Fashioned for Love (A Silver Script Novel Book 3) (3 page)

“I barely know her.” Lance could feel his face burn. “Ah, here we go.”

The models trailed in one by one and stood up on the pedestals. Lance walked around each of them, coming up with ways to make the dresses work for what he needed. The colors were perfect. Lance rattled off what needed to be done to each while his assistants jotted everything down in a notebook. Once it was all decided, they allowed the models to leave and pulled out the mannequins. It would be much easier to make the adjustments on them.

Tailors came in to take over, and Lance went back to his office. He pulled out the drawings and made a few changes he’d thought of as he’d worked on the other gowns. Once he was done, he scanned them and sent copies off to Debra and Anthony. The fashion show wasn’t too far away and he was anxious to get started on advertising.

Debra twisted on her chair, tapping her fingers to the song playing on her computer.  It was a new jingle written for a Super Bowl commercial. The tune was catchy, but the words weren’t quite right. She’d told her writers several times that it needed some adjusting, but it still wasn’t flowing for her.

Her computer pinged with a new email, giving her a welcome break from the song. She could go back to it later. Or see if Erin or Carissa could come up with something. It was an email from Lance. Debra couldn’t help the small flutter in her stomach as she opened the message.

Several pictures were attached to the email along with ideas for commercials. But then down at the bottom, he signed his name and added how much he’d enjoyed the party with her. Debra grinned at the message. So he’d also felt something that night.

After several attempts at a return email, she gave up and decided just to go through the attachments he’d sent. The dress ideas were gorgeous. It would be easy to create an ad for them. The dresses practically sold themselves.

She wrote a quick email back, letting him know his ideas for the ads would work wonderfully, and hesitated before mentioning that she’d enjoyed the evening as well. It was just courteous to say that back, right? She sent the email before thinking twice and lifted her phone to call Erin and Carissa in to her office.

While she waited for them to come, Debra started arranging the ad to give each dress the best exposure. A short knock was followed by Erin and Carissa coming into the office.

Erin walked around Debra’s desk. “These are the dresses? Wow, he outdid himself, didn’t he?”

Carissa leaned forward. “Man, I should have had him design my dress.”

“Do you recognize this one?” Debra pointed her mouse at a green dress on the screen.

“It looks familiar, but …” Erin narrowed her eyes, studying the screen. “It looks like the one Lily wore at the party.”

“He’s wanting to get her into the show if it’s possible.” Debra laughed. “It’ll take a miracle. After all the press she’s had, I’m guessing she’ll be hiding out in her house.”

Erin rubbed her chin as she stared at the screen. “I think she just needs the right coaxing. She has the perfect body for it, like it was made just for her. Which wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

“Me neither.” Debra rearranged a few of the pictures. “What do you think?”

Erin nodded. “I think it’ll be great. We should be able to roll this out pretty quickly. Do you want us to take over? The chocolate commercials finished shooting today, and Smithson Jewelers will be done by the end of next week.”

“I’ll take care of this one. I have something else for you two.” She pulled up the jingle. “This has been driving me crazy. I need you to figure out how to fix it.”

Erin listened for a moment. “They have a few extra words where they don’t need to be. Send it over and we can work on it. When do you need it?”

Debra smiled. She knew they’d figure it out. “They want it ready to air for the Super Bowl, but it has to get recorded, so I’d say by Monday.”

“Got it.” Erin stood and walked to the door humming the tune. “We’re heading out for lunch and then we’ll work on the commercial. Do you want anything?”

“Grab me a sandwich if you get a chance.” Debra smiled as they left and turned back to the ad. She wanted it just perfect before sending back a sample.

Debra stared at the computer screen as she waited to hear back from Lance. She’d sent the proofs back an hour before, but hadn’t heard anything. The knock at the door made her jump. She swiveled in her chair.

“Come in.”

Nate poked his head into her office. “Hey, I have those numbers for the Super Bowl commercial.”

