Diane Vallere [Style & Error The Brim Reaper (epub)

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.“Ms.Kidd,” Christian said from behind me.I turned around.My hands fingered a pair of turquoise beaded moccasins from a large cylindrical container next to the register.It was more for distraction than necessity.Christian ran a manicured hand through his golden-brown locks, and I was struck by how long it had been since I saw buffed nails on a man’s hand.Yet despite his highlights and pinky ring and expensive taste in shoes, there was a clear sexual energy about him.Rebecca lost her balance on the ladder and her knuckles went white as she caught her own fall and reestablished her footing.Slowly she stepped on the rungs until her clunky loafer connected with the rubber mat behind the glass counter.“What were you doing, Rebecca?” he asked.“I was organizing the back stock of Thinkers,” she said.“You shouldn’t waste your time on anything above eye level.Nobody looks up in a store.But your cases, your bookshelves, your displays that relate to the rotating collections should be immaculate.And always, always full.”“Of course, Dr.Jhanes.”“This isn’t a formal environment.Call me Christian.”“Of course, Christian,” she said in the voice of a child who’s been reprimanded.“Come down to my office this evening, after you close the shop.I have a special project for you.”Rebecca flushed.“Okay,” she said.Christian paused and rested his hand on the spinning metal rack of paper dolls.“And should your friend Samantha decide she wants the moccasins she’s eyeing, give her a 30 percent discount.She’s been helping with the exhibit and should get something for her troubles.”I stiffened at the use of my full name.He’d heard it once, when I introduced myself to him.Using it now was less a formality than his way of letting me know he’d been paying attention.The air crackled with electricity, and I wanted to get back to Eddie.“Speaking of the exhibit, I should be going,” I said.I set my credit card on the counter.Christian stared again at the turquoise moccasins and left.I gave him a solid thirty-second lead and left the shop with the shoes tucked under my arm.The elevator doors opened to a scowling Eddie juggling two large metal stands.He set them down and tugged at the bottom of his Frankie Tee.“It’s been, like, forty-five minutes.Where have you been?”“What is your major malfunction?”“‘Major malfunction?’ What is this, a bad eighties movie? Did you find any of the hat samples?”“No.Rebecca said some woman dropped off the packages.They were sent to the hat store by mistake.You don’t think—”“That Dirk Engle’s screwing the exhibit by not delivering the merchandise? I don’t know what to think.Maybe he’ll cool down tonight and show back up tomorrow.”“So what now?”“New plan.We’ll keep working for a couple of hours, give Christian time to leave.Take pictures of everything.I want proof of what I’m doing here.Next, research and copywriting.Go to the computer and look up whatever you can find on Hedy London.And make it good.Rumor has it Christian’s trying to get her to come to the gala.”“She’s coming? Here? To Ribbon, Pennsylvania?”“That’s what Christian says.”“Sounds like a publicity stunt.She’ll probably cancel at the last minute.Good word of mouth, get people talking.Big letdown the night of the show, though.”“That’s why we’re not supposed to say anything until Christian confirms it.I got the feeling he knows her personally.All I heard is that she’s got something big in the works, and Tradava’s been hoping he can nail her down for a public appearance.”“What kind of something big?”“She’s working with an up-and-coming designer to produce a collection of hats based on her personal collection.Tradava got the whole thing as an exclusive.Supposed to be huge.”“A licensing deal? Hedy London accessories?”“Just hats.She signed an agreement for her name to be used—”“I know how a licensing deal works,” I said.“Somebody puts her name on the product and somebody else makes it.The perfect storm is to get a good name and good merchandise.”It was one thing to have Hedy London’s name on the collection of merchandise that would be sold by Tradava.But if she showed up at the opening of the gala? It would put this collection on the map.Hedy London was no mere actress.She was a legend, with the likes of Janet Leigh and Eva Marie Saint.The thing was, Hedy London didn’t show up until thirty years after them.“Well, the name is Hedy London and the merchandise is a limited-edition collection of hats based on the styles she wore in her most famous movie.”“The Reaper Wears Red?”“No, the other one.”“Murder After Midnight?”He nodded.“What’s in it for her?”“Money, publicity, something like that.You know who she is because you like old movies.I know who she is because of this exhibit [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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