Stubborn Love - A Contemporary Romance: Falling for Him (Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Book 6) (3 page)

Clara waited anxiously in the line of other passengers to board the plane.
It’s happening! I’m heading to New York City!
Her disappointment at having her time with Nigel cut short couldn’t dampen her excitement. Going to New York was every designer’s dream, and she had a leg up on the rest of the competition. 

Sara Shaw, the mother-in-law of her roommate’s best friend Rachel had invited her to New York City!

She stowed her bag beneath the seat in front of her, squirming in the less-than-roomy seat to afford the other passenger seated in her row a few extra inches of space. She thought back to the day when Rachel had told her who her mother-in-law was and giggled. Her fellow passenger gave her a sidelong glance, but then turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

The stewardess stepped into the aisle for the safety spiel they gave each and every time a flight was preparing for takeoff. But Clara’s thoughts were back at that meeting between Rachel and her. She must have looked very dumb with her mouth open in awe.

And then she’d met Mrs. Shaw, also known as Mrs. Newsom. She was probably the
most
important person in the national fashion scene. Owner of one of the premier fashion magazines in the United States!

She, little non-important Clara, had met the very important Sara Newsom at Rachel’s wedding. She cringed as she remembered how worried and shy she’d been those first few minutes. And then, her nervousness was eased away by none other than the fashion icon herself. Sara had pulled her in for a hug, something even her best friends were hesitant to do at times, and she’d launched into a rave about Rachel’s wedding gown.
My masterpiece!
Clara had designed the perfect gown for Rachel together with the bridesmaid’s attire. It was her wedding present for the bride.

At Rachel’s insistence, Clara had brought her portfolio tucked away in her bag. When Sara complimented her on her designs and then asked if she could see some of her other work, she was in the lucky position to pull it out. She handed the portfolio to the woman who had it within her power to make or break a fashion career with trembling hands.

Sara confessed later that she’d been literally blown away and before the reception was over, had invited Clara to New York City, saying, “Such a talent cannot be allowed to waste away in Santa Clara. You must come to the City and shine!”

From that moment on, a few months ago, she had been walking on clouds. Smiling and grinning all day, to the extent that her regular clients at the department store, where she worked as a personal shopper, had asked if she was in love.

She had played her cards close to her chest, not wanting to give voice to her good fortune, lest it disappeared before she could make it a reality. With a silent smile, she’d skipped over the questions and raised eyebrows. No, the reason for her smile was even better than falling in love. She was on the way to fulfilling her biggest dream – becoming a fashion designer in New York City!

Before she knew it, the cabin lights dimmed and a voice over the speakers announced the imminent arrival.
Wow! I’m about to land in the city of my dreams!
She was so excited she literally vibrated in her seat with suppressed energy.

Her fellow passenger gave her another annoyed glance. Clara smiled sheepishly and murmured, “Sorry. I’m so excited to be here.”

The plane landed without incident, and several minutes later she emerged from the ramp and out into the spacious concourse of JFK Airport.
I’m here!
She followed along with the rest of the passengers, glancing around hoping to catch a glimpse on Nigel again. But she didn’t. He’d traveled in the first class section, which meant he’d exited the plane first and was probably already collecting his luggage from the luggage carousels.

She tried not to be disappointed; after all, he didn’t owe her anything. With the lateness of the flight, he probably hadn’t had time to wait for her. And why should he? He was a stranger, a gorgeous one, but still someone she didn’t know. She had no reason to be disappointed. No reason at all!

Clara had almost convinced herself of that truth by the time she collected her luggage, hailed a taxi and arrived at the small apartment a friend had subrented to her for a few weeks. She closed the door to the apartment, her eyes scanning the interior, when her phone vibrated. She dug it out, and her heart raced when she saw Nigel’s name pop up on the caller ID. He’d texted! He hadn’t forgotten her!

“
Dinner tomorrow?
” That simple message had her spinning around in circles like a teenage girl. The mere thought of him made her body shiver.
If thinking about him gives me goosebumps, what would happen if he touches me?
She wasn’t sure she even wanted to imagine the answer to that question. Sure, she’d had two or three boyfriends before, but this man, whom she didn’t even know had a bevy of butterflies taking up residence in her stomach, had her knees trembling, and her breath catching in her chest.

Clara remembered the way he’d been looking at her when she’d come out of the shower room in the airport. How their fingertips had touched as he’d handed her the complimentary glass of champagne.
It had been pure electricity!
Her whole body had trembled under his gaze.

They’d spent the entire waiting time talking and having a good time.  Never once had they run out of things to talk about, which in itself was unusual. She’d been disappointed when the receptionist had informed them the plane was ready to board. She could have easily spent the rest of the day and part of the night with Nigel in the lounge.
Submerging in those eyes!

Without taking any more time to second guess her actions, she texted him back, “Okay. Meet you at 7. Where?”

Her heart jumped when the reply came immediately back.
He must have been watching his phone, waiting for her reply!
That thought and images of his handsome face filled her with body with an exciting tingle as she readied herself for bed. She fell asleep, not dreaming about New York City for once, but dreaming about dark brown hair, emerald green eyes, and a mouth that put decadent ideas into her head.
Nigel
.

The next morning she woke and rushed to the window, looking out over the city in awe.
This place is huge!
She was still standing there when her cell phone rang. “Hello?” she answered it, without looking at the caller ID.

“Clara? This is Sara Shaw.”

“Oh, hi! How are you?”

“Great. How was your flight?”

Wonderful, I met this gorgeous man…
she stopped. Sara didn’t want to hear about the chance meeting she’d had with Nigel. She was here for business reasons. “It was ok. We had a delay, but apart from that I arrived fine.”

