sketchbook in front of her. Five outfits down. Five to go. She had to have ten looks. Her original collection had three pairs of pants, three casual dresses, three skirts and one formal dress. Except for the dresses, of course, each bottom needed a top. The original collection also had a casual tweed jacket, a long, soft suede coat, and a wrap to go with the formal dress.
She worked until the light outside was dim and her hand was stiff from holding onto her pencils. But she was satisfied with what she had. All clothing she would’ve loved to wear growing up, stylish, fun, and classic, yet with an edgy style. She still had three looks to go, the formal dress and wrap, a skirt and the short jacket.
But tonight, she had a date. And she really wanted to get back to Gwen’s place to change and let her sister know she was still alive and well.
Gwen and Autumn were busy in the kitchen getting dinner put together. Autumn carefully placed rolls on a cookie sheet while Gwen stirred a pot of spaghetti sauce.
Nell kissed the top of Autumn’s head then glanced into the pot of sauce. “Can I help with anything?”
“Hey, I was wondering if you were going to put in an appearance. How did it go?”
“Crazy. My hand hurts like he—um, heck. I’ve got most of the preliminary sketches done, and that’s more than I thought I’d finish. Of course, this means completely rethinking my spring collection since I ‘borrowed’ from it. Tomorrow the real, ah, heck begins. I figured it would just be easier to stay over at Mom’s house. I’ll need Jill to stay there, and I’d rather be close to my work.”
“You don’t think Javier would try anything else, would he?”
Nell shook her head. Thinking about Javier made her brain ache. “I doubt it. If he tries to get into my studio, he’s going to find nothing but dust bunnies and a few snips of thread. He’s gotten all he’s going to get from me.”
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“Nope. I’m torn. I’d love to rip him a new one, make him understand how angry I am, but on the other hand, wouldn’t it be sweet for him to see my show forge ahead, despite him? That would be such beautiful revenge. I’ll think on it tonight and make my decision in the morning.”
Nell set the table as she talked, then showed Autumn how to fold the napkins to make them look like boats.
“I’m going out with Eli tonight,” she casually mentioned.
Gwen turned away from the stove, a fistful of spaghetti poised over the pot of boiling water. “Again? Wow. Three nights, three dates. Do you really like him that much? I mean, sex notwithstanding.”
Nell cupped her hands over Autumn’s ears. The little girl tried to duck away. “Shh. No ‘S’ word in front of the little one.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “Fine. ‘Playtime’ notwithstanding, do you really like him?”
“Yes, actually I do. Shock of shocks. I’ve no evil plans for him. We’re having a good time, and the ‘playtime’ was incredible.” Nell drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling how Eli made her feel.
When she looked at Gwen, she laughed. “Stop blushing, you brought it up, and I enjoy his company. I think he enjoys mine. We’re going to shoot some pool and have a drink or two. I doubt there’ll be any ‘playtime’ involved. I’ve got too much about to be heaped on my plate to get in that kind of mood.”
“But you like him?”
“Yes, yes . I like him.”
“And are you going to tell him your real name?”
“Hardly. How can I do that? We both agreed there won’t be anything serious between us. As soon as I can, I’m heading back to New York. He’ll get over me. I’ll get over him. Life as we know it will return to normal.”
Gwen frowned at her for a long moment, as if trying to get inside Nell’s head. Then she turned back to the stove, broke the bunch of dried spaghetti in half and dropped it into the bubbling water.
“What?” Nell noted the tension in her sister’s back as
She worked until the light outside was dim and her hand was stiff from holding onto her pencils. But she was satisfied with what she had. All clothing she would’ve loved to wear growing up, stylish, fun, and classic, yet with an edgy style. She still had three looks to go, the formal dress and wrap, a skirt and the short jacket.
But tonight, she had a date. And she really wanted to get back to Gwen’s place to change and let her sister know she was still alive and well.
Gwen and Autumn were busy in the kitchen getting dinner put together. Autumn carefully placed rolls on a cookie sheet while Gwen stirred a pot of spaghetti sauce.
Nell kissed the top of Autumn’s head then glanced into the pot of sauce. “Can I help with anything?”
“Hey, I was wondering if you were going to put in an appearance. How did it go?”
“Crazy. My hand hurts like he—um, heck. I’ve got most of the preliminary sketches done, and that’s more than I thought I’d finish. Of course, this means completely rethinking my spring collection since I ‘borrowed’ from it. Tomorrow the real, ah, heck begins. I figured it would just be easier to stay over at Mom’s house. I’ll need Jill to stay there, and I’d rather be close to my work.”
“You don’t think Javier would try anything else, would he?”
Nell shook her head. Thinking about Javier made her brain ache. “I doubt it. If he tries to get into my studio, he’s going to find nothing but dust bunnies and a few snips of thread. He’s gotten all he’s going to get from me.”
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“Nope. I’m torn. I’d love to rip him a new one, make him understand how angry I am, but on the other hand, wouldn’t it be sweet for him to see my show forge ahead, despite him? That would be such beautiful revenge. I’ll think on it tonight and make my decision in the morning.”
Nell set the table as she talked, then showed Autumn how to fold the napkins to make them look like boats.
“I’m going out with Eli tonight,” she casually mentioned.
Gwen turned away from the stove, a fistful of spaghetti poised over the pot of boiling water. “Again? Wow. Three nights, three dates. Do you really like him that much? I mean, sex notwithstanding.”
Nell cupped her hands over Autumn’s ears. The little girl tried to duck away. “Shh. No ‘S’ word in front of the little one.”
Gwen rolled her eyes. “Fine. ‘Playtime’ notwithstanding, do you really like him?”
“Yes, actually I do. Shock of shocks. I’ve no evil plans for him. We’re having a good time, and the ‘playtime’ was incredible.” Nell drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling how Eli made her feel.
When she looked at Gwen, she laughed. “Stop blushing, you brought it up, and I enjoy his company. I think he enjoys mine. We’re going to shoot some pool and have a drink or two. I doubt there’ll be any ‘playtime’ involved. I’ve got too much about to be heaped on my plate to get in that kind of mood.”
“But you like him?”
“Yes, yes . I like him.”
“And are you going to tell him your real name?”
“Hardly. How can I do that? We both agreed there won’t be anything serious between us. As soon as I can, I’m heading back to New York. He’ll get over me. I’ll get over him. Life as we know it will return to normal.”
Gwen frowned at her for a long moment, as if trying to get inside Nell’s head. Then she turned back to the stove, broke the bunch of dried spaghetti in half and dropped it into the bubbling water.
“What?” Nell noted the tension in her sister’s back as
Similar Books
