Champagne Showers (4 page)

“Kiddo, take your time. There are many opportunities out there for you. Why don’t you work independently?”

“Huh?”

“Maybe you should really consider taking some of your nest egg money and opening your own design firm. You have an amazing talent and such an entrepreneur spirit. Your mom and I will help you as much as we can, kiddo.”

“Wow I really never thought about working solo.”

“Your mom and I have run our own businesses since you before you were born. You know this. We’ll be here to help you with any business questions you may need to get the ball rolling.”

“Okay, lunch is served! Waldorf apple salad and honey baked ham sandwiches, your favorite!” My mom is just beaming.

“Thanks Mom. This looks great. Dad had an idea. He thinks I should open up my own design firm.”

“Oh honey, that’s a brilliant idea. Just throw all your energy and creative ideas into a new project. I think that’s just what you need to refresh yourself and your career. I love it!”

“Yeah, I think you guys are right. I like this idea.”

As we eat, visions of the bronze Neptune start resurfacing... Oh his abs!

“Dani, knock, knock, are you okay?”

“Mom, sorry. I’m just a little tired from the long drive and all the sun. I think I’ll go take a nap and recharge a little after lunch. I suddenly have a lot more to think about.”

After I ate the delicious lunch and heard one charming gallery story after another, I climb on top of my bed and drift off. It’s so good to be home.

One Year Later…

“I really need you to get that lamp for the bedside table in the master suite to me by 9:30 before the opening ceremony at 10:00. This is so important to me, can I count on you?”

“Yes, Danielle,” Sarah, my temporary assistant, pouts through the speaker on my phone.

“I’ll get it there by 9:15 even, if you let me get off the phone.”

“Done. See you soon, and thanks Sarah!”

I hit the red end button on my phone and shove it into my pocket. Today there can’t be any hitches. The opportunity to decorate this entire home in the Parade of Luxury Homes was a huge honor and sure to land me some new business. I know that my best friend, Simone, had to pull a few strings get me in front of the design committee. Since opening my own firm a year ago, I have been able to lease a little walk up office space on the ground floor of the building where I’m also leasing a condo. It’s such an ideal situation and just by being located there, I have gotten a lot of business.

I hustle around the master suite to put the finishing touches on the room, well, aside from the missing lamp. I have a strange sensation that I’m not alone so I turn to see if my nerves are getting the better of me. As I turn around, I stop moving because straight ahead is the most amazing man I have ever seen, standing in the doorway of the master bedroom.  I feel my breath hitch at the back of my throat and my pulse quickens. I feel a little alarmed and excited at the same time as the hair on my arms stand on end. I feel a warm flush wash over my body. All of this happens in the split second of seeing him.

He seems familiar, but at the same time, he is a complete stranger. He says something to me but I have frozen in place and all of the sudden I can’t even remember where I am, much less my own name. He is probably the sexiest man I have ever been in this close of a proximity to. He is wearing a steel blue retro-looking suit with a crisp white collared button up shirt and a black skinny tie. His shoes look Italian and expensive and I think I can see cuff links glimmering at his wrists. He smiles at me with an amused look on his face and with laughter in his eyes.

I realize he’s spoken.

“Huh?” I answer.

He reaches out his hand, takes my hand into his and introduces himself, “My name is Harrison Towers. This is my project. You must be Danielle Pyne?”

The electric shock I feel from his touch is enough to light up the Manhattan skyline.

“Austen,” I stutter.

He looks confused and says, “Excuse me?”

I blush, “Oh I’m sorry, you caught me off guard. My name is Danielle Austen… I just changed it.”

He offers a hesitant smile and says cautiously, “Oh, are congratulations in order?”

Now I am thoroughly confused, “Um, not really, or um, for what?”

He replies quickly with an almost annoyed tone, “Well if you changed your name recently, you must have gotten married?”

I’m distracted by his accent, French maybe? Shaking off my random thoughts, I nervously reply, “Oh no, I just changed it back to my maiden name. I divorced a year ago… I started my design firm right after things were official and named it accordingly. I only recently felt that I wanted to re-establish myself as an independent woman, so a little late for my firm name, but not too late for me.”

Oh no! I was just totally rambling and I think I can feel my face glowing crimson red. When I look up at him, he is smirking at me. Oh, why do I always manage to sound like a booby in the most inopportune moments?!

He flashes this award-winning smile and looks me up and down, then locks eyes with my own. “Well then, I would say congratulations
are
in order.”

Once again, I can feel the heat from my embarrassment turning my face a bright shade of red. Why do I feel so awkward?

“I wanted to meet you and talk about another project I am interested in having you work on. I like your work here, I am partial to ultra-modern and contemporary finishes, and I think you might be the right person for this project.”

Okay, now we are talking business and I can feel my body temperature retreating to a respectable level.

“Well, yes I would be very interested, what sort of project is it?”

“I have a high rise development in the city. Three towers to be exact. I would like to have the three lobbies decorated as well as a penthouse in one of the towers.” He seems to be smiling to himself when he finishes that last sentence.

