Caught Up in Us(57)

Professor Oliver pursed his lips and nodded a few times. “And Ms. Mortimer is open to this?”

I found it odd that we were discussing Ms. Mortimer as if she were not his wife. I supposed that was part and parcel of her veiled identity though. She wanted to be both Mrs. Claire Oliver and Ms. Elizabeth Mortimer.

“Yes. She would be willing to step in officially as my mentor for the rest of the term. So I will have Bryan Leighton for the first few months, and Ms. Mortimer to finish out the term. And, to be quite honest, that seems rather fitting for my business. Both have helped me tremendously to grow and expand My Favorite Mistakes. And I have, in turn, helped both of their businesses, as you know from the reports.”

He removed his glasses, picked up a white cloth from his desk, and cleaned the lenses. When the glasses were free of fingerprints, he put them back on. “Ms. Harper, has anyone ever told you that you’re not too shabby at negotiation?” He cracked a grin, and extended his hand. “Welcome back. I trust there will be no hanky-panky with Ms. Mortimer as you finish out the term?”

“None, sir.”

“Good. I do have a suggestion now for your business. Perhaps it’s time to move beyond the name My Favorite Mistakes since your business is moving beyond that idea.”

“What do you think would be a good name?”

“Seeing as I suspect you have a rather bright future in front of you as a jewelry designer, I would suggest a simple name. I would suggest your name. That is what all the fashion icons do. I think your customers will soon want to give and to wear Kat Harper necklaces.”

I smiled. “It has a nice ring to it.”





Chapter Twenty-Four





“Close your eyes.”

Bryan pressed his palms over my eyes as we reached the block with my parent’s store.

“Maybe you’d like to blindfold me?”

“I’ll do that later, don’t you worry.”

“Oh, I wasn’t worried.”

“Just keep them closed.”

“Since your hands are covering them, it’s safe to say I can’t see a thing. So don’t let me trip.”

“I won’t.”

He guided me along the sidewalk. I smelled the sea air, and it reminded me of long, lazy summer days here in Mystic. It reminded me of summer nights years ago falling in love. Right now with December upon us, the air smelled of pine and freshly falling snow. A few flakes drifted down from the darkening afternoon sky, promising a night by a warm fire and blankets of white in the morning.

I graduated two days ago. There was little fanfare, as is the custom with a business school graduation. I simply finished my exams, checked my grades online, and verified that I had, in fact, attained my MBA. The first person I called was Claire, who I now thought of as a super hero with a secret identity. She congratulated me and informed me that my necklaces were faring well the first week in her stores. The My Favorite Mistakes line was still selling online and in boutiques, but the Elizabeth’s customers favored my simpler styles. Rather than a star, a key and a sunburst jammed on one necklace, they were opting for single pendants, and embracing the European look of the charms, thanks to where I’d found them — the markets of Paris. Of course, there were shoppers too with quirkier taste, and for those the cat and dog charms appealed. Still others with a vintage flare liked the cameos and brooches. “Be charmed with a Kat Harper necklace,” Claire pronounced. “That’s the tagline.”

I’d have to remember to thank my parents for giving me a name that lent itself so well to jewelry, especially since I was starting to make real money from my work. I planned to pay off their loan in a few weeks from the revenue.

“Almost there.”

I held my hands in front of me, purple mittens keeping me warm. We passed the cafe. I could hear the bell on the door jingle when someone came out, and the tell-tale scent of coffee trailed behind.

“Here we are.”

I stumbled at the sight. He grabbed my elbow to keep me from slipping. Not only had Mystic Landing been transformed for the holidays, it had been totally transformed. As in a makeover and a facelift. There was a new sign made out of brushed metal, pretty window displays that married a sleek to a retro design, and a glass door that had been spruced up with the name of the store painted in my favorite color — purple.

He held open the door, and I wandered inside, mesmerized by the changes, my eyes the size of saucers. The old beige berber rug had been replaced by a warm cranberry carpet. The standard wooden shelves and displays had been extradited, and instead the frames and mugs, the books and cards, the vases and other gifts for sale were displayed on high and low wooden tables, some modern, some antique-y. It was the perfect mix of old rustic charm that had made this place a centerpiece of the town for many years, and a new twist to send the store into the future.