Chapter 14
When Sonya returned from the bathroom, there was a new dress hanging on her door. This one was custard-yellow with butterfly sleeves and a ruffled hem. Beneath it was a pair of new shoes.
She gasped, reaching for the shoes first: they were lace-up leather boots, a little worn-in and likely secondhand but when she tried them on, they fit like a glove. They were perfect!
Sonya got ready, twisting and tying half of her hair back with a ribbon: it had grown a little longer these past few weeks.
When she entered the living room in the new dress and shoes, Azam looked up from the fire, face brightening.
She noticed his outfit then, and how handsome he looked.
He was wearing a cornflower-blue waistcoat and dark gray trousers.
There was a small bunch of daffodils tucked into his breast pocket. They matched her dress.
They looked at one another, neither speaking.
‘You look lovely,’ Kiri said, breaking the moment.
Sonya smiled at Kiri, then twirled. ‘Thank you,’ she said, then turned to thank Azam, too.
‘How are the shoes?’ he asked.
‘Perfect!’ she replied, tapping her feet to show him.
‘I noticed yesterday that your shoes were full of water,’ he said. ‘I realized they were probably too big and went out to find you a new pair.’
Her heart warmed. ‘You’re too good to me,’ she said.
He furrowed his brow. ‘No, Sonya, it’s the very least you deserve. I wish I could do more.’ He looked down at his hands for a moment before meeting her eyes again. ‘I want to thank you truly for all your help with the shop’s reopening. I couldn’t have made it here without you.’
Her cheeks flushed.
‘Breakfast!’ Kiri announced.
The shop would officially open at noon, and they had plenty of time before then, so they all sat and had breakfast together: fried eggs and toast with tea.
Sonya cleaned up as Kiri prepared the food for the party: scones with jam and little cucumber sandwiches and small, sweet pastries. While Sonya set out the plates and teacups, Kiri made pitchers of lemonade.
Once they were finished inside, and it was nearly time, Kiri took Dania to clean up and get ready. Sonya went over to the shop, where everything should have already been in order.
Azam was standing in front of the main desk—his desk, now—gripping the edge, his knuckles white. His eyes were tightly closed and he didn’t even seem to hear her approach.
Sonya went to his side, touching his arm. ‘Azam?’
He released a trembling breath, then opened his eyes.
‘What if it’s all a spectacular failure?’ he asked, voice quiet.
‘What if it’s not?’ she replied.
He still looked tense, and, feeling bold, she touched his cheek, turning his face toward hers. ‘It’s going to be brilliant,’ she said.
He let go of the table, flexing his hands.
The stress seemed to leave him then, and he gave her a soft smile, eyes tender.
‘You’re brilliant, Sonya.’ The way he said her name made her shiver.
‘You have such a way of making me feel …’ He trailed off, at a loss of words.
‘If I could just hold on to that feeling—it is its own kind of magic.’
Sonya felt warm all over as Azam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. While she had been working, tendrils of hair had come loose from the ribbon, falling in front of her face.
The strand bounced back to where it had been hanging. She laughed, unsure what to say. ‘My hair was never this curly,’ she said, touching the ends.
He gently tugged a curl and it bounced. ‘I like it,’ he said, eyes lidded.
Then, he was just looking at her, his gaze intense, and nerves skittered through her. She nibbled her lower lip. ‘What?’ she asked.
‘I’m … nervous.’ He admitted it like a confession, his ears tinged pink.
‘That’s expected, it’s a big day,’ she reassured. ‘Just look at me.’
‘I’m afraid that’ll only make matters worse,’ he replied, voice low.
Before she could ask what that meant, Dania came bounding in, and they both turned their attention to her.
‘I’m ready!’ she said, throwing her arms up. She wore a baby-blue dress, and her hair was in two braids, tied with yellow ribbons. Kiri entered after her, bringing the tea, and Sonya and Azam went to help with the rest of the food, setting it up on the table.
Everything was ready; everything was perfect.
The shop looked brand new, but still how Sonya imagined it once used to.
They all stood by the doorway, looking in at their hard work.
New dresses hung from hangers and adorned the three dressmaker’s mannequins in the room, and the portfolio of sketches was open on the table.
There was a big banner with the words ‘GRAND REOPENING’ hanging across the wall.
The shop would still be known as Bunto’s; Azam had wanted to honor his mother.
‘Your folks would have been awfully proud,’ Kiri said, squeezing Azam’s side.
Tears sprang into his eyes, but he smiled.
‘Thank you for saying that, Kiri,’ he said.
People began arriving slowly. Sonya recognized some of them from handing out the fliers and from the market, but many were new faces. Soon, the party was in full swing.
