“There haven’t been any warning signs?” Lola asked. “You haven’t gotten the sense that he’s reeling you in before the fall?”
“No way.” Serafina looked at Lola as though she had lost her marbles. “Trust me, after this many years in the business, I have an unerring radar for people who are out to rip me off. Even now, the way he recruited you to step in to help in a moment of crisis shows that Duncan is truly one of a kind.”
“What do you know about his past?”
The other woman cocked her head. “After working so well with him for the past few years, I’d say I’m beyond the point of needing to question it.” With that, Serafina unzipped a black garment bag.
Lola’s mouth fell open when she saw the dress. “What a stunning wedding gown!” The classic silhouette with a fitted bodice and a full skirt looked like it had come straight out of a fairy tale. Yet it managed to look modern and edgy due to the beading, ragged edges, and asymmetrical hemline.
“Thank you.” Serafina beamed. “Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it’s my best work yet. I never planned to focus on wedding gowns, but when the idea for this dress popped into my head, I couldn’t deny it. It’s a bit of a change of pace for my business, but after discussing it with Duncan, we decided it was worth putting out there to see if any retailers bite.”
“They’re all going to bite.” Lola was absolutely certain of it. “In fact, I have a recently engaged sister who would look amazing in this. Would you mind if I took a picture and texted it to her?”
“Heck, I’m this close to giving you the dress out of gratitude. So yes, you can absolutely send your sister a picture.”
Lola snapped a couple of shots with her phone, then sent them to Cassie with a text. I might have found your wedding dress. Or at least your wedding dress designer. I’ll tell you more when I get back from Boston.
Within seconds, Cassie wrote back, That’s one of the most beautiful wedding dresses I’ve ever seen! And also, what are you doing looking at wedding dresses? I thought you were in Boston kicking some ex-boyfriend butt? You haven’t decided to walk down the aisle with him instead, have you?
Lola quickly replied, No time to talk now, but don’t worry, I’m not letting myself be sucked in. I’m just helping out a fellow designer in need.
She put her phone away, then stripped off her clothes so that she could put on the dress. After sharing a bedroom with her sisters since childhood, Lola wasn’t shy about undressing in front of a stranger.
“You really are stunning,” Serafina said as she took in Lola’s lush curves. “No wonder Duncan couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
Lola hated knowing a part of her still loved knowing Duncan found her attractive. “There’s nothing between us.”
Serafina gave her a look that clearly indicated she wasn’t buying it. Thankfully, she was far too focused on helping Lola into the dress to push it.
The exquisite gown was surprisingly light despite the beadwork and the many layers of fabric. Serafina efficiently pinned the bodice seams close to Lola’s frame, which was a bit smaller than Gail’s. Fortunately, Lola’s heels looked like they would work well with the dress.
Serafina’s walkie-talkie crackled just as she was finishing pinning the fabric, alerting her to an issue with the stage setup.
“If you could help me out of this,” Lola suggested, “I’ll start on these alterations. My degree is in textile design, but I spent a summer working in a Parisian couture house, so I promise my work will be up to par.”
For the second time that day, Lola got a hug from a woman she’d only just met. “Thank you!” Soon, Serafina had efficiently undone the row of buttons down the back of the dress, helped Lola out of it, and given her the fine needles and thread needed for the alterations.
As she began to sew with tiny, precise stitches, Lola was glad for the intent concentration this work required. It meant she couldn’t stew over Duncan. Even better, she could stay holed up in the back of the venue while Duncan was out networking on Serafina’s behalf.
Every time she heard footsteps or a man’s voice through the closed door, though, she thought it might be him. Every time it wasn’t, she was simultaneously relieved and disappointed.
Ugh. Anger had been better than this waffling. Anger was straightforward, with no shades of gray, no lingering emotions, no second-guessing.
Just as she was finishing the alterations, her mother’s ringtone sounded from her bag. “Hi, Mom, how are you? And how’s Moira doing?”
“Much better, thankfully. She’s starting to look and sound more like her old self.”
Though Lola was glad to hear it, she still couldn’t shake the guilt over the part she’d played in upsetting her friend. “I have some good news for her, but I’d like to give it to her in person. Is she planning on staying with you for a while longer?”
“Yes, I’ve convinced her to stay a few more days.”
“Excellent. I’m out of town right now, but I should be back no later than midday tomorrow to share the news with her.”
“Where are you? I heard you had a busy weekend with your siblings, but grew worried when I didn’t see you at the café today.”
“I’m in Boston.”
“Boston?” Her mother was clearly concerned as she asked, “Why?”
Beth could likely guess that Duncan was the reason. But Lola wasn’t ready to answer her questions. Not until she’d tamped down the rogue emotions that kept threatening to rise up and swamp her.
“I can’t talk, Mom.” It was true—Serafina had just walked in to look at the alterations. “But I promise I’ll call you back as soon as I know what time I’ll be over tomorrow to see Moira. Love you. Sorry to have to rush off the phone.”
Her mother hadn’t raised seven children successfully by being thrown by a child who hurried to get off the phone…even if she was hanging up to try to hide her broken heart. “It’s no problem, honey. Just be sure to let me know if you need anything between now and then.”
Fortunately, Serafina looked radiantly happy with Lola’s work. “You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a job as a seamstress, would you?”
Lola smiled. “I’m not, but thanks for your lovely compliment. And I’m happy to help with anything else in your collection that needs alterations.”
“All I need right now is to get you back into the dress. The show’s going to start soon, and you’ll be the final model to walk, right around the ten-minute mark.”
Serafina had just begun to button Lola back into the wedding gown when she got another urgent call on the walkie-talkie, letting her know the first model meant to go down the runway had snagged her dress.
“Go,” Lola urged her. “I’ll close the rest of these buttons.” If she strained her right arm and twisted her shoulder, she would hopefully be able to reach the buttons that ran along her spine.
She was trying to contort into a position even her super-bendy yoga teacher would find impossible when someone walked into the room. She instinctively knew who it was even before she heard his voice.
“I’ve been sent in to help you with some buttons.”