Morning coffee’ in hand, Cori made her way through the front door of Thorne Industries, only to get her dress caught in the breeze and stuck between the doors. When she walked forward, giving it a light tug, it came free, but not without tearing the hem just enough to be obvious. Tony had a little bit of everything behind his security desk, including a sewing kit that he knew how to use. It wouldn’t be the first time he helped her with a clothing emergency.
“Did you see what that door did?” she asked.
“Sure did. Already have the kit out,” he answered with pride. “Turn around, and I’ll stitch it up so it doesn’t get any worse, until you can get a professional to fix it up proper.”
She went on to tell him about her evening with Nick, not leaving out a single detail. A couple low whistles and a few chuckles later, she made it the point of the conversation. “I know why I’m enjoying making Winnie eat crow, but why do you suppose Nick’s so invested in this ruse? I mean, before the weekend, he didn’t know any of us.”
“There’s no telling. Maybe he knows you better than you think. You have worked here for some time, and just because you didn’t know who he was, doesn’t mean he didn’t know who you were.”
Nodding her head, she agreed. “Good point. It still doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t add up. I think he may be into this a little more than I am. He insisted we go to the cake tasting. I mean, I love a good piece of cake, but a guy like that can buy out the whole shop – daily – he doesn’t need to crash a wedding tasting.”
“Like I said, Cordelia, there may be more to the story,” Tony offered, still perched on his knees behind her, putting in the final stitches.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Oh no, I accidentally caught the cuff of my shirt in one of the stitches. I’ll have to fix that really quick.”
There was a shift in the air, of sorts, catching Cori’s attention, and when she looked up from where she stood, a smile crossed her face at the sight of Nick walking through the doors. He had a way about him that an entire room, or bustling lobby, responded to his commanding presence. He was just that guy.
Puzzled by Cori’s presence behind the security desk, he headed her way when her expression turned serious, and Tony popped up behind her, holding the back of her dress up to an almost revealing level. It took him a minute, but he saw that they were attached, and an awkward moment became even more awkward.
“Um, good morning?” he asked. “What…never mind. I don’t think I want to know.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Tony just sewed us together,” she replied, holding up the sewing kit while Tony snipped the stitch that bonded them. “I mean, I tore my dress in the door, and he stitched it up until I can get it to the seamstress.”
“Makes perfect sense, actually. Better sense than what I thought when I saw him holding your dress up.” Nick laughed.
“There, all fixed. I stuck a little safety pin in there, underneath, for good measure,” Tony added, happy to have helped and to see the two talking.
She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Tony. You’re the best. I gotta run.”
Her pace quickened when the elevator loaded and there was still room for her. With a quick wave from the elevator as the doors were closing, she hollered, “Have a good day.”
“Aw, she’s a good kid, that one,” Tony said to Nick, both still looking at the now closed elevator doors. “Like a daughter to me, ya know?”
“Right.” Nick said with a grin, still fixated, obviously lost in thought. “A little peculiar but equally intriguing.”
“Has a good heart, she does.” While he had a listening ear, Tony took the opportunity to do a little matchmaking. “Put herself through school, lives on a fixed income, but still does for others, even if it means she goes without. Rather than buy herself a big cup of joe, she gets a small, just so she can get me one too, every single morning. She doesn’t think I know, but I do. Sweet kid, claim her as my own.”
“Selfless. I noticed that.” Nick turned to Tony, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I remember seeing her rush in from grabbing a candy bar from the vendor out front. Some crying kid had dropped his sucker or something, and she handed him the candy bar she just bought, ruffled his hair, and went upstairs.”
“She’d give ya the shirt off her own back, even if it was the only one she had,” Tony added for good measure.
“Shirt off her back. Yes…” Nick pulled out his phone and pecked at the screen, then waited a moment and pecked some more. “Tony, I’m expecting a guest this afternoon…a tailor. Can you see that they are properly escorted to my office and have adequate assistance? They may need some extra hands.”
“Oh,” Tony smiled, certain he knew who the tailor was for. “I sure can, sir. Sure can.”
“Technically, it was my door that tore her dress. It only seems fitting that I…fix it.”
“Of course, Mr. Blackthorne.”
“Please…it’s just Nick.” He smiled at the older man and left with his plan to surprise Cori in place.
***
A large floral arrangement full of roses and peonies greeted Cori at her desk. These are new, she thought, looking at the other bouquet of peonies in the middle of her small conference table from the night before. Anxious to see if there was a card, she riffled through the flowers, but didn’t find one.
They were beautiful and expensive, but they couldn’t sit in the middle of her desk, so she moved them to the credenza near her office door where she could enjoy them and not risk knocking them over. When she sat in her chair, she noticed a card perched on her keyboard that had been previously obstructed by the large arrangement of flowers.
Cordelia – You looked stunning last night. Diamonds and red lipstick were made for you…and every man in Manhattan.
Flattered by the words, she found herself still stumped. Her full name was used again, which limited her options. It was far too intimate to be Tony, and those flowers were not cheap; head of security or not, it couldn’t have been him.
It had to be Phillip, as far as she could tell. He knew her full name, he saw her last night, and he had the means to send such a gift. The last gift, the chocolates, made sense too. He had just seen her then as well. Why not add his name, and what was his game? Or, was he afraid signing his name could be used against him.
If it was Phillip, then why? She wasn’t trying to win him back – she didn’t want him – at all. There was satisfaction, though, in knowing he was seeing that the grass wasn’t always greener. And in his case, it was artificial grass.
Case solved. She was getting to him. Nick was making him jealous. Served him right.