The Claiming of Sadie Graves (21 page)

“So,
how about it? What do you want to do?” Lucas looks at me, tilting his head.

“I want to do what I was going to do before I got in the elevator, Lucas. Look for a design space, hire my second team member, and get on with work. I don’t want to go to your place.”

His face falls. “Okay. I deserve that. And I understand. My dad’s right; I just need to give you some space.” He sighs.
He still looks tired and drawn.

When the door rocks open on its hinges, I’m still too caught up in my own pain (and misery) to even look up. It kicks back, hitting the wall behind it, and a shower of sheetrock particles fly forward on impact.

Violet Emery struts into the room, and she looks furious. She has on a tight black dress that shows off her every curve, and onyx knee-high heeled boots. Her hair is up in a loose clip, and she’s perfectly made up.

I’m barely able to stand;
fabulously inglorious in wool pants and a soft rayon scoop-neck sweater. I feel a black eye, or possibly two, coming on. And I’m so tired I can barely think. Talk about comparing apples to oranges.

“Marc Lucas Sutton, get your ass over here and settle things with me once and for all!” she announces, without bothering to notice anyone else present. It’s not even two in the
afternoon, and I sense right away that she’s been drinking. Her words are off, somehow. She’s listing hard, to the left.

Lucas stiffens, and rises from the sofa to move toward her. “I’m glad you’re here, Violet. I’d like nothing better than to get our differences ironed out.”

“Well that’s good” she says with a smirk on her face. “Oh, look!” She sees me, and moves closer to look me over. “You’ve brought the dog in.”
My head is throbbing. I’m not sure I want to watch this spectacle, and I’d love to get up and leave.

Lucas puts one hand on my arm, insisting that I stay seated.

Violet rakes her eyes over me, in disbelief that I’m in Lucas’ office and she’s an intruder here.

Lucas inserts his body between her and me. “Violet, you’re acting like a complete bitch. I want you to stop, now. I know you though
t we might have a future, but when I met Sadie I knew she was the right person for me. You know I love you, like family. Can’t you just be happy for me; that I’ve found my match?” he looks at her, serious but unwavering.

Her eyes track all over his face – his eyes, so brown and deep; his nose, lips, chin. Her eyebrows lower; she goes from angry to accusing. “You were…kissing me yesterday.
Touching me. You hold my hand and cup my waist like we’re a couple. You want me. I know you do. So tell this…person…the truth so she’ll at least know you’re incapable of being with only one woman.” Her eyes fill with tears, and I recognize her angry words for what they are: deep, searing hurt.

He starts to say something and I interject.

“Violet, may I ask you something?” I say, almost conversationally.  Her eyes swing toward me, and I can tell by her expression that she can’t – for the life of her – see how I could possibly be competition. She takes a breath and says, “Yes.”

“Have you and Lucas been intimate? I’m not asking for details, just an honest answer.”

She looks at me square in the face, and exhales sharply. “Of course we have. Why do you think I’m such a mess? If I’d never slept with him, I might be able to deal with everything that’s happening. When he and Sidney divorced, we were together every night, for months. I just assumed he would, you know, make me the next Mrs. Sutton. I love him.” She closes her eyes, and her beautiful face looks defeated.

I swing my eyes to Lucas. His face is closed, nervous. “So earlier, when you told me you hadn’t been with Violet; you were lying. Correct?”

He sits down on the couch, though Violet and I are both standing. He looks drained.  “Sadie, I’m sorry. I did lie. I knew you were innocent; you wouldn’t understand what I had with her.” Violet flinches, an involuntary shudder wracking her body. “But the truth is; I haven’t been with her since I met you, on the day she came to Anna’s for her fitting. Tell her, Violet.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “No, you haven’t.” “She looks back toward me.

“He told me on Saturday night he’d met someone. That we were through. I can’t believe it’s
you
, though.”
Funny, she almost looks offended.

I’m still trying to keep up.
My brain feels sluggish.

