Page 122 of The French Kiss

CHAPTER29

AUTUMN

I’ve never been particularlyhandy with a sander, drill, or paintbrush, and redoing the studio is hard work. But I keep telling myself that this will be worth it very soon. And I am getting better at working with the noise of the people actually doing the renovations who are good with power tools.

We’re only a couple of weeks into overhauling the studio—thankfully, with Nora’s full and complete support and guidance—and working upstairs where it’s a bit cleaner, I already have a whole slew of designs tacked to the wall, fabric on the single folding table in the middle of the room, and a rack filled with completed pieces.

I’m hoping to have a true collection release by the spring Fashion Week in NYC, even if it’s a small one. We’ll need it to drive business to the storefront we’ll have open soon.

It’s a bit like learning to swim in the middle of the ocean with sharks nipping at your toes and twenty-foot waves washing over your head, but so far, I’m treading water and still breathing. Because Simon’s at my side.

The bell by the front door of the building rings, and I look at Simon in confusion. The workers come in the back door, and other than Simon and me, no one else comes in or out. He starts to get up from his own folding table-slash-desk, but I know he’s buried in numbers and the budget, so I wave him off. “I’ve got it.”

I go downstairs to answer the door, and my breath is stolen by the people standing there—Jacqueline, Albert, and Tobias.

“What are you—”

“May I come in,” Jacqueline says—not a question, but rather a statement—and interrupting the mental battle I’m already plotting out that includes a pretty exciting possibility of my throwing her out by her hair with a bonus kick to her bony ass.

I don’t get a chance to say yes or no, so I’m not sure what my answer would’ve been because she waltzes in while I’m still deciding.

“How... quaint.” Her eyes scan the space as her lip curls in distaste.

“We think so,” I snip. “As I was saying, what are you doing here?” I make zero effort to hide the fact that she is unwelcome, having made my decision when she insulted the building Simon has been calling his wedding present to me.

“Is Simon here? Perhaps there’s someplace we can talk?”

She’s here to take him away from me. I know it down to my core, but this time, she won’t be successful. I have the utmost confidence that Simon and I will see through whatever manipulations and games Jacqueline tries to use. We’ve had several more raw, deep conversations, revealing more and more of ourselves to one another, and I would never doubt him for an instant, and he would never doubt me. We’re solid and steady, a united front against whatever battle Jacqueline is bringing to our door.

“Of course. Upstairs.” I guide them to the elevator, and I swear I think Jacqueline holds her breath while we go up to the third floor.

As I open the gate, Simon calls out, “Who was it,Princesse?”

“Bitch trying to sell me a second chance,” I answer, knowing that’ll stop him from scrolling through our budget to look up and see what I’m talking about.

“Second chance what?” he says. “Oh.”

He leans back in his chair, scrutinizing Jacqueline and her entourage through narrowed eyes. Finally, he gets up and approaches. I want to block him, protect him from whatever Jacqueline has come here to do, because I’ve seen how much pain and hurt he carries around deep inside.

But instead of Jacqueline, Simon offers Tobias a handshake that turns into a bro hug. “Good to see you, man. How’s my little guy?”

Tobias smiles warmly but confesses, “He’s an absolute pain in my ass. I don’t see how you keep him around. All he does is eat and demand affection. It’s like having another one of myself in the house, except he’s kicked me out of my own bed at this point.”

Simon laughs, and even I have to grin a little at Xerxes’s antics. I do kinda miss the cute demon-possessed monster’s yips.

“Where’s he at now?” I ask.

“Pet bed and breakfast,” Tobias answers with an eye roll. Glancing at his watch, he adds, “I believe it’s about time for his nighttime spa routine before he’s tucked into his faux fur-lined, feather-filled bed.”

I don’t think he’s exaggerating, given how much Simon spoils Xerxes.

“Ahem.” Jacqueline clears her throat, garnering our attention. “I hoped we could discuss an idea I’ve had.”

Simon and I look at each other, unspoken communication of a united front passing between us. “Sure. Over here.”

We sit in folding plastic chairs at Simon’s folding plastic table after he closes his laptop. In the awkward silence, I can hear the loud buzz of a drill every few seconds as the crew hangs new drywall.

“What’re you up to, Jacqueline?” I’m not doing niceties or waiting for her to launch into a practiced speech. I want to throw her off, make sure she knows that we’re not under her thumb and have no problem calling out her game play. She’s come all the way here to talk about something, after all, so may as well not delay.

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