Page 24 of The Complication
“Well, I am working on something for another client right now.”
“Put them on hold. I need your full attention today. You know I’ll pay your emergency markup.”
She giggled, and I couldn’t stop from rolling my eyes. “You always know the right words to say. What can I do for you?”
“A friend and his daughter suffered a fire at their apartment complex. They have lost everything.”
“Oh, no! How old is his daughter?”
“Six months.”
“No!” she cried and even Joy looked at me with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t believe how high-pitched Patricia’s voice could become. “Are they okay?”
“They weren’t home at the time of the fire. They are staying with me, and I have nothing for babies. I need Joy to be outfitted—bed, clothes, toys, one of those indoor swings, and a chair she can bounce. It has a bar of toys that goes across the front that makes noise and flashes lights.”
“Got it. Do you know what size she wears?”
Joy and I stared at each other for a second, my mind going blank. Was she not a standard-sized baby at six months?
“Is she there with you? Check the back of her shirt or pants. There should be a tag or a label with a size on it,” Patricia directed.
I moved to the dresser and set my phone down so I could check her shirt. “Six months,” I replied when I picked up the phone.
“Got it. How quickly were you looking to get these things?”
“Now.”
A low chuckle rippled through the room. “Of course. I’ll get some couriers lined up to deliver things as I get them purchased. For the bigger items, I’ll schedule to have someone on hand to put them together. We’ll have that little princess outfitted before sunset.”
“She likes elephants,” I blurted out, not entirely sure it if was true. However, there was an elephant on one of her bags and she also had a stuffed elephant.
“Jungle theme. I’ve got some cute ideas already.”
“Wait. You need to get Parker clothes and things as well.”
Patricia hummed softly. “Parker? Is this Daddy?”
“Yes, this is Joy’s father. He needs clothes, shoes…everything.”
“Sizes, darling. I need sizes.”
Growling, I carried Joy around the room as I searched for the clothes Parker had worn the previous day. I sifted through the pile on the floor, reading off the sizes to Patricia as I found them.
“What colors does he look best in?”
I opened my mouth but caught myself at the last second from blurting out that he looked good in everything. “He’s very tan and has dark brown hair with streaks of blond and pale-gray eyes,” I described. “He’s an artist and wears vibrant colors, but nothing too wild. Not boring like me.”
“Understood. Are you wanting a full wardrobe or enough to get him through the week?”
I wanted to say that she should get him a full wardrobe, but I had a feeling Parker would reject it. He couldn’t reject things for Joy. Not when she needed clothes and toys right now. “Maybe what he might need for the next few months. A bit of summer. Some fall. And then maybe things he can layer on for winter. Three suits to start.”
There was a long pause, and I realized what I’d told her. No, not a full wardrobe, but to please buy him clothes for three of the four seasons. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Parker was a single father and wouldn’t have time to go shopping for himself. At least not right away. This was saving him time and frustration.
“Now, suits are hard without having a complete set of measurements. I can get a couple of things off the rack. I’ll contact your tailor and send him to the house to take proper measurements. After that, it would be a week or so for him to whip up something.”
“That’s fine. See if you can schedule Aldo to come to the house on Friday. That will give me a chance to discuss it with Parker.” I didn’t know what Parker’s work plans were, but if he was aiming for another corporate position, suits were necessary.
“Got it. Anything else?”
