Stephanie Julian - By Private Invitation

“Oh, you’re very welcome. Have a good day, girls.”

Annabelle pushed the cart into the produce aisle as fast as she could without running, Kate still trying to choke down her cookie through her laughter.

“Jesus, I swear I’m going to become a hermit.” Annabelle stopped to pick up lettuce and shredded carrots, figuring she’d make a salad to start. She made a mental note to pick up walnuts in the next aisle. “The man is a menace.”

“Right.” Kate drew the word out to about five syllables. “So that’s why you’re making dinner for him. Because he’s a menace.”

“He wreaks havoc with my brain. Why else would I agree to make dinner for a man who only eats gourmet cuisine? Hell, I had a jar of unopened peanut butter and a box of stale crackers in my cabinet.”

“But you can cook. You took cooking classes in Italy, for chrissake. And I know you enjoy it. Why wouldn’t you ask him?”

Racing through the aisles, trying to figure out what to make, Annabelle stopped in the pasta aisle, picked up a box of linguine, and waved it at Kate. “Don’t you start with me. You’re supposed to nod and agree with everything I say.”

Kate’s smile reminded Annabelle of a lounging tiger who’d just spotted an easy lunch. “Sorry, but that only applies to discussions of boyfriends and fiancés. Jared didn’t happen to cross over into that designation yet, did he?”

Annabelle huffed and put the linguine back on the shelf, reaching instead for the fettuccine. Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and broccoli. Simple, tasty, and basically foolproof.

“You know he didn’t. We don’t even really know each other. But…he offered me a job and now I’m cooking dinner for the man. How did that happen?”

Kate snorted. “I would assume you agreed to it.”

Annabelle opened her mouth to swear at Kate until she noticed the Mennonite woman with three children headed down the aisle. So she settled instead for a death glare. “Yes, I did. But I swear that man puts a spell on me every time he smiles.”

“He certainly does have a nice smile.”

Groaning, Annabelle placed the pasta in the cart and headed for the meat and seafood counter. Thankfully, the store had decent fresh seafood. “I’m in over my head, Kate. He’s so far out of my league, I feel like he’s in the majors and I’m still in junior high. I don’t want to fall for him. I can’t let myself.”

“And the harm in that would be…what?”

“He’s a playboy. Just like Gary.” After she placed her order for chicken and shrimp with the teenage boy behind the counter, she turned back to Kate. “And I certainly don’t need another one of those in my life.”

“Then what’s wrong with having a little fun while he’s here? It’s not like you’re going to marry the man, right?”

“Of course not.”

Marriage and Jared Golden did not belong in the same sentence. He’d said as much New Year’s Eve. And she had secrets to keep.

“So have a good time, enjoy the sex, and take the help with the business. And when everyone sees what amazing furniture you find for the spa, you won’t need Carmen Moran’s backing as an appraiser. You’ll be turning away clients.”

Annabelle took her packages and headed back to the produce aisle. She needed something for dessert and the strawberries had looked good.

“But why did I invite him for dinner? It’s so…intimate.”

Kate’s smile turned apologetic. “Because you’re already gone?”

“I can’t be.” Annabelle shook her head, sighed, then let her smile inch out. “So what am I going to wear tonight?”

“So here’s what I see.” Jared pushed a piece of graph paper across the table at her. “You need to set yourself apart from the crowd.”

The dinner plates had been cleared, and the strawberry tartlets she’d made for dessert sat in the center of the table along with the unopened bottle of wine Jared had brought.

“You need to come up with a distinct look that people will identify with you when they come into the store. You need to organize your collection and present it in a way that not only draws the customer in but makes it clear this isn’t your grandfather’s store.”

Over dinner, they’d discussed the town, the economy, gas prices—anything but the shop. She’d begun to wonder if Jared had an actual plan, though she had to admit she’d enjoyed simply talking to the man. Articulate guys with a wry sense of humor completely did it for her.

And one glance at Jared made her hotter than hell. No other way to put it.

He’d pulled a sheet of paper from the breast pocket of the crisp white shirt he wore, unfolded it, and laid it on the table between them.

It looked like a floor plan for her shop but it was divided into distinct sections.

“Okay, that makes sense,” she said. “But I don’t think I understand your floor plan.”

