Chapter 17
Judging by the reaction from the audience, the spring line was a big success. Chloe's show-stopping wedding dress, modeled by Gia, had received the most applause. Chloe walked out on stage with the microphone and said, "Thank you so much for your enthusiasm." She smiled warmly. "I am extremely proud of this year's spring collection and I am happy that you seem to concur. I would like to point out that several of the designs you've seen today were crafted by a very talented young designer, Elizabeth Webber." She pointed toward Elizabeth, who stood to the side. "I know that you'll be seeing a lot more of her work in the future. Now everyone eat, mingle, and enjoy yourselves. Thank you again for coming."
Walking offstage with Chloe, Elizabeth breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her first showing was over and she was still standing. She saw Gia and went to join her.
"You did great, Gia," she said. "The wedding dress looked so stunning on you. Maybe it will give Nikolas ideas."
Gia laughed. "We're not ready for that - yet. I have to say my favorite of the ones I wore, was your coral dress. I think I'll try to talk Carly into buying it for our next layout."
"You won't have to," said Carly, coming up behind them. "That's why I came backstage. That dress looks so fabulous on Gia. It will be perfect for the new campaign." She looked at Elizabeth with respect. "You really do have talent."
All the compliments made Elizabeth feel a little uncomfortable. "Thanks, Carly. I think Gia deserves some of the credit, too. She certainly made it look amazing."
Just then, Nikolas approached and Carly excused herself in order to talk to Chloe. Elizabeth tensed, unsure what to expect from him.
"Hello, Elizabeth," he said quietly. "Could we talk for a moment?" When Gia made a move to walk away, he stopped her. "No. I want you to stay."
Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a hand at her back and she relaxed. Jason was there to support her as always. "OK, Nikolas. What's on your mind?"
"I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you when I was at Chloe's office. I was wrong to try to convince you to stay with Lucky, when it wasn't what you wanted." He looked at Gia and smiled. "Someone reminded me that we often find love in unexpected places." Taking a deep breath, he said, "I owe you an apology, too, Jason. I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened between Elizabeth and Lucky. It had been coming for a long time and I was just too blind to see it."
"Thank you, Nikolas," Elizabeth said softly. She was touched that he wanted to repair their friendship. "I know that this has been hard for you to accept, but I really am happy." She smiled and linked her hand with Jason's.
Jason was impressed with Nik's show of maturity. He nodded. "It's OK. Lucky's your brother and your loyalty is to him. I respect that."
Nik's eyes widened when he saw the person who was coming up behind Jason. "Justin?!!" he said incredulously. "What are YOU doing here?"
Coolly, he responded, "Hello, Nicky. Nice to see you, too." The look on his face clearly indicated that this was not his favorite person.
"I was just surprised to see you." Pulling Gia forward, he said, "Justin, this is Gia Campbell. Gia, this is my cousin, Justin St. Amant and with him is Michelle Lafontaine, right?"
As the foursome got acquainted, Elizabeth pulled Jason to the side. "I need to go find Chloe and see if she wants me to do anything," she explained.
Glancing around, Jason pulled her behind a rack of clothes and kissed her quickly. "I've been wanting to do that for hours." He held her close and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'll be waiting for you when you're finished with Chloe."
Smiling warmly, she said, "I'm glad." She paused. "Thank you for coming today, Jason. I know that it wasn't much fun for you."
"I told you that what you do will always be important to me, Elizabeth. I'm proud of you." He kissed her again - this time long and slow.
When he broke the contact, they were both breathing heavily. "I'll hurry," she whispered.
"I'll be here," he answered. Jason stepped out from behind the rack and walked to where Michelle and Justin were still standing. Noting that Michelle still looked a little drawn, Jason asked, "Are you all right, Michelle? Are you sure you're up to this?"
Smiling sadly, she responded, "I wanted to be here for Chloe. She has supported me so many times in the past." She shrugged expressively.
