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This was where most people misunderstood what I liked to do. There was absolutely no need to go to a store. We just had to adjust how she wore what she was wearing so that she felt better in her own clothes.
“No need.” I smiled. “We’re not going shopping.”
She’d put on a red skirt. It was long, hitting past her knees, and it showed off her thin stature that still managed to be curvy. Her daughter was just a little bit taller than she was. They were really beautiful. “Good genes in your family.”
They both beamed at this. Renee had also matched the red skirt with a black turtleneck T-shirt. She’d tucked that in. I could see the problem immediately.
We’d gathered a crowd. Everyone but Zeke had crowded around to see what I was doing. They spoke to each other likethey were a crowd that all knew each other. Or at least that was how it seemed. Was this a regular stop for everyone in here?
“Is it okay if I touch you?”
Renee gave a little shrug. The kind a person gave when they had no idea if what the other person said to them was insane. I must truly seem that way.
I took it as a yes. I was already into this craziness, I needed to do a good job. But it would be easy with Renee. She just needed the slightest adjustment. I pulled her shirt out, letting it hang loose. The way the skirt hit her did nothing for her slim waist, it was more like a hip hugger. Very pretty, but probably just the reason she didn’t feel quite right at the moment. But I understood what she was trying to do which was show off the waist to begin with, only that wasn’t going to happen unless we adjusted her slightly.
I looked at her daughter. “Do you need that coat?”
“No.” She smiled and took it off, handing it to me, which I quickly put on Renee. It was faux leather and lightweight. She’d probably be a little hot in it, but if the walk turned into lunch and Renee was feeling all kinds of more comfortable, she could take it off then. I stepped back to look at the whole presentation. Something was missing. It was always about the small details. Maybe it was just me, but I really felt like it was the small details that made all the difference with the outfit.
I spun around and looked at the women behind me. “Do you know each other?”
“Why, yes,” the blonde, taller woman answered. “We are very close friends.”
“On weekends, we are all here,” Danette supplied.
The blonde, whose name I should learn and would in a minute, wore a beautiful piece of costume jewelry. I had a pretty good eye for telling what was real and what wasn’t.
And sometimes I preferred the look of the so-called cheap stuff better. Hers was a long black chain with a gold medallion on the bottom. She’d matched that with a gold webbed bracelet.
“Can I borrow your jewelry?”
Her eyes widened. “You like them?”
“Yes, they’re beautiful, but what’s more, they’ll look great on Renee. Is it okay?”
She quickly handed them to me, and I turned them over to Renee. “Go look at yourself.”
The woman smiled at me, the biggest one she’d given me as of yet, and she hadn’t even seen herself yet. It was as much the process of anything. I smiled at Danette. “Your mom is gorgeous.”
She outright squealed, and I took a step back. “You’re Layla, the redhead. Did you really leave your fiancé for Zeke like they’re saying?”
“I did.” The lie tasted bitter, but I’d agreed to this. “We’re together.”
“He is so handsome. I wished my mother might date him, but she said she isn’t his type. And he only dates four days. Then it’s all over. And we like this café too much.”
Some of her English had gotten a little mixed up, but I understood her completely. Well, I didn’t know how long Zeke and I would stay together. I supposed that was up to my father and how he behaved toward the whole thing.
I took Danette’s hand. “Thanks for letting me fix up your mom. She’s going to feel great now.”
Sure enough, Renee emerged from the bathroom with a grin on her face. There was actual applause all around her for that grin, and soon, everyone had started speaking French again. I smiled at Renee and made my way back to my table.
He lifted his lids but didn’t say anything else to me. If he had even a thought about the few minutes I’d been away fromthe table, he wasn’t going to share them. I took a long sip of my coffee as people swarmed here and there before either sitting back down or leaving.
The gorgeous blonde who had loaned Renee her necklace came by. She stared at me for a long second before turning to Zeke and saying something to him in French. I expected him to tell her to speak English, but he didn’t do that. Instead, he ended up narrowing his eyes and saying something short that sounded almost curt.
She finally spoke to me, speaking in a way I could understand. “You are young and charming. That was a very nice thing that you did for a very nice person who deserves it, and you couldn’t even know that. The young people tell me you are famous for that sort of thing, for your beauty.”
My cheeks were red. She was complimenting me but not at the same time. I didn’t know who she was, but I’d be surprised if she weren’t successful at something I should know about. She wanted me to be impressed with her, too. “You were the one with the beautiful jewelry and the generous spirit to help her. Thank you for doing that. It was really nice of you. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
