesn’t need any other information. They have a board meeting every Friday afternoon. If all is in order he’ll present it today.”
Excitement tickled Ari’s scalp. “Sounds good. Would you keep me posted on the progress?”
She stood, reached a hand out to shake her boss’s hand, very professional. Gertrude raised a surprised brow, but her grip was firm when they shook on the deal.
With her spine ramrod straight, she waited until she was down the hall a bit, then she danced the rest of the way to Darlene’s office. Her friend glanced up when she entered, a grin spread over her face. She opened her arms and walked around the worktable. Ari didn’t hesitate, she walked into them.
“I did it. She loved it.”
Dear Diary;
Unexpected ally
My satin lining molded to the dress dummy in excitement. My bride laid across her bed, a grin stretched across her face. Humming a tune I’d heard often on that iPod gadget when she dances.
She hasn’t told me anything, but I know the project she’d been working on must have gone well. Heidi always had the same expression when she’d finished one of her girls.
“Hey Ari,” Conner said. He walked in and flopped across the bed next to her, the opposite direction. “Do I need to even ask how things went to day?”
“Great.”
His chuckle warmed my beads. Too bad he wasn’t the one for my Ari. I’ve grown fond of him.
“Now if only we could get Gerard to drop by.”
Ari’s head rolled toward Conner’s knees, she had to look down the length him. “What for? I have too much going on for a relationship.”
Again his chuckled rattled around the room. “For not being interested, you sure have a one track mind. I was referring to the program you wanted him to design.”
My hem crinkled in delight. She was smitten with her mate, now I just needed to figure a way to get them together.
“Oh.” Ari returned her attention to studying the ceiling. Her grin still in place. “It would be nice if he would listen. Think how great it would be if a couple came in and could see a mock wedding with everything they wanted. If it didn’t work, they could change whatever they wanted. Their day would be that much more perfect.”
“So why don’t you find someone else?”
“I don’t know anyone else or have any idea how to look for someone.”
Conner tilted his head to look at me. “Bella, what do you think she should do?”
With all my might, I willed my beads to shimmer, my lace to ripple. I knew I’d succeeded when I heard him gasp.
“Ari, I think Bella just answered me.”
Ari rolled her head to the side giving her a full view of me. “Oh really, okay Bella what should I do?”
Shimmering, shaking and wrinkling my satin and lace wouldn’t answer what I wanted. This time I concentrated and the mannequin wobbled slightly.
Ari’s eyes widened. “I knew you were magic. Conner what do you think she’s trying to tell me?”
“You and Gerard are meant for each other.”
Ari giggled. “Right.”
This time I managed to quiver, sparkle and crinkle my satin at once.
Conner vaulted to a sitting position. “Holy shit, did you see that? She agrees with me.”
Ari scrambled to her feet and ran to the window. “It’s shut.” She turned to me.
I warily watched her take a careful step away from me. Sorrow constricted my lace. That was the last thing I wanted, for her to be frightened of me.
Conner came to me then and touched me reverently, then he slipped an arm around the shoulders of my bolero. “Ari, I saw Heidi on the Today show a few months ago.”
My bride gazed at him in question. “I saw it too.”
“Heidi designs her dresses as you do. You give them a classic love story. She gives them a name and personality. But the point is she swears her gowns are magic when they find their soul mate.”
“Do you think my dresses will be also?” She looked so hopeful.
He patted my shoulder, then pulled Ari to sit on the edge of the bed. His arm went around her as it had been around me only moments before. “Ari dear, you’re missing my point.”
“And that is?”
“Bella is your soul mate.”
“I’m not getting married. I don’t even have a boyfriend.”
“Do you know what ‘Arabella’ means?” Conner let his cheek rest on the top of Ari’s gold head.
Her shoulder lifted but she didn’t answer. I was impressed with Conner. He understood.
“It means ‘answered prayer’. I believe you are Bella’s answered prayer. The girl who left her at Classic Manhattan wasn’t her soul mate. But you are.”
Chapter Twenty-four
A week later, Ari parked her Love Machine in the alley behind Classic Manhattan. She pulled off her helmet as she walked into the building. She should be excited about the news from the bank, but all she could think of was Conner’s words that day in her room.
How could she be a dress’s soul mate? It didn’t seem possible. However, she’d watched the same TV program. Heidi claimed all of her bridal gowns had a soul mate and when they found each other there would be a happily ever after for the bride and groom.
There was one major thing wrong with that theory. She didn’t have a groom.
An image of Gerard, his curly hair mussed, his unrepentant grin warming her heart, fluttered through her mind. She hadn’t seen him since the night he’d turned down dinner.
“Whoa!” Darlene stopped her a moment before they collided in the middle of the hall. “Where in the heck are you? Obviously not watching where you’re going.”
Ari focused on her friend. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
“Not very good thoughts by the look on your face.”
“Just thinking about the bank decision. We should know today.”
“I thought you were confident it would go through.” Darlene narrowed her eyes, and cocked her head to the side. “There’s something else.”
“There you are.” Gertrude successfully saved Ari from having to answer Darlene. “The bank just called, would you like to go with me?”
“Me?” Ari cringed at the squeaky quality in her reply. She’d been so professional the other day.
“Who do you think I mean? If you want to come, let’s go.” Gertrude didn’t wait to see if she followed.
Ari waved at Darlene, turned to follow her boss. “I’ll come.”
The bank was a short walk down the block from the salon, Gertrude and Ari covered the distance in silence. The older woman kept a brisk pace. Ari kept up, though. She wasn’t about to miss this once-in-a-life-time opportunity.
Today, it would be official. She’d be invested in the company with her designs.
That’s if the bank said yes.
Two hours later, Ari ran through the front doors of Classic Manhattan nearly bowled over the couple in the foyer in her haste to find Darlene.