“Oh, wonderful. Thank you.” Debra wiped her hands and took the folder from him. She flipped through the numbers and nodded at each of the totals. They were right on with the estimates, so she signed it off and handed back the folder. “These are great. Pass them on and we’ll see what they say.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure the studio would cave on the fees, but we managed to convince them it was a good idea. Looks like the filming could start next Monday if they approve it.”

Debra smiled up at him. “Perfect. Was there anything else you needed?”

“Nope. Not unless you know of an apartment. The frozen pipes cracked and flowed into the apartment below, and of course, we’re getting blamed for it.” Nate sighed. “I knew I should’ve moved out when I had the chance.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe my old apartment is still available. It’s not the best, but it’s better than what you have now.” Debra grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote out a number. “Here’s my landlord’s name. Play nice and he’ll be putty in your hands.”

Nate smirked and took the note from Debra. “I always play nice. Thanks for this. I owe you.”

“We’ll see what you think after you check out the place.” She laughed as he grinned and left the office. Her phone rang, so she picked it up. “Silver Script Ad Agency. Debra speaking.”

“Debra? Hi, this is Lance.” The deep, rich voice sent thrills through Debra, making her forget how to speak for a moment.

“Hey, Lance. Is there something I can do for you?” She cringed at the formality, but she had no clue what else to say. Socializing at a party was totally different than talking on the phone at work. She pushed away the nervousness. He was a client, and she had sent him some mockups to look through. That was it.

There was a short silence before Lance spoke again. “These ads look fantastic. I wondered if you would like to get some dinner while we talk about some options for the commercial.”

Debra jerked and pulled her phone away from her to stare at it. Had he just asked her out? No, it was just a business dinner. She fought down the excitement. She could cheer once she figured out what was going on. “Of course. What time works for you?”

“Well, I just finished up what I needed to get done for tonight and thought maybe we could go in the next half hour or so.” He paused. “Unless you need more time.”

Debra glanced at the classifieds on her computer. “That’s great. I’ll collect my things. Do you have anything in mind for a restaurant?”

“Nothing fancy. Somewhere low-key where we can talk easily. I’ll meet you at the agency and we can figure something out. How does that sound?”

“Perfect. I’ll look around for some places in the area.” Debra pulled up a list of restaurants nearby. She didn’t eat out much, but Erin did. Maybe she’d have a recommendation.

“Wonderful. I’ll see you in a few.” Lance hung up and Debra set her phone on the cradle.

Elation, giddiness, and nervousness warred in Debra’s stomach. It was just a business meeting. That’s it. She could do this. Thoughts of the dance that night and the feel of his arms around her overpowered the attempt to remain calm. She stood and pulled open the cupboard where she kept a small mirror, brush, and makeup. It was important to look good for the clients who came into the office, and tonight she was thankful for it. She touched up her makeup and brushed through her hair.

“Hey, Debra? I have those—wait, do we have a meeting I don’t know about?” Erin stood in the doorway with wide eyes.

Debra set down the brush and turned, her face burning. “No. I’m going to a business dinner.”

“Uh-huh. So why are you wearing lipstick?” Erin set the files on Debra’s desk and folded her arms. “Does this business dinner have something to do with a guy?”

Trust Erin to notice. “Yes, it happens to be Lance. And I need some advice.”

“I knew it. I knew you two liked each other.” Erin grinned. “What advice? Kissing?”

Debra rolled her eyes. “Hardly. He’s coming over here and asked about a good place to eat. You’re usually the one who grabs my lunch.”

Erin tapped her chin, her eyes dancing. “Let’s see. Romantic, but not too romantic and good for business.”

“Not romantic. Just good for business.” Debra leaned forward to click on the list of restaurants. “Which of these places are good?”

“I’d avoid most of them because of the dinner rush. I think your best bet is this diner across the street, or this diner that’s closer to my apartment. Both are fantastic, and both have a quiet atmosphere.”

