Page 5 of Fire

More likely it had turned to syrup. But Gwen did know what was coming next.

In… Three… Two… One…

“Oh, by the way, I heard you have a date with him Friday night.”

Yep, Sheila was anything but subtle.

“I’m not sure I’d call it a date. We’re going for drinks after work.”

Looking over her shoulder, Sheila raised a brow. “That’s a date.”

Jason worked in menswear, was twenty-nine, had light-brown, perfectly-styled hair, blue eyes, and loved to talk about himself. He wasn’t Gwen’s type—not by a mile—but after two months of daily pursuit, she’d finally agreed to one date so he’d stop asking.

No, not a date. Drinks.

She’d dodged him for two reasons.

First, they didn’t suit. He had a hyper personality, was always on the go, and talked too fast and with his hands. She was mellow as they came, a good book, her TV shows, and the couch her favored weekend occupations.

And second, she knew getting involved with someone at work was a bad idea. If things went south, it could make for a very unpleasant working environment.

“It’s not a date,” Gwen reiterated. “It’s an ‘If I do this, will you stop hounding me?’ play.”

Sheila laughed. “And you think that will stop him? You’re just encouraging him. I’m a mother, I should know.”

Gwen shook her head. “He knows it’s a one-shot deal. He agreed to stop asking if I agreed to one date. I negotiated it down to drinks after work.”

“And you, my friend, are delusional.” Sheila patted her shoulder on her way out the door. “I expect full details on Saturday.”

Being careful not to damage the contents, Gwen sliced the cutter through the packing tape of the box she was opening. Another shipment of sweaters. Even though it was only June, fall arrivals were already in full swing.

Plucking a sweater off the top, she pulled it out of its protective plastic sleeve and grimaced. It was hideous. Black cashmere with red, blue, yellow, and green geometric shapes patterning the front. She tossed it back into the box. She couldn’t, in good conscience, sell that to anyone.

Looking at her watch, she saw it was one-thirty. She needed to get ready for Mrs. DeAngelo’s arrival.

Gwen hit formal-wear and pulled a few gowns off the rack. Each one was a one-of-a-kind by a top designer and cost a small fortune. There was some big shindig at the Governor’s mansion in two weeks, and Mrs. DeAngelo wasn’t her only affluent client who’d been invited. Gwen couldn’t imagine traveling all the way to Sacramento for a meal, but to each his own. She wouldn’t complain—she liked the commission.

At precisely two o’clock, Gwen heard Mrs. DeAngelo’s booming voice and Juliette’s shrill cackle.

Wonderful.

Plastering on a smile, she went to greet them. “Mrs. DeAngelo, Juliette, you both look lovely today.”

“Hello, dear. It’s so nice to see you,” Mrs. DeAngelo greeted with a sincere smile.

Gwen liked Laura DeAngelo. She was friendly,genuinelynice, and never talked to Gwen as if she were beneath her.

She wished she could say the same about her daughter.

“Gwen.” Juliette tilted her head, a frown appearing between her brows as she wrapped a lock of her long, blond hair around a finger. “Is that a last season Versace skirt you’re wearing?”

Broadening her smile, Gwen said, “As a matter of fact, it is.” She fingered the high-waisted, black pencil skirt that she’d paired with a puffed short-sleeved, white, button-up blouse. The skirt had retailed for almost eight-hundred dollars, but she snagged it at the end of the season on clearance. Add to that her twenty-five percent store discount, and she’d walked away only paying a hundred and fifty for it.

Still expensive but for the name and quality, a steal. With its classic design, she’d be able to wear it for years.

“Let me show you what I’ve selected.” Gwen turned her back on both DeAngelos and led them to a large, private dressing room.

“Oh, I don’t like that.” Juliette said of the first dress Gwen presented. She had poured herself a glass of champagne and sat on a cushioned bench, her back against the mirrored wall with her legs crossed, and her foot tapping.

---