Chapter Seven
Tiffany checked herself in the small bathroom mirror at the back of the store. She could already hear Claudia, her associate, talking to a customer and the doors had only been open ten minutes. This was one of those days where Christmas cheer paid her bills for the next six months.
Pressing her lips together to freshen her lipstick, she plumped up her hair with her fingertips, and gave herself a wink. She had cream on her eyes to take down the puffiness from not sleeping well and eye drops to combat the red from the unnecessary tears she’d shed. Today was a new day. She wasn’t going to waste one moment of it worrying about a man she’d only just met.
When she joined Claudia in the showroom, they already had three people shopping for unique gifts. Tiffany pushed back her shoulders and slipped on her smile. It was show time.
By noon, they had already made fifteen sales. Some of her finest pieces had sold and she’d jotted down a few design ideas on a pad she kept behind the counter. Tomorrow was Christmas, but on the 26th, she’d be itching to create.
Claudia was helping a customer, who was buying for his wife, mother, mother-in-law, and a special lady, which they were trained not to ask about. Tiffany had moved to help a young couple looking at rings while keeping an eye on another couple looking at earrings.
The door opened again and in her normal manner she looked up and said, “Hello. We’ll be with you shortly. Please look around.” Then she lowered her head again.
The woman who had walked in began to look around. While the couple continued to look at rings, Tiffany excused herself to talk to the woman.
“Merry Christmas,” she said warmly with her perfected smile. “Are you looking for anything specific?”
The woman looked up at her, her eyes warm and soothing. She’d seen them before. Perhaps this woman had come in.
“You must be Tiffany.”
“I am. This is my store.”
“You are beautiful.”
She kept the smile in place, but wondered who this woman really was. “Thank you. I design everything in the store,” she continued her sales pitch because she was comfortable doing so, and not so comfortable with the woman’s adoring look. The couple caught her attention. “I have to finish helping this couple. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“My son is meeting me here. I’ll be fine, sweetheart.”
Tiffany gave her another smile and joined the couple looking for rings. Nothing made her happier than knowing her creations would be the symbol of a lifetime together.
As she helped the couple, two more women walked into the store. It was certainly starting to get crowded. She greeted the women who joined the older woman. They both looked at Tiffany and smiled then went back to looking through the cases.
She didn’t know who they were, but they certainly seemed to know her.
As the couple settled on a ring, and the woman’s giddy smile turned into joyful tears, she walked to the register to ring up the sale.
The door opened again and this time she knew the man’s face.
Surely her own face did not offer him the warm reception he’d been hoping for.
Blake gave her his signature wink, which she fought to ignore, and walked through the store pulling off gloves. Just as she was about to tell him she didn’t have time for him, he walked over to the older woman and kissed her on the cheek. Then he proceeded to do the same with the other two women.
The four of them pointed at pieces in the cases and moved slowly to the next case as she finished the sale with the couple and they walked out of the store with their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
There were at least four other people Tiffany needed to make contact with, but she wanted to know what Blake was doing in her store on Christmas Eve after having stood her up.
She walked toward the counter where the woman ogled over a pair of earrings, which were some of her favorites.
Blake lifted his head and their eyes met. His were warm and inviting. Hers were lit with anger and she hoped that’s exactly how they came across.
“Blake.”
“Tiffany, I wanted to introduce you to my family. This is my mother, Christine. My sisters, Beth and Brittany.”
Well, she thought, at least he was truthful about the name of the tattoo matching his mother’s.
Christine held out her hand. “It is so nice to meet you,” she said shaking Tiffany’s hand. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
Still holding his mother’s hand, Tiffany shifted her eyes to Blake’s, whose still held the warmth they had when he’d walked in. Only now he smiled equally as warm.
“I wanted to treat them for Christmas,” Blake said. “I couldn’t think of a better place to take them.”
Tiffany looked at his mother. “I thought you lived in Canada.”
“Oh, yes. Blake flew us down for Christmas. Isn’t that wonderful?”
There was more than warmth in his eyes now. There was a gleam that she would suspect went with some boyhood charm.
“That’s lovely,” Tiffany said. “Please look around and Claudia or I can help you with any piece. I’ve designed everything in the store.”
Christine’s eyes widened. “You’re extremely talented.”
“Thank you.” Tiffany looked up at Blake. “Can I talk to you in the back for a moment?”
He gave her that wink again. That wink!
She wanted to growl as she walked to the back of the store with him in tow, but she didn’t want his mother to hear her.
As soon as they were out of sight from the others, she turned on him. “What are you doing?” she asked through gritted teeth in a hushed tone.
“Shopping.”
“You stood me up.”
He nodded slowly, tucking his hand into the front pockets of his jeans. “I did. I didn’t mean to, but I did.”
“You don’t owe me anything. You don’t have to bring your family shopping in my store to make up for it or anything like that. We don’t know each other and…”
He stepped in, causing her to take a step back, but the room was so small it only pushed her toward the wall.
“Don’t we? I’ve done a lot of thinking and I think we know each other very well.”
He was right in front of her now. She could feel the heat from his body—nearly hear the beating of his heart. Blake leaned in and rested his hand on the wall behind her.
“I stood you up. I did,” he said. “I got a song in my head and, damn if I didn’t have to write it. Then I got another. And another.” He took his free hand and lifted it to her hair. “I’ve decided I know you very well, Tiffany. You’re my muse.”
“What does that really mean?” Her words were shaky as she gazed into those crystal blue eyes.
“It means I know your soul.” He touched her chest with his fingertip, right above her heart and it thudded its approval. “Forgive me for standing you up. I’ll make it right.”
She heard the bell on the door. “I have to get back to work. This is my busiest day of the year.”
He ran his thumb over her lips and the breath in her lungs caught.
“When are you done?”
“Very late.”
“I want to take you to dinner.”
“On Christmas Eve? No restaurant will be open late on Christmas Eve.”
“I’ll come by for you.”
“Blake…”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “I’ll come for you.”
Stepping back, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed her his credit card.
“Whatever they choose.”
“I’m not comfortable with you buying your family my jewelry just to impress me.”
“I’m not impressing you. I’m impressing them.”
She looked at the card. “You didn’t tell me they were coming for Christmas.”
“I didn’t know. It was a last minute decision. I like spur of the moment, don’t you?”
She always had. Lifting her gaze back to his, she smiled. “I do. Spontaneity is one of my favorite things.”
The way his Adam’s apple bobbed, she assumed he took it with the sexual undertones that were meant.
“I’ll see you tonight then. I won’t stand you up.”
She thought of a witty comeback, but she didn’t have one. She was much too eager to see what kind of spontaneity would ignite between them when he arrived.