The space quickly became overcrowded and easy chatter filled the shop as people reached for tea and scones and looked at the dresses and sketches, but everyone seemed to be having a grand time, talking and laughing.
‘This is my model,’ Azam said, his hand on Sonya’s lower back as he walked her around the room. ‘My muse, Sonya.’
She was wearing one of his designs, which she was happy to show off, letting people admire Azam’s handwork. But then she realized how much attention she was getting. Many people were staring.
She was used to people staring, to being the center of attention at the few parties she had attended, but she never liked it, not then and not now. As a lady asked Azam for details regarding an order she wanted to place for her anniversary, Sonya slipped away to grab a glass of lemonade.
She drank the lemonade in the corner, catching her breath.
‘Can I refill that for you?’ someone asked. Sonya looked up to find a young man, probably a few years older than she was, gesturing to her empty glass.
‘Oh, thank you,’ Sonya replied, handing it to him. He had straight blond hair and bright blue eyes; she tried to recall if she had met him before, but his face didn’t seem familiar.
The young man returned with her glass full of lemonade and another one for himself.
‘For you.’ He handed it to her, and she took a long sip. ‘I’m Marcus, by the way.’ He gave her a winning smile.
‘Sonya,’ she replied, smiling back.
‘Yes, I heard,’ he said. ‘You’re Azam’s muse. Azam couldn’t have picked a more perfect model; I’m sure everything looks splendid on you.’
He looked her over and she blushed, not really sure what was happening. Marcus smiled, eyes sparkling. ‘Tell me more about yourself,’ he said. ‘What else do you enjoy, besides being beautiful, of course?’
Before Sonya could respond, Azam was by her side. His eyes were slits, his mouth turned down in a frown. Alarm rang through her.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked Azam, but he was focused on Marcus, who gave Azam an easy smile.
‘Hiya, Azam,’ Marcus said, taking a sip of lemonade. ‘Splendid party.’
‘Thanks.’ Azam’s smile was forced. He seemed very agitated and Sonya looked around, trying to find the cause of his ire, but everything seemed to be going well. She spotted Enzo, and when he caught sight of them, he left the conversation he was having and strode over.
Enzo put an arm around Marcus’s shoulder. ‘Marcus! How are you?’ he asked. ‘Tell me how you’ve been getting on?’ He steered Marcus away from them, and, as they walked away, Enzo looked over his shoulder, mouthing the word ‘Relax’ to Azam.
Azam was still glowering, which only made Enzo shake his head and laugh.
Sonya didn’t understand what was funny.
‘Is everything alright?’ Sonya asked Azam.
Azam’s expression softened when he looked at her. ‘Are you alright?’ he asked, hand gentle on her elbow. She nodded. ‘Good, I’m glad. It looked like you were hiding out a bit. Is it all too much? I know it is a little loud.’
‘No, not at all. Everyone is having fun! It’s lovely.’ She looked down at her dress. ‘And everyone loves the dress. I’m sorry I’m being a terrible model, it’s just … everyone is staring. I know it’s because of the dress—’
‘It isn’t the dress,’ he said with a soft smile. ‘It’s you, Sonya.’ His gaze scorched through her. ‘You’re beautiful, so of course everyone’s staring.’
Before Sonya could think of a response, Winnie cut in then, looping her arm through Sonya’s. ‘Off you go,’ she ordered Azam. ‘Go back to mingling. I’m stealing Sonya.’
As Winnie whisked Sonya away, she looked over her shoulder at Azam. He watched her go even as a small group immediately began to form around him.
The girls went to get scones, piling them high with clotted cream and jam, and Winnie elbowed Sonya playfully.
‘You and Azam looked quite cozy. I thought it best to break up the scene before you got carried away,’ Winnie said, licking jam off her finger.
Sonya’s face felt hot. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Mhm,’ Winnie teased.
Sonya bit into her scone, the clotted cream smooth as it melted on her tongue.
‘Don’t worry about Marcus, Sonya,’ Enzo said, joining them. ‘He’s harmless, if a bit over-confident.’
Sonya wasn’t sure what that meant, either. Wasn’t that Marcus fellow just being polite?
‘Marcus was flirting with Sonya,’ Enzo told Winnie.
‘Was he?’ Sonya’s mouth dropped open. ‘I’ve never been flirted with before.’
Enzo laughed at that. ‘I doubt that very much,’ he said. ‘You probably just haven’t realized when it’s happening. I can think of one person in particular—ow!’ He broke off as Winnie hit him in the gut.
‘Stop that,’ Winnie said. ‘Only I’m allowed to tease Sonya.’