the report, the report I had spent hours
compiling. “I don’t need that,” he said. “I talked to our
attorneys, and they’re going to take care of everything. So, did
you get those flights set up for the models?”
The blood rushed my head and pounded in my face. I
wanted to scream. Was he kidding? Wolfe could pull some real crap.
But I was shocked by this.
“ Bobbie?” he asked impatiently. “Did
you take care of the flights, or not?”
“ Yes,” I replied sharply. “Not to
worry. It’s all handled.”
“ All right. So—anything else? No?
You know what to do then?”
“ Yes,” I said slowly. “Yes, I know
exactly what to do.”
Chapter 12
I smoothed the dress that hung from my closet door,
caressing the red lace embroidery from neckline to knee. I looked
into my mirror as I stood in my bra and underwear. I looked slender
and strong. As I traced a line with my finger along my collarbones,
over my ribs, down to my belly, I took two steps closer to the
mirror to look myself in the eye. I looked good, but I was missing
something, I thought, something that I not only wanted but that I
needed. Charlie? He could still agitate me, sure. But I was getting
over him. He haunted me less and less these days. I smoothed my
hair, noticing its lushness. I touched my lips, noticing their
plump kissability. I brushed my lashes, noticing their long
fluttering beauty. I had to admit—I was beautiful tonight.
“ Eye lash curler?” I heard the
voices from Ella and Ivy’s bathroom.
I stepped into their bathroom, wearing my silk robe.
The two of them stood inches away from the mirror, side by side, as
usual.
“ Hair spray?” Ella asked.
“ Right next to you,” Ivy responded,
curling her lashes.
“ Got it.”
“ My God,” I said to Ivy, “Your
lashes are so long. How do you get them to look like
that?”
“ Well, years of practice, I guess,
and my lashes are naturally long, so that helps,” she added
modestly.
All of a sudden there was a huge thud from the
ceiling, then another, and another. Ella and Ivy looked at each
other. “It’s Barbara,” said Ivy. “That’s her signal!” We all ran up
the stairs in our robes and bare feet.
“ Dollies, Meryl told me you’re all
going to a ball tonight.”
“ We are!”
“ No dates?” she asked.
We shook our heads.
“ Well good, more fun that way. Where
is Meryl?”
“ She’s meeting us there.”
“ Well, dollies, I called you up here
because I figured that since the temperature has dropped to record
lows for October, you’d be needing coats. Follow me!” She led us
into her opulent bedroom, towards the closet of folding mirrors.
When she flung open the doors, we gasped. The entire closet was
lined with rows of fur coats and vintage boxes filled with designer
hats, scarves, and gloves.
“ Take your pick,” she said, with a
flourish. “I truly would not buy a fur today, but I can’t bear to
get rid of the ones I have.”
The closet smelled of rich leather and expensive
perfume. Thrilled, we sifted through the coats and opened boxes.
Barbara reached for a chocolate colored mink, handing it to me with
a wink. It was beyond perfection. I slipped into it, the delicate
silk lining smooth against my sensitive skin. I hugged myself in
utter bliss, feeling as if I were engulfed in creamy dark
chocolate.
Ivy and Ella tried on white, brown, and black furs,
giggling and twirling in the mirrors. Finally, we each stood in our
coats, looking for Barbara’s approval. It was like playing dress-up
as kid, only this was real.
“ Are these the ones you like?” she
asked. “You’ve each got your favorite?”
“ Yes!” the three of us said in
unison.
“ Then keep them,” she said. “They’re
yours.”
“ No, Barbara,” Ella said.
“ We couldn’t,” I added.
“ I’m not getting any younger,
dollies, and I believe it’s quite apparent that I have more coats
than a department store, certainly more than I need. Please, my
gift
compiling. “I don’t need that,” he said. “I talked to our
attorneys, and they’re going to take care of everything. So, did
you get those flights set up for the models?”
The blood rushed my head and pounded in my face. I
wanted to scream. Was he kidding? Wolfe could pull some real crap.
But I was shocked by this.
“ Bobbie?” he asked impatiently. “Did
you take care of the flights, or not?”
“ Yes,” I replied sharply. “Not to
worry. It’s all handled.”
“ All right. So—anything else? No?
You know what to do then?”
“ Yes,” I said slowly. “Yes, I know
exactly what to do.”
Chapter 12
I smoothed the dress that hung from my closet door,
caressing the red lace embroidery from neckline to knee. I looked
into my mirror as I stood in my bra and underwear. I looked slender
and strong. As I traced a line with my finger along my collarbones,
over my ribs, down to my belly, I took two steps closer to the
mirror to look myself in the eye. I looked good, but I was missing
something, I thought, something that I not only wanted but that I
needed. Charlie? He could still agitate me, sure. But I was getting
over him. He haunted me less and less these days. I smoothed my
hair, noticing its lushness. I touched my lips, noticing their
plump kissability. I brushed my lashes, noticing their long
fluttering beauty. I had to admit—I was beautiful tonight.
“ Eye lash curler?” I heard the
voices from Ella and Ivy’s bathroom.
I stepped into their bathroom, wearing my silk robe.
The two of them stood inches away from the mirror, side by side, as
usual.
“ Hair spray?” Ella asked.
“ Right next to you,” Ivy responded,
curling her lashes.
“ Got it.”
“ My God,” I said to Ivy, “Your
lashes are so long. How do you get them to look like
that?”
“ Well, years of practice, I guess,
and my lashes are naturally long, so that helps,” she added
modestly.
All of a sudden there was a huge thud from the
ceiling, then another, and another. Ella and Ivy looked at each
other. “It’s Barbara,” said Ivy. “That’s her signal!” We all ran up
the stairs in our robes and bare feet.
“ Dollies, Meryl told me you’re all
going to a ball tonight.”
“ We are!”
“ No dates?” she asked.
We shook our heads.
“ Well good, more fun that way. Where
is Meryl?”
“ She’s meeting us there.”
“ Well, dollies, I called you up here
because I figured that since the temperature has dropped to record
lows for October, you’d be needing coats. Follow me!” She led us
into her opulent bedroom, towards the closet of folding mirrors.
When she flung open the doors, we gasped. The entire closet was
lined with rows of fur coats and vintage boxes filled with designer
hats, scarves, and gloves.
“ Take your pick,” she said, with a
flourish. “I truly would not buy a fur today, but I can’t bear to
get rid of the ones I have.”
The closet smelled of rich leather and expensive
perfume. Thrilled, we sifted through the coats and opened boxes.
Barbara reached for a chocolate colored mink, handing it to me with
a wink. It was beyond perfection. I slipped into it, the delicate
silk lining smooth against my sensitive skin. I hugged myself in
utter bliss, feeling as if I were engulfed in creamy dark
chocolate.
Ivy and Ella tried on white, brown, and black furs,
giggling and twirling in the mirrors. Finally, we each stood in our
coats, looking for Barbara’s approval. It was like playing dress-up
as kid, only this was real.
“ Are these the ones you like?” she
asked. “You’ve each got your favorite?”
“ Yes!” the three of us said in
unison.
“ Then keep them,” she said. “They’re
yours.”
“ No, Barbara,” Ella said.
“ We couldn’t,” I added.
“ I’m not getting any younger,
dollies, and I believe it’s quite apparent that I have more coats
than a department store, certainly more than I need. Please, my
gift
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