Page 29 of The Exposed Heiress

Leo came to a stop. “It gets easier the more you practice. I’d say…running Francis Bolles is complex. It’s more than getting all of the pieces right. You have to anticipate change and reflect the culture of the times. We did find ourselves steeped in tradition and needed to become more agile. As part of our transformation, we’re taking risks and not simply settling.”

“I don’t know if that’s the truth, exactly.”

He glanced at her. “What part of it is not true?”

She smoothed down the fabric of her dress. “It’s so big picture, I can’t say. Your statement doesn’t rely on facts.”

“When a business owner asks you about layoffs, they are asking for big picture. They want to understand the reason and then figure out what that means for your future.”

Emma thought about the future for Francis Bolles. She wanted to be able to pass it on to the next generation. Her grandparents were both talented in fashion, but what if the next wave of Bolles children weren’t interested? She certainly didn’t want to pass on a business that was faltering.

She shifted in her seat. “I agree with you. But it’s hard. I was raised in a family that didn’t believe in saying anything. They wanted the work to speak for itself.”

He let out a deep breath. “There’s an arrogance to not wanting to explain your thoughts or ideas. Your family has always seemed closed off to me and not wanting to let others in.”

Emma crossed her arms. She thought about her uncle and his grown children having to live with the consequences of his affairs and carelessness. “Some of it comes from my grandfather and Uncle Oliver. They created quite a spectacle, both of them in different ways. My parents survived that by being protective and saying nothing.”

Leo pulled into a private parking garage. “I’ve had a few conversations with your father about being more open and approachable with the media, but I didn’t get anywhere. He insisted that he wanted a certain mystique around the Bolles brand and that he wouldn’t give interviews.”

She nodded. “That is how he feels.”

After switching off the engine, Leo unclipped his seat belt. “How do you feel about the company becoming more approachable?”

She looked at him. “I agree in principal, but it’s hard in practice. We don’t have the best reputation, and it’s easier to stay behind the scenes and let the designs stand on their own.”

He reached over and unclipped her seatbelt. “Tomorrow we can work on your narrative. For now, let’s go to dinner and try to relax a bit.”

Opening the door, she got out of the car.

They walked together up a ramp and the few blocks to the restaurant.

Leo reached out and took her hand. “The paparazzi are here tonight. Let’s hope they get an amazing photograph of you wearing that dress.”

She slowed her pace and looked behind them. “We don’t have any security. It could turn ugly.”

He tightened his fingers around hers. “It’s fine, love. I’ll be by your side. The Pied a Terre is steps away.”

A photographer approached them and snapped a few images of them walking.

Someone called out, “Are you out on the town tonight?”

Leo drew her closer to him and said, “Yes, we’re enjoying a quiet evening out.”

Emma smiled and waited for them to say something else but they merely took a few more photographs and gave them space.

Walking into the restaurant, Emma turned and said to Leo, “That wasn’t horrible.”

“My publicist had alerted a particular editor that we would be here, so the chance of having a stressful encounter was unlikely.”

“My encounters haven’t been as positive.”

She and her siblings had made their share of missteps with the media. She recalled her mother’s reaction when she attended a protest march while at boarding school. Barely fourteen years old, she had been caught up in the unfairness of a labor policy on migrant workers, and had gone to the protest with her best friend. There were images of her holding a makeshift sign and wearing what her mother called “rags.” Her mother appeared at the school wearing a stylish outfit and had escorted her into a waiting limousine. The disappointment was evident throughout the car ride and evening when her family talked at length about their expectations of their children in public.

“It’s possible to construct the persona that you want out there. It just needs to be managed well.”

The Pied a Terre host stepped forward and said, “Good evening, Mr. Bloom. Right this way.”

The small restaurant had a limited number of tables and they were seated near the back. “Enjoy.”

---