The comforter was a lush and luxurious white faux fur. It looked so inviting that the minute Diana left the room, I lay back on it, running my fingers through the fur.
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling disoriented. The silence was not normal. Where are Chloe and Sophie?
I sat straight up, fully awake now and remembering what I’d done forty-eight hours ago. Regret riffled through me. I wondered if I would get used to the absence of Chloe and Sophie. My heart raced and my hands trembled as I reached around on the bed for my cell phone. On auto pilot, I hit the button to call, but when my screen saver popped up, my precious little niece Sophie stared back at me, smiling her special, goofy grin. I put the phone back down.
Stop it. You’ve got this. Sophie is worth anything and everything. If you call, Chloe will know you’re nervous.
I lifted the phone back up. My fingers spread the screen to zoom in for a closer look, feeling better already just seeing her face. Then my eyes caught the 6:53 at the top of the screen.
Oh no. I’m going to be late for dinner.
I scooted to the edge of the bed. When my feet finally hit the floor, I ran for the door. I had seven minutes to be at dinner. It might take that long to get to the dining room.
Way to go, girl. Just be late, why don’t you, and on your first meal with the family and hopefully your husband. Geez, that sounds so strange to say.
The massive antiqued mirror leaning against the wall near the door almost yelled at me to stop. I knew it didn’t actually talk to me, (or did it?) but it for sure didn’t approve of my disheveled appearance. I stuck my tongue out at the mirror for mocking me. I slowed my pace just a tad and turned, taking in the eighteenth-century architecture.
This is bigger than David Jones department store. This can’t be all bad, right? Find your suitcase, change out of your shorts. Shoot, it’s in the car. Maybe it’s here. Just look.
I looked around, not seeing my suitcase, but it must have been delivered because my brush and perfume sat on the dresser. I walked over and opened what I figured was the closet.
Wow, who owns enough clothes to fill this? Why is there a couch in the closet? Ha, it’s in here because you get exhausted just walking around the whole thing. So strange someone brought my suitcase in while I was sleeping and hung up my clothes.
I didn’t have time to investigate all the drawers, so I just grabbed my yellow-striped linen dress.
Someone ironed my dress. Really? All while I slept? That’s kinda creepy.
Hopefully adding my rhinestone-encrusted flats to the dress would be nice enough for dinner. I ran my brush through my tangled hair then quickly walked down the stairs to find the dining room. I could hear muted conversations, so I quietly entered the room they were coming from.
The intricate mahogany dining table was impressive, and the heavy burgundy fabric on the upholstery reminded me of a museum. Gold-framed paintings graced the walls. A gold vase half my size filled with fresh flowers stood in the middle of the table, thankfully blocking their view of me and giving me time to catch my breath and relax.
Breathe in, breathe out….breathe in, breathe out. Time to meet the husband. I hope. Victoria never said he would be here. Hmmm.
I stepped closer to the voices, only to stop abruptly, staring in shock.
“Starbucks Hero?” I blurted out, forgetting where I was for the moment.
He froze, drink midway to his mouth. He looked like a deer in headlights, like he had no idea where he was. Then he flashed a crooked smile at me, and I traced his lips with my gaze. He was going to be trouble. I was here to meet my husband. What crazy luck to run into him twice in one day.
“Sequin Girl,” he finally said. “Did you follow me?”
I swallowed. “You think I followed you? You don’t mean…”
“I meant you found me.”
“Found you? I didn’t …”
“No, I mean…
I bit my lip. “I don’t understand.”
“No, me either.” He exhaled, stood, and walked closer. “Hello.” He smiled ear to ear, extending his hand. “I’m Parker. Nice to see you again.”
The jolt of butterflies his simple touch gave me was completely unexpected.
“Mia,” I said unable to put more words together at that moment.
“Mia.”
Hearing my name from a distance, I looked around the room and met two sets of curious eyes. We were being watched. Still, I didn’t move.
“Mia,” Victoria repeated. “I’m happy to see you made it down to dinner. Diana said you were resting, so we weren’t sure you would make it. I see you’ve also met my son Parker.”
Confusion still clouding my thoughts, I lowered myself into the nearest chair.
“Well, yes, we met in Grand Central this morning over coffee. In the most bizarre way,” he said before I could think straight to answer.
I blushed. He caught my embarrassment and coughed into his hand. From the way his eyes twinkled, I knew he was trying not to laugh. For some reason, that was all I needed to think clearer.
An older gentleman exchanged looks of amusement with Victoria.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, “I’m Mia, and you must be Mr….”
“Just call me Henry, dear,” he said. “Please, sit and tell us how you two met.”
“Yes, Mia,” Victoria said smiling. “This sounds like an amusing story.”
“Well,” I said, taking a seat where I saw an additional place setting. “You could look at it that way. I was in line at Starbucks. I remembered I needed to call my sister, and I’d tossed my cell in my bag in a hurry earlier on. I’d planned to get it out after I got my tea, but it started ringing, so I bent over to captain cook in my bag for it and my hair caught in the sequins.
“Hence, Sequin Girl,” Parker said, looking all too pleased.
“Parker was kind enough to help me get unstuck,” I said, blushing slightly. “It was so embarrassing.”
Laughter erupted from their end of the table.
They have a sense of humor, at least. That’s good to know.
“You had to see it,” Parker said, still laughing. “It was pretty funny seeing you bent over with all that hair twined into the sequins, and not just a few strands. The clerk kept calling out her name with her tea order. I had to do something.”
“He rescued me,” I said sheepishly. “And I survived the embarrassment by telling myself I would never see him again.”
We all had a good chuckle while Diana served us dinner.
I closed my eyes and hoped that I had not actually turned the color of a fire engine.
How weird to run into him again. Is fate trying to tell me something? What a bummer. It’s most likely not him because Victoria didn’t introduce him properly as such. Or is it? Nah, Victoria would have said so by now, wouldn’t she?
“So, Mia, what brings you to America?” Parker asked, cutting his chicken so precisely.
“Mia is a friend’s daughter I’m helping out as a stylist and a makeover while she is on hiatus,” Victoria said. “She’ll be here until after Christmas.”
Well, okay then. That was bull dust.. I guess I’ll ask later why the secret. She obviously doesn’t want to talk about it right now.
Conversation flowed easily throughout dinner. Henry and Parker spoke about work until Victoria changed the subject. Dessert had been cleared, and Henry was yawning.