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“No, I’m not going to sit down to dinner with a man who’s already replaced me. Maybe you should call it a late-night meeting between you and your new significant other.”
With that Naomi stood up and walked out of the room and up the staircase to the guest bedroom hoping to find some peace. She wondered if Whisper went to his crate for the same reason.
* * *
The next morning Austinlooked at his secret weapon and wondered if it would be enough. They were affectionately called the witches of stitches. They were triplets who could design or create anything in 24 hours. Stella, Opal and Sasha Lipanzi were also called the SOS sisters. They could save a fashion house when they worked in the industry. They left after 35 years of working the floor. Then they went on to strip careers to shreds as reviewers.
Austin didn’t know why but they had taken a liking to him and when he had told him of a dream of opening up a boutique, drawing and marketing beautiful creations they said if he ever found a person who could come up with designs worthy for him to draw all day they’d come out of retirement to help.
The sisters had been approving the layout and the plan since day one. They had thought of things, but he would have never thought of. Sometimes they could be a bit much. However, when it was all said and done no one could dispute their logic or organization.
Sasha had the humor. Opal had the organization. Sasha brought a sense of refinement that he didn’t even know he needed. Sasha was in the main part of the factory. She had told her other sisters that she needed to come and see what the place looked like for herself. At 5 foot 2 and grey hair Sasha was not the drop-dead gorgeous woman she had once been. However, she was still a powerhouse to be reckoned with. Austin had been a bit disappointed they hadn’t all come but Sasha explained the other two were on vacation and if she decided she needed her sisters to come she would call them.
“It’s about time we got this thing started, isn’t it?” Sasha said looking around the building for anything that she might have missed. Austin had asked her earlier if everything was in place and she told him then she would do a couple of more looksie’s around the building.
“I think you are the real judge of that,” Austin said.
“Glad to know there’s more to you than just good looks and good hands,” Sasha joked. “Now as much as I would like to say you are smart, I have to tell you that idea you have for getting your lady friend over her may need some work.”
Austin was waiting for Sasha to make a comment about his latest move. So, the idea was to have an open house at the building. He would announce today that he was going to open a boutique or in the very least he will announce that he was going to make clothing to go into a boutique. He was going to be deliberately vague so no one would know if he was going to ship the clothing out or sell it in town. What Austin was pretty sure about was that as soon as Claudia heard she would want to know if he was going to be a friend or a foe.
“Men have to take big risks if they want to get big pay offs,” Austin said.
Sasha sniffed.
“Big risk and big payoffs my foot. I hear you’re still going to invite Jillian over.”
Austin could feel his cheeks getting red.
“That is just working with my neighbors” Austin said. “Besides that, I already told her that I would let her know first.”
“Oh, and here I was thinking that you were going to let Gillian in on it and let her know all was well and that would get you in good with Claudia, but maybe things don’t work that way anymore you know times change and people age,” Sasha said with an all-knowing smile.
“You really think this isn’t going work and she’s not going to be happy?”
“Let me see it is very obvious you have not been out with women in quite some time,” Sasha said with a smirk.
“Am I about to crash and burn?”
Sasha shrugged.
“I haven’t had enough time with your ladylove to tell you either way. Let’s just say this is a bold move and we’ll find out which way she leans one way or the other.”
Austin looked around the building and how much work had already been done. He thought about how close he was to having his own boutique and his own dreams come true. He hoped that he had not had tunnel vision and didn’t take into consideration what Claudia might think. If the truth were to be told this whole thing hinged on if Claudia wanted to be in business with him. Austin still wasn’t used to the idea of his fate being in someone else’s hand but if they had to be he was glad that it was Claudia’s.
