The Matchmaker's Gift(69)
“It’s so nice to see you again,” Jessica said, still recovering from the surprise.
“This is my friend Jessica,” Abby offered. “Dr. Cooper, I mean. She’s an ophthalmologist.”
“I know what that is,” Isobel announced. “That’s a doctor for people’s eyes. Papa is a fashion designer. He makes very expensive clothes.”
“Really?” said Jessica, trying not to laugh. “That’s impressive!”
Isobel nodded as if she already knew. “He’s famous, actually. Have you heard of him?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t. I don’t know very much about fashion.”
Isobel pointed to the billboard above the stage. “We’ve met her loads of times,” she said. “She wears the clothes at Papa’s shows.”
Victor put a finger to his lips. “Shh now, Isobel,” he said. “Pay attention to the stage. The show is about to start.”
* * *
By intermission, Chloé was fast asleep on Victor’s lap, so Jessica offered to bring Isobel to the ladies’ room with her. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Victor asked, but Jessica assured him she did not.
As soon as Jessica and Isobel were out of earshot, Victor spoke up. “How did you find her?” he demanded. “How on earth did you know?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your friend is the woman I mentioned yesterday. The one from the bakery who was so kind to Chloé.”
Abby decided the safest course of action would be to say as little as possible. She shrugged. “It must be one of those crazy New York City coincidences.”
But Victor étoile did not agree. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” he said.
When the show was over, they waited in their seats for the bulk of the crowd to dissipate. “What did you think of the play?” Abby asked Isobel.
“I liked the river, but the story wasn’t my favorite. I prefer Romeo and Juliet. The ending is depressing, but the play is much more interesting.”
Abby laughed. “My grandmother never liked that ending either.”
“If I was Juliet,” Isobel said, “there’s no way I would have died in the end. I would have loved whoever I wanted, and I wouldn’t have felt bad or run away.”
“Sounds like you’ve got the right idea,” Abby said.
They said their goodbyes outside the theater, in the grassy spot where the girls had played tag. Victor was headed east with his daughters, but Abby and Jessica were headed to the west side. “Thank you so much for the tickets,” Jessica said. “It was a wonderful surprise to see you again.”
“It was my pleasure,” Victor murmured. He shook Abby’s hand, but when he reached for Jessica’s, he pressed his lips to it instead. There was a quiet tenderness to the moment that made Abby want to look away.
Jessica and Abby walked in silence until they reached the edge of the park. They emerged from the greenery to see the avenue teeming with Friday-night traffic. Central Park West was a mass of taxis and cars—headlights beaming and bouncing off the pavement like a hundred mismatched constellations. When they had crossed the street, Jessica stopped on the sidewalk. “How did you find him, Abby?” she asked. The question hung heavily between them, and Abby could not avoid giving an answer.
“Victor is my client,” she admitted. “He didn’t notice me at the bakery—it was way too crowded in there that day. I spotted him though—just for a minute, but that was enough.”
“I never thought I’d see him again.”
Abby nodded. “That’s why I wanted you to come with me tonight.”
“I still don’t understand what made you think…” Jessica’s voice trailed off for a bit before she erupted in a fit of laughter. “He’s a fashion designer, of all things! And from what his daughter said, a famous one, too. The man hangs out with Kate Moss. Meanwhile, I can barely put an outfit together!”
“Yeah, I know,” Abby said. “But at the end of the day, none of that actually matters.”
They made it only two blocks farther before Jessica came to a stop again. “You said Victor is your client. Does that mean he’s in the middle of a divorce?”
“No—he was divorced a few years ago, actually.”
“Phew,” Jessica exhaled. “That’s a relief. I’d hate to get caught up in someone else’s mess.”
Abby wrinkled her nose.
“Uh oh. What is it?” Jessica said. “What’s with that face? What aren’t you telling me?”
“The truth is that Victor is … don’t be upset, but he’s engaged. We’re in the middle of negotiating his prenup.”
Jessica looked as if she might be sick. “Engaged? Abby, what the hell? Why did you tell me to come tonight? Why did you go and get my hopes up if he’s already in love with someone else?”
“Because he isn’t in love!” Abby said. “Infatuated, maybe, but not in love. And she definitely isn’t in love with him. From what I can tell, she’s not a bad person. She’s just young and ambitious and honestly, Jessica, I think she’s in love with the business, not him. From everything I’ve seen so far, he’s more of a mentor than a fiancé.”