Drape Expectations (4 page)

Scooping Mirabelle up in her arms, Caprice gave her a head rub and then set her into the wash basket once more.

“Take a nap,” she said. “This will soon be over. I just hope Alanna remembers to let you out. I'll text her and remind her if I have to.”

Leaving the light on for Mirabelle—cats liked sleeping under lights—Caprice gave the Persian a little wave and opened the door.

But when she stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her, Ace and Alanna were a foot away, entangled in a lip-lock!

She had no illusions that Alanna had come this way to visit Mirabelle, or give her a bit of affection to help her through the long open house. Ace and Alanna's clinch and her coming upon them was almost funny, really, because Alanna and Ace practically leaped apart as if they were teenagers caught making out when they shouldn't have been.

Ace sheepishly rubbed Alanna's lipstick from his lips. Alanna, however, was wearing a dare-you-to-say-something kind of smile.

Oh, she was going to say something, all right, but not about that kiss.

“You know,” Caprice said conversationally, “you could have given Mirabelle one of the bedrooms and plenty of food and water, along with her litter box, rather than stuffing her in a closet.”

At that, Alanna looked surprised, but then her eyes shot sparks. “That cat's perfectly fine in there.”

“Maybe you should try staying in a utility closet without food and water for four hours,” Caprice shot back, having had enough of this Southern beauty and her open house. She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she was feeling smothered by the velvet draperies, the antebellum clutter that Alanna was holding on to, and from Alanna's attitude most of all.

With a look for Ace that might as well have said,
Why are
you
choosing to keep company with
this
woman?
Caprice turned on her heel and left. The house would either sell or it wouldn't. There would be interested parties or there wouldn't be. This was only the beginning and there could be a lot more showings.

Her job as home stager was
done.

Chapter Four

Caprice hated to admit it, but she felt guilty. It all had to do with parochial school training and Catholic guilt. She was supposed to be a good girl. That sometimes translated into:
Be nice. Don't make waves. Always try to be a peacemaker.

As she sat on the sofa in her living room staring at the copper silent butler on the coffee table, where she kept affirmations, she realized that she hadn't been a peacemaker yesterday.
Nope.
She'd told Alanna exactly what she was thinking. She'd texted a reminder to her last night about letting Mirabelle out of the closet. She hadn't received one in return. She might feel a little guilty, but she couldn't say she was sorry, because she wasn't. Mirabelle hadn't deserved the thoughtless treatment. If Caprice was sorry about anything, it was about the way she'd left. In her professional life, she didn't fly off the handle. She stayed in a situation and made it right.

However, yesterday, thinking about Grant and Seth, the uncertainty of romantic relationships, the uncertainty of friendships, she'd been thrown a little off-balance.

Centering. She had to center herself. She needed to put intentions for the week in her silent butler and then repeat them every day.

With Sophia and Lady watching, she wrote down affirmations on slips of paper.

But after she was done writing the affirmations and tucking them in the antique, after she'd spent a short stretch in her office working, after she'd finished breakfast and had taken Lady outside to play fetch for a good long time, she'd known what she had to do.

She had to apologize to Alanna for leaving the way she had. It was as simple as that.

Lady had had a good time with Dulcina yesterday and quality time with Caprice and Sophia this morning. So she didn't seem to mind when Caprice filled her Kong toy and her kibble ball, left both beside Lady's bed in the kitchen, set up the pet gates, and told both dog and cat she'd see them later. After a visit to Alanna, she needed to stop at the rental company for her next house staging.

Caprice thought about the unusual glass-walled house and Minimalist Illusion theme she'd chosen for it as she drove to Alanna's.

That was more pleasant than thinking about an apology. She simply wanted to get this visit over with.

Almost there, she realized she should have called Alanna to set up this meeting. However, this visit had been an impulse, and if she didn't talk with Alanna now, she wouldn't. If Alanna wasn't there ... Well, then, maybe a reconciliation just wasn't supposed to happen. She was a big believer in signs and intuition and things working out just the way they were supposed to. Nana had taught her that.

She usually had tea with Nana every few weeks. Caprice's mother often reminded her that Nana was the only one she'd take advice from. That was an exaggeration, but she did listen to Nana and trusted her judgment on matters of home decorating, cooking, and romance. Nana was an expert on all three. Caprice always smiled just thinking of her grandmother, whose addition onto her parents' childhood home had been a godsend for the family and for Nana. She didn't require much looking after. At seventy-six, Nana was very independent. Still, Caprice's parents liked the idea of looking in on her often. Now that Nana had adopted a kitten Caprice had found in her backyard last month, Nana smiled and laughed even more than she used to. It was a scientific fact that pets helped guarantee a longer life, and she hoped her Nana lived well past one hundred.

