Page 69 of Under the Mistletoe
“And you're selling it here?” I frown, because this kind of thing should be in museums.
“No. I’ve started giving my collection away to Jay Jay.” She looks at me pointedly. I should’ve guessed she would know the reason I’m here. Jessica being the common denominator.
“Wait. What?” My mind scrambles.
“I have a collection of fashion attire that I have built over the years. Every week, I bring in a new outfit and tell Jay Jay that I have just the thing for her. She’s the perfect size and each outfit looks amazing on her.”
“You’re giving away your collection?” If this outfit is anything to go by, Mabel is sitting on millions of dollars.
“These pieces should not be sold. They should be admired and some should be worn. They should be loved and cared for. Jay Jay is the perfect person. My closest person. I want her to have my collection.”
I’m gobsmacked. “She doesn’t know, does she?” At a guess, I think not. Jessica is wearing these amazing pieces around the office each day and doesn't realize they’re from Mabel's own collection.
“No. But I’m guessing you’re here today because of her?”
I nod. “She mentioned how much she loves you and loves the store and how you are closing soon?” I cut to the chase.
“I love her. I never had children. I’ve known Jay Jay for years and she visits me like clockwork. Never misses a week. I love her like she is my own. But I can no longer afford to run this place.”
“Would you consider selling it to me?”
She looks shocked for a moment before she schools her features.
“Jay Jay doesn't know you’re here, does she?” She throws my own words back at me, and I give her a small smile.
“No… No, she doesn’t,” I confirm, and she takes my hand and leads me out back.
“Well then… it sounds like we might need two pieces of lemon slice, Mr. York… We have much to discuss.”
28
Jessica
I look over the paperwork, seeing Donovan increasingly stressed.
“So you have a meeting with the fashion house at ten. I’ll go take a tour of the York textiles factory and then meet you back at the hotel in the afternoon, ready for dinner that night?” I look at him from where he sits opposite me.
We’re in his jet, somewhere over the North Atlantic Ocean. After a few bumps that made me squirm on the ascent into the air, the flight has been smooth so far.
“Do you have a car booked to take you to the factory?” Donovan seems more concerned with the fact I’m going to the factory alone than any of his other meetings.
“Yes, Ashley has booked a car,” I confirm as he pushes his hair back and rolls his shoulders. He’s tense. It's a big week ahead for us. We have meetings, dinners, and lunches. There will be no chance to explore or play tourist, as our time is designated from sunup to well after sundown. But with only a few weeks until Christmas, we both want to get back to New York. The touristy things can wait.
“Why are you so stressed about this?” I put the paperwork to the side and shift to face him.
“Just… there are a lot of things on my mind. You being so far away from me on your first trip to Milan is giving me anxiety.”
I smile, and he rubs his eyes. Getting an idea, I sit up, looking behind me at where the air hostess sits.
“Give me a minute,” I tell him, and he buries his head in paperwork again as I go and have a quiet word with the hostess. She gives me a look that’s all knowing before she slips into the cockpit, and I walk back down the aisle, closing the curtains to give us some privacy.
“What’s going on?” He frowns. I can tell his mind is moving a million miles an hour.
“I think you need to relax.” I kneel in the small space in front of him and his eyes flame. He looks to the front of the plane, seeing the curtains fully drawn, then his gaze is back on me.
He quirks an eyebrow. “Jessica?”
I run my hands up his legs and move them to his belt, and I open it quickly.
