Chapter 34
VICTORIA
The store looked incredible. I stood in the doorway for a moment before anyone noticed me, just taking it in.
The bones of the place had always been good but now, with the finishing touches in place and the lighting exactly right, it was something else entirely.
It was the kind of space that made you want to lower your voice.
Reverent, almost. Like walking into a very expensive church where the religion was beautiful clothing.
The auction set up was my domain. The runway and clothing belonged to the Blackwells.
But the charity component was mine. I had a very specific vision for how I wanted it to feel and what needed to happen to pull it off.
I wanted it to be woven into the show. It shouldn’t feel like two different events.
I found the crew lead and introduced myself.
I had no idea if Callum was around but I hoped not.
His car hadn’t been parked in its usual spot.
Facing him would be too difficult, and I wasn’t ready to talk things through yet.
I had shown up because I was a professional and this was an important event, but the thought of seeing him made my insides coil with anxiety.
“The auctioneer’s stand goes here,” I said, walking them to the spot I’d marked on the floor plan. “Elevated if possible. Preferably the same height as the catwalk. Is that something you can handle in time? If not, we can figure something else out.”
He jotted something down on his notepad. “No, that will work. No problem.”
“Good.” I looked around the runway that had already been constructed.
There were large screens on each side wall, angled toward the center.
It would give clear views for anyone in attendance.
Plus, we were hoping to get the bidding shown onscreen too, but we were still trying to work out the kinks with that.
I walked through more of the setup, making sure everything complemented instead of clashed.
“Victoria.”
I looked up to see Mimi walking toward me. Always a hugger, she wrapped her arms around me warmly. “You look lovely,” she said, pulling back to look at me with genuine pleasure. “And what you’ve put together here is amazing.”
I looked like hell but I didn’t rebuff the compliment. It had been a few days since I’d seen Callum. They had not been great days. I was still trying to flush the alcohol from my system.
“Thank you so much,” I said, mostly responding to the second part of her statement. “Coming from you, that means a lot. But I didn’t know you were going to be here for the big show.”
“I flew in last night. I couldn’t wait to see the place and I am genuinely impressed. So much better than I even imagined.” Mimi clasped her hands together and looked around. “My husband had talked about opening a Blackwell Couture store for years. He would love the work you’ve all done here.”
“I’m just a small part of this,” I said, which was true. “Everyone else did the hard work.”
Tiana was near the coffee and cocktails area off to the side, talking to one of the servers about something.
She was wearing cream trousers and a burgundy blouse.
As always, she was effortlessly elegant.
It was no wonder she was a successful Hollywood actress.
And why her offspring were so damn good looking.
She caught my eye across the room and smiled. I smiled back but the knot in my stomach tightened even more.
I had been so relieved when I realized Callum’s car wasn’t outside but I hadn’t even considered seeing his mother. What would she have to say after she’d given her approval?
Someone tapped my shoulder and asked me a question, dragging my attention away from Callum’s mother. I answered it and was sucked back into the hive of activity.
A while later, I was running through my checklist, making sure everything was ready for the big night.
“I heard the screens were your idea.”
I jumped and spun around to see Tiana looking at the image on the screens. We’d been working on getting the angle just right.
“The goal is for no one to feel like they’re in the cheap seats,” I said. “Even if they’re in the back. And if we want people to bid on the outfits, they need to be able to see the details/”
She smiled at that. “Callum said you had good instincts.”
Just his name made my heart skip a beat. I didn’t know how long it would take for that to stop.
“How’s the rest of the prep coming together?” I asked.
“On schedule, which is always a surprise. Dash has been invaluable. He’s done this enough times that he catches things before they become problems. And Krista, of course.”
“That’s good,” I said. “The auction side in on track, too. I don’t want to jinx it, but so far, so good.”
My eyes darted around the space. I had been working for a couple hours. Callum could have arrived at any point without me noticing. I didn’t want a sneak attack.
“He’s not here today,” she said softly.
“What?”
“Callum,” she said with a soft smile. “He had something to handle with his real job. He’ll be in later this evening to check on the runway setup.” She paused. “In case you might want to know.”
“Thank you,” I said and hated how emotional I sounded.
She nodded once, watching me with eyes that saw too much. “Walk with me a moment.”
It wasn’t really a question. And I wasn’t about to piss off another Blackwell.
We headed out the front door into the cute plaza surrounded by shops almost as nice as Blackwell Couture.
I was a little biased though. I also hadn’t really browsed through any of these shops because everything was way outside of my price range.
“I know something has happened,” she said. “I won’t pretend otherwise. He’s my son and I know him. And you have the look of someone carrying something heavy. I don’t see that brilliant smile. Your eyes are sad and a little puffy. I know that look.”
I probably should have been offended, but she wasn’t saying it to be mean or to insult me. She cared. I didn’t know what to do with that. I had been alone with this for days. Completely alone.
I hadn’t called anyone because there was no one to call. Cleo was his sister. Mimi was his aunt. I had no one in this city who was mine and not his. I couldn’t tell Betty. Our relationship was currently strained. The loneliness had been difficult.
“Can I be honest with you?” I asked.
What I was really asking was could I tell her without having her tell Callum I told her.
“Talk to me, sweetheart. Whatever you say stays between us.”
