“I’ve read about what you’ve been through, Kate. All of Manhattan has. And I’m terribly sorry about all of
it. I can’t even imagine what
you’ve been through since your husband passed. But, if you’re going to attend your
first major social event tomorrow night and if this is under my watch, then
you’ll have nothing but the best from me, because you deserve it. I’ve also read about you ,
you know? And the remarkable work you’ve
done though the Red Cross and the Stone Foundation. Your efforts have changed many
lives. So allow me to change yours,
even if it is for only one evening.”
“See?” Jennifer said.
“See what?” Blackwell asked as she removed
her cell from her Birkin.
“I told Kate that you were wonderful.”
“Oh, bullshit on that. People fear me—as well they
should. I can be a goddamned horror
show. But not today. Now shush while I text Bernie. Just look at Kate’s hair, for God’s
sake. This has just become a
full-on emergency, so let me lock it down.”
* * *
When we arrived at Bergdorf, I watched
Blackwell click on her phone and send out what appeared to be a text.
“Chloe is my go-to,” she said. “Even though she’s disappointed me in
the past, at her core, she’s Bergdorf at its best. With her help and my guidance, we’ll
find something perfectly suitable for you to wear tomorrow night. By the way, what size are you?”
“Let’s just say that I’m not as thin as I
was when I was with Michael.”
“You have a lovely figure. I’m guessing a four?”
“Around there.”
“Your breasts are full.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Real or fake?”
“Real!”
“Well, good for you. And you’re reasonably tall,” Blackwell
said. “Five-seven?”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I watched you as you walked toward the car,
and I have a trained eye. With
heels, you’ll be five-ten, which is rather tall. Are you attending this event with
someone? If you are, how tall is
he?”
“I am. He’s six-four.”
“Perfect.”
“Whom are you going with?” Jennifer
asked. “You said he was a friend.”
“It’s a bit more than that,” I said. “And beyond complicated.”
“I won’t press,” she said.
“Well, I will,” Blackwell said. “Who’s the lucky man?”
“My former high school sweetheart,” I
said. “For reasons I’d prefer not
to go into, he’s my date for tomorrow night.”
“And now I’m filled with questions,”
Jennifer said. “But until you’re
ready to tell me, I’ll respect your privacy.”
“I won’t,” Blackwell said. “What’s the deal? Has he turned out to be the one?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. He’s just helping me out with
something,” I said.
“‘Helping you out’?” Blackwell said as she
put her phone back into her Birkin. “Code for ‘starting over.’ And may it happen for you, Kate.”
“It’s not like that at all,” I said.
“You might believe that now, but tomorrow
night—when each of you are dressed to the nines and he sees you after
Bernie and I are through with you? Oh, that will change. Trust
me, darling. I mean, look what I
did with this one,” she said, hooking a thumb toward Jennifer. “I essentially sand-blasted her, put her
in haute couture, and before you knew it, she was married to Alex. So, you know, congratulations to you
that I’m here now, because I can sense love on the horizon. What does he do?”
And what am I to say to that…?
With Jennifer present, I could hardly lie
since she’d eventually find out anyway, so I just went with the truth. “He’s a private investigator,” I
said. “Former SEAL.”
“Former SEAL,” Jennifer said. “Like Tank, who’s driving us now. I bet he’s even dreamier than you
remember.”
“I’m not thinking of him that way.”
“The hell
it. I can’t even imagine what
you’ve been through since your husband passed. But, if you’re going to attend your
first major social event tomorrow night and if this is under my watch, then
you’ll have nothing but the best from me, because you deserve it. I’ve also read about you ,
you know? And the remarkable work you’ve
done though the Red Cross and the Stone Foundation. Your efforts have changed many
lives. So allow me to change yours,
even if it is for only one evening.”
“See?” Jennifer said.
“See what?” Blackwell asked as she removed
her cell from her Birkin.
“I told Kate that you were wonderful.”
“Oh, bullshit on that. People fear me—as well they
should. I can be a goddamned horror
show. But not today. Now shush while I text Bernie. Just look at Kate’s hair, for God’s
sake. This has just become a
full-on emergency, so let me lock it down.”
* * *
When we arrived at Bergdorf, I watched
Blackwell click on her phone and send out what appeared to be a text.
“Chloe is my go-to,” she said. “Even though she’s disappointed me in
the past, at her core, she’s Bergdorf at its best. With her help and my guidance, we’ll
find something perfectly suitable for you to wear tomorrow night. By the way, what size are you?”
“Let’s just say that I’m not as thin as I
was when I was with Michael.”
“You have a lovely figure. I’m guessing a four?”
“Around there.”
“Your breasts are full.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Real or fake?”
“Real!”
“Well, good for you. And you’re reasonably tall,” Blackwell
said. “Five-seven?”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“I watched you as you walked toward the car,
and I have a trained eye. With
heels, you’ll be five-ten, which is rather tall. Are you attending this event with
someone? If you are, how tall is
he?”
“I am. He’s six-four.”
“Perfect.”
“Whom are you going with?” Jennifer
asked. “You said he was a friend.”
“It’s a bit more than that,” I said. “And beyond complicated.”
“I won’t press,” she said.
“Well, I will,” Blackwell said. “Who’s the lucky man?”
“My former high school sweetheart,” I
said. “For reasons I’d prefer not
to go into, he’s my date for tomorrow night.”
“And now I’m filled with questions,”
Jennifer said. “But until you’re
ready to tell me, I’ll respect your privacy.”
“I won’t,” Blackwell said. “What’s the deal? Has he turned out to be the one?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. He’s just helping me out with
something,” I said.
“‘Helping you out’?” Blackwell said as she
put her phone back into her Birkin. “Code for ‘starting over.’ And may it happen for you, Kate.”
“It’s not like that at all,” I said.
“You might believe that now, but tomorrow
night—when each of you are dressed to the nines and he sees you after
Bernie and I are through with you? Oh, that will change. Trust
me, darling. I mean, look what I
did with this one,” she said, hooking a thumb toward Jennifer. “I essentially sand-blasted her, put her
in haute couture, and before you knew it, she was married to Alex. So, you know, congratulations to you
that I’m here now, because I can sense love on the horizon. What does he do?”
And what am I to say to that…?
With Jennifer present, I could hardly lie
since she’d eventually find out anyway, so I just went with the truth. “He’s a private investigator,” I
said. “Former SEAL.”
“Former SEAL,” Jennifer said. “Like Tank, who’s driving us now. I bet he’s even dreamier than you
remember.”
“I’m not thinking of him that way.”
“The hell
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