Chapter 57
Well, she was the investor’s mommy, wasn’t she?
Right after we hung up, Hilary shot over the shop’s address like a bullet.
It was this ancient tailor shop that’s pretty big with the rich ladies in Rivertown.
Before clocking out. I chugged down a coffee to perk up and headed out.
What I didn’t see coming was Hogan and Cecilia also showing up.
As the waiter was taking me to Hilary, there was Cecilia, handing over this fancy piece of fabric to Hilary, biting her lip when she caught sight of me.
Hogan was straight up. “What are you doing here?”
I was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Hilary, hearing the commotion, turned around with a grin, “I invited Xaviera over. You two put together don’t know my tastes as well as she does.”
Cecilia’s face fell, and she clutched the fabric in her hands even tighter.
Awkward as hell, I was.
Cecilia did have a good eye, though. The fabric she picked was a bit old–fashioned pattern–wise, but the color wasn’t half bad for Hilary’s tastes.
She digged the glitz and glam.
So when Hilary looped her arm through mine, asking me to choose for her, I deliberately went for something plain.
5
Hilary was surprised when she saw it, but probably just to tick Cecilia off, she made a point of praising it, “See? Understated yet elegant. Xaviera, you’ve got the eye.”
Cecilia didn’t say a peep, just hung her head lower.
I tried to smooth things over, “Mrs. Hilary, you’ve got such fair skin, anything suits you. Director Irwin’s choice might be a bit picky, but only someone with your complexion can pull it off.”
It was only then that Hilary begrudgingly settled on a piece.
Hogan, probably couldn’t stand the scene, pointed to a bunch of fabrics, “Make one of each of these colors, tailor them to Ms. Irwin’s measurements.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened as she cooed, “Hogan, that’s way too lavish.”
Hilary wasn’t pleased either, “Xaviera’s been running around with me, and you haven’t even properly thanked her.”
Hogan just gave me a look and asked, “Ms. March, got any favorites?”
Chapter 57
I mean, he asked, so playing coy just wouldn’t fly. I casually pointed to a beige embroidered sample. “This one’s fine.”
After we wrapped up the choosing, Hogan found an excuse to leave with Cecilia first.
Hilary pulled a face. “You saw that, Xaviera. Busy with work, my foot. He’s just scared I’ll give Ms. Irwin a hard time.”
I tried to reassure her. “If Mr. Zade cares about her that much, you should take her under your wing, help her out. After all, she’s the one to share his worries down the line.”
Hilary looked at me, gloomy, and started, “Xaviera, if you and Hogan.”
She sighed midway through.
I had a hunch about what Hilary was getting at.
She probably thought, if Hogan had to pick someone with an ordinary family background, she’d rather it be me.
But she forgot, once upon a time, she looked down on me too.
Hogan’s call came late at night.
“Ms. March, you were quite helpful today.”
His voice was indifferent.
I was holding back my own frustrations and shot back, “Mr. Zade, you are too kind. I did receive proper compensation, after all.”
Wallis had mentioned once that the old tailor’s craft wasn’t something you could simply buy
with money.
“Ms. March, you have really impressed me lately, got your eyes on the prize?”
His tone was mocking, with that arrogance that only those higher up have.
Suddenly, I remembered the fifty bucks my uncle had slipped me secretly, paused, and said, “Just saw the light, that’s all.”
