Stubborn Love - A Contemporary Romance: Falling for Him (Falling for Him Contemporary Romance Series Book 6) (9 page)

Clara had been busting her ass for the last two weeks. She hasn’t seen Nigel since the meeting in his office, which was just as well. She didn’t want to get tempted. 

Her internship would be over after the fashion show, and after putting up with Kaylee for the last two weeks, it couldn’t come soon enough. That woman had been making her life miserable.

On her last day of work, Nigel walked by her desk and gave her a short “Goodbye” as he handed her some reference papers. She’d secretly hoped for …, yes, for what? Something. Anything. But no, he was as determined to forget her as she was to forget him.

Clara’s co-workers had arranged a small farewell lunch for her, although it didn’t last very long. Everyone was stressing as the day of the fashion show drew near. It was only a few days away, and the workload increased every day.

Everyone would attend the show – everyone except Clara. She was no longer an intern at
Bella,
and Kaylee had taken great joy in informing her that without an invitation, she’d not be allowed inside the show.

This fashion show was super exclusive and the tickets coveted. The attendees would be mostly fashion industry insiders, buying agents, and society ladies. Kaylee made sure Clara realized she was neither one…

Clara was bummed out. She absolutely had to visit the show. How else would she see which of her designs had made it to the catwalk? According to Phoebe Nigel always mentioned the name of the person who designed the piece, and that would mean she might get her name mentioned in the show.

When Clara was ready to accept her defeat, Sara came riding in on her white horse to save the day. Of course she already knew that Clara had left
Bella
. She also knew that Kaylee was the reason. Clara wondered who’d told Sara. But then she remembered hearing someone say once that Sara Newsom knew everything in the fashion industry, even before it happens.
Guess I’m a living example of that being true!

Her cell phone rang and it was Sara calling, “Hello Sara.”

“Clara, I was wondering if we could meet for coffee?”

“Uhm…sure. I guess.” She was ashamed of having let Sara down. After all, Sara was the reason she’d been given the internship with Bella in the first place and she had failed.

They met at the small coffee shop just down the block from Clara’s apartment later that night.

“Sara, I’m so sorry I let you down.”

“What?! Oh, Clara. You didn’t let me down. If you let anyone down, it was yourself.  In this industry you have to fight. Even me, I still have to fight.”

“Really?” she looked at her incredulous.

Sara told her a few stories from her past, of times when other people had attempted to outmaneuver her or make her look less than professional.

“So this is normal? That your boss tries to get rid of you because you’re better than her?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Our business is very cutthroat and everyone is competing for the same spot at the top.”

Clara nodded her head; having experienced this first hand gave her a whole new perspective on the fashion industry.

Sara and she discussed various other things, until she finally felt confident enough to ask her about the upcoming show. “Sara, how can I get a ticket to the fashion show tomorrow?”

“Oh, don’t you worry. If there’s one person in this city who can get a ticket, it’s me! Meet me in front of the venue tomorrow half an hour before the show. I’ll have a ticket for you with me.

Clara didn’t know what to say, “You..this...thank you!”

“You deserve it. Besides, I never liked Kaylee and I can’t wait to see her face when she sees you sitting in the first row at the show!”

Meanwhile at
Bella,
Nigel was going crazy. Everyone had come in on their day off to handle the final arrangements for the show. Chaos wherever he looked and he was less than happy with the final products of several of the pieces. The ideas were good, solid, but he missed the wow-effect.

“Kaylee, in my office now,” he said, striding back to his office and pacing in front of the large window.

“What’s up?” Kaylee asked, lounging just inside the doorway.

“The evening gown. It’s the last piece in the show, and should be a closing highlight, but it isn’t working. It has to dazzle.

We have so much riding on this collection. Every piece must be stunning. The buyers from California have already signed on to buy and unreal amount of merchandise.” This was the first big show for
Bella
, and he needed it to be spectacular. Everyone in the industry knew you got one chance to impress new buyers. Just one. If their first order didn’t sell, they’d never again buy from him.

“I need a new evening gown. A spectacular gown. A gown that gets standing ovations.”

Kaylee was desperate. The current evening gown was her own design, but she agreed with him – it’s lacking. It was good, but not spectacular. Nobody would rise from their seats when they saw it. She excused herself and returned a few minutes later with several sketches in her hands.

“Kaylee, these are fantastic. Certainly your best work.”

“Thank you,” Kaylee said.

“Why didn’t you show me these earlier? They are stunning!”  Nigel briefly wondered where she had gotten them so quickly, but that thought was pushed aside by the relief he felt that the show wasn’t going to be a bust.

“We need to make this one immediately. Do we have a fabric that would work in stock?” He handed Kaylee the sketch he’d chosen to be the final piece of the collection. Finally he relaxed. Everything would work out. This sketch was worth gold. The gown was a perfect fit for Bella.

He took a red pencil and made a few adjustments to the sketch, nothing big, but little things that would make sure the piece could be finished in time for the show.

