possible.”
“Ethan, you are so sweet, and trust me you are so good for the ego, but come on, I’m older than you. I have kids, one of which is a teenager. What do you want with me when you can have the pick of any little twenty-something?”
He stepped closer to her until his lips nearly brushed hers. Her body trembled at the thought of their lips touching, here and now.
“You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit, Becca. I am not too young. It’s only a four years difference, and once we hit thirty, well we’re all the same age. I am in the art business. I know beauty, and I have not come across any other woman who can hold a torch to you. I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment from you. I understand you have been through a lot and you have built up some pretty impenetrable walls around you, but I’m just going to let you know that I have every intention of breaking down those walls. If you say no to me today, then I will ask you tomorrow. If you say no to me tomorrow…”
“OK, Ethan, I get the picture. You are persistent if not anything else. Fine, I will go to dinner with you.”
His face lit up.
“Fabulous. Meet me in front of my shop at seven tonight. I’ll give you a sneak peek at what the store is going to look like.”
“I look forward to it.”
She walked down the street to the bank and found herself turning to see him skipping as he hurried back into his store. She couldn’t help but smile. She had never had someone pursue her the way he did, and she had to admit that it did make her feel pretty good.
By the time she got back to Solstice, Emily was staring out the window and had the phone stuck to her ear. When she saw Rebecca enter the store, she quickly hung up. Rebecca looked at her and shook her head.
“Honestly, you guys are like gossipy old women. You were talking to Tasha, weren’t you?”
“So what? This is all great gossip, so spill. What did that hunk of a man say to you? Inquiring minds want to know.”
“I agreed to one dinner…just so he’d leave me alone.”
“Uh-ha, what do you plan on wearing?” Emily asked her.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with what I have on?”
“Really, go next door to SA`VI. I happen to know the owner and designer. She’ll work you a fabulous deal. Go…now.”
“You want me to go now, as in right this minute?”
“Yes! That is exactly what I want. Then come back here and show me what you picked.”
Rebecca strolled next door and entered the store through the heavy drapery that lined the doorway. Inside there was jazz music streaming through the speaker system. An older woman who appeared to be in her late fifties or early sixties approached her smiling.
“You must be Becca. I am Gloria, I own SA`VI. Emily told me you’d be by. Let me get a good look at you.” She strolled over to her and lifted her arms up. She then made her way all the way around Rebecca while taking mental images of her.
“You are quite lovely and what a cute little figure you have. You are a slight thing. I have a few ideas. Follow me to a fitting room and I’ll grab them for you to try on.”
Rebecca entered the fitting room and looked around in absolute amazement. Inside the fitting room was a full chaise lounge covered in deep luxurious red velvet. It reminded her of something that Liz Taylor would have been draped over in one of her movies. There was a table set up with a bottle of wine and a glass. The card said it was complementary for patrons. Gloria pulled back the curtain and held a few items.
“Try these on. Even if it is out of the norm for you, still try it on.”
She walked back out of the room and left Rebecca standing in the massive fitting room wondering what the hell she was doing there. She looked at the dresses that Gloria had hung on a hook. The first dress was lavender and had ruffles all around it. It was one sleeved and to the knee. She tried it on and actually began to laugh hysterically at the image in the mirror.
“Ethan, you are so sweet, and trust me you are so good for the ego, but come on, I’m older than you. I have kids, one of which is a teenager. What do you want with me when you can have the pick of any little twenty-something?”
He stepped closer to her until his lips nearly brushed hers. Her body trembled at the thought of their lips touching, here and now.
“You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit, Becca. I am not too young. It’s only a four years difference, and once we hit thirty, well we’re all the same age. I am in the art business. I know beauty, and I have not come across any other woman who can hold a torch to you. I’m not asking for a lifetime commitment from you. I understand you have been through a lot and you have built up some pretty impenetrable walls around you, but I’m just going to let you know that I have every intention of breaking down those walls. If you say no to me today, then I will ask you tomorrow. If you say no to me tomorrow…”
“OK, Ethan, I get the picture. You are persistent if not anything else. Fine, I will go to dinner with you.”
His face lit up.
“Fabulous. Meet me in front of my shop at seven tonight. I’ll give you a sneak peek at what the store is going to look like.”
“I look forward to it.”
She walked down the street to the bank and found herself turning to see him skipping as he hurried back into his store. She couldn’t help but smile. She had never had someone pursue her the way he did, and she had to admit that it did make her feel pretty good.
By the time she got back to Solstice, Emily was staring out the window and had the phone stuck to her ear. When she saw Rebecca enter the store, she quickly hung up. Rebecca looked at her and shook her head.
“Honestly, you guys are like gossipy old women. You were talking to Tasha, weren’t you?”
“So what? This is all great gossip, so spill. What did that hunk of a man say to you? Inquiring minds want to know.”
“I agreed to one dinner…just so he’d leave me alone.”
“Uh-ha, what do you plan on wearing?” Emily asked her.
“I don’t know. What’s wrong with what I have on?”
“Really, go next door to SA`VI. I happen to know the owner and designer. She’ll work you a fabulous deal. Go…now.”
“You want me to go now, as in right this minute?”
“Yes! That is exactly what I want. Then come back here and show me what you picked.”
Rebecca strolled next door and entered the store through the heavy drapery that lined the doorway. Inside there was jazz music streaming through the speaker system. An older woman who appeared to be in her late fifties or early sixties approached her smiling.
“You must be Becca. I am Gloria, I own SA`VI. Emily told me you’d be by. Let me get a good look at you.” She strolled over to her and lifted her arms up. She then made her way all the way around Rebecca while taking mental images of her.
“You are quite lovely and what a cute little figure you have. You are a slight thing. I have a few ideas. Follow me to a fitting room and I’ll grab them for you to try on.”
Rebecca entered the fitting room and looked around in absolute amazement. Inside the fitting room was a full chaise lounge covered in deep luxurious red velvet. It reminded her of something that Liz Taylor would have been draped over in one of her movies. There was a table set up with a bottle of wine and a glass. The card said it was complementary for patrons. Gloria pulled back the curtain and held a few items.
“Try these on. Even if it is out of the norm for you, still try it on.”
She walked back out of the room and left Rebecca standing in the massive fitting room wondering what the hell she was doing there. She looked at the dresses that Gloria had hung on a hook. The first dress was lavender and had ruffles all around it. It was one sleeved and to the knee. She tried it on and actually began to laugh hysterically at the image in the mirror.
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