Accepting her decision, Jason glanced around looking for Elizabeth. When he located her, he noted that she was in conversation with a man who looked vaguely familiar. Where had he seen him before? Then it clicked - the man at Jake's, who had approached Elizabeth.
Suddenly, Michelle drew in a sharp breath and said, "Non. Ce n'est pas possible." She was shaking and her face had turned white. She was staring at the man who was talking to Elizabeth.
"What is it?" Jason asked urgently. He had an ominous feeling about Michelle's reaction.
"Jason," she stated strongly. "You must get Elizabeth away from him! He is a monster - the devil himself." Something in her voice told Jason that she wasn't exaggerating for effect.
Justin moved slightly to get a better look at the man. When he did, he swore. "What is he doing here? She's right, Jason. You need to get Elizabeth as far away from that disgusting excuse for a human being as possible." There was loathing in his voice.
Genuinely worried, Jason asked fiercely, "Who is this guy?"
Michelle answered shakily, "That is the man who murdered my mother." She paused and Justin put his arm around her waist to steady her. She continued, "His name is Alexander Cranton - or, at least that was the name he was using. I met him at a gallery opening. I thought he was charming and agreed to go out with him. He pulled out all the stops to win me over and I fell in love with him. I invited him into my home to spend time with my family, and he used the opportunity to set up a hit on my father. The attempt injured Papa and killed Maman." She stopped to clear the tears that clogged her throat. "I would not have known his part in it except that Philippe had become suspicious of Alex and did some investigating. He found that the man I loved was connected to the Russian 'organization', and had set about winning my trust in order to bring down my father."
Shaken by the knowledge that this man was probably responsible for more than just the death of Michelle's mother, Jason quickly walked toward Elizabeth. Justin and Michelle followed.
Elizabeth looked up and smiled warmly. "Jason," she said, reaching for his hand. "I want you to meet someone."
Alex turned and looked straight at Michelle. "Ah, Mischa, my love," he said smoothly. "Aren't you happy to see your beloved husband?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Judging by the reaction from the audience, the spring line was a big success. Chloe's show-stopping wedding dress, modeled by Gia, had received the most applause. Chloe walked out on stage with the microphone and said, "Thank you so much for your enthusiasm." She smiled warmly. "I am extremely proud of this year's spring collection and I am happy that you seem to concur. I would like to point out that several of the designs you've seen today were crafted by a very talented young designer, Elizabeth Webber." She pointed toward Elizabeth, who stood to the side. "I know that you'll be seeing a lot more of her work in the future. Now everyone eat, mingle, and enjoy yourselves. Thank you again for coming."
Walking offstage with Chloe, Elizabeth breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her first showing was over and she was still standing. She saw Gia and went to join her.
"You did great, Gia," she said. "The wedding dress looked so stunning on you. Maybe it will give Nikolas ideas."
Gia laughed. "We're not ready for that - yet. I have to say my favorite of the ones I wore, was your coral dress. I think I'll try to talk Carly into buying it for our next layout."
"You won't have to," said Carly, coming up behind them. "That's why I came backstage. That dress looks so fabulous on Gia. It will be perfect for the new campaign." She looked at Elizabeth with respect. "You really do have talent."
All the compliments made Elizabeth feel a little uncomfortable. "Thanks, Carly. I think Gia deserves some of the credit, too. She certainly made it look amazing."
Just then, Nikolas approached and Carly excused herself in order to talk to Chloe. Elizabeth tensed, unsure what to expect from him.
"Hello, Elizabeth," he said quietly. "Could we talk for a moment?" When Gia made a move to walk away, he stopped her. "No. I want you to stay."
Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a hand at her back and she relaxed. Jason was there to support her as always. "OK, Nikolas. What's on your mind?"
"I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you when I was at Chloe's office. I was wrong to try to convince you to stay with Lucky, when it wasn't what you wanted." He looked at Gia and smiled. "Someone reminded me that we often find love in unexpected places." Taking a deep breath, he said, "I owe you an apology, too, Jason. I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened between Elizabeth and Lucky. It had been coming for a long time and I was just too blind to see it."
