Three Weddings and a Dress (39 page)

 
His wet hair curled around his face, giving him a boyish charm. Without a shirt, she didn’t need proof he kept himself fit. His faded jeans hugged his hips, her gaze traveled to the hem where his bare feet peered out.

She swallowed and snapped her head up. Her face warmed when she encountered his amused eyes. Good grief, he’d caught her taking him in like a school girl. How mortifying.

“Can I help you? I’m not for sale before you ask.”

His words covered her like a bucket of cold water. “Get over yourself.”

She pivoted on her heel, they’d live without his programming. Two steps away from him, she thought of Bella and her dreams for Classic Manhattan.

Grow up Ari.

She gulped and spun around again. “I have a plan for your programming skills if you’re interested. Conner has something delicious brewing on the stove.”

She’d pretend she hadn’t been caught staring and his snide remark hadn’t happened. “Please, I think you’ll like it.”

“Dinner or your plan?”

She smiled in relief that he planned to let it drop also. “Both?”
 

“Let me finish dressing and I’ll be down in a minute.”

“See you in a few, then.”

She raced down the stairs and into the apartment.

“He’s going to be here in a minute. Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes calm down,” Conner said. “Then set the table, please.”

Gerard was as good as his word and walked in only a few minutes later. Ari decided it was best to feed him first. A satisfied belly made a happy man.

“Conner you have outdone yourself again. Thank you both for inviting me. Now it’s time I heard this proposal Ari is so anxious to tell me about.”

Gerard stood and held out Ari’s chair. The three of them retrieved their wine glasses and settled in the living area.

Ari placed her wine on the coffee table, picked up her case, opened it and spread out her proposal. “Classic Manhattan has branched out. We now have a new option, a one stop shopping for the bride and groom.”

“I don’t know much about your salon, you’ll have to walk me through everything.” Gerard tilted his head to the side in a posture of listening.

“Classic Manhattan as you know is a premier wedding salon. When a couple comes in, we plan the event from start to finish. Flowers, cake, photographs, even a travel agent for the honeymoon.”

“What else could you branch into?” Gerard asked.

“Formal wear.”

“Your designs?” His grin filled her. He remembered.

“Yes. Gertrude has contracted with one of the local tuxedo shops for the men’s gear. The bride will have an option of creating a dress to go with her story.”

“Story?”

“Yes all my dresses have a classic story of love. The bride will tell me how she met her groom. Hopefully inspiration will strike and her dress and bridesmaids designs will blend into the event design.”

Gerard snuggled into the cushions, Ari held her breath while she watched him take a sip of wine. The suspense was killing her. Conner waited calmly as if entertained by his favorite sitcom. He had a satisfied smirk as if something was unfolding in front of his eyes.

She wanted to smack him. With an iron-will she refrained and kept her attention on Gerard.

“Where do I fit in?”

“Virtual programming.”

“It’s been done.”

“I’m sure it has. You do gaming, right?” She waited for him to nod. “My idea is for you to design a wedding game. Only it won’t be a game. The bride and groom will come in for a consultation. We’ll be able to input key words into the program and build the virtual event. So the bride can see the atrium, or whatever room she decides to use, as if she were to walk in five minutes before wedding time.”

Had she confused him? Sometimes, in her enthusiasm, she left out important details

His features pinched in thought.

“And you’d be able to design the dress from the virtual mock event?”

“It would help. They’d be able to select invitations to match the design, the flowers, cake—everything from dress to dessert. It would be as if the program took a snap shot of the empty room seconds before the event.”

“Yes I got that part.”

“Could you do it?”

“When do you need it?”

Dear Diary;

Coming together

“Bella, he said yes.” Ari picked me up by the shoulders, dress dummy and all, to dance around the room. “You changed my life.”

Giddy, I enjoyed the sensation as she twirled. All too soon, she placed me back in my spot. She dropped back onto her bed. I’ve come to realize this is one of her favorite positions.

“He said he’d have something for me next week. I’m to make an appointment with Gertrude.” She rolled to her stomach; propped herself up on her elbows and grinned at me. “Everything is falling into place. Thank you.”

I let my satin shiver in the breeze coming through the opened window. How can a shimmer or ripple convey what I wanted to tell her?

I wasn’t sure how to cope with my frustration. Heidi never discussed what would happen if our bride didn’t want to get married. Or didn’t have a groom in mind. With Cecie and Jessie all I had to do was hang in their room and they used me as someone to confide in. They needed to work things out for themselves, come to their own conclusions to find true happiness.

