Silent Night 3(32)

Reva glared at her. “The first show starts in a few minutes,” she declared in a clipped voice. “After that, the customers are going to start buying. So I want plenty of scarves in the store. The worst thing that can happen is that we run out.”

“We won’t run out,” Pam assured her.

“We will if you just sit there,” Reva shot back.

Willow stuck her hand in the sack and pulled out a powdered-sugar doughnut. “You should check the business agreement we made with your father,” she told Reva, taking a bite of the doughnut. “It doesn’t say anything about working twenty-four hours a day.”

“Oh, right, I forgot. Thanks for going behind my back like that,” Reva remarked acidly.

“We didn’t have any choice!” Pam cried. “We kept asking you about a contract. But you wouldn’t do anything!”

“Oh? Could it be that I’ve been too busy putting the entire scarf show together?” Reva asked. “Just remember, if it weren’t for me, there wouldn’t be any show at all. And if you want to make any money, you’d better drop the doughnuts and start sewing!”

With a final frown at Pam and her tacky sidekick, Reva turned and marched down the hall. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Daniel coming out of the stockroom. He carried a stack of cardboard boxes in his arms.

Daniel still works here! she realized with a shock. Remembering what he said last night, she felt a sudden chill. Sooner or later, you’ll get what’s coming to you.

Is that why he’s sticking around? To make trouble for me?

Well, we’ll see about that, she told herself. As soon as the show is over, I’ll get Daddy to fire him.

Daniel glanced up at Reva. He stopped and stared at her.

Reva walked on by as if he didn’t exist.

As far as she was concerned, he didn’t.

She rounded the corner, glancing nervously at her watch. Five minutes until the first show. It had to be perfect!

A sign stood at the entrance to the showroom. Reva Wear, it proclaimed. Hand-Painted, Hand-Sewn Scarves. Shows at Ten, Two, and Seven. A group of shoppers paused to read the sign, then entered the room.

Reva smiled and walked on, entering the showroom through a door that led to the backstage area. She strode to the red velvet curtain and peeked out at the seats.

The place was packed with shoppers, chattering in anticipation.

Reva felt a thrill of excitement.

“Reva, hi!” Ellie dashed up, followed by Maria. “Maria and I just finished going over the routine. She’s got it down perfectly.”

“Good.” Reva let the curtain drop and stared at the two models. Maria had dark hair, like Liza, while Ellie’s red hair was a perfect match for Reva’s.

“Well, we’re going to check our makeup,” Ellie told her. “Good luck!”

“Thanks.” Reva glanced at her watch again. It was time.

She fluffed her hair, then straightened the skirt of her short black dress and stepped through the curtain.

A hush fell over the audience.

Reva took a deep breath. “Welcome to the Reva Wear Show,” she announced into the microphone at the side of the stage. “Today you’ll be seeing the first in the Reva Wear designs—a beautiful collection of one-of-a-kind scarves. Dramatic. Unique. Presented and sold exclusively at Dalby’s.”

The curtain swung open, revealing the revolving door and the mannequins posed along the fake sidewalk. Colored spotlights lit up the stage, and Christmas music set to a rock beat throbbed into the room.

The audience applauded.

The music became lower, and Reva spoke into the microphone again. “Our first model is Liza!” she announced, waving her arm toward the revolving door.

The music swelled.

The audience gazed at the door.

Three seconds passed.

No one came through the door.

The audience waited.

Still no Liza.

Reva felt her face flush with embarrassment. What is Liza doing? How could she miss her cue and humiliate me like this?

Three more agonizing seconds dragged by.

In a panic, Reva stared past the revolving door and spotted Ellie and Maria, waiting to go on. Catching Ellie’s eye, she mouthed the words, “Where’s Liza?”

Ellie shook her head and shrugged, her blue eyes wide.

I’ll have to do it with two models, that’s all, Reva thought, fuming. And once it’s over, I’ll make sure Liza never gets another modeling job. Not at Dalby’s. Not in Shadyside! She’s finished!

Forcing a smile, Reva turned back to the audience. As she did, she noticed the mannequin at the far side of the stage.

The spotlights didn’t quite reach it, and most of it remained in shadow.

But enough of it showed for Reva to see that it was tilted on its pole.