Time for you to go to work, said Hunter.
Pink, she hissed at him.
Hunter just smiled.
Jeanette hung two of the outfits inside a large, well-lit changing room. It had a chair, a small padded bench, a dozen hooks and a three-way mirror.
In the changing room, Sinclair stripped out of the gray skirt suit shed worn on the plane, and realized her underwear was looking a bit shabby. The lace on her bra had faded to ivory from the bright white it was when shed bought it. The elastic had stretched in the straps, and one of the underwires had a small bend.
She slipped into the first dress. It was a pale pink sheath of a thing. It clung all the way to her ankles, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Making matters worse, it had an elaborate beading running over the cap sleeves and all the way down the sides. And it came with a ridiculous ivory lace hood thing that made her look like some kind of android bride.
There was a small rap at the door. Mademoiselle?
Yes?
Is there anything you need?
Cyanide? Would you happen to have a phone? Or maybe an escape hatch out the back? She could catch a plane to New York and start over again.
Oui. Of course. Un moment.
Sinclair stared at the dress, having some very serious second thoughts. Maybe other women could pull this off, taller, thinner, crazier women. But it sure wasnt working for her.
Another knock.
Yes? If that was Hunter, she wasnt going out there. Not like this. Not with a gun to her head.
Your phone, said Jeanette.
Sinclair pulled off the hood, cracked the door and accepted the wireless telephone.
She dialed her sister Kristy, the fashion expert.
Kristy answered after three rings. Hello?
Hey, its me.
Hey, you, came Kristys voice above some background noise of music and voices. Whats going on? Everything all right?
Its fine. Well, not fine exactly. Im having a few problems at work.
Really? Thats not like you. What kind of problems?
Its a long story. But, Im in Paris right now, and were trying to fix it.
Hang on, said Kristy. Im at the Manchester Hospital Foundation lunch. I need to get out of the ballroom. The background noise disappeared. Okay. There. Did you say you were in Paris?
Sinclairs glance went to the three-way mirror. Yes. Im doing a makeover, but I think I many have taken a wrong turn here, and I need some advice.
Happy to help. What kind of advice?
What do I ask for? Is there something thats stylish but not weird?
Define weird.
At the moment, these crazy people are trying to dress me like an android bride, porn queen.
There was laughter in Kristys tone. Crazy people? What did you do to upset the French?
Its not the French. Its Hunter.
Hunters in Paris?
Yes.
Kristy was silent for a moment. Are you sleeping with him again? No.
More silence. You sure?
Yes Im sure. What? You think I wouldnt notice? Were shopping for clothes.
I know things about Hunter that you dont.
Were not having sex, were shopping for clothes. And Im all for that. Just not these clothes. Sinclair glanced in the mirror again and shuddered.
Where are you shopping?
La Petite Fleur.
Well, theyre good. Is somebody assisting you?
Yes. A nice lady named Jeanette, who appears to have horrible taste in dresses.
Put her on.
Just a minute.
Sinclair cracked the door again. Jeanette?
Oui? The woman instantly appeared.
Sinclair held out the phone. My sister wants to talk to you.
If Jeanette was surprised by the request, she didnt show it. She was gracious and classy as she took the phone, and Sinclair was grateful.
Allô? said Jeanette.
Sinclair closed the door. She didnt want to risk Hunter calling her to come out there.
She stripped out of the dress and tried the other. It was made of black netting, with shoulder-length matching gloves. A puffy neckline of feathers nearly made Sinclair sneeze, while rows of horizontal feather stripes camouflaged strategic parts of her body. The netting base was see-through, so underwear would be out of the question beneath it.
Another knock.
Yes?
You going to show me something? asked Hunter.
Not a chance.
Why? Whats wrong?
She took in her own image. Maybe she just didnt have the body for high fashion. Other women looked good. Kristy always looked good.
I really dont want to go into it, she said to Hunter.
Keep an open mind. It cant be that bad.
Trust me. Its that bad.
Perhaps youd care to try a different designer? came Jeanettes voice.
Trust me. Its that bad.
Perhaps youd care to try a different designer? came Jeanettes voice.
Is Kristy still on the phone?
She will ring you back. But she made some suggestions.
Sinclair flipped open the door latch. No peeking, she warned Hunter.
Then his cell phone beeped and she heard him answer it.
Good. Hopefully hed be busy for a while.
She opened the door wide enough to take the new dresses from Jeanette. They were in blues and golds, and these ones didnt appear to be pornographic.
She closed the door, took a breath, and tried on another one.
It was much better, and she felt a surge of hope.