“I’ll work on this right now.” Kaylee said.

Nigel watched her leave the office and an image of Clara wearing that dress sprang to his mind. That gown would suit her curvy figure as if it were made for her. Like the suit she had been wearing the day they met.

Why in hell am I thinking about her?
He should be glad, not to have another problem on his hands right now. Even while he acknowledged that fact, he still couldn’t stop thinking about her. He missed her. Terribly!

The long awaited fashion show day arrived and the fashion industry was abuzz with excitement. Clara was awestruck; she’d never been to such a big event.  And thanks to Sara’s magic, she was now sitting in the first row, right beside Sara herself and other important buyers and magazine chief editors.

She watched in awe Nigel’s new line, piece by piece. Several casual pieces in the collection were hers and she literally jumped up and down in her seat, whenever she recognized one. It was an intense emotion to see “her” garments on the catwalk. Pride. Excitement. Satisfaction.

The presentation was spectacular, but it was the evening gown at the end of the show that had everyone in the audience, including herself, gasping in delight. 
That’s my design!

Clara was couldn’t sit still in her seat, she grinned from ear to ear with pride and joy. She couldn’t believe it! When she’d shown the sketches to Kaylee, she had rejected it, saying it didn’t fit with the image
Bella
was trying to project.
Kaylee must have changed her mind
. Sure, they’d made a few adjustments here and there, but it was clearly her design.

The gown got standing ovations.

“I didn’t even know it was going to be in the show.” Clara whispered.

Sara looked at her and said, “It’s gorgeous. I might even put it on the cover of our next edition. Nigel’s a genius!”

When Nigel stepped up onto the stage, Clara held her breath. She didn’t know what came next. He wasn’t expecting her to be here, but there was no way he would be able to not see her sitting in the front row. Would he call her onto the catwalk? Or would he just mention her name
? Oh God, I’m so nervous!

She smoothed her skirt with trembling hands and looked down to her killer-high heels. Would she be able to climb onto the stage without stumbling?

“Thank you. I’d like to introduce the woman responsible for the evening gown you just saw. Kaylee Jennings!”

“
What?!
”
Clara gasped. She was furious. Sad. Hurt. Confused.

“Clara, what’s wrong?” Sara asked, noticing that she was half out of her seat and shaking with her emotions.

“That dress was mine!” she whispered through clenched teeth. She was glaring at Nigel and Kaylee, who were looking everywhere but at her!

Sara gave her a stern look. “It sure doesn’t wear Kaylee’s signature. But this is a severe accusation. Can you prove it?”

“Well, I have early sketches in my notebook, maybe even the finished…Oh no. I gave the finished sketch to Kaylee, but she never gave it back to me!”

Sara shook her head, “Too bad. Even though I believe you, nobody else will. This will teach you to always keep the signed originals in your hands.”

Clara was shell-shocked and almost started crying. How could Kaylee have stolen her design? How could Nigel not have noticed?

Sara could see her struggling with her emotions and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Time to grow up, Clara. This is how the industry works. You better start fighting for what you want, if you’re here to stay.”

“But how? What can I do?” she cried pointing towards the stage where Kaylee was still accepting congratulations.

“Start with Nigel. You two have a lot of talking to do.”

“Why do I need to talk with Nigel?” she was confused as to how that would help. 

“Clara, I saw the look in your eyes on that first meeting. You two are clearly in love. I can recognize that look from a mile away.”

Sara couldn’t say anything else, because by now everyone was getting up from his or her seats. Many people who all wanted to talk to Sara instantly surrounded her. She gave Clara a sympathetic look and then turned her attention to her admiring audience.

She said I need to fight for what I want. What do I want?

A few days after the fashion show Nigel was sitting in his office, amazed at how successful the show had been. He’d received buying orders on a constant basis. His employees were proud and happy when he told them, that
Bella
would now be a staple label in most major department stores.

To celebrate their success, he’d given them the rest of the afternoon off and there were only a few people left in the office. He sat looking out the window wondering why he wasn’t more fulfilled.
I should be ecstatic with the line’s success.

Something was missing. No, someone was missing. Ever since Clara left, he’d been looking for her around every corner. He missed her. Her smile. Her positive attitude. The way she made his heart jump.

He knew he was being stubborn sticking to his principle of not mixing business and private life, but he was afraid to take a risk again. Even though he had denied his feelings for Clara, at least when she’d been in the office he had felt near to her. Now she was gone and he felt lonely.

Nigel no longer suspected that she had just been using him. It was his anger that had sent him over the edge, and his anger with her was long forgotten. Now he just felt sadness.
I wished, Clara was here.

When he heard the door open behind him, he turned around and then a smile showed on his face.
Did I just conjure her up with my thoughts?
As he looked at the angry set of her shoulders and the mutinous look in her eyes, the smile on his mouth died.

“Clara?” he asked.