Sara chuckled and then invited her to brunch with her husband, Gordon, “I’ll send a car for you in an hour?”

“That’s fine. I’ll be ready.” Clara shook her head, when she put down the cell phone. Brunch? Sara was such a wonderful person.
I hope I don’t disappoint her!

A black town car was waiting for her at the curb an hour later, and she couldn’t contain her smile as the driver held the door for her.
God, this is the life!

Sara and her husband were waiting on her when the car pulled up in front of an upscale restaurant several minutes later. Once again, she found herself enveloped in a warm hug by Sara, and a warm handshake from her husband.
Were all New Yorkers this friendly?
She’d always heard the exact opposite, but either Sara was the oddity, or the rumors were wrong!

“Clara, I’m really looking forward to introducing you to some people in the fashion industry.”

She grinned, “I’m so excited!  I can’t thank you enough for inviting me out here.”

“Nonsense. You are very talented, and that’s the reason why I have arranged a meeting with the owner of a new label. The clothing line will be designed with the modern young woman in mind. Not the pencil-thin women on the magazines, but real women who have curves, enjoy to eat, and need serviceable clothing that looks like it came from a designer store. One of the key goals of the label is to give the women a stunning outfit, while at the same ensuring the clothing has the function that allows them to live their lives to the fullest.”

She was intrigued, “Awesome! This is exactly what I’m looking for in my clothing. And it’s almost impossible to find in the stores. That label will be a big hit with everyday women. What’s the name of the label?”

“Bella.”

“Bella? Sounds familiar.”

Sara added “That’s Beautiful in Italian.”

“I love the name!
And what a message to send to the women buyers. You don’t have to be pencil thin to be a true beauty.”

Sara nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“I’ve seen a few pieces come into the store where I work in Santa Clara. They were amazing. I even bought a skirt for myself. Just a bit edgy and avant-garde, with great new fabrics and designs characteristics. My customers loved them too.”

Sara nodded, “The line is just getting some attention on the West Coast, but if the East Coast numbers are anything to go by, the label will be big!” Sara raised her hands up for emphasis.

“The few Bella pieces my store ordered, were the hit with the young professional women. They sold out in a few days.”

Sara beamed, “The owner is a friend of mine. I loved the samples you had in your portfolio, and your ideas would fit right in there. And it just so happens that he accidentally mentioned a few weeks ago, that he’s looking for a junior designer.”

Clara’s heart started pounding.
Me, working for Bella? Wow!
She got so nervous, that she didn’t listen when Sara continued to explain a few more things and mentioned the owner’s name. 
Something Jacobs.
She ran the last name over and over in her head, trying to figure out if she’d heard of the man.
Jacobs. Not Marc Jacobs. Or was it?

Afraid she’d make a fool of herself asking Sara, she decided she would google the name and the label later when she got back to the apartment.

Gordon chose that moment to excuse himself, “Clara, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Turning to his wife, he kissed her on the cheek and then waved, “You two girls don’t get into too much trouble this afternoon.”

“Oh, we won’t.” Sara turned to her with a sad smile, “I wish I could take you sightseeing today, but I have to go into work this afternoon. We had a problem with one of the photo layouts and I have to approve the new pictures before it goes to print.”

Clara waved her concern away, “Oh, don’t feel like you have to babysit me. I have a list of sightseeing I want to do, and then I thought I’d take a walk down through the fashion district. You know, a fashion addict in New York.” When Clara spoke the word “sightseeing” she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.
Nigel. He’d given her so many sightseeing tips
.

Thankfully Sara didn’t notice, “I will let the driver know he’s at your disposal this afternoon. Have him give you his contact number and he will meet you wherever you end up when you’re ready to head home.”

“Thank you so much,” Clara told Sara, not feeling quite as uncomfortable when Sara hugged her this time.

She headed out, having the driver take her first to Central Park, and then to Time’s Square. Her last stop for the day was the fashion district. Several miles long of famous stores with large window displays like she’d never seen before.
New York is awesome!

Everywhere she went, she remembered Nigel’s words and try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking about him and their upcoming date. Humming a melody in her had and more dancing than walking, she even imagined Nigel as she surveyed the various mannequins in the store windows.

I wonder how he’d look in that?
The purple sateen suit was fitted and paired with a striped black and purple shirt, and a lavender plaid tie!
No, that’s not Nigel’s style.

She was ready to call the towncar driver when she raised her head and saw the sign for the
Bella
flagship store; right there on 5
th
Avenue.
I should go in and inspect the entire collection. Yes, maybe I can learn something that gives me an edge during our interview. I sure want to impress the owner.

Clara observed the window display, once again envisioning Nigel as the male mannequin, when movement behind the display caught her attention and her pulse sped up.
Nigel?
The man moved behind a rack of clothes, and she strained to see through the window, wondering if her imagination had gotten the best of her.

The man she’d glimpsed had the same figure and dark hair as Nigel, but she’d only seen his profile.
Did he have the same emerald green eyes?
The stranger had obviously been instructing the sales staff. She craned her head and waited for the man to step out from behind the clothing rack again. When he still hadn’t reappeared several minutes later, she stepped inside the store and made her way to the last place she’d glimpsed him.

The sales staff was still standing in the same place, looking at a diagram for the wall display, and discussing the best way to redo the wall without creating an unsightly mess. She searched the whole store and then shook her head.
I must have been daydreaming.

She strolled through the entire store, closely observing each piece of garment. Her admiration for the label grew ever more.
Wow! Fantastic designs for young and curvy women – just like me. I could come up with a million ideas for them in an instant.

Leaving the store, she avoided looking into the window displays as she waited for the driver to pick her up. Enough with the daydreaming and seeing Nigel in every window.