When Caprice turned into the long driveway that led up to Alanna's mansion, she noticed a sporty silver car parked there. Alanna drove a black Lincoln. This was a foreign model. If Alanna had company, this would indeed be a short visit.

A warmer wind had blown through Kismet creating a springlike day. Caprice had worn lime green bell-bottoms and a tie-dyed blouse, with a handkerchief hem, in deference to the warmer temperature. Her macramé purse matched her kitten-heeled tan shoes. Even Bella shouldn't complain about this outfit. It was quite respectable. Not as vintage as most of the outfits Caprice wore, but it still had a sixties vibe, just like the lava lamp in her living room and the collection of Beatles vinyl albums in her upstairs closet.

Distraction. She was distracting herself again as she went up to the front door and rang the bell.

She waited a couple of minutes, but there was no answer. Still, as she stood there, she thought she heard the low hum of voices. Was someone on the side in the screened-in porch?

Caprice never meant to be stealthy about her approach. She intended to walk around the side to the back entrance. Yet, as she reached the screened-in veranda, she did hear voices, Alanna's and a man's. It wasn't Ace. Caprice knew Ace's voice. Not that a man's voice meant anything. Alanna probably had other men friends. Maybe it was a repairman of some type.

Caprice was all ready to make a little noise to announce her entrance, but then something she heard stopped her cold. First of all, she suddenly recognized the male voice. It belonged to Len Lowery, Ace's keyboard player. She'd forgotten all about seeing him with Alanna yesterday. What was he doing here again today?

The hairs on the back of Caprice's neck prickled. That was a sign that someone was up to no good. That was a sign that she should be careful. That was a sign that she should keep quiet and listen.

Listen, she did.

Alanna asked, “Are you sure this is going to work?”

Len responded almost too easily, “Sure, it's going to work. I got to Ace's sister-in-law. A little flirting and she was eating out of my hand. It was that night he had the party when he debuted his single. She told me how nervous he is about his upcoming tour. He's afraid he doesn't still have ‘it.'”

“So how are you going to make him realize he doesn't have ‘it' anymore?” Alanna seemed skeptical.

“All I have to do is sabotage him on the first few venues. I got Zeke to quit, didn't I? As soon as Ace is unsure of himself and his music, he'll be happy to retire on his fortune in Kismet with you.”

Caprice felt the lump in her throat sink straight to her stomach and land there like a bomb. She was horrified by the idea that Len and Alanna were sabotaging Ace. What was she going to do? She had to tell the rock legend what was going on.

However, Ace's words rang in her ears:
“My personal life is none of your business.”

What about his professional life? Should she stay out of it? Is that what a real friend would do? This was going to require thought and lots of it. She wouldn't make another impulsive decision.

As quietly as she could, she backed away from the veranda and scurried to her car in the driveway. She started the Camaro and drove away.

Before she knew it, she was driving through Kismet's business district. Its charm was definitely rooted into its early-1900s heritage. Many of the redbrick buildings displayed white trim around the windows and under the eaves. Several of the shops sported oval signs hung on wrought-iron brackets. The downtown area was a pleasant place to do business.

Soon she pulled into a small parking lot at the rental company, where she chose furniture for her stagings. Minimalist Illusion was a tricky theme, though she thought she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Concentrating on staging that house would put Ace's problem in the background for now. She'd let what she'd learned simmer until she knew exactly how to handle it.

A half hour later, Caprice walked up and down the aisles, a list on her electronic tablet of what she needed to rent. Ralph's Help Yourself Rental was just that. She could pick out what she wanted and have it delivered the same day. Customers here could find everything from giant coffeemakers to ranges, tables to sofas, TVs to computers. As usual, Caprice searched for the unusual, the pieces that would claim her theme, something expensive that could be rented for a pittance. Ralph was a great help because he let her into the back warehouse, where new items had come in and old ones were being shifted to another store. He had another warehouse in Philadelphia and one in Baltimore. Caprice sometimes spent hours going through his inventory online. But she much preferred to choose it in person. Right now, choosing furniture for her staging could keep her mind off Ace, Len, and Alanna.