I didn’t know what to do with Ari. She talked to me. She actually knew I responded. And on top of that she knew we were soul mates. Why the scrap didn’t she understand she needed a groom and that guy had come into her life at the same time I did.

Couldn’t she see the connection?

Chapter Twenty-six

Rubbing her sweaty palms down her denim skirt, she glanced at the clock again, two minutes later than the last time. Gerard would be there soon for the meeting. She hadn’t seen him since the night he’d come to dinner. She’d had to leave him a note about the time of the meeting.

Maybe he hadn’t found it under his door. She pushed away from the desk and strode to the opposite side of the office, pivoted, then crossed to the other side. All the while, threading her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit she’d never grown out of.

“Ouch.” She’d forgotten she’d clipped it back.

“I like the look.” Gerard’s voice stopped her pacing.

She swung around to face him. “Hi, I wasn’t sure if you’d be here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He honestly looked bewildered.

“I never heard from you to confirm.”

“Oops, Conner must have forgotten to tell you.”

“He’s been working in the evenings, I haven’t seen him.” She smiled. “I’ll let him off the hook. Let’s go.”

“Aren’t you going to fix your hair?”

Patting a hand to the side of her head she encountered a knot of hair half in and half out of the clip. Great she’d have to take a trip to the ladies room. That’s what she got for not having a mirror in her bag.

“Give me a second.” She didn’t wait for his response.

She returned breathless but with her style back in place. “Ready?”

“Sure. I really think this is a great idea. Thanks for thinking of me.”

Ari gave a short laugh as she led the way to Gertrude’s office. “No need to thank me, you’re the only person I know who works with computers.”

Before he answered, they were at her boss’s door. Taking a deep fortifying gulp of air, she knocked.

“Come in, have a seat.”

Ari took the chair to the left of Gerard, then introduced him to her boss. Now it was up to him to convince Gertrude of the programs worth.

“I need to tell you up front, I’m not looking for any more expansions. Ari’s new scheme has been expensive enough.” Gertrude folded her hands on the desk, tilted her head to the side and waited.

Ari swallowed her nerves. Surely the woman would realize how much they needed this? She’d let Gerard take charge. He was the one with answers to the questions. Ari wouldn’t have a clue.
 

“I’m sure, Ms. Schneider…”

“Call me Gertrude, please.” Ari bit back a smile. The woman actually smiled at Gerard.

She glanced at him as he began to explain the program. Gel glued his curly hair into place. She much preferred it when it was crazy wild over his scalp. His white shirt pressed and creased, maybe one of his sister’s had pressed it for him. His slacks had a matching crease. He looked crisp. It was the only word she could think of.

Professionally crisp maybe, she pulled her attention back to the conversation.

“Gertrude, I’m going to give you an example. It’s much easier for you to see rather than for me to explain.”

He pulled his laptop out of its case and walked around to place it on the desk across from Gertrude. Easy for her to see, but still within his reach so he could control the program.

“Ari, pretend you’re a young bride and tell us what you want.”

“Sunflowers.” Since she was a small child, they had been her favorites. It would be much more authentic if she were honest instead of pretending.

“Okay, what else? Any other colors?” Gerard’s fingers tapped words out on the key board.

“Cornflower blue. I want it to look like a sunflower field in the spring. Yellow for as far as you can see against the beautiful blue of the sky.”

“Great. Give me a minute here now.”

Ari watched Gertrude, her face intent on the images flashing across the screen. A slow smile peeked at the corner of her lips. That had to be good, didn’t it?

“Okay. What would come next in the interview?” Gerard asked.

Gertrude, her eyes actually twinkled. “Would you be interested in a custom design dress for your wedding?” Then heavens above, she winked.

“You have dresses here?” Ari faked surprise. “Yes! I would.”

“Tell us the story of how you met your groom? We specialize in classic love stories that compliment your event. Your dress will have its own story.”

Getting into the spirit of things, Ari sat up straight and scooted to the edge of her chair. “One lovely spring day, I had a new dress on and when I walked into the foyer of my apartment I ran into him. After that day, it seemed like everywhere I went; the video store, central park for a little league soccer game, the grocery store, I met him over and over.” She let her shoulders lift. “We fell in love before either of us knew it was happening.”

She shifted her attention to Gerard. His fingers had stilled on the keyboard, his look intense on her. She realized she’d described what had happened with them, and had been happening. Warmth crawled up her neckline until it reached her forehead then seemed to radiate in place.

“Now, what do you do with the information?” Gertrude asked.

Gerard looked at Ari a moment longer then broke eye contact to look at the laptop. He cleared his throat. Twice. “Ari said you have catalogs of your flower and cake designs along with everything else correct?”