Holiday for HIre(14)
“You’re early,” she stated, but it was a compliment. The fashionably late entrance was only for women. More specifically, only for women who didn’t understand how much work goes into pulling off an event where people should really be respectful enough to show up when the invitation tells them to .
She still begrudged Parker Winthrop the entire bottle of Dom that was wasted when she chose to show up after cocktails and distract the other guests from theirs at the Christmas dinner she’d hosted four years ago .
Naturally, she continued to invite Parker, it would be unseemly not to. However, her drinks were a bit short each time, and in another four years, Jane calculated they would again be even .
“I was excited,” Ian was saying as she refocused on him. “I never thought I’d be in a store like this. It’s gonna be some wedding, huh, Jane ?”
“You have no idea,” she assured him. “But we will be the most interesting pair there.” And they would be even more interesting if people knew the truth. So she had to ensure they never would .
Which meant the outfit they settled on had to be perfect .
“I’d love to see you in something like this,” she pointed at a three-piece suit with a bow tie that Justin Timberlake would look just scrumptious in .
Ian, she was certain, would look equally scrumptious. If not more so. Her breath stuttered in her chest just imagining it .
“Okay,” Ian said, ever the willing subject. It was another reason he was so perfect. “But what will you be wearing? I like your dress tonight, by the way. Very seasonal without being over-the-top .”
Jane smiled as her heart picked up speed. She was thrilled with his compliment, and only partially because this attention to detail was exactly what would ensure their success .
“I must admit I haven’t selected an outfit yet. I think I’ve narrowed it down to a red silk or a white satin. Whichever one I choose, a dark grey suit like this will coordinate. It’s very modern, and men’s fashion doesn’t change at the pace of women’s, so I’m certain you’ll get plenty of wear out of it .”
A solicitous salesman lurking nearby wisely chose that moment to offer a dressing room to Ian, where he’d taken the liberty of selecting a couple of styles. Jane perched on the edge of a chair, eager to see her vision come to life. It was hard not to fidget as she waited anxiously for him to appear. Was it untoward to offer to come in and help him ?
Yes, probably so. She’d have to be patient .
When Ian finally pulled open the velvet curtain, she could have fallen out of her seat .
The man in front of her was a vision, indeed. The pants fit him like a dream, snug in all the right areas. His muscles strained the sleeves of the jacket, leaving it open for her to admire the cut of the vest against the crisp white shirt .
It was only with a bit of an effort that she managed to smile and not gape .
“I think we’ve found a winner, don’t you?” she asked the tailor, who nodded and fetched his measuring tape and notebook .
“Now, I’m partial to the Milanese style of tailoring, and I think the structure would emphasize your physique,” she told him, gently running her hand over his shoulders–damn, those shoulders. They were solid rock. It might be bad form to fondle the help, but tailoring was a hands-on business .
“Milanese style?” he asked as her touch lingered on his deliciously formed biceps. Testing the fit, of course .
She opened the curtain again and gently turned him around so she could show him her meaning in his reflection .
“The cuffs,” she touched his wrists, “should be a mere quarter inch over your wrist when your arms are at your sides. It gives you the precise amount of room you need to gesture, or raise a glass, without falling prey to a shortened sleeve .”
The tailor deftly unfurled his tape and then jotted down the number, while Jane let her eyes roam over Ian .
“Here, see—the shoulders tend to be a bit more structured, which will balance your biceps perfectly.” As she spoke, her fingers were skimming again. And was it just her or was he enjoying that a little? His eyes, when she met them in the mirror, seemed to have darkened .
The tailor finished taking his measurements and told them he was finished. Ian scrubbed his hands over his face and then back through his hair .
“Not that,” she told him. “It makes you look nervous .”
“I am a little nervous,” he smiled to her reflection. “You make me nervous .”
Did he mean the wedding, or did he also feel the undeniable attraction between them that she felt whenever she allowed herself to admit it? The fact that they were, for the moment, alone did not escape her .
“There’s something we haven’t covered,” Jane said, her voice breathier than usual. “I’m attracted to you, physically.” She’d been attracted to Blake too. Funny how she hadn’t felt this timid when she’d had the similar conversation with him .
Which was silly. This was important. Part of the job she’d hired him for, so to say .
She threw her shoulders back and addressed the situation straight on. “But attraction isn’t a guarantee of compatibility. There also has to be chemistry. People will notice from a mile away if we don’t have that. Perhaps we should try a kiss. It should make us more comfortable around each other, and will also prepare us just in case we have to be affectionate at the wedding.” Not that she could guess what sort of situation that would be .