"Thank you, Nikolas," Elizabeth said softly. She was touched that he wanted to repair their friendship. "I know that this has been hard for you to accept, but I really am happy." She smiled and linked her hand with Jason's.
Jason was impressed with Nik's show of maturity. He nodded. "It's OK. Lucky's your brother and your loyalty is to him. I respect that."
Nik's eyes widened when he saw the person who was coming up behind Jason. "Justin?!!" he said incredulously. "What are YOU doing here?"
Coolly, he responded, "Hello, Nicky. Nice to see you, too." The look on his face clearly indicated that this was not his favorite person.
"I was just surprised to see you." Pulling Gia forward, he said, "Justin, this is Gia Campbell. Gia, this is my cousin, Justin St. Amant and with him is Michelle Lafontaine, right?"
As the foursome got acquainted, Elizabeth pulled Jason to the side. "I need to go find Chloe and see if she wants me to do anything," she explained.
Glancing around, Jason pulled her behind a rack of clothes and kissed her quickly. "I've been wanting to do that for hours." He held her close and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'll be waiting for you when you're finished with Chloe."
Smiling warmly, she said, "I'm glad." She paused. "Thank you for coming today, Jason. I know that it wasn't much fun for you."
"I told you that what you do will always be important to me, Elizabeth. I'm proud of you." He kissed her again - this time long and slow.
When he broke the contact, they were both breathing heavily. "I'll hurry," she whispered.
"I'll be here," he answered. Jason stepped out from behind the rack and walked to where Michelle and Justin were still standing. Noting that Michelle still looked a little drawn, Jason asked, "Are you all right, Michelle? Are you sure you're up to this?"
Smiling sadly, she responded, "I wanted to be here for Chloe. She has supported me so many times in the past." She shrugged expressively.
Accepting her decision, Jason glanced around looking for Elizabeth. When he located her, he noted that she was in conversation with a man who looked vaguely familiar. Where had he seen him before? Then it clicked - the man at Jake's, who had approached Elizabeth.
Suddenly, Michelle drew in a sharp breath and said, "Non. Ce n'est pas possible." She was shaking and her face had turned white. She was staring at the man who was talking to Elizabeth.
"What is it?" Jason asked urgently. He had an ominous feeling about Michelle's reaction.
"Jason," she stated strongly. "You must get Elizabeth away from him! He is a monster - the devil himself." Something in her voice told Jason that she wasn't exaggerating for effect.
Justin moved slightly to get a better look at the man. When he did, he swore. "What is he doing here? She's right, Jason. You need to get Elizabeth as far away from that disgusting excuse for a human being as possible." There was loathing in his voice.
Genuinely worried, Jason asked fiercely, "Who is this guy?"
Michelle answered shakily, "That is the man who murdered my mother." She paused and Justin put his arm around her waist to steady her. She continued, "His name is Alexander Cranton - or, at least that was the name he was using. I met him at a gallery opening. I thought he was charming and agreed to go out with him. He pulled out all the stops to win me over and I fell in love with him. I invited him into my home to spend time with my family, and he used the opportunity to set up a hit on my father. The attempt injured Papa and killed Maman." She stopped to clear the tears that clogged her throat. "I would not have known his part in it except that Philippe had become suspicious of Alex and did some investigating. He found that the man I loved was connected to the Russian 'organization', and had set about winning my trust in order to bring down my father."
Shaken by the knowledge that this man was probably responsible for more than just the death of Michelle's mother, Jason quickly walked toward Elizabeth. Justin and Michelle followed.
Elizabeth looked up and smiled warmly. "Jason," she said, reaching for his hand. "I want you to meet someone."
Alex turned and looked straight at Michelle. "Ah, Mischa, my love," he said smoothly. "Aren't you happy to see your beloved husband?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*