Part 7 (1/2)
”Yes. It's perfect.”
”May I see?” Before she could say anything, Olivia came in.
” You need to have it,” Olivia decreed. ”It makes your gray eyes look stormy and mysterious. I'll let you get dressed.”
Overwhelmed, Lainie reluctantly stripped out of the bra and put her own staid clothes back on.
Olivia was waiting for her outside. ”You need to have it. I'll give you thirty percent off the price.”
There was something in her tone that made Lainie aware the shopkeeper was interested in more than just a sale. She looked into her dark gaze. The eye color was different, but Lainie bet Olivia could see into a person as clearly as Everett could.
”I'll take it,” she said finally. ”But I'll pay full price.” It wasn't like she couldn't afford it. Being the executive a.s.sistant for the most powerful producer in Hollywood was demanding, but she was well compensated.
As Olivia rang her up, Lainie said, ”You have a lovely store.”
Olivia smiled. ”Thank you.”
Handing over her credit card, she cleared her throat. ”Um, your mother must be so proud of you.”
She regretted the question as she watched Olivia's smile fade.
”My mother died when I was five, but I'm sure she would have been proud,” Everett's daughter said, subdued.
”I'm sorry to hear about your mother.”
”It was a long time ago. This is the first time you've shopped at Romantic Notions. How did you hear about us?”
”I overheard my boss mention your store.”
”Does your boss shop here?”
”Well... No.” She winced. ”To be honest, I work for Parker Pictures. I'm Everett Parker's a.s.sistant.”
Olivia's lips thinned and her warm eyes went stone cold. ”Did he send you here to check out the store?”
”No. No, of course not.” She'd suspected things weren't right between Everett and his daughter, but not this bad. ”It was all me. I was curious. I'll be staying at your house for the next few weeks and I didn't know what you'd think, and-”
Olivia interrupted her. ”It's okay.”
”Is it?”
”Yes.” Holding out her hand, she said, ”I'm Olivia.”
She shook Olivia's hand. ”Lainie Adams.” She blinked in surprise. She'd never introduced herself as Lainie before. She only called herself that in private.
Olivia handed her a fancy little bag. ”I hope you enjoy this.”
”Thank you.” Lainie smiled and turned to leave.
Olivia stopped her. ”Wait a minute.”
Puzzled, Lainie watched Olivia stride to a table. It looked like she was searching for something. With a faint ”Ah ha” the young woman came back, a gray sc.r.a.p of cloth in her hand.
”For you.” Olivia held up matching panties and stuffed them in the goodie bag.
”Oh, but I couldn't-”
”Please. I want to.”
Lainie stared at the bag in her hand. When was the last time she'd been given a gift just because? Never.
Confused, she muttered ”thank you,” and left.
Still dwelling on Everett's daughter, she didn't realize the time until she got back to her car. She was late for a meeting with Everett and Michael.
Pus.h.i.+ng aside thoughts of Olivia, she focused on navigating the unfamiliar streets. Meetings between Parker and Michael never went smoothly. They were both too used to getting their own way.
There was no sign of Michael's car when she arrived at Pembroke Farms. Sighing in relief, she hurried into the house. She'd have a chance to compose herself before the meeting.
She opened the front door. It was apparently never locked, which was strange to her, having lived in Los Angeles all her life.
”You're late.”
The bland p.r.o.nouncement stopped her in her tracks. She turned around and saw Everett leaning in the doorway to the living room.
He wasn't very tall, maybe six feet, but he had a powerful body, lean and muscular, and the custom-made suits he wore were tailored to fit perfectly.
She wanted to curse the blush she felt climbing up her chest to her face. She licked her lips. ”I had to go into San Francisco.”
His gaze rested on the tiny burgundy bag dangling from her fingers. ”You went to Romantic Notions?”
”Yes.” She swallowed, wondering how he was going to react.
He stared at the bag like he was trying to see through it to the contents inside. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had X-ray vision.
Lainie straightened her spine and slipped into the cool, efficient persona she adopted for work. ”The store is absolutely lovely. Your daughter is the owner, isn't she? She's wonderful and, from all appearances, quite successful. You must be proud of her. Now, if you'll excuse me.” Without giving him a chance to say a word, she turned on her heels and headed up the staircase to her room.
Once she was safely inside, she set the bag on her dresser and took a deep breath, fanning herself. It was becoming more and more difficult maintaining her cool facade in front of him.
It was quite embarra.s.sing actually. She was a forty-seven year old woman, not a nave girl with a crush.
Calling this a crush was like calling a tsunami a ripple. She'd never felt this way for anyone before. She wasn't sure how it'd happened. If she had to pinpoint a defining moment, it might have been between the second and third year she worked for him, the day she found the pictures hidden in his desk.
She hadn't been sure who they were, but the fact that they were there, in an office otherwise devoid of personal effects, showed how much they meant to him. It also showed the loneliness he hid beneath his powerful exterior.
The same loneliness she hid inside.