Chapter 131 A Special Wedding Jacket
“I will need your signature here, please,” Katie said.
They were ordering a lot of new fabric for the new men’s line, and Emily signed off on it, trusting that Katie knew what she was doing. Since the whole thing was Katie’s idea, Emily let her take leadership of the project.
Carter was being brought up to speed by one of the city’s top modelling coaches, while Emily and her team of designers brainstormed some ideas for the new clothing line. She decided to call it Freerange Rider to reflect Carter’s independent spirit. The studio was buzzing with energy, and everyone was excited to be expanding into this new line.
“How is the battle for supremacy?” Emily asked. “Who’s winning? Is it Carter the rebellious biker with the lackluster career, or Brandon the brilliant businessman with the… does he have any weaknesses?”
“Doesn’t seem like it,” Katie said, twirling a pen in her hand. “Maybe I just haven’t found them yet. I’m still undecided as to who’s winning, but it’s fun working with Carter. I’ve sat in on his training, and he makes a great model.”
“I knew it!” Emily said.
She was looking forward to seeing Carter in a photo shoot, but for now going home and relaxing on the couch was foremost on her mind.
She forgot how tired she was when she got home to see the table set for two, with a couple of slender red candles burning. Byron was cooking something that smelled of chocolate and cinnamon, making her mouth water.
“I hope you don’t mind having dessert first today,” he said, setting a heart shaped cake down on the table.
“Do I mind?” Emily laughed, feeling elated. “Definitely not.”
She didn’t know what the occasion was… Admiring the heart shaped cake with its coating of chocolate frosting topped with nuts and sprinkles, Emily suddenly realized it was exactly a year ago on a rainy night just like this one that they met for the first time.
“Is this… our anniversary?” she asked.
“You got it! Did you forget?”
She basked in Byron’s adoring gaze as he put his hands on either side of her waist. “I didn’t forget,” she said, “but I couldn’t remember the exact date we met. So now we’ve known each other for a year…”
“A year makes quite a difference, doesn’t it?”
Emily could hardly fathom how much her life had changed. She couldn’t have known that asking a stranger for help in a desperate struggle would lead to finding the love of her life.
“We could have the cake first and then go to Mangiamo,” he offered.
“Sounds like a great idea.” Emily was glad they didn’t repeat their first date exactly to the letter. Starting with the cake first was a great inspiration.
“Is it good?” Byron asked, watching intently as she tried the first bite.
“Mr. Pomeroy, you have outdone yourself! The chocolate is so dark and creamy, and the cinnamon… mmm… I must say, I’m lucky to have a man who is so good in the kitchen… and in the bedroom.”
“I’m lucky to have you.” Byron slowly wiped a chocolate smudge from her lips with his finger. A shiver of desire snaked through her frame. “You saved my life.”
“And you saved me,” she replied, “from being afraid of getting close to anyone.”
Arriving at Mangiamo, they got a warm welcome from Amadeo and the usual staff members.
“Still together after a year!” Amadeo said, shaking his head. “This must be something special. And I’ve got a special meal prepared for you two.”
Being back in the restaurant brought back memories, and Emily was truly glad they were in a far different place they had been a year ago. She didn’t have to be chased through the city by Josh, for one.
“I forgot to ask how your day was,” Byron said as they indulged in the delicious pasta dishes the chefs had created especially for their anniversary.
“Men’s wear is a lot of fun to make,” Emily said, “and it actually gave me an idea. What if I designed a suit for you for our wedding?”
Byron perked up at the mention of their wedding. Sometimes she suspected him of thinking she didn’t take it seriously, even though she absolutely did, or else she wouldn’t have agreed to the engagement in the first place.
“That would be great,” he began, “but there’s one problem… I already have a wedding suit, or at least a jacket.”
“No way! Don’t tell me you’ve been secretly preparing for our wedding all this time.”
“Actually, my mother has. I’m about to share an important family secret with you…” Byron was being so solemn that she knew he had to be joking. “There is a jacket that was once owned by Ludwig van Beethoven and has been passed down through the generations.”
“That’s kind of cool,” Emily said.
“My grandfather got married in it, and Sylvia has got it into her head that I should get married in it too.”
“Wasn’t he like five foot two?”
“My grandfather?” Byron said, pretending to be offended.
“No, Beethoven.”
“He was five foot four according to some,” Byron noted.
“That’s still a lot shorter than you.” Emily drew her eyebrows closer together in an amused frown. “Are you going to look like you’re wearing a child’s jacket?”
“God, I hope not. I haven’t actually seen that jacket since I was a child. But Sylvia is really firm on this point.”
“We’ll see about that…” Emily said.
