"Angel!" Isador cried, diving head first across the counter to hug the other woman. Angel chuckled as she hugged the girl back and then set her down. When she rounded the counter, Natalia wasnext.
"We haven't seen you in forever!" Natalia said with a pout. "I thought I told you to call us the next time you were in Barcelona. I have it on good authority that you were there lastwinter."
Angel smirked. "Who told you I was in Barcelona?" she asked. "I was in Milan, notBarcelona."
"Milan?" Delilah asked. "What were you there for?" Her face brightened with excitement. "Oh, my goodness! Did you get the contract?" Angel smiled and nodded, and Delilah whirled to me. "Angel's a model," she gushed. "She's been working out a modeling contract with an international agency formonths." She swung back to Angel. "Why are you here if you got thecontract?"
With a shrug, Angel moved towards an open doorway with a gold chain linked across. She unhooked it and we followed her into the room. "Gran is having some surgery. I offered to help since I'm in the states for the next few days. You actually caught me at a great time. I'm leavingtomorrow."
"Oh?" Delilah bounced alongside her as we entered a long hallway that had a couple of smaller rooms on either side. Angel withdrew a key and unlocked one before letting us in. "Do tell, where are yougoing?"
Angel moved towards a tall elegantly carved wardrobe as the twins collapsed on a purple cushioned settee. As I glanced around, I realized that the entire room was an eclectic mix of colors. The walls were an antiqued, floral lined wallpaper. Not one of the chairs and settees were the same color or shade. In the middle of the room, there was a short, white circular stage set in front of a tri-fold mirror edged in what looked to be pure bronze. Somehow, it all worked together to create a unique and homeyspace.
“I’m heading to NYC,” Angel said. “So not far, but in a couple of weeks I’ll be flying to London for a photoshoot.”
“Wow, how exciting,” Isaid.
Angel threw a smile over her shoulder at me before turning back to rummage through the wardrobe. “I’m not as well traveled as I’d like to be,” she admitted. “I’ve only been out of the country a couple times and only toItaly.”
“Hey, Harley,” Natalia called, “have you ever been out of thecountry?”
“Uh, no,” I admitted. “This is actually the first time I’ve been out of theCarolinas.”
“Oh, really? Your dad’s never taken you with him on any business trips?” she asked, glancing at Isador. “Our dad took us all the time when we wereyounger.”
I barely resisted the urge to flinch. “No,” I said quietly. Thankfully, Natalia and Isador fell into a different conversation and Angel and Delilah did the same. I sat in a wing-backed chair in the corner and watched the four of themchat.
I was exhausted by the time the girls were done with their dresses. Even I had one, apparently. It was a long shimmering purple sheath dress with a beaded back. I suspected it had been Marv who had called to order it to be made. The moment it settled over my curves, I had loved it, but I had to remind myself that this was all make believe. It was just pretend. I wasn’t really going to a cotillion – those things were meant for southern belles anyway. It was just an excuse Ms. Enders used to get these girls together and prepare them fortheirreal world. And their real world was vastly different than myown.
“Are you okay?” Delilah asked as we exited the shop, waving goodbye to Angel and wishing her well on her luckytravels.
“Yea,” I said, shaking my head to get rid of some of the fog that had started to form. “I’m fine.Why?”
Before she could answer someone was calling out. “Hey! Harley! Harley!” Shocked that someone would be calling out my fake name, I turned and nearly swallowed mytongue.
“Oh my,” Delilah gasped, “please tell me that’s your brother. If that’s your brother, I can marry him.” After what had occurred the night before with Bellamy, I should not have been entertaining jealousy. But in that moment, I wanted to put a paper bag over Marv’s gorgeous head so that Delilah and the twins would stop looking at him like they wanted to eat him alive. Isador and Natalia were on the curb, looking behind them with knowing smiles and a bit of envy as Marv came up to us, huffing andpuffing.
He looked the picturesque version of the handsome gentleman in light khakis with a brown leather belt and a white and blue checkered dress shirt neatly tucked into his waistband. He bent slightly to catch his breath, then stood up to his full height and yanked me into a quick hug. I shivered at the sensation of his arms closing around me and I could have sworn I heard the girls all sigh behindme.
“I knew that was you,” he said as if he didn’t know that I was supposed to be here. “What are you doinghere?”
“Uhhh...I’m attending Ms. Enders’ Etiquette Camp,” I said dumbly. The smell of dark roast coffee permeated all but his hair, which smelled of floral hotel shampoo. When he finally released me, I teetered on my heels as if Ihaddrunk some of the champagne I had been offeredearlier.
“So that’s why Knix brought me here,” Marv said with a ‘huh’look on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him, but quickly schooled my expression as Delilah introduced herself and Isador and Natalia ambled back over, doing the same. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, producing a million-watt smile. “I’m a friend of Harley’s cousin,” he took their hands in turn, “MarvinCarter.”
A part of me wondered why he didn’t use a pseudonym, but then I realized it would probably have been a moot point. His parents were wealthy, someone would eventually recognize him if he continued to hang around or if the girls described him to someone back at thevilla.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Isador said, batting her eyelashes. I wanted to rip those eyelashes off and shove them down her throat. When Natalia stepped forward and Marv took her hand as well, I blinked at myself, shocked at my own thoughts. I didn’t own Marv. We weren’t dating. After what I had done with Bellamy, I had no right to my jealousy. Still, the little green monster remained as the girls made small talk with Marv for the next fewminutes.
“Well, it was really wonderful meeting you ladies,” he said, “but I saw Harley and I couldn’t resist saying hi. Do you mind if I steal heraway?”
“Oh, we’re supposed to be meeting atLa Maisonfor dinner at five. Why don’t you join us?” Delilahoffered.
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Marv waved his hands as he spoke. It was so unlike him that it took me a moment to realize he was playing a character. Just because he had to use his real name didn’t mean he had to be his real self. “I’m actually in town with Harley’s cousin.” He shot me a look that I knew the girls were watching. It was full of amusement and something sneakier, concern. “The jerk didn’t even tell me why we were hanging around here and I was getting bored. Had I known it was for Harley…” His words trailed off and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Marv was laying it on just a bit thick. One glance at the girls, though, and I knew it wasworking.
“Aw, how sweet.” Delilah turned big eyes on me. “Go with him, Harley. We’ll tell Mr. Wallace that Angel needed some extra time to fix yourdress.”
Before I could accept or protest, Marv’s arm wound around my waist and he pulled me to his side. I practically saw the twins melt with wistfulness. “Thank you so much, Delilah,” Marv said graciously. “I promise, I will have her delivered toLa Maisonby 5pm.”