Pregnant by the Texan(56)
“I watched your interview in the bar down the block and two guys there said they would send some money to Royal. Way to go,” he said, and she laughed, giving Sid a high five, which after one startled moment, he returned.
Sid drove to an upscale shopping area in that city. He parked in front of a redbrick shop with an ornate dark wood front door flanked by two huge white pots of red hibiscus and green sweet potato vines that trailed over the sides of the pots. To one side of the door a large window revealed an interior of subdued lighting and white and red furniture. The only identifying sign was on the window near the door. Small gold letters spelled out the name, Chez Cecilia.
Sid hopped out to open her door. “Here’s my number. Just give me a call a few minutes before you want to be picked up and I’ll be right here.”
“Thanks, Sid,” she said, wondering what Aaron had gotten her into. She went inside the shop—which had soft music playing in the background, thick area rugs, contemporary oil paintings on the walls and ornately framed floor-to-ceiling mirrors—and asked for Cecelia.
A tall, slender brunette appeared, smiling and extending her hand. “You must be Stella. I’m happy to meet you. Let me take your coat,” she said, taking Stella’s jacket and hanging it up. “Aaron has told me about you.”
“That surprises me,” Stella said, curious how Aaron knew Cecelia and the dress shop but not wanting to pry. She’d rather Aaron would tell her the things he wanted her to know.
“Surprised me, too. Aaron keeps his world to himself. From what he told me, I think I know what we should show you. Let’s get you comfortable. I have a few things picked out. He said you have a dinner date tonight with some people who want to hear about Royal and the storm and how they can help.”
“You’re right.”
“Now make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a soft drink? Coffee or tea? Ice water?”
“Ice water please,” she said, thinking this whole excursion was ridiculous, a feeling that changed to dismay when Cecilia began to bring clothes out to show her.
“Just tell me what appeals to you and we’ll set it aside for you to try on if you’d like.”
Within minutes Stella felt in a daze. Nothing Cecilia brought out looked like anything Stella had ever worn. Necklines were lower; hemlines were higher. Skirts were tighter and material was softer. “Cecelia, I can’t imagine myself in these,” she said, looking at a green dress of clinging material that had a low-cut cowl neckline and a tight, straight skirt with a slit on one side. “These are so unlike me.”
“You may be surprised how nice they’ll look on you. These are comfortable dresses, too.”
Her dazed feeling increased when she tried on the dresses she selected, yet when she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t keep from liking them.
When she tried to stop shopping, Cecilia shook her head. “You need to select an elegant dress for evening. You need two suits. You should have a business dress. Aaron made this very clear and he’ll come down and pick something out himself if you don’t. You will not want him to do that. Aaron is not into shopping for dresses. Our clothing is tasteful and lovely, but he doesn’t select what’s appropriate for business unless I help him. Fortunately, he’ll listen.”
Even as Stella laughed, she was surprised and wondered how Cecelia knew this about Aaron. It hinted at more mysteries in his life before she knew him.
Stella tried on a red silk wool sleeveless dress with a low V-neck that she would have to grow accustomed to because she hadn’t worn a dress like this one ever. “Cecilia, this isn’t me.”