Debra stared at the two diners. “I think we’ll go closer. You’re sure this place is good?”

“I’ve only eaten there a couple of times with Carissa. Usually we just grab something in the cafe next to it so we can get back to the office, but I like the food and the atmosphere has a homey romance edge to it.”

“Thank you. And I’ll look over the files you brought me tonight.” Debra put the envelope with the ad mockups into her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Erin waved it off. “That can wait. I want you to enjoy your date.”

“Business dinner.” Debra shut down her computer. She pushed the excitement down, wanting Erin to be right, but as he’d wanted to talk about the files, it was nothing more than a client meeting. Right?

Erin laughed and walked toward the door. “Call it what you want, but it’s totally a date.”

Debra’s office phone buzzed. “Mr. Walker is here to see you.”

“Thanks, Sarah.” Debra took a deep breath and straightened her dress, then turned off the light and shut the door. She could do this.

Lance tapped his laptop bag nervously as he waited for Debra to meet him in the lobby. He’d told himself several times that he shouldn’t expect anything from this dinner, except maybe some great ads for his company.

That was, until Debra stepped out of the elevator. Her hair was just as perfect as it had been at the party, and the way the dress hugged her body, made his heart race just a little more. She’d chosen a dark red lipstick and it accented her beautiful smile. He couldn’t help checking his tie one more time before stepping forward to shake her hand. The zing he’d felt during the dance was still there as her small hand gripped his firmly.

“Thanks again for meeting with me. I hope I didn’t ruin any of your plans.”

She laughed. “No, I’m glad you called. I’d been planning to go home to eat leftovers on my couch.”

“That sounds just as exciting as my night would have been.” Why did he just say that? He’d insulted her and told her he was boring all in the same sentence. “So, where are we headed?”

“Erin told me about a diner that’s across the street. Will that work? Otherwise, we could try somewhere else. I believe a new Italian place just opened up a few blocks away.”

“The diner sounds perfect. I’d like some good comfort food.” He waited for her to put her coat on, and followed her out of the office. The sidewalks were slick and while he’d noticed Debra wore boots, he still kept a hand out just in case she slipped.

Debra stopped at the stoplight and pushed the button. She shivered and smiled up at him. “Maybe we should have ordered dinner at my office instead.”

He laughed. “It would have been warmer, for sure. We can go back if you’d like.”

The light changed just then, and they got lost in the crowd as they filed across the intersection. Lance put his hand on Debra’s back as they walked so he wouldn’t lose her, and let go as soon as they were across.

“The diner is just over here.” Debra stood to the side to let a few people pass, and then walked down the block a few yards. She moved to open the door, but Lance reached forward and opened it for her.

“Here you go.” He cringed when he saw the slight annoyed look on her face. So, she wasn’t one who liked having him open the door for her. Lance took in the small diner as they waited to be seated. “This is a nice place. I can see why Erin suggested it.”

Debra nodded. “She has great taste.”

The waitress showed them to a table and Lance held the chair out for Debra, then sat down.  Lance refrained from shaking his head when he noticed her pursed lips. He was already messing this up just by trying to be a gentleman. He took the menu he was handed and glanced through it. The food was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

“Man, it all sounds so good.” Debra stared down at her menu. “Do you know what you want?”

“No, but I was thinking the steak and baked potato.” So much for his diet, but this was business. “Have you decided yet?”

Debra closed her menu. “I think I’ll have their soup and salad. It’s so cold out there, I need something to warm me up.”

When the waiter came by, they put in their orders, and waited for him to pour them each some water before moving on to the next table.

“So, how’d things go today? You guys have that fashion show coming up soon, right?” Debra picked up her glass and took a drink.