The house she'd be staging had been designed with glass on three floors. The sun shone in most of the day. She wanted to use that brightness to her advantage. Blinds were enclosed in the windows and an electric mechanism opened and shut them. She found an octagonal black enamel bookcase, a Lucite desk, and white enamel lamps that could seem suspended in midair on glass tables. She added all to her list. Because of Alanna's open house, Caprice was behind on designing and planning, and she was determined to get caught up.

She was filling out paperwork when her phone played its Beatles song. She plucked it from her pocket. Just what would she say if this was Ace calling? Why would he be calling? She was getting paranoid.

Glancing at the screen, she smiled. It was Grant.

“Hi,” she said, maybe a little too breathlessly.

“Hi, yourself. Remember that self-defense course you promised me you'd take?”

“I remember. I've been watching for one, really I have.”

“I have, too,” Grant assured her. “I had a discussion with a client this morning, one of those should-a-woman-carry-a-gun discussions.”

“And what did you and your client decide?”

“That's not important. What
is
important is that she told me she signed up for a class at Green Tea Spa that starts next week. Her tae kwon do instructor's giving it. I thought you'd want to know.”

“Is it once a week?”

“She said it's a condensed course. There will be three two-hour sessions next week—Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I know you're busy, but this is really something you need to do.”

Yes, it was something she needed to do. But there was a lot to think about. She and Lady were still bonding, and she didn't want to leave her alone too often.

As if he read her thoughts, he said, “If you're worried about Lady, I told you I'd pupsit. She and Patches have a good time together.”

“That would tie you down.”

“Only for a couple hours at a time. I'm okay with it, Caprice. Think about it seriously. The instructor has credentials. She's given the course before. And Green Tea's in Kismet. You don't even have to travel to York or Harrisburg to take advantage of the class.”

“You're right. It's something I should fit into my schedule.”

“Just call the main receptionist at Green Tea, and she'll give you the information. Oh, and by the way, my schedule is clear for Sunday. Do you still want me to come along for your family dinner?”

Caprice's heart fluttered a little. “Of course, I do.”

“What time should I be there?”

“How does five sound?”

“It sounds good. Is there anything I can bring?”

Grant had attended family dinners before, but she couldn't ever remember him offering to bring something. Maybe because Vince always asked him at the last minute?

“I know you usually have the food covered,” he went on. “What about if I pick up a basket of fresh fruit.”

“That sounds good. I'm going to go over early and cook up my version of chicken cacciatore. So if you want to come before five, that's okay, too.”

“I'm looking forward to it,” Grant said, and he sounded as if he really was.

Were they turning some kind of corner on their friendship?

When she arrived back home, Caprice was still smiling.

Lady barked when Caprice removed the pet gate and greeted her. Even Sophia ambled to the kitchen as if she were glad to see her.

“My two best buddies. How about a snack before I let Lady out?”

“Snack” was a word that both Lady and Sophia recognized. Lady barked and Sophia hopped up onto a chair at the table.

Caprice laughed, glad she had these two animal friends in her life. She couldn't imagine a house without them.

 

 

The following morning, Caprice worked in her office. She e-mailed new clients, scheduled Skype consultations, and examined the layout for the Minimalist Illusion house and the furniture that she'd rent. As Sophia dozed on top of the printer and Lady lounged at her feet, Caprice's cell phone beeped.

She picked up her phone and saw the text from Roz,
Are you too busy for lunch? Can I bring takeout around noon? Thai?

Caprice smiled and texted back,
Sounds good. Anytime
. She and Roz talked as often as they could, but face-to-face get-togethers were sometimes rare. She knew she'd be seeing her Sunday. After all, she and Vince were dating. She was sure her brother would be bringing her to Easter dinner. But it would be nice to catch up before that.

A half hour later, Caprice was feeding Lady and Sophia their lunch when the doorbell rang. Caprice answered it and hugged her high-school friend. “I was glad you texted. We need some girl chat.”

Roz, always model-perfect in hair, makeup, and clothes, wrinkled her nose. “You just want to know what's going on with me and Vince. I know your bottom line.”

Caprice laughed. “You got me.”

Dylan danced at Roz's feet, and Caprice stooped down to talk to the little dog, whom she'd once rescued as a stray. He was part Shih Tzu, part Pomeranian, and all exuberant energy. When Roz had stayed with her after her husband's murder, her friend had fallen in love with Dylan and now they were a pair. When the little dog yipped, Lady came running from the kitchen, Sophia not far behind. Dylan and Lady touched noses as they usually did; then they rounded each other. Lady was already much bigger than Dylan, but she seemed unaware of that as they bobbed against each other and then trotted into the living room.