Secret Designs (8 page)

"Yes. I'll be there, bright and chirpy."

As she ended the call with Jasmine, Ari remembered an important fact. Kane's mother was also Dylan's mother.
Ah, damn.

*******

"Hello, Mrs. Summers, it's lovely to meet you," Ari said to the smiling woman who greeted her at the door. She could see why Dylan and all his siblings had turned out so good-looking. Their mother was beautiful.

"Please, call me Linda, Ari. It's wonderful to meet you. Please, come in. The others are on their way."

Ari followed Linda meekly, a little uncomfortable that she was the first one to arrive.

"I've seen some of your designs that Jasmine's worn and I'm really impressed," Linda said conversationally, as they went to sit on the couch. "I've looked around for something to wear for the two weddings coming up, but I just can't find anything I like. The person making Faye's dress only does wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. Faye said she wishes she'd known about you when she was doing research for her dress. Anyway, it would be great if you could design a couple of outfits for me that would blend in well with the themes of the two weddings without me looking like a bridesmaid."

"I'd be glad to, Linda. I've brought a few sketches along, and we could talk about what you want exactly."

"Good. Let's do that after dinner, shall we?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell chime. Linda answered it, and Ari was surprised to see a stunning looking woman with long, raven hair at the door.

"Rosalie! Are you hand-delivering my spices again?" Linda asked with delight.

"Yes. I know how stressed out you get when your pantry is not stocked up. I also brought you some new items you haven't tried before," Rosalie said, opening a carry-bag and showing Linda the contents.

"Ooh, thank you. I am running low on these. Come on in, darling. Do you want a drink?"

"Thank you. Whatever's on offer would be great," Rosalie responded.

Ari watched the interaction with interest. Rosalie looked to be in her mid-twenties. She was wearing a sexy black dress with high heels to match. She looked like a model, not a delivery girl. She idly wondered who she really was, and was pleased when Linda started the introductions.

"This is Ari, Rosalie. She's Jasmine's friend and she'll be designing her wedding dress."

Rosalie extended a hand to her. "Hi, Ari. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Ari replied with a smile.

"Rosalie is the daughter of a friend of mine, Ari. They own a spice shop and provide me with the best herbs and spices I could hope for," Linda said.

"I can smell something really wonderful in your kitchen, Linda," Rosalie commented.

"That's just my chicken pasta bake. Say, would you like to stay for dinner, Rosalie? There's plenty of food."

"Linda, you always cook plenty of food. Are all of your boys coming tonight?" Rosalie asked nonchalantly.

"Only Kane. Although I think I will call Dylan and ask him to come, too," Linda said with a wink to Rosalie. "Why don't you two come with me to the kitchen? We can continue talking there while I check on my bake."

Ari followed the two women, frowning at the unsettling suspicion that Linda was inviting Dylan for Rosalie's benefit. The way that Rosalie's eyes sparkled at Linda's suggestive wink, she was clearly thrilled to bits about it.

*******

Ari was coming out of the bathroom when she heard Linda call out.

"Dylan! Why are you so late, darling? We've finished eating."

Her heart started galloping. She pressed her hand to her chest, coaxing herself to relax.

"You called me at the last minute, Mum," she heard Dylan answer. "I had to finish something for work. But I haven't eaten yet, so are there leftovers for me?"

"Plenty. Anyway, it's good you're here. Rosalie needs some company while the rest of us girls discuss wedding and bridesmaid dresses," Linda said.

Ari stood still, hidden from view, as curiosity burned within her. How would Dylan react to Rosalie?

"Dylan!"

"Rosie, this is a surprise. I didn't know you'd be here," Dylan said pleasantly.

Rosie?

"I just dropped by to give your mum some spices and she invited me to stay. You must be hungry, darling. Come and I'll fix you up a plate. Your mother's busy with wedding stuff."

Darling?

"Why, thank you. That's so nice of you," Dylan responded in a tone too flirty for her liking.

"Oh, Dylan. I've missed you. I haven't seen you for over a month," Rosalie whined.

Ari didn't catch Dylan's reply as the couple went into the kitchen. The two were evidently well acquainted.

