The Matchmaker's Gift(49)
“Someone must teach her how to relax!” Victor said. He shook Will’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Please,” he said, “promise me you won’t let this beautiful young woman meet the same terrible fate. Don’t let her follow in Diane’s footsteps. Life cannot be only for work.”
It was impossible to resist Victor’s charm. “I’ll try,” Will laughed. “But Abby is determined. And unfortunately, lawyers work very long hours.”
“That settles it then!” Victor turned to Abby. “We must find you another career.” He raised an eyebrow and studied her face. “You have lovely cheekbones, ma chère. If you were taller, you might have modeled for Nicole’s new collection.”
Abby almost choked on her champagne. “I don’t think so,” she coughed. “Besides, without us lawyers, who would watch out for you?”
“Ah,” Victor said, with a sheepish grin. “You are not only beautiful but wise as well. Will, you and I are lucky men. Abby and Nicole have such ambition! Such energy! I’m ready to start spending more time away from work, but Nicole is ready to build an empire.” He tapped his watch and winked at them both. “Time for my announcement now, yes? Please, find some chairs by the runway. The show will begin very soon.”
After the crowd settled in their seats, Victor stepped up to the microphone. “Merci and thank you!” he called out, over a rowdy burst of applause. “I feel very fortunate to welcome you all, our closest friends and colleagues, this evening.” He stretched his arms out and pointed around the room. “As many of you know, this magnificent building is both my place of business and my personal residence. For the past twelve years, it has been my sanctuary. But it was only after I met Nicole that this house truly became my home.” Victor was forced to pause again as another round of applause erupted.
“So you see, I cannot separate my work from my home. And a home must not only be beautiful. A home must be comfortable as well.” He gestured to his own loose-fitting jacket, linen shirt, and jeans. “When we are home, we dress for comfort, yes? We will never sacrifice luxury, of course, but we must have elegance and comfort. Nicole has always understood this concept. When we are not working, we must unwind. We must enjoy, we must live! And so, with all of that in mind, Nicole created this unbelievable collection for the fall. It is relaxed. It is intimate. It is personal. The clothes you will see are from Nicole’s heart and mind, but they have the soul of étoile!”
A moment later, the overhead lights went dark. Abby felt the heavy thump of techno music shake the floor beneath her feet. From the back of the room, pink and blue lights followed the models as they emerged. Young women stomped down the length of the runway in heavy boots, loose ripped jeans, and simple, round-necked, white silk T-shirts. A second group, wearing long suede coats over embellished miniskirts, passed by next. Following them was a line of models draped in whisper-thin silk slip dresses. Abby watched as Will’s eyes snapped open. Between the teensy straps and the transparent fabric, it was as if they were wearing nothing at all.
When he caught her smiling at him, Will looked away. “Sorry, but they’re practically naked,” he whispered.
“I think that’s the idea,” Abby said.
“Maybe you should get one of those dresses,” he ventured. “I mean, they look really … comfortable.”
Abby laughed. “I guess that means the collection is a success.”
At the end of the show, Nicole walked onto the runway in loose, black jeans and a black silk tank. Her hair was tousled just the right amount, and silver bangles covered both of her wrists, almost as far up as her elbows. Victor presented her with a bouquet of white roses, kissed both of her cheeks, and then scurried off the runway so she could have her moment.
Brava Nicole! Brava! Brava!
Nicole waved and blew kisses to the crowd as they rose to their feet and cheered for her. The spotlights lingered on her perfect features: her heart-shaped face, her almond eyes, her impeccably glossed, pillowy lips.
Abby snuck another look at Will and then forced herself to blink. At first, she thought that what she was seeing was the reflection of the spotlights off Nicole’s bracelets. But the infinitesimal bow of light was not just beaming broadly into the crowd; it was, in fact, a deliberate strand that began with Nicole and ended with Will. It was as if a single glossy thread of spider webbing linked one of them to the other. Like most of the people in the room, Will’s eyes were directed toward Nicole, but he seemed wholly unaware of the connection.
The physical phenomenon was very different from what Abby had seen between Evelyn and Michael. And yet, she felt certain—as certain as she could be—that its meaning was exactly the same.
* * *
When it was over, Abby pulled Will to the back of the room, where guests were lining up to congratulate the designer. Abby wanted to tell Nicole how much she loved the clothes, but what she wanted even more was to see Nicole and Will together. What would happen if the two of them spoke? Would there be a literal shower of sparks?
As it turned out, the meeting was unremarkable, but there was still a significance to the moment. Abby introduced Will as a “brilliant corporate attorney,” which immediately caught Nicole’s attention. Even with journalists and celebrities clamoring for her attention, Nicole deliberately stretched out their conversation and made a point of asking Will for his business card. “I have so many legal questions,” she said. “Since you’re a corporate lawyer, maybe you can help.”