Lucas
turns to look into Violet’s face. “Vi, I wish I could tell you that I love you and we can spend the rest of our lives together. But I’m in love with Sadie. After a fucking week, for God’s sake. I’d do anything if I could make this right with both of you. But I can’t. I think I’ll leave you both alone, and get out of this office. Sadie, do you think you’ll be okay enough to get home without help?”

I nod. “I will.”

He grabs a blazer from the back of a chair, and retreats from the office.
Coward.

I look at her, understanding on my face.
“Violet, I was a virgin a week ago. That, and the fact that I look somewhat like Sidney Poole, are the only reasons why I attracted Lucas’ attention. I’m now contracted to Sutton Shield, so I have a legal responsibility to this company. But it only lasts for two years, so I’ll be out and on my own in no time. I’m going to withdraw from this building, so you can move forward with him.”

She looks at me, somewhat bewildered. “Are you saying you don’t care about
Lucas?”

“I’m saying I can handle a lot of things, but I
hate
a liar.” I smile at her softly.

“Why are you up here, anyway” she asks, softly.

“Oh, I fell down and hit my head. I’m nursing a concussion.” I sigh. “I need to get out of here, though. I wish you a lot of luck. You, um, may need it.”

I grab my raincoat and portfolio from the table, rub my head gingerly, and head toward the door. She calls after me, when I’m close to the exit.
“Hey Sadie?” I turn around.

“
Yes?” I say, tired beyond belief.

She looks genuinely sorry. “I apologize for what I said about the way you look. The minute that I saw you, I might as well have been face to face with Sidney Poole. I wasn’t fair. I was just…reacting. Anyway, I’m truly sorry. “

“Okay, Violet. Thanks; I accept your apology. See you around.”

I duck my head and ease past
Louella’s work station.

Food forgotten; I walk to the elevator, out the front door of Sutton Shield, and to the subway station.

It’s a while before I lay eyes on Lucas Sutton again.

And it’s lucky for him.

I’m Moving On”

Rascal
Flatts,
Rascal Flatts

I spend the end of December finding a suitable space for rent. With Bain’s support, I choose a fifteen hundred square foot space in Queens, near my apartment. Jenny agrees that we should live and work together for six months before she buys a place of her own, so she can save up enough money for the down payment on a condo.

We interview several promising design assistants, and settle on Brandon Hayes. He’s bleach-bottle blonde, wears
no other color but black and is better than fabulous. It’s like he completes our little clique. He has a wicked sense of humor and is so smart about fit and function, he’s astounding. I love him on sight, so handing him a Sutton Shield contract is like having Christmas early. He flushes with pleasure, and accepts immediately. The three of us go out for Pho and beers, and laugh away the afternoon. I almost feel like myself again, these days.

Brandon and Jenny
help me update and decorate the space before the Christmas holidays. The cream-colored furniture arrives and it’s unseasonably warm, so we paint and organize everything in the entire space. I order half of the lingerie fabric from Sal, and the other half from the lingerie suppliers I used before, when I was in Anna’s building. The order is so huge that Sal is overjoyed, and so is everyone else. God, that feels wonderful.

Christmas is low-key and meaningful. I take the train to spend a few days with my dad, and we drink wine and cook great food. All the diner employees cycle in and out of his house, and a bunch of my old friends from high school drop by. I get a text on Christmas Eve, unbidden, from Lucas.
I’m not sure why, but I’ve unblocked him.

SADIE, I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS.  LUCAS

I look at my phone, one glass of wine too many in my system. Then, I wisely decide to ignore it. Just thinking about Lucas makes my chest hurt. There’s such a sense of loss attached to him. I think about how he played me, and I’m reminded how naïve I am. But, sadly, I’m getting smarter.

On Boxing Day, I head back to New York with a low-grade feeling of excitement. It’s time to
get to work on the Sexy Sadie line, and I’m ready.