I almost cried. A confidante. Even though she was his mother, I sensed she meant what she said.
“He followed me to a business meeting,” I said.
“Explain,” she prompted gently.
I told her about Jeff Connors and the lunch. The way my professional credibility had taken a hit. And Betty’s disappointment, which was truly one of the worst parts of the whole situation. That and my broken heart. I told her about my parents. Not all of it but enough.
By the time I finished I felt hollow. And lighter. I’d been carrying all of that around for too long.
“I know how strange this is,” I said. “Talking to you. He’s your son.”
“He is,” she said.
I shook my head. “You don’t have to say anything. I shouldn’t have unloaded on you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She paused for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“When he busted into your meeting in that restaurant, what was the first thing you felt? Before the anger.”
I pressed my lips together. I had been trying not to think about that part. “Relief,” I admitted. “I was happy to see him.”
She smiled.
“It doesn’t make what he did okay,” I said quickly.
“No,” she agreed, nodding. “It doesn’t. I’m not going to defend him.
I love him and I know exactly who he is, which means I know exactly what he did wrong and why he did it.
” She paused at a bench under a small palm tree, providing shade, and we sat.
“Callum has always had an… active social life. But he never brought any of his lady friends around. He was never serious about any of them.”
My breath caught in my throat. “And you think he’s serious about me? We’ve only known each other for a month.”
Tiana smiled and shrugged. “I think this might be the first time in his life there’s someone he’s afraid of losing.”
I didn’t have a response to that.
“What he did was clumsy and it cost you something real and he needs to understand that. But I want you to think about what it means that a man who has never been afraid of losing anyone—was afraid of losing you.”
“That doesn’t fix the problem,” I said gloomily.
Tiana nodded. “No, it doesn’t. Can I give you my honest opinion?”
“Please.”
“I can’t make choices for you two,” Tiana said. “That’s not my place and I wouldn’t even if it were. What I can tell you is that my son is happier when you’re around. Genuinely happy.” She paused. “And he’s sad now that you’re not.”
I looked at my hands. “I miss him too. But he really messed up.”
“He’s called out sick the last few days,” she continued.
“Callum has never called out sick in his life. He once ran a fever of a hundred and three and still sat in on a conference call.” She tilted her head slightly.
“Dash and Krista have taken over the final prep, which is fine. They’re more than capable. But it isn’t like him. At all.”
“I told him we should talk after the show,” I said. “I told him we should put things on hold until everything settles. I need to be able to think clearly and there’s too much going on for us both.”
She laughed softly. “That’s wise,” she said.
“He’s been burning the candle at both ends for months.
The store, the show, you, his regular work on top of all of it.
He’s not showing up as his best self and you deserve his best self.
” She looked at me directly. “I like your idea. Get through the show. Then both of you will get a chance to breathe. And then, if you still want to talk, talk to him when neither of you are running on fumes and stress and whatever else has been piling up.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For talking to me. For being kind.”
“Sometimes, that’s all someone needs.” She stood, smoothing her blouse, and looked down at me with a smile that looked friendly, but also a little terrifying. “I’m rooting for you two. Unless you break my baby’s heart. Then I won’t be so kind. I’m sure you understand.”
I laughed, but I most definitely believed her. “Noted.”
“Take a minute to enjoy the sunshine, Victoria. Breathe deeply. Ground yourself in the moment. You’ll find the clarity of mind you’re looking for.”
I watched her walk back toward the store. The sun was warm on my face. It did feel good. Also, she didn’t hate me. That was something. I wasn’t used to a kind and rational mother.
After I found some semblance of calmness, I stood up, went back inside, and threw myself into the auction setup. Work was good. Simple. Well, not simple but less complicated than love.
Dash approached and moved to stand beside me. “It looks good,” he said, hands in his pockets, surveying the space with the practiced eye of someone who had done this a lot.
“It does. You guys do good work.”
“You doing okay?” he asked.
I glanced at him. He was watching me with a hint of sadness. “I’m fine,” I said. “Working.”
He nodded slowly. “Good strategy.”
“Strategy?”
“You’re staying busy. And he’s choosing to wallow. I like your strategy better but I think you’re both inviting misery.”
“I’ve already talked to Tiana.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you’ve figured out we’re all worried.”
“Worried?”
“About him. You. You guys are really good together.”
“Unless we’re not.”
“No relationship is perfect,” he said. “Trust me, Krista and I had our moments. We still have occasional moments now and then, but when you have that special something, it’s worth a few speedbumps.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Callum and I will figure things out after the show.”
He left me alone after that, which I appreciated. I loved that they were all concerned for Callum. And me. I hated that I had hurt Callum, but I firmly believed us taking a break was the right thing to do. His mother agreed, too, which bolstered my confidence in my decision.
I worked until my feet hurt and my back ached. The crew had done everything that could reasonably be done to make everything perfect. I looked around and couldn’t help but be drawn to the wedding corner. Pictures of women in Cleo’s designs were around the space. She was a talented designer.
I stared at a mermaid-style gown. Back when I used to dream of fairytales and weddings, I imagined myself in one of those. Adulthood had changed my shape, and if I ever got married, I would do something far simpler.
I shook my head and walked away from the wedding section. It was time to go home for the day.