Page 42 of At Your Service
From the moment he’d mentioned this show, her spirits seemed to have lifted. When Major had walked into her office earlier, he’d been afraid something had happened to her father because she’d looked so distressed. He’d been glad to share his news about assisting in her facility search, even though it was in York and not here in the city...with him.
“He’s actually looking for two things—items for the upcoming shows and your thoughts on specific pieces.”
“Why specific pieces? Does he need a gift for someone? Does RJ have a girlfriend?”
He chuckled as they moved further into the exhibit hall. “Not hardly. The very last thing RJ’s interested in is a girlfriend or any other type of commitment other than the company.”
“Is that true of all the Gold men? Because Maurice makes it known he loves his player status and isn’t looking to stop anytime soon. And you...”
Her words drifted off, but he filled in the blanks.
“I’ve been focused on Brand Integrated and making my personal mark on the fashion industry.”
“Everyone has a reason,” she said with a shrug. “I have mine.”
She didn’t want to be abandoned again. A completely understandable reason, but one that made him much sadder than he thought anything ever could.
“Anyway, no, RJ’s other reason for this outing is based on this preliminary idea he has about adding a full accessory line to RGF.”
“Oh.” She took a few steps farther before stopping at an earring vendor. She picked up a set of gold hoops that were almost as big as her hand. There were flecks of sapphire around each hoop and she held them up, staring, he presumed, at the color in the light.
“A full accessory line will eliminate the need for an app like mine.” She put the earrings down and continued walking.
“It’s not my idea,” he said because he felt the need to defend himself against the suddenly bland tone of her voice.
She waved a hand and crossed in front of him to get to another table. This one had more earrings, but these were made with feathers. He watched, entranced by her fingers as they moved lightly over a deep burgundy feather earring.
“It’s a smart idea,” she said, moving to investigate another pair of earrings. These were of peacock feathers and she picked them up, holding them to her ear while she stepped over to a large oval mirror sitting on a glass case. “If RGF is making their own accessories, they’d be cutting out the middleman and making a bigger profit, all while catering to their customers in a one-stop fashion shop.”
“Which was exactly what your app offered,” he said. He was standing behind her, so she could see him staring at her through the mirror. When he shook his head, she nodded her agreement and put the earrings back on the table.
“Everybody wants the complete effect. RJ’s thinking of gaining a competitive edge. There are plenty of other designers that have already ventured into accessories. And there are some accessory designers who’re trying to dip their feet into the high fashion arena.” She shrugged. “That’s business.”
“Are we business?” He had no idea where that question had come from.
No, that was wrong and he knew it. The idea came from the myriad emotions playing throughout his mind since the night at his parents’ house.
She turned to him and smiled. That genuine one he looked forward to seeing every second of the day.
“We—” She corrected herself. “What we’re doing is probably one of the most innovative ideas I’ve ever come across. Riley says the uptick in searches on the Golden Bride website is in direct correlation to our engagement announcement and each time a picture of us is printed in a tabloid, they get even more hits. Orders are trickling in.” She paused when a woman bumped into her and then continued, “There’s even one from an R&B singer. She already had a dress but when two of the designers appeared on one of those stylist reality shows and mentioned they were working on my gown, she had to have an original design for her wedding that’s coming up in four weeks.”
“And you said people who already had their gowns wouldn’t buy another one,” he replied with a smirk.
“Yeah, I did say that. I was wrong.”
And so was he. This was no longer just business between them. Thinking back to their first meeting, he wondered if there ever had been.
They walked for a few more minutes, passing other stalls. She stayed a bit ahead of him and he took that time to watch her walk, not in a way that aroused him, but more in a way that amazed him. She’d come all the way to this city just to meet with him and pitch her business, and had ended up staying as part of a business deal and to begin an affair that neither of them had been prepared for.
“Do you design and manufacture these?”
He snapped out of his reverie when he saw Nina had stopped and was holding up a leather handbag. She was talking to a tall man with gold, wire-framed glasses perched on his nose, his hair styled in locks.
The man walked over to the end of the table. “Yes,” he replied in a heavily accented voice. “The bags, necklaces and earrings. I design and make them all. Do you like this tote?”
Nina continued to glide her hand over the dark purple bag.
“This is great craftsmanship,” she said.
