Page 34 of The Texan's Secrets

By contrast, she tore off a bite-size chunk of the glazed top. “To a degree,” she continued. “I mean, it’s not like I’m a covert operative. But I’m careful to keep my geolocation off the radar.”

“That’s easy enough to do. Are you at all comfortable in front of a camera?”

“I don’t know. I usually interact with the world as an avatar.”

“Where?” He was curious now. “You hang out in a cyber world?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted sheepishly. “Firsthand testing is the best way to understand new technologies.”

“I have to agree with you on that.” He felt a jolt of guilt over the firsthand test of the Surprise Me! function he was undertaking right now. He paused for a bite of the muffin and to regroup. “We could do a test, mock up a segment of a workshop and have you try it on for size on camera. If you don’t like the way it turns out, we’ll delete it.”

“On a local drive only? No cloud or online service.”

“Absolutely.” He didn’t blame her for being wary of an unedited video clip getting out into the wild. “I have an air-gapped computer if you’d like.”

She rolled her eyes at that. “We don’t have to go overboard. We’re not plotting a government sting operation.”

“That sounds like a yes to me.”

“Sure. Okay. I’ll give it a try.” She looked thoughtful as she ate another bite of the muffin. “I would have liked to see more woman-led workshops when I was using the service.”

“You’re a great role model.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You came up in this business at a time when it was especially tough for girls, and things haven’t changed nearly enough. Need a coffee before we start?”

Emilia accepted a glass of champagne from a silver tray and sat back in a plush diamond-tufted chair in Natalie Valentine’s bridal shop.

Maggie was busy changing in the large, velvet-curtained cubical behind the mirrored dais.

“Well, this is very civilized,” Misha noted, setting her long-stemmed flute down on the low white table next to a fruit and cheese tray.

“Is it always like this?” Emilia asked, helping herself to a plump green grape. “I’ve never been a bridesmaid before.”

“You’re going to have a great time. Maggie’s the belle of the ball, of course. But some of the VIP treatment rubs off on us.”

“So far, it has.” Emilia took a sip of the champagne, letting it froth crisp and sweet on her tongue. There was a delightful decadence in enjoying champagne at two o’clock in the afternoon.

Then the heavy curtain slid opened, and Maggie stepped out onto the dais beaming with a wide smile.

Emilia and Misha gasped in unison.

The classic white satin dress was the epitome of simplicity and elegance. Unfussy, like Maggie herself, it was extraordinarily beautiful, especially on Maggie’s tall, svelte frame.

Strapless, with a sweetheart neckline, the asymmetrical ruched bodice highlighted her slender waist. Sparkling crystal beading adorned a wisp of a tulle bolero wrap that brought attention to her slim shoulders, while the soft fabric flowed over her hips in a shimmering floor-length skirt.

Maggie swirled her long, dark hair onto the top of her head. “Hair part up, part down, maybe some braids with a few flowers. I was thinking of going simple on the jewelry—diamond studs and a little diamond pendant.” Her dark eyes shone while she spoke. “And take a look at this.” She turned to show them the dress’s low-cut, lace-up back of satin ribbons.

“Fantastic,” Misha said breathlessly.

“It’s perfect,” Emilia echoed.

“Fits like a glove,” Natalie said. “Now, stay right there.” She disappeared into the back, returning with two cobalt blue dresses draped over her arm.

“You went with the blue,” Misha said, coming to her feet. “Great choice.”

“It’s called Lapis Iceberg,” Natalie said. “I can’t wait to see all three of you together.”

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