“Sorry.Having a bit of a brain freeze,” she fibbed, bringing her hand up to her forehead for effect.
“It’s probably because I’ve dominated the whole conversation, talking about myself and playing right into the typical male stereotype.How ‘bout we warm things up with some coffee?Then I want to hear the story ofJust Claire—start to finish.”
“Let me go ahead and end the suspense.I amnota scientist.In fact, I failed biology.Twice.”
“I bet you were an English major,” he said.
“Costume Design.I got my MFA from CalArts.”
“Wait, you’re from California?”
“Not originally, no.I was actually born on an air force base in Italy.Why?Are you from California?”Claire asked.
“I was born and raised in Texas—Fort Worth—but I live in L.A.now.”
“You’re kidding?I’m from Dallas.Well, I mean I lived in Dallas for several years before moving here.I spent the majority of my childhood in Austin.That’s where I met Molly.”
“Are your parents still there?”
“It’s just me and my dad.My mother passed away when I was young.He moved up to Dallas to be close to me a few years ago.I almost didn’t move here.I was afraid to be so far away from him, but he wasn’t about to let me pass up this opportunity because of him.Also, there’s a wonderful spitfire of a woman named Carol who keeps an eye on him and keeps me updated, so that makes me feel a lot better.”
“Good to have that peace of mind.Your mom was Hamish’s sister?”
“Yes.She and Uncle Ham were tight.They lost both parents when they were teens and sort of raised each other.And he helped my father raise me.”
“It’s just you, then?No brothers or sisters?”
“Nope.I’m the spoiled rotten only child,” she stated proudly.
“Wow!So you’re a costume designer, huh?That is so fascinating.”
“Want to know something hilarious?”She chuckled.“I’ve never had a single paying gig as a costume designer.After graduation, I studied photography in Europe for a couple of years then traveled the world and worked freelance.”
“Wow.Impressive.Are you still working as a photographer?”
“In some respects.I’m the creative director for a women's shoe company.”
“Shoes?Really?”He raised an eyebrow.
“What?You saw me as something else?”
“Well, yeah.The minute you walked into the hotel bar, I thought you were Kate Winslet.”
Claire smiled.She’d been waiting for their conversation to take this inevitable turn.
“I get that a lot.I was kinda shocked that you didn’t mention it that night.”
“I honestly did a double take.You could be twins.”
“It’s come in handy over the years.In fact, it’s the whole reason I ended up in Dallas.”
“Let me guess.With your incredible knowledge of sports, you worked for the Cowboys, didn’t you?Offensive line coach?Or team photographer, maybe?”
Claire laughed.“Don’t I wish!No, I worked in marketing for Sapphire Airlines for ten years.”
His face lit up.“Really?I love Sapphire!Fly them all the time.”
“The CEO of Sapphire walked up to me in the airport.He thought I was Kate Winslet.Of course, I quickly confessed that I was just a humble photographer.He didn’t believe me at first, so I showed him a small portfolio I had with me.We talked for several minutes—he was genuinely interested in my work and a huge Titanic fan.Anyway, we kept talking, and he offered me a job on the spot.”
