Fatshionista (12 page)

I was still
mopping off my chest when I walked into my office and ran face first into a
sandalwood-scented chest. For a moment I just wanted to stand there and breathe
it all in, fill my lungs with that spicy scent that was unique to this one man.
But then I realized I looked like I was massaging my breasts with my napkin, as
the coffee stain had almost disappeared.

I sighed, destined
to have yet another embarrassing spill conversation. I plastered a smile on my
face and looked up from my chest but froze when I saw where he was looking.
Daniel was staring at my breasts. And not staring in that wow-there-was-something-on-those-things
kind of way, but in the yes-that-was-what-I-wanted-to-have-for-breakfast kind
of way.

In an instant I
had gone from hapless klutz to a tingling mass of nerves. His eyes finally met
mine and I couldn’t look away. I felt him take the napkin out of my hand, the
back of his hand brushing against my hardened nipple. He leaned in a closer.
All I could think was,
Yes, yes, you are cleared for landing, please for God’s
sake plant one on me.

“Millicent,
Daniel called he said he wanted to see you first…oh, looks like he has already
found you.” Lizzie paused for a moment in the door. Thankfully my back was to
her, so she couldn’t see me blushing like a schoolgirl. Daniel stepped back and
smiled at Lizzie, then took a seat in the spare chair.

I turned toward
Lizzie, “Yes, he was just helping me clean myself up. I had another battle with
my coffee cup, and once again it was the victor.” Ahh, humor, my old friend.
With you I could extricate myself from any awkward situation.

“Well, at least
you’re wearing something to compliment the stain instead of clashing with it!”
And with that, Lizzie bounced back out of the office.

I took my time
rounding my desk, avoiding eye contact with Daniel while I buttoned up the
cardigan.

“You don’t need to
cover yourself.” Well, that was something; maybe he was finally ready to admit
that he liked staring at my ample bosom. “The stain has settled in and blends
well with the camel; I don’t think anyone will even notice your chest.”

And maybe not.
How quickly this rollercoaster took me up and then down. I wanted to get
off…the rollercoaster. I wanted to get off the rollercoaster, not get off…well,
yeah.

I took my seat
behind my desk and tried to put as much room as possible between me and the
rollercoaster. The gorgeous, sexy, sandalwood-scented rollercoaster.

I was a little
more focused with a nice solid piece of 1970s American construction between us.
“So, what brings you to the office first thing in the morning?”

Was he going to
fire me? He had the grimmest look on his face. “I had dinner with one of your
colleagues, and she had some rather interesting things to say. I wanted to come
in today and discuss some of them with you and get your input. Do you mind if I
close the door?”

That couldn’t be
good. I knew Scarlett had said TT made an appearance at their dinner. Surely
that wasn’t what brought him here.

“Sure, you can
just reach behind you and push it closed—one of the benefits of having a
tiny cubbyhole for an office.”

He uncrossed his
legs and stretched back over his shoulder to snag the door. The stretching
created some pulling and tightening in the general area of his lap, and I admit
it: I was mesmerized.

Daniel cleared
his throat and my eyes flew up to his face, his face that was now turned back
toward me, staring at me staring at his crotch. The heat of my blush crawled up
my chest and into my face. If TT’s comments didn’t send him running out of my
office, I was sure my blatant ogling would.

“Sorry, my mind
was wandering.” Was it ever. “What can I help you with, Daniel?”

“Scarlett asked
me to dinner, and as she is a close friend of my sister’s, I felt it would be rude
to refuse the invitation. Also, I recently learned she was at this company and
that was where my sister, McKenzie, had received the recommendation. After I
was told to look here, I did my research, and I feel confident that even
without Scarlett’s connection, this is the company I would have selected.”

“That’s good to
hear.” Daniel shifted in his chair and picked imaginary lint from his dress
pants. “Look, Daniel, if you have something to say, the easiest thing is to
just blurt it out. I know we have only known each other for a short while and
are still new in our working relationship, but please know that whatever you
say to me, I will keep in confidence. Although Scarlett and I do work at the
same company, it will not impact my ability to listen and, if need be, act on
what you are going to say. So please, continue.”

He finally looked
up at me and paused for a moment. He sighed and said, “Scarlett spent most of
the evening implying that you were only going to be working on my show for a
limited amount of time and that she would become the primary contact for me,
and for most other designers with whom you work, for that matter. I know we’ve
only worked together for a short time, but I like you, Millie, and I wanted you
to be aware that someone within your own organization seems to be targeting
you.”

Maybe I should
have let loose with that ninja-style letter opener throw. Then the problem
would be solved. Jail certainly might throw a wrench in my career, but it
seemed easier to deal with than bull crap like this.

“Daniel, I
appreciate you sharing this with me. I have no intention of abandoning you or
any of my other clients, for that matter. Scarlett just recently joined our
company and is certainly…well, I guess the polite
word would be ‘ambitious.’ I don’t know where she’s getting her information
from, but I assure you I stand behind everything I do, and if I start something
I finish it. Unless you are unhappy with the work we’ve done so far, I think we
can chalk this up to young ambition and continue to move forward with the
planning of your show.” I couldn’t believe that after five years at this
company I had to convince a client that I would be around to complete their
show. Where the hell did Scarlett get off?

Daniel held my
gaze for what felt like hours. It was as if he were trying to see into me and
find…something. I wanted to reach across the desk and grab his hands and assure
him that I would always be there for him. Finally, he smiled and relaxed back
into his chair.

“I’m relieved to
hear you say that, Millie, and I’m extremely pleased with the progress we’ve
made so far. I think we see eye to eye on many things, and I think you have a
true understanding of my aesthetic and what I’m trying to say as a designer.
But you can understand my concern when only a few weeks into our professional
relationship another colleague is implying that for whatever reason we will not
be continuing our relationship.”

