Suspects(14)

He combed the front rooms, looking for her intently and didn’t see her, and then he saw the double red velvet curtains at the very back and wondered. He approached cautiously, and with a gentle gesture, pulled one panel aside, and found himself inches from Theo, who had been peeking through them. She looked embarrassed and took a step back as he smiled down at her. He had never seen eyes as blue or skin so white, and her hair looked sexy and voluptuous cascading to her shoulders in waves. He felt as though an electric current had gone through him and struck him dumb. He hadn’t expected the impact of seeing her to be so powerful, nor to be so close to her. He didn’t know what to say to her, which was rare for him. He usually had the gift of gab of his Irish ancestors. But this time all he could do was stare at her, mesmerized, as he struggled to find the words he needed to put her at ease. She looked startled as he filled the doorway, and a little frightened to be discovered.

“Ms. Morgan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I was looking for you, and I thought this might be another room for the public.”

“It is,” she said softly. “We’re using it as a stockroom. I’m handling the stock tonight, the others are too busy to do it.” He was sure that wasn’t the reason, but he could see in her eyes that she was hiding, from the party and from life.

“I need a birthday gift for my sister, her fortieth, and she said I had to talk to you, you’d know just the right thing. She thinks you walk on water, as far as fashion goes,” he said, recovering himself, and hiding how moved he felt. She seemed so gentle and so vulnerable, and everything she’d been through was in her eyes.

“Far from it,” she said, smiling, feeling as awkward as he did, and trying to regain her composure. “What does she like?” she asked him as they continued to stand in the doorway of the makeshift stockroom, inches apart, neither of them moving forward or back. She could almost feel the warmth of his body. But she hadn’t rebuffed him and sent him back to the party to work with Valentina and the others. She knew how busy they were and it might be a long wait. Her eyes met Mike’s bravely as she tried to adapt to the unexpected situation.

“Mike Andrews,” he said, smiling broadly, fascinated by her, as he held a hand out and she shook it. She was so much more beautiful than her photographs. She seemed so fragile and human. There was something so kind and mysterious about her. He felt as though he was going to fall into the deep blue pool of her eyes.

“Hello, Mike.” She smiled up at him. “What do you think your sister would like?” It was all a lie. His sister was an artist and hadn’t worn decent clothes since high school. She lived in a loft in the village, and everything she owned was splattered with paint. But he could see that Theo wanted to help him. He had hit the right chord with her.

“She likes red,” he said off the top of his head, not even sure if that were true. She wore mostly khaki and army surplus, and paint.

“A red mink jacket? A red dress? A red purse,” she suggested, and he lit up at that.

“That sounds perfect.” She led him deeper into the stockroom and pulled out a box with a Saint Laurent purse in it. It was bright red and very chic, and he smiled when he saw it. He couldn’t even remotely imagine his sister with anything like it. “She’ll love it.”

“Perfect. I can gift wrap it for you.”

“I can’t believe you’re waiting on me. I apologize.”

“Don’t be silly. I have the time since I’m back here.”

“You shouldn’t be hiding back here,” he said gently, and meant it.

“I don’t go to parties anymore.” He didn’t ask her why, he knew, and his heart ached for her. His whole body ached for her, and he could barely focus on the purse for his sister. She wasn’t even turning forty, she was forty-two.

They completed the transaction with his credit card, with a machine they had in the back room, and when she handed it back to him along with the gift-wrapped box in a Theo.com bag, he handed her his business card, which gave his name, the address of his office, and said he was an attorney. It had his cellphone number and email address on it too.

“You don’t live in New York, do you?” he asked her.

“No, I grew up here but I live in Paris now. I’m just here for this pop-up store. We’re doing one in Dallas and another in L.A., and then I’m going back.”

“Well, if you need anything while you’re here, don’t hesitate to call me.” He felt foolish for saying it, but he wished he could see her again, and he had no idea how to do it. She was leaving town shortly, traveling and then going back to Paris. She had a life somewhere else, and had survived unspeakable trauma and tragedy. He couldn’t imagine how he could be so taken with her. It seemed wrong and like a terrible intrusion, even to him. But Robert Richmond was right, he was obsessed with her. He had no idea why, but she was under his skin. He felt as though he had been meant to meet her, but he had no idea why. It made no sense. And he wanted to protect her, but he was a year too late. There was an otherworldly quality to her, as though she was too gentle to protect herself.

When he thanked her and they said goodbye, he stepped beyond the curtains and Theo retreated behind the curtains again, like a deer into the forest. He wanted to pull the curtains back and see her again just one more time. She was the most beautiful, bewitching creature he’d ever seen. He’d never met another woman like her, or as beautiful.