Emily couldn't get out of the hotel fast enough as the event wrapped up. She didn't get to talk much to Katie after giving her the 'mentor speech', and Byron was constantly swarmed by people."Are you going to be sad if I never go to one of these again?" she asked Byron over drinks in the limo on the way home."Please, I'm not a delicate flower," Byron said, pouring a liqueur into glasses for them."Are you sure you won't mind?""Yeah." His posture was more stiff than usual, and he didn't put his arm around her like he often did."I can tell you're mad," she muttered. Her liqueur tasted bitter, and she felt a sinking feeling as the bright lights and restaurant signs sped by outside the window."I'm not mad. I just wish you would come to my dinners more often. And I suppose I do find it offensive when you say they're boring.""Oh… sorry," Emily said. "Maybe it's better if I just don't go then."Byron put down his glass with a sigh. "I know they might not be as witty or colorful
Emily was in the middle of brainstorming a new line for next spring when Katie strolled into the design studio, humming a jaunty tune."Well, if it isn't the lady about town!" Emily greeted her. "Are things going well?""Excellent," Katie reported. "I've gone on a date with each candidate, and I'm still undecided… but the dates were fun.""That's the spirit!" Emily said. She stuck to her resolve not to try to influence Katie's decision, trusting her protégé to figure out the best path forward on her own."Carter took me for a motorcycle ride—don't tell my parents! It was so awesome. I do think Carter is lacking in the career department, though."Just like Emily expected, it had not taken Katie long to realize that Carter was not the sharpest pencil in the box. "Carter is a free spirit. He values his freedom over career obligations.""I have an idea to help him move up in the world," Katie said brightly."Now this I'd love to hear." Emily folded her arms as she leaned back agains
"I will need your signature here, please," Katie said.They were ordering a lot of new fabric for the new men's line, and Emily signed off on it, trusting that Katie knew what she was doing. Since the whole thing was Katie's idea, Emily let her take leadership of the project. Carter was being brought up to speed by one of the city's top modelling coaches, while Emily and her team of designers brainstormed some ideas for the new clothing line. She decided to call it Freerange Rider to reflect Carter's independent spirit. The studio was buzzing with energy, and everyone was excited to be expanding into this new line."How is the battle for supremacy?" Emily asked. "Who's winning? Is it Carter the rebellious biker with the lackluster career, or Brandon the brilliant businessman with the… does he have any weaknesses?""Doesn't seem like it," Katie said, twirling a pen in her hand. "Maybe I just haven't found them yet. I'm still undecided as to who's winning, but it's fun working with
"It's about time you started preparing for your wedding," Sylvia said when they arrived at her house for the fitting of the Beethoven jacket. "It seems far away, but summer will be here before you know it.""Thanks for that information, mom," Byron said, "Have you ever thought about becoming a fortune teller?""Very funny." Sylvia started to unwrap the jacket, which was inside a protective layer of plastic, and another one of linen.Sylvia's cat emerged from the hallway and made its rounds of the room, rubbing its body against everyone's calves.Well-preserved and majestic, the jacket had plenty of personality. It was black, with large metallic buttons, and a velvet collar. It was much better than Emily imagined. She had forgotten that 19th century jackets were much longer than modern ones, so it might not matter that it was made for someone of shorter stature.But when Byron put it on, it had a kind of scraggly look because it was clearly too small for him. Byron covered his ey
"So, basically, you have nothing planned yet," Sylvia pronounced. "No venue, no guest list. You don't even know what theme you're going with, if there is a theme."Byron divested himself of Beethoven's jacket, looking relieved to have it off. Despite the family legacy and Sylvia's belief in its lucky properties, Emily thought perhaps he would be happier if he didn't get married in the old jacket. After all, she wouldn't have liked it if someone tried to force her to get married in her grandmother's mothball-scented wedding dress!"I always thought we'd get married on the island," Byron said. "Where we had our first vacation together."Emily hadn't thought of that before, but she liked the idea."Seriously, a remote island in the middle of the Pacific?" Sylvia said. "And you expect hundreds of people to fly there for the wedding and find accommodation?""Uh…" Byron was a bit stunned. "Well, I wasn't expecting to invite hundreds of people."Sylvia's cat settled down on an armchair
Unlike Byron's jacket fitting, the tailoring of Carter's new fashion line went smoothly, and everyone agreed the new designs suited him. They were rugged, masculine, and practical.Emily chose an outdoor location for his first photo shoot. She felt Carter would be more comfortable outdoors rather than in a studio, and it made for an appropriate background for the kind of clothes she had created for him.She envisioned a sort of cowboy or adventurer type like the models from the classic Camel cigarette ads. The design and photography teams met up outside a classic log farmhouse. Horses grazed in the background, and a pine forest stretched out beyond. Katie had to be there of course, overseeing everything. Emily wondered when the kid found the time to do her homework. "If it isn't the face of Freerange Rider," Emily greeted Carter when he arrived on his motorcycle."It's not just the face, but the whole package," he bragged. "All right, you can change over there," Emily said,
Emily needed an ally in the negotiations with Sylvia. If the wedding was going to be in any way less insane than what Sylvia envisioned, someone had to convince her, and Emily didn't want to be that someone. It was too dangerous.Her relationship with her mother-in-law was usually pretty good, but it was like a house built on volcanic soil, always under threat of complete destruction.Luckily, Emily's parents were coming for a visit. They could give her some advice, maybe even talk to Sylvia to sort out the wedding arrangements.The house was filled with their voices and laughter as soon as her parents got in. They praised the house and the décor, and even the dogs, who got lots of affectionate pats. Emily was so proud to show them the place."Is it true that epic weightlifting contests take place here?" her father asked."Yes, and I won the last one," Byron said, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. "He's very strong, but not much in the brains department, I'm afraid," Emil
The next day, Sylvia came over for lunch, and the meeting of the parents took place. Emily found it amusing to see her parents and Byron's mother side by side.Emily mother didn't look as polished as Sylvia, preferring to wear no makeup and casual clothing, but she had natural beauty and much more warmth and laughter than Sylvia did. Her father looked like a macho, slightly balding, and not too sophisticated guy, but he too had a lot of charisma, even if he was at times overbearing. He was almost as bossy and opinionated as Sylvia.Emily couldn't wait to see who would win in a battle of wills."It's great to finally meet you," Emily's mother gushed."Yes, I'm glad," Sylvia said in her reserved way.Emily detected a note of snobbishness. She didn't take offense because it was not as if her parents were singled out by Sylvia to be looked down on. She was snobbish when speaking to anyone. Maybe if Queen Elizabeth came to visit, Sylvia would have been slightly less arrogant."You're