He tapped his long fingers on the paper, and her mouth dried as she remembered exactly what those fingers could do to her body. “I did some browsing up and down the strip today and, with the exception of one shop, none of the stores were shopper friendly. Frankly, they’re a mess. They’re cramped and hard to navigate. The lighting sucks. Small pieces are stuffed inside big pieces, paintings sit on the floor, the display cases are filled to overflowing. You don’t get a real sense of each piece. It’s just a huge jumble.”

Intrigued, she tore her gaze away from his fingers and into his eyes, so blue she swore they sparkled even in the dim light. “And your answer to that would be…”

“Rooms.”

She frowned. “You want me to put up walls in the shop, chop it up into smaller spaces?”

Shaking his head, he pointed to the floor plan, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him. “No, I want you to create individual spaces without the walls. You have beautiful pieces, Belle, but you need to display them in a more coherent setting. Put the beds together, put a mattress on them, and dress them. Let people see each grouping as it might look in their house.”

The man was absolutely gorgeous when he got passionate about something, she realized. Of course, he didn’t need much help but add in his enthusiasm and she needed a fan and new panties.

He seemed to have put a lot of thought into his ideas, which she was beginning to visualize.

“You’ve got lots of dishware but they’re all stuck in boxes with one or two pieces on display,” he continued. “Bring it out, set the tables. You’re going to have to outlay some cash for linens and mattresses, maybe some rugs, but it shouldn’t be enough to break you.”

Yes, she saw exactly what he was talking about now. Still, there were some drawbacks. “What about the artwork?”

“Expand the gallery. Break into the back room you use for storage and combine the spaces. Do you have somewhere else you can use for storage?”

A true art gallery. She’d wanted one for years but had never wanted to ask Granddad for the space. He’d been much more interested in furniture and he’d already given her one room for her erotic collection. And though he’d encouraged her to develop her own tastes, there just hadn’t been enough room for her art.

She nodded slowly. “Actually, I do. I can use the basement for storage. Granddad had a climate-control system put in when we first renovated the building, but it was a hassle getting the big pieces up and down. He’d used it as a workshop for a while, but not recently.”

“Then make it easier to access with an outside entrance and a ramp. You could back the truck right up to it and transfer the furniture directly into the basement. Or you might want to build another room off the back. You have the space on the lot. I checked in at the borough offices today and made sure.”

Sinking back into the chair, she couldn’t believe he’d gone to so much trouble for her. “I don’t know what to say, Jared. It sounds…wonderful.”

He sat back as well and grinned at her. “Hey, I told you I was good.”

And he knew it, too. But that confidence only added to his appeal. She returned his smile even as she shook her head. “I never had much interest in the business end of the shop. I’d rather be on the hunt for new material, though Granddad made sure I knew everything I needed to know to take over.”

Jared refilled her wineglass and his then reached for a tartlet. “Tyler takes care of most of the business. I’m the idea guy. I think them up and implement them. Tyler finds the money to pay for it.”

“Like the spa.” She swallowed as he bit into the sweet. “I, ah, did some preliminary searches for furniture and found a few things I’d like you to look at.”

He nodded, leaning farther back into the chair. “I set up a meeting with a local real estate agent for tomorrow morning to see if there are any properties in the area that might be suitable. You can show me the furniture tomorrow afternoon.”

“And you really think this area will sustain the kind of business you’re proposing?”

“I’m not looking for area residents to sustain it. I mean, I’ll be glad if they come but I’m looking for this to be a destination. A place to get away from the fast pace of the big city. More like a resort.”

Annabelle shook her head. “In Nowhere, Pennsylvania?”

“That will be part of the appeal. Middle of nowhere, no sirens, no helicopters. The spa will be all inclusive. The restaurant will be open to the public and so will the shops.”

“What kind of shops?”

“Nothing extensive. Boutiques. Clothing, accessories, makeup.”

“Lingerie?”

Jared’s brows lifted. “Interesting. Why?”

“Kate designs some of the most beautiful lingerie I’ve ever seen. And some of the most exotic.” She was wearing one of Kate’s creations now. She’d worn it with the plan of showing it to him later. “She’s never said anything about selling her designs but it was just a thought.”