“Really?” Monique grinned. “Do tell, what?”
“Something about work,” Nicole said with a shake of her head.
“Oh, okay.” Nicole raised an eyebrow at her skeptical tone. “You’re starting to like him, aren’t you?”
“He’s—” Nicole paused, unsure of how to finish that sentence. Finally, she ended, “—very complicated.”
“Truly,” Monique agreed.
“I never know what he’s going to do or say.” Nicole glanced around to make sure he wasn’t within earshot. “He’s so...temperamental.”
“He definitely is. I think it’s the artist in him. He’s also very fair.”
“I hope so.”
“Trust me, he is.” Monique couldn’t resist adding, “You’ll find that out soon enough.”
“Here’s the sketch you asked me to revise.”
“Nice subject change.” Monique took the sketch from her and studied it. “Very good. I like it a lot.”
“I’m glad.”
“You’ve got talent, girl. I see why the boss hired you.”
Nicole placed a hand on her hip in fake outrage. “Did you ever doubt it?”
“Never.” Monique smiled. “Work me up two variations of this sketch—one with a longer skirt and the other with a different top.”
“I’m on it.” Nicole flipped to a clean page in her draft book. “When do you need them?”
“How does tomorrow around noon sound?”
“Perfect.”
“Great. I’ll let you get back to work.” Monique stood. “If you have any questions, holler.”
“Will do,” Nicole agreed, reaching for her charcoal pencil and bending her head to study the sketch on her desk.
Her hand froze in midair as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She felt rather than saw Alexander’s eyes on her. Slowly glancing up, she found him standing across the room at Crystal’s desk. He was nodding as though listening to something she was saying, but his eyes were glued on Nicole. She returned his intense stare for a few seconds before lowering her eyes back to her sketch, pretending interest in her design when she was really wondering what that look was all about.
Chapter 4
Around noon, Nicole had finished one of Monique’s requested revisions of her sketch and was starting on the second when the hair on the back of her neck stood up in rapt attention. Instinctively, she knew Alexander had entered the designers’ area. It was uncanny that she could feel him before she saw him.
He stopped to answer a question from another designer. Nicole heard him laugh heartily, which was a sound she could really get used to. She held her breath involuntarily, praying he wouldn’t stop by her station, which, of course, he did.
He stood beside her desk silently for a few seconds, willing her to look at him. She knew she couldn’t ignore him and slowly raised her eyes to his.
“You’re not using Victor’s design software?”
“I’ve played with it, and it’s fabulous,” Nicole carefully began.
“But?” Alex smiled slightly. At her hesitation he ordered, “Be perfectly honest.”
“But when I first create a design, I have to do it with my charcoal pencil and paper.” She shrugged. “It allows me to feel the design. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
“You explained it perfectly,” Alex assured. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Nicole sighed in relief that she hadn’t offended him. “You, too?”
“Yep.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only weird one.”
“Hardly.” Alex winked, pulled up a chair beside her and sat down. “May I steal of piece of your paper?”
“Of course.” Nicole tore off a couple of sheets from her pad and handed them to him, along with a charcoal pencil.
“I’m going to start a design.” He began effortlessly sketching. “And you’re going to finish it.”
Nicole’s heart jumped into her throat at his casual, terrifying statement. Was he serious? The walls started closing in on her, and she gulped in air. She glanced down at his hands as they expertly glided over the paper, and the formations of an elegant beaded blouse began to take shape. Oh, Lord, please let me remember how to sketch, she silently prayed.
“Okay.” He handed her the paper and charcoal. “Your turn.”
Nicole cautiously took the pencil from him and held it between her shaking fingers. She willed her nerves to subside; however, they persisted mercilessly.
“I’m not sure what you want.” Nicole’s terrified eyes stared into his serious ones.
“I want you to revise my design any way you see fit to make it better,” he elaborated.
“You want me to make your design better?”
He chuckled at her incredulity. “Yes.”
“Okay,” she nervously agreed. “I’ll try.”
How was she supposed to improve on Alexander James’s design? She swallowed her apprehension, took a calming breath and started revising as requested. After hesitating endlessly, she finally added jeweled cuffs to the sheer sleeves to match the neckline, which she changed from the square design Alexander had created into a sweetheart one. Last, she lengthened the blouse by an inch.
When she finished he didn’t say a word, simply took the charcoal from her and sketched a pencil skirt, followed by a ball gown. He handed the sketches and charcoal back to her, which she took and immediately began revising. The only design he rerevised was the ball gown and insisted she do the same. They spent about forty minutes together designing, and it was nerve-racking, but also exhilarating.
“How did I do?” She held her breath.
For a few minutes Alex studied the three designs they had created without responding. She fought against tapping her fingers impatiently on the desktop or shaking him to get an answer; instead, she folded her hands in her lap and waited for his critique.
“Very nice,” he finally answered, and she frowned.
“Is that good?”
“That’s good.” At his assurance, she released her heretofore held breath on an audible sigh. “Well done.”
“That was nerve-racking,” she admitted with a slight smile.
“I know.” He touched her hand briefly. “Come on, wasn’t it just a little bit fun?”
“It was—now that it’s over.” She laughed, and he joined her.
“Which is your favorite?” He spread the designs out on her desk for her review.
“The ball gown.”
“Mine, too.”
He picked up the design and studied it. Their codesign was floor length, free-flowing and simply elegant. It was Grecian-inspired, sleeveless, cut into a deep V nearly to the waist, which was gathered with a wide sequined belt, and the skirt cascaded down to the floor in soft folds.
“What material would you use for this?”
“Chiffon.” Nicole decided without hesitation. “This gown was made for layers and layers of chiffon.”
“I