I liked hearing
the word “relationship.”
Focus, Millie.
I smiled back and agreed with
everything he said. “Absolutely. I don’t start things without knowing that I’ll
be the one to finish them, so no matter what happens, your show is my
priority.”

“Wonderful,” he
said as he shifted forward and leaned his arms on my desk. “I almost hesitated
to come and speak with you about this because it felt very gossipy. Scarlett
has been a friend of our family for years, and I usually pay her no mind. I
accepted her dinner invitation because of her position here at this company,
not because of any personal affinity I have for her.”

Good, so he didn’t
like her either: That made me feel a little better. I still couldn’t believe
she would run off at the mouth about me and assume it wouldn’t get back. I had
a knack for finding out things, but thankfully this one fell into my lap.

“Well, since you’re
here, would you like to go over the mock-up I have for the show? I was going to
call you this morning and see if you were free this afternoon, but if now works
for you?” I really hadn’t planned on showing it to him this early, but I felt
as if I needed to prove that I was the one who could give him what he wanted.

“Brilliant. I
would love to clear my mind of this gossip and focus on what you have for me.”

I had any number
of things planned for him. Hmmm. I pulled the design board out from behind my
desk. I paused with it halfway in the air, still facing me.

“You know, on
second thought,” I said as I lowered the board back behind my desk, “I think
instead of showing you the board, I want to take you somewhere. You up for
that?”

Daniel grinned
and said, “Millie, my dear, after that painful conversation, I’m up for
anything.”

Oh, but if
that were only true, I would take you and all your up parts home with me.
Sigh. I plastered on my Suzy Sunshine smile and said, “Wonderful, let’s go!”

****

“I had expected a
museum or a boutique or maybe even the top of the Empire State Building. I have
to say I’m completely at a loss for what we’re doing here.” Daniel had stopped
dead in his tracks when we arrived at our destination.

Even me sitting
down on the brightly colored bench did nothing to assure him that we were in
the right place. “Daniel, sit and let me explain.”

“Yes, right.
Please do; I cannot imagine what this particular location has to do with either
fashion or my upcoming show. I’m all ears.”

With the noise
coming from all around us, he had to sit fairly close to me. I was instantly
aware of his thigh next to mine and his scent mingling with the spring air. I
used the excuse of leaning in so he could hear me to inch just a little closer
to him. Pathetic, yes, but at this point, I had to give my body something to
focus on so I could use my brain.

“Tell me what you
see when you look around.” I wanted to hear his impressions before giving him
mine.

“Chaos. Complete
and utter chaos. Mayhem, destruction. Total, utter bedlam.”

I burst out
laughing. I laughed so hard I snorted, and then I couldn’t stop laughing about
having snorted. I know I was continuing to impress him with all my ladylike
skills, but I just couldn’t stop laughing. He did not seem amused.

“I’m sorry; I’m
not laughing at you.” I could barely get the words out between my chuckles.

He raised one
perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Really? It kind of feels like you are when
immediately after I speak you’re overcome with laughter so powerful it comes
out of your nose.”

Nice to know he
didn’t miss the snort. The man didn’t miss a thing.

“I’m not laughing
at you, Daniel. I find it amusing that when presented with what can only be
described as a lovely children’s playground, you chose words more befitting a
battlefield.”

He continued to
look around at the groups of children and the numerous pieces of traditional
playground equipment with disdain. “I am not very comfortable with children or
the noise and complete disregard for clean clothing they bring with them. Even
now I’m in fear of one of them running up to us and planting a muddy hand on my
pants.”

“Oh, Daniel,
lighten up; they couldn’t care less about you and me sitting here. They’re
playing, they’re having fun, and they are in no way secretly planning an attack
on your pants.” My body, on the other hand, had big plans for those pants.

“Millie, you have
thirty seconds to explain A, why you brought me here, and B, what in the world
it has to do with my show.” He turned toward me and patiently waited for my
explanation. I was struck every time by the beauty of those dark brown eyes. They
were so much more interesting than the fake blue ones. The brown was like aged
brandy, and I was getting drunk on the idea of seeing those eyes light up with
passion the way they did in my dreams.

I mentally shook
myself out of my daydream and focused on his question. “I brought you here
because I wanted you to experience the feeling of the playground. Most adults
never go back to a playground after childhood unless it’s with their own
children, and then you’re so busy parenting them that you lose the ability to
take in the whole scene. Look around you, Daniel. The color of the equipment,
the colors of the clothing, the myriad of skin tones and hair color. A
playground is like a living, breathing rainbow, especially when it’s chilly and
you add the jackets, hats, and gloves.”

I was determined
to show him the beauty within this chaos. “But more important than the colors
is the feeling of joy. The mini life triumphs and disappointments, comedies and
tragedies, that are played out in this little lot in the middle of this giant
city. Look over there at the little blond girl with the Sikh boy. They’re
working together to navigate the rope climb up to the slide.” The little girl
was tugging and pulling the boy along with her, her blond hair in contrast to
the black cloth covering his hair. Her sturdy little legs were slightly longer
than his, and she was telling him where to put his feet.

“She seems rather
bossy to me,” he said, smiling. “I don’t know if he had any intention of
climbing that when he got here; he looks as if he’s still unsure of this
journey she has led him on.”

“See? It begins
on the playground, girls leading the merry chase, but I would also like to note
that it’s just as possible that this was his brilliant idea but he
overestimated his abilities and halfway up she had to take charge because she
knew they were never going to make it if he kept himming and hawing.”