“Yep,” I said, my mouth still outrunning my brain by a good mile or so, “but man, I don’t think I’d have had the guts if I knew you were going to be here! I mean, I’m just starting out, and I don’t have a clue, and nothing of mine is up to your—”
Ms. Weisman frowned. “Well, then I’m certainly glad you didn’t know I was coming. How can you express yourself fully if you’re always worrying about the opinions of others?”
“Right,” I mumbled, abashed. And then, because somehow even acute embarrassment couldn’t dim the flame of my fangirling, I added: “You said that in the epilogue of your book!”
“Damn straight,” Mira said with an approving nod. “Now, I was very intrigued by your goods on offer at the auction. And Lacey tells me you’ve earned a slot with Blossom. Tell me, what are your long-term goals with your business?”
“Oh gosh,” I said, the words spilling out of me in a torrent. “What aren’t my goals? I want to accomplish so much, and it always feels like there’s so little time and we’re scraping by on the skin of our teeth but what I want to do—you know the look women get, when they see themselves for the first time, in a piece of lingerie that flatters them and makes them look sexy as hell? It’s like they see themselves, not just how hot they are and how full of raw divine sexual energy that they should channel towards that hot-ass lawyer down the block, but like, themselves!”
Mira nodded as she listened, but I plowed forward with my rambling before I could stop to wonder what that anxiety-inducing crease between her brow meant.
“They see that they don’t need to apologize or hide or lug around a bunch of low self-esteem, because they’re rad gorgeous hottie goddesses who can get it, whatever it is for them personally, because they’re awesome and powerful and kickass and amazing, and I guess that’s what I want long-term more than anything, to just keep giving more and more women that feeling until finally everyone is just awesomely confident, all the time!”
I was aware as the words were leaving my mouth that this was not exactly the professional five-year plan she had been asking for, but I was damned if I could stop the flood regardless.
Mira was arching an eyebrow now, her lips just perceptibly twitching at the corners. “Skilled and enthusiastic, my goodness. And what do you do when you’re not liberating all women from the shackles of poorly fitting brassieres?”
I blushed, but thankfully I could blame it on the warm lighting, the champagne, and the fangirly passion of a thousand suns. “Uh, well, I like to read mystery novels. And watch mystery shows. And mystery movies. There’s definitely a strong mystery theme.”
Mira smiled warmly and gave a little clap with her hands. “Oh? You and my daughter would get along splendidly then. You must go bid on the item she donated to the auction—it was like pulling teeth to get her to part with a first edition, but when I impressed on her that it was for a good cause, she gave in. Her heart’s in the right place.”
I gasped. “A first edition of what?! Conan Doyle? Christie? Highsmith?”
Her eyes crinkled in amusement and a hint of mischief. “You’ll see.”
Before I could beg for more details—and I was far from above begging—Mira spotted someone else she knew and we made our goodbyes. I turned to Lacey, ready to squeal for at least seven minutes in hysterical glee, but she had already spotted Grant at a nearby group of businesspeople. He waved her over; she called back, “Coming!”
There was no way I was going to be able to concentrate on a serious business conversation with the amount of adrenaline currently running through my veins. “Lacey, can you spare me for a second? ‘Cause if you can…”
“Oh, run along,” Lacey said, laughing. “Solve your mystery. I promise not to torpedo anything too terribly without your guiding influence.”
“You’re the best.” I gave her a quick hug and fairly sprinted to the auction tables, nearly running over the people unlucky enough to be in my way. Hey, this was urgent.
I’d stopped by the tables earlier in the evening to make sure that my items were displayed to their best advantage, but hadn’t looked further than that before being intercepted by Lacey. Now, I took my time browsing the items on offer as I looked for Mira Weisman’s mystery item. There were more treasures on display than there were in the holds of most sunken pirate ships: necklaces laden with so many diamonds I was amazed the glare didn’t blind anyone, deeds to yachts that could practically navigate themselves, vacation homes in glamorous European locales, and so much more that I practically got dizzy just looking at all the goods on display.