“Stay where you are for now,” Carvel directed with a nod. “It pleases me. I will contact you after Paris.”
She watched him, speechless, as he strode toward the door, turning to look at her with a fond smile. “Goodnight, Bella.”
“Goodnight, Mr.— ”
“Roberto,” he insisted, closing the door before he heard her reply.
“Goodnight, Roberto,” she murmured, stunned by his arrogance and assumptions. Did he really believe she would abandon Kaiser as quickly as Andrea had?
No. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She wasn’t so easy. Was she?
Chapter Eight
“Kaiser…sir?” Heidi poked her head into his office, finding him sitting at his desk writing something on a notepad.
“What is it, Heidi?” He sighed, not looking up or turning around.
“I was just wondering…these dresses in the hallway. None of them are tagged?” She cleared her throat apologetically. The job had became familiar enough that, most of the time, she didn’t have to ask him superfluous questions anymore, but all of the dresses from the show had come tagged and there were twenty of them hanging on a rack she didn’t have any idea what to do with.#p#分页标题#e#
He put his pen down, leaning back in his chair and whirling around, his face spreading with a smile. “Ah, they’ve arrived.”
She blinked and shrugged. “They have?”
“That’s your Paris wardrobe.”
“My…” Heidi looked back at the rack of dresses with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Mine?”
“Do you like them?”
“Like them?” she squeaked, rushing back into the vestibule to flip through dress after dress, all of them unique and elegant and stunning. There was daywear, eveningwear, even, Heidi noted with a happy sigh, several boxes full of underwear, bras, garters and stockings, all displayed in bounteous reams of tissue paper.
“I take it that’s a yes?” he chuckled.
“Yes!”
He slipped his arms around her from behind. “I like making you happy.”
“I like feeling happy,” she agreed, turning in his arms, smiling up at him.
“Do you know what would make me happy?”
She grinned and began to slide through the circle of his arms, heading down to her knees.
“Besides that.” He laughed, grabbing her by her elbows and pulling her up. “Please tell me you found out what Carvel’s up to.”
“I did.” She moved out of his arms, frowning, turning back to the dresses as if she was interested, but suddenly they had lost all of their appeal.
“And?”
She sighed. “You’re not going to like it.”
“I imagine not.” He chuckled. “So?”
“He’s stealing Andrea Paxton.” She blurted it out, just like that.
“Stealing—what?” Kaiser actually laughed, but when she turned to face him, he saw she wasn’t joking.
“She’s signing with Carvel after the Paris show. So he says.” Heidi shrugged helplessly, seeing his anger building. It started in his neck, moving redly up his face.
“She wouldn’t dare.”
Heidi swallowed hard. “He said he doubled your price.”
“Jesus.” He suddenly paled, now as white as he had been red a moment ago.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, biting her lip.
Kaiser turned and walked back toward his office, pausing in the doorway and looking back at her. “And just what did you have to do to get this out of him?”
Oh no. She couldn’t tell him. Had she really believed he wouldn’t ask? “Well…” She wrung her hands nervously, hiding them behind her back. “I had to loosen him up a little.”
“So the cognac did the trick?” He winked, their little secret.
She gave him a weak smile. “Well…that, too.”
“I see…” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “So you did put your noteworthy blowjob talents to good use, then?”
Heidi lowered her head and whispered, “I had to.” Was that true? She wasn’t sure. Kaiser had made it very clear what he wanted, though, hadn’t he?
He lifted her chin, stepping close and shaking his head. “I told you…whatever it takes. You did just what I asked.” He frowned. “I just…I wish I hadn’t asked you to.”
“You do?” she asked, puzzled. “But…I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either.” He gave a short laugh, turning back to his office. “Regardless, you did an excellent job. A most excellent job.”
She watched from his doorway as he picked up the phone and pushed the buttons. “Andrea, Kaiser. I need to talk to you before the pre-show. Call me.”