“That evening gown was
MY
design. Not Kaylee’s!”

Nigel was shocked. She thrust her notebook at him. “Have a look!”

She reached across his desk and stabbed the front sketch, “Here are the unfinished sketches to prove it. I gave the finished sketch to Kaylee, but she dismissed it and said it wasn’t appropriate for this line. She kept the original sketch. Obviously.”

He looked at the unfinished sketch and could definitely see the similarities. A suspicion entered his mind. Was this the reason Kaylee had delivered them so quickly on his request for a new gown?

“Clara, I’m sure this is a misunderstanding. I can see the similarities, but Kaylee…”

“Is a liar and a thief!”

Was what she was claiming true? He wanted nothing to do with stealing of designs and dishonesty. “Clara, why don’t you have a seat and let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this.”

He waited until she complied and then called Kaylee into his office. When she entered and saw Clara, she visibly paled for a few seconds, before adopting her professional mask again.

“Nigel, you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes. Clara has made a very shocking accusation and I would like to hear your side of it. She claims the design for the evening gown in the show is hers and you stole it.”

“What?! And you believe her. She’s nothing but a copycat designer at best. Most of her ideas were last year’s trends and she probably stole them from the fashion mags in the lobby!”

Clara rose halfway from her seat, her fists clenched in fury. He walked around his desk, positioning himself between the two women before they could do physical damage to each other.

Kaylee had always been on her best behavior when dealing with him, but the other employees couldn’t stand her. He’d never given much thought to office rumors, but now he acknowledged he probably should have. Perhaps this hadn’t been the normal “complain about your boss” routine.

“Kaylee, please go get the finished sketch you showed me a few days ago.”

She threw a nasty look at Clara but then left, returning a few moments later with the sketch in hand. He held out his hand for it and she reluctantly placed it in his palm.

Now what? He’d never had to deal with stealing employees before. To gain time, he compared the finished product to the earlier sketches in Clara’s notebook. They were indeed similar, too similar. He was inclined to believe Clara.

In a flash of wit he leaned down and whispered in Clara’s ear, “Do you have a standard signature you put on your pieces?”

Clara nodded her head and then showed him the little signature C that she had placed on the waist of the sketches in her notebook. He scrutinized the finished drawing, taking a breath when he found the mark. This couldn’t be a coincidence! Nigel was still not one hundred percent sure, but pushed forward.

“Kaylee, are you aware that Clara signs all of her sketches?” he closely observed his senior designer blush and then shake her head in denial.

“No. No. There’s no signature on that sketch.” Kaylee’s voice cracked.

He looked at her and this time it was him shaking his head, “You know better than that. Designers rarely sign their full names. Instead they use a unique signature, something unobtrusive, but easily recognizable. I see that mark on both sketches.”

He let the silence grow in the office for several heartbeats before he concluded, “You stole Clara’s design. Didn’t you?”

When Kaylee sat there staring him down and refusing to speak, he pressured her, “Kaylee, admit what you’ve done and I’ll only fire you. Persist in lying, and I will press charges against you, and I will encourage Clara to do the same.”

Kaylee’s shoulders sagged in defeat, “Fine. I admit it. She deserved it. She was out to get my job.”

“You’re fired. Immediately. Don’t even bother cleaning out your desk. Someone else will do that and send your personal effects to you.” Nigel glanced up and saw Phoebe was just getting ready to leave the office, “Phoebe?”

She turned and approached his office, confusion on her face, when she spotted Clara and Kaylee. When she saw the two sketches she gasped and whispered,  “The evening gown! Oh my god!”

Nigel ignored her comment and said, “Would you please escort Kaylee out of the building? She may retrieve her purse, but that is all she is to take with her. Unfortunately, I cannot trust that she doesn’t have other stolen designs in her possession and we will need to do a thorough inventory of her desk.”

“Sure Nigel. I can certainly do that.” Phoebe gave Kaylee a contemptuous look, “Come on you, thief! Go get your purse so I can get you out of here.”

Kaylee left his office with her head held high, her face red, and a grinning Phoebe trailing behind her.

Nigel turned to Clara, “I’m so sorry this happened. Can you forgive me?”

Clara faced him, hurt showing deep in her beautiful brown eyes. Her shoulders hanging, she answered, “It wasn’t your fault. I just wanted you to know that you had a viper working for you.”

“I’ve missed you.”

She didn’t respond and prepared to leave. “Wait! Clara, I was wrong. Let me make it up to you. I should have never ended your internship or listened to Kaylee’s lies. It seems that I am in need of a senior designer. Are you interested?”

Clara looked at him for several seconds and then shook her head, “No. I’m not.”

“Why not?”

She didn’t answer him; without another word she gathered up her notebook and purse and walked out of his office.

Nigel leaned against his desk for several minutes trying to figure out what had just happened.
I just offered her a prized position in my company and she turned me down? What does that woman want?  How on earth does any man ever understand a woman?