Theresa stood at the front of the story, waiting. She dreaded her meeting with Gwen. But she knew that designing a dress for her would be a good thing. Once she wore it in public, and the press asked her who designed her dress, it would all be worth it. It would put her name and the boutique on the map. Theresa looked up and saw Gwen walking in to the boutique.

"Gwen, how nice to see you again", Theresa said, holding out her hand to shake Gwen's.

"Hello Theresa! It's nice to see you, too", extending her hand for Theresa's. "I must tell you, I'm very excited about this! I hope you're ready to design me a fabulous gown!"

"Of course!" Theresa replied, with her best game face on, "now let's go back to my office and we'll get started."

As they reached her office, Theresa offered Gwen a chair and something to drink. Then they started talking.

"Well, Gwen. After I found out you were coming in, I took the liberty of 'googling" you, so that I could get a look at your style of dresses. I must say, you have picked some beautiful ones for your past engagements."

"Well, thank you! What a nice compliment! And I must admit, I don't think I've even been "googled"!"

"Well, it's the fastest way I know how to get a person's fashion background. But I did come across something that puzzled me....."

"What's that?"

"For most of the events you attend, you find a designer outside of Harmony. Why let me design your dress? Why not go to New York, or London, or Paris like you normally do?"

"Well, Theresa..." Gwen began, as she shifted around uncomfortably in her chair. Good question! "I knew that you were doing personal designs, and Ethan has told me so many times how wonderful your designs are, I decided to give you a shot!" AHA! She thought to herself, even a little Ethan jab in there, too.

"Well, thank you Gwen, that means a lot to me. Well, in order for me to get started, I need to know where you are going and what the occasion is."

Here we go, Gwen said to herself silently. "Well, this is a little embarrassing, given your history with Ethan, but, he was recently made partner in his law firm and...."

"Yes, I know."

"YOU DO?"

"Yes, he called me and told me first thing Tuesday morning." Theresa knew exactly what Gwen was trying to do, and she wasn't going to let Gwen upset her.

"Oh, how nice. I just assumed that after what happened between you two on Monday night that...."

"What happened between Ethan and I, is our personal business. I prefer to not talk about personal business at work, if that's all right with you."

"Of course. I'm sorry, how unprofessional of me to mention that. Well, anyway, Ethan's partners are throwing a ball to make the announcement of his partnership, and Ethan has asked me to be his escort."

Theresa felt her heart jump in to her throat. Oh, no. Tell me this isn't true. After the beautiful note he had written Theresa, could it be he wrote the same note to both of them?

That way, if Theresa didn't show, Gwen would be there?

"Really?" Theresa replied. "How nice!" She had to make sure Gwen didn't realize that this revelation upset her in anyway.

"Yes, it is. I'm so happy for Ethan. And after Ivy told me the news of his partnership..."

"Oh, you heard it from Ivy, not Ethan himself?"

Touché

"Well, yes", Gwen began to squirm again. "But Ethan did call me to invite me to the ball, personally." There, thought Gwen, that's good.

"He called you, huh?" Now Theresa knew Gwen was lying. After Theresa received her invitation to the ball, she called Sheridan and Luis. Sheridan said that after she received her's and Luis's invitation, she called Ethan to see why he hadn't called them personally. Ethan told Sheridan that he had only told his parents and Pilar in person. He had only called one person, Theresa, and that was because he knew she wouldn't see him. Otherwise, he thought calling people would be drawing too much attention to himself, which he was not one to do. Any invitation Gwen would have received, would have been delivered.

"Yes, Ethan and I talked for hours when he called me, he was so excited! He went on and on about how much hard work he had done over these past few years, and how he knew he could finally make his law firm successful."

Okay, now I know for a fact that she's lying. "Well Gwen, it sounds like you and Ethan are very close."

"Oh yes, we have been for quite some time. But, enough about Ethan and I. What did you have in mind for my dress?"

After hearing all of the dribble Gwen tried to feed her, Theresa had no problem designing her a dress, because she knew Gwen would never use it for the ball.