Nicholas

 

 

"You look much better with the glasses, Nicholas. You should always wear them," my mother says as I sit next to her on the patterned sofa she bought when I was a kid.

I've offered to fix up my parents' place, but they've always told me that there's nothing wrong with the apartment they live in. They're right. It keeps them warm in the winter and the noisy air conditioner my father installs in their bedroom window keeps part of the place cool in the summer.

Aesthetically, it's a trip back to a time twenty years ago. The entire place needs a facelift, but I've learned through the years, that the décor is a moot point only in my eyes.

"I met someone."

I don't look in her direction when I say it. My mom has standards for her sons that none of us will ever meet. It's likely the reason the three of us are all still single.

"A woman?"

The question is ridiculous. It's also a buffer between her surprise and the response that is sitting on the tip of her tongue. I've only ever told my mother about two women in my past. Briella was one and the other was a fleeting infatuation that lasted no more than a day after I confessed my feelings for her to my mother.

She shifts in her seat, clearing her throat in the most vocal way possible before she spits out the three words I know are coming. "It's a crush."

"I'm too old for a crush," I toss back with a wide smile. It's the smile she craves when I walk in the door. She knows I want her approval in every aspect of my life, including the women I date. That's why I rarely mention them. There's no need to open that door unless I'm prepared to step through it by introducing her to the woman in question. "This is more. I'm crazy about her."

She nudges her own glasses back up the bridge of her nose before her hand sweeps over her brown curls. "What's this girl's name?"

"Sophia," I go on, "Sophia Reese. She's beautiful and talented."

"Aren't they all?" she asks barely under her breath. "What does Sophia Reese do?"

She makes me want things I thought I'd never want again. She makes me feel like there's hope.

"She's an executive assistant at a company downtown." I purposefully avoid specifics so I can focus on the future that I know Sophia is carving out for herself. "She's also a fashion designer."

"A designer?" My mom's eyes light up. They're the same blue as mine, but hers are surrounded by the fine lines that come with time and worry. "What does she design?"

"Clothing for women." I dig my phone out of the front pocket of my jeans. "I'll show you her website."

I type in the address to Sophia's site and I'm greeted by a new design. Joe's obviously paying off the debt he owes. The site looks cleaner and the navigation is simple and precise.

"You can see some of her designs here." I hand the phone to my mother. "She's going places."

Her gaze drops to the screen of my phone, her finger busily scrolling through the dress, skirt and blouse designs. "Your girlfriend does good work, Nicholas. When are you going to bring her around?"

It takes me a beat to answer. "Soon. I'll talk to her about the four of having dinner."

"I'll cook the dinner." She pats the top of my hand. "No need to spend money for no reason. I'll make my pot roast and your girl can tell me all about the world of high fashion."

 

***

 

"You didn't think this was something worth mentioning before?" Sophia darts up onto her tiptoes and kisses me. "I can't believe this, Nicholas."

I can't believe this gorgeous woman just kissed me in the middle of the street. I grab her elbow and hurry her to the curb before we both get run over by a delivery truck headed straight for us.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be receptive." I adjust the scarf around her neck. "You got riled up when I asked Joe to help you."

"Joe is Joe." Her eyes shine with excitement. "Claudia Stefano is not Joe."

She's right. Claudia Stefano just happens to be one of the most influential women in the fashion industry today. She's also a fan and when I crossed paths with her earlier today after I left my folks' place, I mentioned Sophia to her. She was receptive to the idea of meeting with her as long as I agreed to be there.

Claudia and I have struck up a friendship of sorts. It's not close. We rarely see each other, but there's a familiarity between us that works. I send her copies of my new books and she raves about them on social media. Considering her own following numbers in the tens of millions, a good word from her is guaranteed sales.

"We'll have dinner with her next Wednesday."

"I should wear something special." Her eyes scan her heavy wool coat. "I might have to work on something new. This is Claudia Stefano, Nicholas. Claudia Stefano."

"You could wear anything you've already designed and she'd be impressed." I brush my fingers against her cheek. "You're going to blow her away."

"You know she just opened a new string of boutiques, right?" She bounces up and down on her heels. The nervous energy flowing through her is palpable. "I read in Vogue that she's on the hunt for new designers to showcase."

"I could come over to your place to see your designs." I haven't pushed her to let me see more of her world. I know that when we first met she was wary of how close I got to her, but things have changed. We have changed.

"You could." Her lips purse. "I could make you some pancakes."

"Tonight?" I push because I want that access. I want to be invited into her life in a way I haven't been before.

"I can't tonight." She sighs. "I didn't realize I'd see you today."

I surprised her on her way back to the office at lunch. I was heading there when I spotted her outside a restaurant talking on her phone. As I approached, her smile widened and the call ended. "We'll do it another night. I have another surprise for you. We can talk about it the next time I see you."

"We'll talk about it now." She grabs the lapels of my jacket in her fists. "What's the surprise?"

"My mother wants to meet you."

All of the color drains from her face instantly. "Your mom?"

I know it's early for that, but I'm not against breaking dating code with this woman. "I told her about you earlier. She loves your designs."

"You showed her my designs?"

"I showed her your new website," I make a point of mentioning that. "She loved the designs and the site. Joe did a good job."

She nods, but her mind is somewhere else. She's contemplating, considering. "Do you think she'd like me? I mean beyond my clothing designs, do you think your mom would like me?"

"I know she will," I fire back quickly. "It doesn't have to be an event. She wants to make dinner, but I can easily convince her to meet us for brunch on the weekend or lunch one day if you want a guaranteed escape. I think I'll invite my sister too. It would be good for you two to meet since I still want to talk about investing in your business."

"We could all meet at a place close to the office." Her voice is serious. "If we did it in a couple of weeks, would that be okay? I need to focus most of my time on the new dress I'm going to design for our dinner with Claudia."

I smile to hide the disappointment. I'm moving this too fast. She's feeling pressured. I see it in the way her shoulders have tightened and her hands have fisted in front of her. "We'll do it whenever you're ready, Sophia. No rush. Take all the time you need."