“Pretty good. We got some last minute orders so that made things a little crazy, but we’ll be ready. Then I can concentrate on this line a little more. I love the dresses, but there are a couple of things on the men’s jackets that I’m not sure I like yet.” Lance was relieved that Debra went straight to business. Even though he wanted to learn everything about her, at least this way they had something to break the ice.

“Well, the designs you sent over are brilliant. I can’t wait to see what they’re like when they come to life.” Her smile lit up her face, sending a thrill through Lance. “I can’t imagine how you come up with so many beautiful designs over and over again. It’s quite amazing.”

Lance laughed. “I have help with some of it. They’re not all of my designs, but I have the final say with what we do. A lot of the time I’ll tweak them. But it’s kind of the same thing you do. I create clothing in ways that allow people to express themselves. You create your ads in ways that appeal to people to buy them. If we didn’t have both, the clothes would go nowhere.”

Debra unrolled her napkin and laid it out on her lap. “I guess that’s true, but I still say it takes more to design the actual clothing.”

“Fair enough. But a lot of the time it just feels like playing. Add a bow here, a splash of color there. Buttons or zippers? I get lost in the work and forget to eat a lot of the time.” Lance stopped, embarrassed by his passion for designing. It’s usually where his date lost interest and decided not to go out for a second time.

“So, I’m not the only one who gets lost in work? That’s a relief to hear. Erin has to bring me lunch so I’ll actually eat.” Debra paused. “Although, now that I think about it, David is also guilty of it as well.”

Relief washed over Lance. “Maybe that’s why I’ve never done lunch with David. We’re pretty good friends, but neither of us can get away.”

Their meals came and Lance thanked the waitress before picking up his fork and knife. “Let’s see if this tastes anywhere near as good as it smells.”

Debra glanced at his plate. “I may have chosen the wrong meal.”

Lance chuckled and took a bite of his steak. It nearly melted in his mouth. It was cooked to perfection, and the seasoning they’d used accented the meat perfectly. His baked potato had just the right amount of butter and sour cream. It took him back to summers on the ranch with his grandma.

“You look like you’re in heaven.” Debra’s eyes danced as she sipped her tomato soup.

“I’m pretty sure I am. This is perfect.” He hesitated before cutting a small piece off. “Want to try a bite?”

“You have no idea.” She leaned back so he could slide the steak off his fork onto her plate. She took a bite of it and closed her eyes. “Oh, you weren’t kidding.”

Lance cut off another piece for her and then one for him. “How is your soup?”

“Fantastic. Not as mouth watering as your steak, but still very good. I finally feel like I’ve thawed out.” She looked down at it. “I’d share, but it’s a little harder than sharing your steak.”

“I’m fine. Tomatoes and I don’t always agree.” That was an understatement. He’d hated tomatoes since he was young and had eaten too many of his grandma’s.

The rest of the meal was quiet as they enjoyed the dinner in front of them. Lance’s mind wandered between the woman in front of him, and the designs that were fighting to come out onto paper. The retro feel had given him some ideas for the upcoming show, and he wanted to get them drawn before he lost the inspiration.

His fingers moved themselves as he shaped the napkin into a flowing dress. It wasn’t until he reached for his fork to use as a model that he realized Debra was staring at him. He dropped the napkin and took a drink of water to hide his burning face.

“Sorry about that.” He coughed.

“Don’t be sorry. You obviously had something in mind. Perhaps we should go?” She folded her napkin on the table.

He shook his head. “I’m fine. We can talk about the account first, and then I can work on this once I get home.”

Debra studied him for a moment before pulling out a folder.  “Here is what you sent to me, and I came up with a few ideas for what we can do. If we don’t have time for any commercials, these ads should work great splashed across all the fashion magazines and catalogs. I highly recommend finding some big names to wear your clothing out in public like you’ve done before, and then the show is a must.”

Lance pulled out a pen and looked through the pictures. He made small notes as he went. Some for him so he knew what he wanted to fix. And others for Debra so she’d know which gowns would complement each other better. When he was done, he handed them back. “I hope you don’t mind my notes.”