It clung to her body, but not in an indecent way, and the fabric was thick enough that she could wear underwear beneath it. The netting on this dress was brown, and it was only used for a stripe across the top as well as a flirty ruffle from midcalf to the floor. In between was a glittering puzzle pattern of gold, brown, purple and green material.
Sinclair turned. She liked the way the ruffle flowed around her ankles, and the dress molded nicely to her rear end and her thighs.
There was another rap on the door. How are you, madame? called Jeanette.
Sinclair opened the door.
Jeanette cocked her head to one side. Not bad, she said of the outfit. Youll need some shoes with a little jazz to compete. And maybe a little more support in your bra.
Was Sinclair offended by that last remark? No way. She was starting to like her new image.
One moment, said Jeanette.
She returned promptly with a bra, matching panties, a pair of stockings, and some spike-heeled, precarious-looking, rhinestone-studded sandals.
When Sinclair walked out of the change room, she nearly took Hunters breath away. The dress was a dream. Well, mostly her body beneath it was a dream. She looked glamorous and stylish, and it only added to her innate class.
Can you hang on a minute? he asked Richard Franklin, one of the Osland International lawyers.
Sure, Richard responded.
Hunter covered the phone. Perfect, he stated to Sinclair.
She smiled and, as usual, it lifted his mood. He found himself thinking about the evening ahead, and tomorrow, and the next few days. What could he show her in Paris? How could he keep her smiling?
He forced himself to switch his attention to Jeanette. Can you do two or three more like that? And a couple of ball gowns, and some daywear?
Absolument.
You look fantastic, he said to Sinclair.
It was a rocky start. But then she reflexively glanced in the mirror beside her, and he could tell by the shine in her eyes that she liked the outfit, too.
Try to have fun, he told her.
Im getting there.
He gave her a thumbs-up.
Theyd need some jewelry to go with it, of course. But that could be tomorrows mission.
It occurred to Hunter that he was probably having a little too much fun at this himself. But he shrugged it off. Dressing a beautiful woman ought to be fun. And if a man couldnt have fun spending his money, what was the point in making any of it?
Jeanette herded Sinclair back into the change room, and Hunter returned to his phone call.
Thanks for waiting, he said to Richard.
Do you have a contact name? asked Richard.
Seth Vanderkemp. The Castlebay Spa headquarters is on Rue de Seline. Do we have a contract lawyer on standby?
We do. In fact, I can get someone there overnight. When will you know?
Tomorrow. If it looks like we can get a contract, Ill give you a call. Hunter knew this was their last chance to get Luscious Lavender into a spa chain in time for the Valentines launch. If Castlebay was open to making a deal, he didnt want to lose a single minute.
He ended the call.
Immediately, his phone rang again.
Hunter Osland.
What the hell? came his cousin Jacks voice.
What the hell what? asked Hunter, reflexively cataloguing his actions over the past couple of weeks to see what could have upset his cousin.
One, youve got Sinclair in Paris? Two, theres trouble with her job. Three, youre dressing her like an android hooker. And four, youre probably sleeping with her? Take your pick.
Oh, that, said Hunter.
Thats your answer?
What do you want me to say? Hunter could tell his cousin to shut up and mind his own business. It was hardly a crime to go shopping. And he was behaving responsibly, particularly considering the attraction that still simmered between them.
That youre not sleeping with my sister-in-law.
I stopped.
Good. Stay stopped. She works for us. And youre you.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
You know what it means.
Hunter sighed in exasperation. His reputation as a womanizer was not deserved.
Tell Kristy I am not having a fling with her sister. Sinclairs job is not in jeopardy. And she doesnt look the least bit like a hooker.
And youre not going to break her heart?
Hunter pulled the phone away from his ear and frowned at it for a second. Then he put it back.
Obviously, that was Kristys question, Jack went on.
What exactly have you told her about me?
Anything she asks. Plus, Gramps gave her the lowdown on some of your previous relationships. And you and Sinclair did start out with a one-night stand.
Thanks for the support there, cousin.
Hunter hadnt had that many relationships. All right, some of them may have been short-lived. But they simply hadnt worked out. It wasnt as if he went around breaking hearts on purpose.
Personally, said Jack, with more than a trace of amusement in his tone. Im more concerned about you. Shes got red hair.
Hunter didnt bothering answering. He hit the end button and shoved the phone back in his pocket.
His cousins joke was lame.
When Hunter was sixteen years old, hed accidentally burned down the tent of an old gypsy fortune-teller. The woman had predicted Jack would marry a woman he didnt trust. Theyd lose the family fortune. Theyd buy a golf course. And Hunter would marry a redhead and have twins.
So far, the only thing that had come close to happening was Jack marrying Kristy before he trusted her. But it was enough to get Jack fixated on redheads and the possibility of twins.
The door to the changing room opened again.