Quietly, she went back inside the bathroom and gazed at herself in the mirror. She tapped that part of her chest where a pinching sensation bothered her and gave herself a little pep talk.

Arielle Mitchell, you'll be fine. Tonight, you are working. Those clients are also your friends and they expect you to be enthusiastic and professional. You will wow them and they will be more than happy to pay good prices for your creations.

You need this. Kenny needs this.

You don't need Dylan. Plus he obviously doesn't need you since he's got Pretty Miss Rosie.

She scowled at herself for letting that last sentence slip into her consciousness. With a shake of her head and a deep inhale, she walked out of the restroom and proceeded to the living room, where Jasmine and Linda were waiting for her.

*******

"Mum, Rosie and I are — Oh, hi, Ari. What are you doing here?"

Ari involuntarily swallowed as she turned to face a clearly surprised Dylan with a smug-looking, Pretty Miss Rosie hanging off his arm.

"Hi. I'm taking your mum's measurements," she answered in a neutral tone. In truth, she wanted to wail.

"I can see that. But why?"

"She's making my outfits for your sister's and your brother's weddings," Linda answered. "She's also designing Jaz's wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses."

"Oh," Dylan responded, looking lost.

"How exciting for you girls," Rosalie gushed. "Well, Dylan and I are going now to meet up with a couple of his friends, so I'll see you all again sometime soon. Linda, thanks again for inviting me to dinner."

"Oh, it's my pleasure," Linda answered, looking absolutely delighted. "I'll walk you two to the door."

Ari felt sick...heartsick. She pretended to make notes in her notebook, desperate for something else to do than watch Dylan walk out the door with another woman.

"Uh...bye, girls," she heard Dylan say.

She raised her hand for a brief wave and dared a glance at his direction. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression. Hastily, she went back to her task of doodling on her page.

Don't worry, Dylan. I get the picture.

"Ari," Jasmine said quietly. "Do you want a drink or something?"

She gave Jasmine a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "No, thanks, I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked in surprise.

"For that," Jasmine replied with a tilt of her chin toward the front door.

She pressed her lips to hide her distress.

"It's quite obvious something else went on between the two of you than just a one-night stand," Jasmine said sympathetically. "Didn't work out, huh?"

Her lips tugged in a semblance of a smile as she shook her head ruefully. "That's the way the cookie crumbles," she said resignedly.

"If it's any consolation," Jasmine continued, "I don't think there's anything serious between him and Rosalie. Kane would have told me about it if there were."

"It's really none of my business. It was only two nights of casual sex for us," she said bravely.

No need for Jasmine to know about the "friends with benefits" discussion she had with Dylan that wasn't going to happen anymore. Broadcasting that would just make her feel like a reject all over again.

*******

"We'll really miss you, Ari," Selina cried.

"I'll miss all of you, too," Ari responded as she hugged her now ex-officemate. "Thank you so much for organising this, Selina. It's so good of you guys to give up your Sunday afternoon to have lunch with me."
 

"Hey, we were really sad that we didn't get to say goodbye to you last Friday. You picked a bad time to have a migraine. We had a blast from midday and nobody returned to work in the afternoon. Considering the circumstances, the managers turned a blind eye."

"I'm sorry I missed it. But at least my good friends are here."

"So what's the next chapter for you, Ari?" a male voice said from her other side.

Ari turned her attention to Henry, the good-looking guy from marketing. "Continue banging on doors for a job," she said with a chuckle. "I'm lucky a friend of mine's getting married. She's commissioned me to make her bridal party dresses. That'll keep me busy for a while, until I find another company who'll hire me."

"If you need any help, I'm here for you, Ari," Henry said with a look that conveyed sincerity.

She smiled. "Thank you, Henry. I appreciate that."

"Actually, I was wondering if
you
could do me a favour," Henry asked hesitantly.

"Sure."

"My brother is getting married, too. He wanted to impress his fiancée so he took it upon himself to volunteer for some tasks involving the wedding. One of them is to hire his and the groomsmen's attires. But he's also smart. As his best man, he's passed the job on to me. I have absolutely no idea what to do."

"What exactly do you need help with? Research a place where you can hire tuxedos or suits?"