“Of course not. I want to make sure this works for you. Would you like a copy of these as well? I can fax them, or you can run up with me to the office to make a copy tonight.” She rifled through them, smiling at some of the notes, and nodding at others. “These are great suggestions. Although, with this overcoat, and this gown, I’d like to keep them here. While I see what you mean, I think it’s a better suggestion for men who are looking for the perfect dress for their Valentine.”

Lance stared at the picture in front of him and considered the outcome. She had a point. This was one of the gowns that would be made of a cheaper cotton, and would appeal to more people. He finally nodded. “I like it. Let’s do it your way. And if you don’t mind, I’d like those copies tonight. I had a few tweaks I want to do before tomorrow so we can get started on the sewing.”

Debra put the file back into her bag, and pulled out her wallet. “Let’s do that. I need to grab my laptop anyway.”

Lance put his hand over hers. “Dinner is on me. I asked you to come with me, so I would like to pay.”

She clenched her jaw before finally agreeing. “I’m not used to gentlemen. I’m sorry.”

“Then you’ve been around the wrong men.” He pulled out his wallet and took the receipt up to pay. He left a generous tip, and put his hand on Debra’s back as they made their way out of the diner. The temperature had dropped dramatically while they were inside, and Lance hoped the snow would wait until he got back home. Otherwise he’d be spending the night in his office.

Lance stood back while Debra typed her ID into the pin pad and turned the lock. A burst of warm air welcomed them into the office as they walked inside and headed straight for the elevator. He’d only been in this building a couple of times, but he was always impressed at how sharp they kept everything.

When they got to the right floor, Lance followed Debra into her office. He was used to going into the conference room and it felt strange to go anywhere else. She kept everything neat, and the pictures on the wall were cityscapes, awards the agency had won, and some of the ads that she had apparently worked on. He stepped closer to one of them, recognizing the model they’d used.

“Isn’t that Erin?” he asked.

“You didn’t hear about that? The jeweler thought she and Jake had better chemistry than the actress they’d hired, and chose her instead. Turns out, he was right. They’re getting married at Christmas.” Debra pulled the papers out of her bag and warmed the copier up.

Lance nodded and moved on to the next ad. This one was an ad for his company that they’d done for Christmas. It had helped pull in a lot of new customers, including the wedding party they’d finished earlier that day.

Debra stepped next to him. “I just had this one hung yesterday. Erin has one in her office as well.”

“You all did a great job with it.” This was one shoot he’d actually made it to, and it had gone better than he’d expected.

“We had a great line to work with.” She smiled and handed him a file folder with his pictures and notes. “Here you go.”

Lance took them and put them in his laptop bag. “Thank you. I’ll have something to work on over the weekend.”

“That sounds like an exciting weekend.” She laughed. “I’ll be squeezing work in between a family party and my nephew’s hockey game.”

“Oh, that’s great. I used to play when I was in high school. How old is your nephew?”

“He’s ten, but he’s been playing since he was five. Because he’s the only boy among three sisters, his dad wants to make sure he’s tough.” She laughed.

Lance grinned. “Sounds about right. I’m the only son as well. My sisters hated that I usually got what I wanted.”

Debra looked up at him. “So, are they the reason you got into fashion?”

“Pretty much. They dressed me up all the time since I was the youngest. One is off in Paris and I only see her during the fashion week there. My other sister is off sewing clothes in a shelter in Africa somewhere. She married a guy who convinced her to join the Peace Corps and they’ve been there ever since.” Lance hadn’t meant to tell her so much. It was the way her eyes seemed to look into his soul. “Thanks again for dinner tonight.”

“You’re welcome. It was wonderful. I think I found my new favorite place to eat.”

“I have to agree. We might have to do business dinners more often.” Lance paused as he met her eyes. This was so out of character for him, but he had to push it out before he lost his nerve. “Or … a date?”