and nothing was
settled yet with regard to the adverts themselves. The Bellechier stylist had
e-mailed him to get his clothing and shoe sizes, so there was nothing she could
use as an excuse to make contact.
Damn.
She was behaving like a teenager, wishing and projecting like
this. Realistically she knew that Ross hadn’t given her—Ally Jones, not the
campaign—another thought since she’d left RBM in that taxi; why should he? He
had a busy life that she wasn’t a part of.
Ally cursed softly at the knock on her door and, seeing Sabine
behind the glass panel next to the door, nodded for her to come in. She stood up
and met her foster mother as she entered the room, kissing her on both cheeks
and accepting a quick hug.
Sabine sat down and crossed her still lovely legs. ‘I came to
see if I can take you to lunch.’
Ally gestured to the piles of paper on her desk. ‘I’d love to
but I have so much to do.’
‘You always do.’ Sabine cocked her head. ‘How are the
arrangements coming along for the campaign?’
Ally wrinkled her nose. ‘Fine. The ad company sent through
their storyboards earlier and they are wonderful. Ross will be... is ...utterly perfect... I mean they’ve done a good
job.’
‘“Utterly perfect”? That’s an interesting choice of words.’
Sabine’s lips twitched.
Ally lifted her head at another knock on her door and her
assistant shoved her head inside.
‘Hey, Francine. What’s up?’ she asked in French.
‘I have something for you.’
Ally gasped as she saw the huge bouquet of purple and blue
flowers in Francine’s arms.
Francine tottered over to her desk and handed her the card.
‘Afrique du Sud.’
Ally resisted the urge to rip open the envelope, her heart
thumping. There was only one person she knew in South Africa... Wow, this was
better than any e-mail.
Sabine peered at the blooms as Ally took the bouquet from
Francine, reverently touching the petals as if she’d never seen flowers
before.
‘Do you know what flowers they are?’ she asked Sabine.
Sabine nodded and pointed. ‘Blue orchids, anemones, hydrangeas,
sweet peas, delphinium and Bachelor’s Button. Dear Lord, it is beautiful. From
whom, ma petite ?’
Ally placed the card on the desk and handed the flowers back to
Francine. ‘Can you find a vase for me and bring them back?’
‘Sure.’ Francine took the bunch and hopped from foot to foot,
hoping to hear the answer to Sabine’s question.
Ally knew that if she exhibited the smallest bit of curiosity
Francine would pepper her with questions. Her assistant had no concept of
boundaries and tact. Then again, neither did Sabine.
‘Thanks, Francine,’ Ally told her assistant, and grinned at her
obvious frustration.
Sabine just crossed her legs and looked inquisitive. Ally
wouldn’t be able to dismiss her as easily.
She sighed, knowing that Sabine would out-stubborn her. ‘They
are from Ross.’
‘Ah...that’s quite a gesture from someone you’ve just met.’
‘I... He’s...’ Ally bit the inside of her lip and stared at her
desk. She wished she was one of those women who could just open up, spill what
she was thinking. She knew that Sabine wished she was too.
‘Talk to me, darling. Please.’
Okay, maybe she could try. Just this once...
She presumed that Sabine knew that she wasn’t a virgin,
although she’d never brought a man home. Around the time that she’d felt she could take one home, they had all—to a
man—dumped her because they were tired of playing second fiddle to her work.
Ally licked her lips. ‘We had a very hot encounter...’
Sabine’s thin eyebrows lifted. ‘Sex?’
‘No, just a hot kiss.’ Well, that wasn’t quite all, but she
wasn’t telling her that.
Sabine pouted in disappointment. ‘ Pfft! You need sex, not a kiss...’
‘Tante Sabine!’
Although, honestly, she couldn’t disagree. She did need sex—now more than ever. A toy would never cut
it now.
‘Alyssa!’ Sabine retorted. ‘You need
settled yet with regard to the adverts themselves. The Bellechier stylist had
e-mailed him to get his clothing and shoe sizes, so there was nothing she could
use as an excuse to make contact.
Damn.
She was behaving like a teenager, wishing and projecting like
this. Realistically she knew that Ross hadn’t given her—Ally Jones, not the
campaign—another thought since she’d left RBM in that taxi; why should he? He
had a busy life that she wasn’t a part of.
Ally cursed softly at the knock on her door and, seeing Sabine
behind the glass panel next to the door, nodded for her to come in. She stood up
and met her foster mother as she entered the room, kissing her on both cheeks
and accepting a quick hug.
Sabine sat down and crossed her still lovely legs. ‘I came to
see if I can take you to lunch.’
Ally gestured to the piles of paper on her desk. ‘I’d love to
but I have so much to do.’
‘You always do.’ Sabine cocked her head. ‘How are the
arrangements coming along for the campaign?’
Ally wrinkled her nose. ‘Fine. The ad company sent through
their storyboards earlier and they are wonderful. Ross will be... is ...utterly perfect... I mean they’ve done a good
job.’
‘“Utterly perfect”? That’s an interesting choice of words.’
Sabine’s lips twitched.
Ally lifted her head at another knock on her door and her
assistant shoved her head inside.
‘Hey, Francine. What’s up?’ she asked in French.
‘I have something for you.’
Ally gasped as she saw the huge bouquet of purple and blue
flowers in Francine’s arms.
Francine tottered over to her desk and handed her the card.
‘Afrique du Sud.’
Ally resisted the urge to rip open the envelope, her heart
thumping. There was only one person she knew in South Africa... Wow, this was
better than any e-mail.
Sabine peered at the blooms as Ally took the bouquet from
Francine, reverently touching the petals as if she’d never seen flowers
before.
‘Do you know what flowers they are?’ she asked Sabine.
Sabine nodded and pointed. ‘Blue orchids, anemones, hydrangeas,
sweet peas, delphinium and Bachelor’s Button. Dear Lord, it is beautiful. From
whom, ma petite ?’
Ally placed the card on the desk and handed the flowers back to
Francine. ‘Can you find a vase for me and bring them back?’
‘Sure.’ Francine took the bunch and hopped from foot to foot,
hoping to hear the answer to Sabine’s question.
Ally knew that if she exhibited the smallest bit of curiosity
Francine would pepper her with questions. Her assistant had no concept of
boundaries and tact. Then again, neither did Sabine.
‘Thanks, Francine,’ Ally told her assistant, and grinned at her
obvious frustration.
Sabine just crossed her legs and looked inquisitive. Ally
wouldn’t be able to dismiss her as easily.
She sighed, knowing that Sabine would out-stubborn her. ‘They
are from Ross.’
‘Ah...that’s quite a gesture from someone you’ve just met.’
‘I... He’s...’ Ally bit the inside of her lip and stared at her
desk. She wished she was one of those women who could just open up, spill what
she was thinking. She knew that Sabine wished she was too.
‘Talk to me, darling. Please.’
Okay, maybe she could try. Just this once...
She presumed that Sabine knew that she wasn’t a virgin,
although she’d never brought a man home. Around the time that she’d felt she could take one home, they had all—to a
man—dumped her because they were tired of playing second fiddle to her work.
Ally licked her lips. ‘We had a very hot encounter...’
Sabine’s thin eyebrows lifted. ‘Sex?’
‘No, just a hot kiss.’ Well, that wasn’t quite all, but she
wasn’t telling her that.
Sabine pouted in disappointment. ‘ Pfft! You need sex, not a kiss...’
‘Tante Sabine!’
Although, honestly, she couldn’t disagree. She did need sex—now more than ever. A toy would never cut
it now.
‘Alyssa!’ Sabine retorted. ‘You need
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