I’m so giddy, I can’t contain myself. As calmly as possible, I reply, “I would love to bid on your project. When shall we meet to go over the scope of work?”

“I would like this done within a month’s time, possibly even less. Can you meet me at the end of this week on Friday at the Columbia Tower?” he hands me a card, “10:00?”

I pull my smart phone out of my pocket and slide the unlock tab. I pretend to look through my Google calendar. I nonchalantly reply, “Why yes, I do happen to have this Friday at ten open.”

I put the phone back into my pocket and look up to see him smiling down at me with quite an amused look on his face. “Until then, enjoy the Parade of Luxury Homes, Miss Danielle Austen.”

With that, he turns to exit the room and poof he’s gone.

I turn back to look the room over and then straighten my skirt and exit the room walking right through the lingering scent of him, something musky like cloves and sandalwood and is that vanilla? Whatever it is, it’s intoxicating.

Later that evening after the show closes for the day, I drive back to the Pearl District to my condo. My mind wanders immediately to Harrison Towers. I can’t seem to get his smile out of my head, and it dons on me where I have seen him before. I’m damned sure that Harrison Towers is the same person I gawked at on the beach a year ago right after my divorce was official. He was the surfer guy. Nah couldn’t be… I mean that would be just too strange. 

I pull into the parking garage and head up to my condo. Just as I enter the door, I can feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I look at the caller ID and see that it’s Simone.

“Hey girlie,” she sings through the speakerphone. “So, how was your groundbreaking day? Did you hand out lots of business cards and brochures or did you get it on in the coat closet with that hot sales agent?”

“Nice, Simone,” I grumble, “For your information, I’m pretty sure that Bruce, the hot sales agent, is hot after Carl the carpet guy. Anyway, the day went great. In fact, really great.”

“Okay Dan, I can hear it in your voice, something is up, spill it! Do not hold out on me!”

Feeling excited, I mean really excited for the first time in a few years, I give her the whole recap of my morning with emphasis on my meeting with Harrison Towers. I explain how he wants me to bid on decorating the three lobbies and penthouse in his new high-end river front development. Oh what this could mean to my career.

Simone shrieks, “Shut the front door! You actually met The Harrison Towers, in the flesh? Do you realize he was voted, like sexiest man alive in the 40’s age group in that poll in Men’s Style magazine? Like several times?”

I try to sound disinterested, “Hmmm, I hadn’t realized. Anyway, I’m excited about possibly getting this project. What a boost to my business that would be.”

“You should hear yourself. Are you kidding me? He’s probably the most eligible bachelor on the planet right now. He comes from super old money from somewhere in Canada like Québec or Montreal.

Aha, I think, that’s where that slight accent I detected is from. They speak French there.

“Danners, as your best friend and confidant, I’m going to insist that you throw caution to the wind and go for this guy! He’s hotter than hot, has more money than Oprah and he’s clearly interested in you.”

Now I’m annoyed. “First of all, let’s get a few things straight. Number one, I have sworn off men. I can’t handle a man right now, especially while I’m trying to focus on me and growing my business.” Simone tries to interrupt, but I keep talking over her. “Second, a man like that can have any hottie tottie he wants; why on this green earth would he want someone like me? I’m plain and not very interesting to an international man such as Harrison Towers.”

She sniffs and then lets out a loud “Humph!”

“Third, and probably most important, he has expressed an interest in me professionally, and that’s all. Besides, today is the first time we’ve met.”

“Is it my turn to speak? Listen Danners, I need to set you straight, go into your room and stand in front of your full length mirror.”

“Ugh, I don’t feel like it.”

“Do it.”

“Fine. Okay I’m standing in front of my mirror. Ack, I look so haggard. Now what?”

“Take a good look at yourself,” she says, speaking to me as if I’m four.

“Okay. I’m staring at myself and frankly this little exercise is getting annoying.”

“Danners, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re beautiful. Look at your long shiny chestnut brown hair. You know, a lot of my clients pay good money to get extensions to get the same thing that you are blessed with.”

Okay she has a point there; I do have great hair.

“Now look at your small nose and those almond shaped pale blue eyes. Hey, doesn’t Harrison Towers have pale blue eyes?”

I scoff at her, “So, what exactly is your point?”

She ignores me. “Now turn around and take a look at that ass. Women do lunges all day to achieve that tight of an ass. You just jog a few days a week and have buns of steel and abs any body builder would be proud of. Are you getting my point? You absolutely do not appreciate what you were born with. Now will you finally let me help you renovate your wardrobe to reflect the successful and sexy woman that you are?”

I sigh, “Oh Clarke, you really are my champion. Yes, I give in. you may overhaul my wardrobe. I think I’ve earned it anyway, after the past few years I’ve had! It’s so nice to have my own personal stylist!”

Laughing, she says, “Oh, one more thing, if you aren’t going to go for hot money bags, then I'd like to have a crack at him?”

“Oh Clarke, you are simply man hungry, down girl! No, you may not have a crack at him. I need this to remain professional so I may get more work and someday hire a fulltime team! Now, I’ve had a long day and I’m starving. Must run, will chat with you tomorrow night! Kisses.”