"I don't even know what we should be wearing," Henry replied, looking totally bewildered.

Ari laughed. "So you need help with everything, in other words."

"Yes, please," he responded pleadingly.

"Okay, no problem."

"Thank you! You're a lifesaver," Henry said, kissing her on the cheek.
 

Ari felt Selina poke her on the ribs.

"He likes you, you know," Selina whispered in her ear.

Ari smiled, welcoming the ego boost that covered up her gloom.

Dylan might prefer to be with Pretty Miss Rosie, but he wasn't the only man in the world.

Dylan groaned as he tried to get out of bed. The dull throbbing in his head reminded him of the miserable night he'd had. What exactly possessed him to get himself drunk?

Ari's face floated in his head.

Ah, yes. Guilt. Shame. Remorse. Or whatever else the discomfort in his chest was called.

He slumped back in his bed and pulled the covers over his head.

Last night hadn't been all bad. He'd been entertained by Trey putting Rosalie through the ISAG. Trey was really good at it, and Rosalie had no idea she was being tested. She'd passed, but it was a moot point because he wasn't interested in her.

Well, at least it wasn't Ari in Rosalie's shoes last night. That had been his whole intention for the last two weeks. He was hell-bent on proving to Trey and Adam—and, yes, to himself—that Ari wasn't anyone special.

Except that he couldn't get rid of this...this...
heavy
feeling that sat on his chest.

Why the hell didn't anyone warn him that Ari was going to be at his parents' last night? He was already feeling bad for not returning her call. Ari must have thought he was done with her when she saw how Rosalie stuck to him like glue.

But he wasn't done with her. He just didn't want Trey to annoy her.

Okay, in all honesty, he just wasn't ready for the emotions she stirred up in him. Damn it, they scared the shit out of him. The first and last time he'd let a girl in, he'd gotten so soft he'd almost lost his and his friends' money. Thank God no one else knew about his stupidity besides Trey and Adam. It was something he would never live down.

I sure as hell am not going to be that insane again.

The pounding in his head grew harder. In the fuzziness, an idea flashed brightly.

He
should
let Ari go through the ISAG. He was only fooling himself by pretending she didn't affect him. If she passed, he could re-assess the situation and decide what next step he wanted to take.

Good. That was a way forward. He hated getting stuck.

In the meantime, he had to talk to her. The feeling of wanting to explain about Rosalie was swamping him.

He reached for his phone and rang her. Disappointment welled as he got her voicemail.

"Hi, Ari, it's Dylan. Could you give me a call when you get this message, please? Thanks."

Would she call him back? He certainly hoped so.

*******

"What do you want, Adam?" Dylan growled at his phone.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Adam commented dryly.

"Sorry. I have a massive headache. So what do you want?" he repeated.

"I'm five minutes away from your place. Can I drop by?"

Dylan cursed to himself. He wanted to be alone today.

"Is it important? I'm not feeling too well."

"You and me both," Adam replied despondently.

He picked up something in Adam's voice. "You okay?"

"Hell, no."

He sighed. "Fine. Drop by."

*

"Coffee?" Dylan asked as Adam plopped himself on the couch like a defeated man.

"Yes, please."

Dylan busied himself with making coffee as he waited for Adam to open up.

"It looks like you were right about Sandy," Adam said after a period of silence.

Dylan sucked in some air and released it slowly. He joined Adam at the sofa and handed him his steaming mug.

"She'd been buying all these things with her credit card," Adam continued. "Then she made noises about having unexpected expenses and how she hated not being able to pay off her credit card in full because then she would have to pay interest. She was quite subtle—not asking me for anything; just complaining. Fool that I was, I offered to lend her money to pay off her card so she wouldn't accumulate interest.

"That was more than a month ago. She hadn't mentioned paying me back even once. Then this morning after we had breakfast, she dragged me to the shops so she could buy a present for her niece who's having a birthday today. She bought her niece a bracelet which I thought was too expensive for a five-year-old, but hey, that's none of my business. Then she spotted some diamond earrings she wanted. She dropped hints about how she didn't have enough credit on her card to afford them. I ignored her and she stomped off, muttering something about me not being sensitive to her needs," Adam finished with a heavy sigh.