I work on the
expanded lingerie collection, including the fetish items, and have test prototypes ready the day before New Year’s Eve. I get an impromptu phone call from Peter Emery the same day, and he laughs when he hears my voice. “Sadie! My God! Where have you been?” I laugh back, and explain to him how busy I’ve been. He flatters me with an invitation: will I meet him tomorrow to celebrate the New Year?

I pause. “Peter, I have no interest in going to Times Square with millions of other people.
Surely you can’t find fun in all that humanity?”

He groans, and then laughs. “Sadie, there is no way I would take a lady into that throng. I’m actually asking you to go with me to a nightclub. Jonathan Tierce has invited me to
Latex
for the evening, on one condition: that I bring you as my guest.”   

Jonathan Tierce.
Lucas’ enemy.

My interest is piqued.

“Me? Are you sure, Peter?”

“Oh, yes – very. He wants you to design his female staff’s work uniforms, and he got a lot of pushback from Lucas. So he’s asked me to help smooth the
introduction.”

“Hmm.
I’m sure you know more about my relationship with Lucas than I want you to, but I guess I would enjoy New Year’s at a nightclub. Thank you for the invitation, Peter. I’d like to go.”

He’s happy to hear it, I can tell.

“I’m curious” I say. “What is the dress code?”

Peter only has one comment. “
It’s upscale, Sadie. Whatever you wear, come sexy. That’s what
Latex
is all about. I don’t want you to worry; I’ll be with you the whole time. But it’s a sex club, plain and simple.”
Ooh. Interesting. I get a tiny bit turned on just thinking about it.

“Okay. I wouldn’t go if anyone else invited me.
Thanks, Peter. I’ll see you tomorrow. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up at five o’clock.
We’ll grab a bite to eat and a drink, and then head that way. Be sure and text me your address.”

I promise to do that, and we hang up.

The next day, I spend a longer time than usual getting ready. I start by trotting down into the neighborhood for a manicure and pedicure. That accomplished, I come back and have a leisurely lunch. I call Emma and tell her what I’m doing tonight.

“Jesus, Sadie. That place might be dangerous, okay? How did you end up going there?”

I explain about Peter’s invitation, and about Jonathan Tierce’s proposed uniforms.

“Oh, okay; that sounds much more benign.” Emma signs with relief. “Will you call me at five minutes after midnight? I want to kiss Teddy, and then confirm that my best friend is A-OK.” I laugh,
tell her I love her and promise I will.

Of course, I have no idea that I won’t be calling Emma.

I’m going to be otherwise engaged.

I read for a little while and then get up to get ready.

I shower, carefully put my hair up, and apply makeup suitable for a dark nightclub. Then I dress. I choose a white silk shirt with loose, longish sleeves, a short black skirt, and I tie a thick hank of black ribbon tightly around my neck, in a bow
.
I unbutton the shirt by three buttons
. I’m a present
, I think to myself.
Maybe I’m ready for someone to unwrap me.
I should choose the right underwear, because my nipples tend to jut out when I wear thin shirts, or white. Tonight I wear my own demi-bra, with lace cups. I don’t think it hides anything, but I really don’t care. It just feels pretty to wear my own design. I cap the ensemble off with thigh-high stockings and crushed velvet, beribboned platform heels. They’re so girly I almost blush, and they have five inch heels, but I love them. My last actions are to slide a pair of jeweled earrings in my ears, and dab on some watermelon-colored lip gloss. I look at myself in the floor-length mirror.

Hmm.
I look good.

If I feel it, it must be true.

I’m just thinking I’m ready for anything, when the buzzer sounds and I know Peter is waiting for me downstairs. I grab my wool cape, and head to the elevator to meet him.

Peter has a town car waiting at the curb. It’s already full dark.
I never can get used to these short days
, I think. He tells me I look wonderful, and hugs me like an old friend. I’m glad to see him. He looks nice, too, in a beautiful tailored suit. His bow tie is untied, so we almost match with bows at our necks. We crack up at the similarity.