During her training time at ADG Alessandra had chosen to focus on mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the areas of favorable purchase price, market movement and successful integration techniques. This was the first deal she had managed, but it was solid.
She wanted to beat Alek. To humble him. To prove him wrong.
To earn his respect.
No. She purposefully pushed any thought of him aside, closing her eyes and shaking her head a bit to free her mind of any thought of the handsome—yet infuriating—rogue. He took up enough time in her life antagonizing her during the day and invading her dreams with wild thoughts at night.
“Ms. Dalmount.”
Alessandra opened her eyes. They were double-parked on Seventh Avenue outside the eighteen-story building where Shiva had set up a showroom for her impressive roster of clients. Usually, Shiva would come to her for measurements or fittings, but on occasion Alessandra preferred the normalcy of going to the showroom.
Roje now stood with the rear door open and his hand already outstretched to her. Picking up her purse, she accepted his assistance as she stepped onto the street. “Thank you,” she said, easing through the pedestrians, tourists and locals alike, who moved up and down the street with speed. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour, Roje.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, stepping ahead of her to open the glass door leading into the beautifully tiled lobby.
Alessandra rode one of the four elevators of the beautiful office building to the third floor. Through the glass wall and the double doors of the entrance to Shiva’s showroom, she took in the two thousand square feet of loft-style space lined with clothing racks and adorned mannequins with bright light streaming in from the windows.
She smiled and waved at Shiva, who was looking on as one of her three assistants adjusted the hem of an emerald satin strapless gown on a woman standing before a wall of mirrors.
“I’ll be right with you, Alessandra,” Shiva said, kneeling to lift the hem and then release it.
The woman before the mirror turned to look over her shoulder. She was a tall, caramel-skinned beauty with shoulder-length auburn hair and hazel eyes. She smiled at her as if they knew each other.
They did not.
Alessandra sat her clutch on the low-slung white leather couch running along the glass wall as she eyed her. The woman was stunning, and that would be a fact in or out of her beautiful formfitting dress.
“I see Shiva will be styling us both for the ball,” she said with a friendly grin and an accent that was English.
Alessandra stiffened and offered her a cool smile. “And you are?” she asked politely.
“Millicent... Alek’s date for the weekend,” she answered smoothly.
Alessandra fought not to frown. A date? He would.
“See you tomorrow then,” she said, deliberately softening her tone because it wasn’t the woman’s fault Alek was a philanderer who couldn’t stand to attend an event without arm candy.
“Okay, Milli, you’re all set,” Shiva said, raking her fingers through her waist-length jet-black hair. “If you go get changed, we’ll package the dress for you to take with you.”
Millicent smiled and showed perfect teeth before she lifted the dress and carefully walked to the rear of the showroom to the curtained-off dressing room area. The woman looked like Jessica Rabbit.
“You’re welcome,” Shiva said, as she strolled up to Alessandra in a floor-length white tunic and army boots.
“For my dress, yes, thank you as always, Shiva,” Alessandra said, her tone distracted as she drew her iPhone from her clutch and pulled up her contact list.
Shiva pressed her hand down against the screen.
She looked up in surprise at the thirtysomething Cuban woman with striking features that made her an odd beauty.
“I scheduled your fittings like this on purpose,” Shiva said, waving at her male assistant, who pushed a body form covered with white silk.
Alessandra swiped Shiva’s hand from her phone and scrolled through the list with the steady stroke of her thumb against the screen. There is no way I am attending the ball alone now. No. Way. In. Hell.
“Bring it to me but do not uncover it just yet,” Shiva called across the busy showroom.
“Hill,” Alessandra said, thinking of the corporate attorney she’d had lunch with weeks ago. He was boyishly handsome, well-dressed and successful. They had no chemistry, but he would suffice for the night. Wait...would that mean I’m using him?
Shiva gently removed her phone.
Alessandra frowned. Over the years they had become good friends and not just stylist and client.
“I wanted you to see Alek’s date in her dress,” she explained with a wink. “And give you a chance to wear the dress I first suggested.”
The two women shared a look before Alessandra adamantly shook her head, causing her hair to move back and forth against her nape.
Millicent walked up to them with her garment bag hung carefully over her arm. She looked just as striking in a simple white T and distressed boyfriend jeans with heels. “Bye, Shiva. And nice meeting you, Alessandra,” she said before leaving the showroom with long, model-like strides.
“You know the good thing about having that custom body form made to your specifications is that I really didn’t need you to fit the new dress to your body, mi amiga inocente,” she said.
Alessandra spoke Spanish, as well. “Yes, I’m your friend but I am not innocent,” she said defensively, looking toward the silk-covered form being rolled toward them.
“Humph,” Shiva teased, accepting the black garb a petite pink-haired assistant handed her.
She held it in front of Alessandra’s body as she steered her toward the wall of mirrors. The lace dress with long sheer sleeves and flowing A-line skirt was covered with delicate floral designed beadwork.
“This is exquisite. Beautiful and classic,” Shiva emphasized. “But that one will make sure you are the queen of the ball...”
Alessandra looked over as the white silk drape was snatched with dramatic flair from the body form. She gasped a bit as the light from the window seemed to shine like a spotlight on the gown. The moment was very cliché, but also very fitting. The dress was amazing. “It’s not...too much?” she asked in a whisper, like a child in a library trying not to get caught talking.
“It’s just enough,” Shiva said, her voice a whisper, as well.
Alessandra stepped from behind the black frock Shiva held to stand before the dress form.
“Millicent who?” Shiva asked.
Alessandra looked over her shoulder to give her a look, like, “Really, Shiva?”
The woman shrugged.
“I’ll try it on,” Alessandra said, heading back to one of the dressing rooms.
“Yes! Take that, Alek Ansah!” Shiva exclaimed in victory, well aware of Alessandra’s rocky relationship with the man.
Maybe it’s time for the ice queen to serve up a little heat.
* * *
Alessandra was anxious to get to the office. Shiva was having the dress delivered to the Lake House in the morning. It was time to get refocused on work. The final printed proposals were to be on her desk before she walked through the door. She had no doubt that they were.
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