Page 67 of Wedding Season
Mariella didn’t believe that for a second. She felt like she was in a standoff with some sort of wild predator. She needed to not make eye contact. That would defuse the situation or so she hoped. “Great. Good to know. Nothing to see here anyway. I’m heading—”
“To the store? I’ll go with you.”
Mariella started down the sidewalk. “I have an appointment with a bride at the inn. We’re doing a final fitting for her gown.”
“Even better,” Luann said. “I’ve always loved that moment when a woman sees herself in a beautiful new dress.”
“How about if I text you a picture? I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to join me at the fitting. A private moment and all that.”
“Nonsense. I’m in the business. Mine is a perfect second opinion. I’m sure the bride won’t mind.”
Mariella stopped at the edge of the sidewalk in front of her car. “Does it matter to you that I mind?”
Luann shook her head. “Not really. Unless the reason you mind is that you don’t want to talk to me about how Alex Ralsten is your secret boyfriend.”
Mariella gritted her teeth. “He is not my secret boyfriend.”
“Your nose is growing.”
Mariella started to lift a hand to her face then gripped it at her side. “Stop that.”
They stared at each other for a few weighted moments before Mariella looked away. She’d gone soft since coming to Magnolia. “Fine. Get in the car as long as you don’t bring up anything about Alex Ralsten. You heard what Heather said. It would be weird.”
“She’s a kid and it’s like her parents are dating.”
“No, it is not.” Mariella yanked the seat belt across her body then pulled away from the curb only to have another car beep at her.
“You’re supposed to look before you pull out,” Luann advised. “It’s hard when you’re used to driving in the city. It’s a free-for-all there.”
“I didn’t drive in the city. I took cabs or the subway.”
Luann snickered. “There is no way you took the subway.”
Mariella wasn’t sure what the other woman was insinuating with that comment, but she didn’t like it.
“Are you going to be like this the entire time? Because I will pull over and push you out.”
Luann let out a throaty laugh. “I need your answer about taking over my role, and we need to confirm it with Alex. Like I said, I want to make the announcement when we introduce the fall line at the Magnolia Blossom Festival.”
“You have my answer,” Mariella told her. “It’s no.”
“I need a different answer. This is important.”
“I understand, which is why I’m saying no. Alex doesn’t want to work with me, and I would be a terrible brand spokesperson.”
“I spoke with Kiki Rogers.”
Mariella jerked on the wheel then quickly straightened it. “Tell me that’s a joke.”
“It’s not.”
“You committed to this, Luann. You can’t back out now, and you certainly can’t think to bring in somebody like Kiki.” The former model had recently dipped her toe in the waters of fashion design with less than stellar results.
“She could learn about the brand,” Luann insisted but it didn’t sound convincing. “She works out a lot.”
“Then hire her for an ad campaign, not to run the creative side of the company.”
“I’m trying to hire you,” Luann reminded her. “You said how much you’ve liked doing the design for these brides again. The Fit Collective can be like that on a larger scale. Alex is a good guy. This is personal for him. I don’t want to let him down.”
