Page 25 of Winter With You

‘Green?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ the woman said, pushing her glasses up her nose. ‘Like maybe a cross between emerald and dark grass.’

Dark grass? He watched Gabriella looking at the mannequins. She was standing closest to the scarlet trouser suit and he couldn’t tell if that was because she liked it the most or the least. Not that it mattered. He turned his attention back to the other woman. ‘I’m sorry, we haven’t been properly introduced. You are?’

‘Oh, I’m Cheyenne, I work for All Chapters Publishing,’ she said, with all the gusto of someone who adored their job and thought it was the career of the century.

‘OK, so, I’m Luca. I work for La Façon, and I believe it’s my job to dress Ms Felix for the events she’s attending while she’s here in New York,’ he said, picking a baby pink ballerina-inspired dress off the rail and holding it out.

‘That is correct,’ Cheyenne answered.

‘OK, good. And, Phoebe, I’m guessing you will need outfits too, yes?’

‘Well, I would like to but⁠—’

He watched Cheyenne’s mouth open. ‘Um, that’s not actually on the publisher’s remit so⁠—’

‘Great, Phoebe,’ Luca said. ‘So, you take this one and go try it on. It’s just behind the curtain over there.’ He handed her the pink dress and watched her face light up. Then he looked back to Cheyenne. ‘Listen, I’m going to need the room.’

‘Need the room?’

‘Yes,’ he said firmly. ‘It’s how I do my best work with my clients. Alone. Without distraction. Just us and the styles.’

‘O-K,’ Cheyenne said, looking none too pleased about that suggestion. ‘But the publisher⁠—’

‘Isn’t here,’ Luca stated. Then he looked at his watch. ‘And we are on a timeline before tonight’s show, yes?’ He put a gentle, guiding hand to Cheyenne’s elbow and began leading her across the parquet flooring towards the exit.

‘Well, yes, but⁠—’

‘Cherise,’ he called to his colleague who was just outside the main room, hands full of tulle. ‘Could you look after Ms…’

‘It’s just Cheyenne,’ she answered.

‘Please look after Cheyenne for me. Anything she needs,’ Luca said. Then, as Cheyenne stepped forward and Cherise despatched the fabric, he took a backwards step into the main room again and closed the double doors behind him.

Gabriella had taken the red pantsuit off the mannequin and was holding it into a shaft of winter light that was filtering through the window.

‘You can put that down,’ Luca told her.

‘I’m not allowed to touch it? I thought these were the clothes I needed to try on,’ she said. ‘This ode to a ketchup bottle and… whatever fifty shades of poop this is.’

‘Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?’ Luca suggested.

‘Well, I think your earlier confidence was misplaced if these were your choices.’

‘So, what are we going to do about that?’

She laughed. ‘You tell me, you’re the self-confessed expert of fashion.’

‘And you still don’t believe me.’

‘I’m standing right next to raw evidence.’

‘Untrue,’ he answered. ‘What you’re standing next to are three outfits I really really hoped you hated.’ He took the pantsuit from her and threw it over one shoulder of the mannequin. ‘Because how I’m going to dress you is the opposite of everything these looks represent.’

He could see his words seeping their way into her subconscious until she answered, ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’

He laughed. ‘Phoebe, how does the dress look?’