“Cassandra Reyna? I’m Kyle Pitman.”

I have to stare at the man standing in front of me for a few long seconds before recognition dawns. “Right! Susan told me about you.” I hold the door to the store open wider. “Come in.” I wait until he is in the store and then shut the door behind him and begin to walk towards the back of the store where my temporary office is. “Sorry about the mess,” I say over my shoulder. “They’re still kind of in the middle of everything.”

“It’s no problem.”

I quickly clear some of my junk off the chair in the room. “Have a seat.”

“This is a really great store you have,” he comments as he settles himself in the chair. “Great location.”

I sit down in my desk chair. “I know. I’m glad I was able to snatch it up.” Pushing away some hair from my face, I take a deep breath. “So why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

He begins to talk and I take the opportunity to really examine him. Susan has been raving about this guy since I decided to open my own store. She’s told me that if I hire him as store manager, he’ll do wonders for business. Considering she’s never done wrong, I could probably just take Susan’s word for it and simply hire him but I figure I should meet with him just to make sure.

He’s telling me about his background in retail and I’m trying to listen but at the same time, trying to discretely size him up.

He’s probably five or six years older than me and his appearance is impeccable. Good build, his teeth are perfectly straight and white, a nice tan to his skin, and not a hair on his head is out of place. He’s dressed simply in a pair of jeans and button down but in my head I can easily picture him in a suit and running my store. He’s completely articulate in his speech and within two minutes I know Susan was one hundred percent right about him. I could probably just cut him off right here and tell him he’s hired but he has a nice voice and honestly, I’m really just content to sit here and listen to him talk.

I stopped him after fifteen minutes or so and told him he had the job. The next thirty minutes were spent sorting out the terms of his employment and then he wanted to see some of my sketches. I was too happy to oblige and a good portion of the afternoon I spent with Kyle, showing him all the designs I plan to fill my store with on opening day.

Near five o’clock Kyle leaves after we make an appointment to get together again in a few days and I’m left in the store by myself. The construction workers have left for the day and I take a few minutes to simply stand in the front of the store and take it all in.

Everything is going so smoothly and perfectly and the renovations of the store are almost done. Every once in a while I get this thrill as I realize that I’m about to open my own store on Rodeo Drive. I really have made it as a fashion designer.

I could probably stand here forever in my own little dream world but it’s getting late and I need to go. I have that dinner with Justin and Lynn tonight and I cannot be late…again. That would probably seal my fate.

I grab everything I need and then lock up the store for the day and get into my car. As I’m pulling out onto the street, I dial Susan Kelly’s number on my cell phone.

“Did Kyle come see you today?” Susan asks as way of a greeting.

“Hey. Yeah. He’s amazing!”

“You hired him then.”

“The minute he opened his mouth I was ready to hire him,” I reply. “He’s going to be perfect. I owe you so much for sending him my way.”

“Don’t thank me. I mentioned to him that you needed a store manager and he jumped at the chance. Even without me I’m sure he would have found a way to you eventually. Are you still at the store?”

“I just left. I’m going over to Justin’s to try dinner with the mother part two.”

“Part two?”

“Part one didn’t go so well.”

“Are you bringing a gift?”

I smile. Not only is Susan a wizard at everything that is fashion, she is the queen of manners. “I have a bottle of wine.”

“Excellent. So did you get my email about the invitations for the grand opening?”

“Yeah. I like the second option you had there. Let’s go with that.”

“Perfect. I’ll have them made up. I’ll email you the final guest list.”

“Sounds good. Are you still planning on coming out here next week?”

“I bought the plane ticket today.”

“Great.”

“I need to go, Cassandra, but I’ll call you tomorrow, alright?”

“Sure.”

“And I’m just sending that email now.”

“Okay. Thanks so much, Susan.”

“Not a problem. Bye.”

I hang up my phone and drop it back in my purse and then concentrate on the road in front of me. My new goal is to make it on the freeway without getting honked at, sworn at, or given the finger. And talking on my phone probably isn’t the best way to reach my goal.

I was fine when I left the store but by time I’m driving up Justin’s driveway, my heart rate has doubled. After the disastrous lunch, I NEED to make a good impression or this woman is going to think I’m a complete moron.

When I was twenty, I went through this phase where I was really into meditation. I don’t think it’s ever come in more handy than now as I sit in my car and take some deep, calming breaths. Within a couple minutes I’m feeling much less stressed out and I get out of my car and take even steps to the door, not allowing myself to hesitate. Justin answers the door moments after I ring the bell. His smiling face soothes my nerves a little bit more.

“You’re early,” he comments, ushering me inside.

“I figured I better be after being late yesterday,” I reply.

He laughs and leans down to give me a quick kiss. He tastes minty and it lingers on my lips as he pulls away. His hand slips around me and rubs lightly at the small of my back.

“How was your day?”

“Really great. I hired a store manager.”

“Oh yeah? Who is it?”

“This guy that Susan recommended. He’s really great. He has so many amazing ideas for the store.”

“That’s awesome.”

“What did you do all day?”

His face screws up a bit. “Mom made me help her clean the house.”

“I thought you had a housekeeper.”

“I do. But that’s a waste of money when I have two perfectly good hands that are able to pick up a vacuum cleaner and duster.” He gives a slight smile. “Or so I’ve been told.”

I laugh. “Well it’s true.”

“Maybe.” His hand slides from my back and picks up my hand. “We’re having spaghetti for supper.”

“Sounds good.” I hold up the bottle of wine. “I brought wine.”

He smiles and takes it from me. “Great.”

His hand gives me a tug towards the kitchen and I trail behind him. I can hear the sound of someone moving around in there and when we round the corner, I see Lynn standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot of tomato sauce. She looks up when we appear.

“Hi, Cassandra.”

I give my most winning smile. This dinner is going to be different than yesterday’s lunch. “Hi. It smells great in here.”

Lynn smiles and replaces the lid on the pot. “Thank you. Nothing like some home cooking after a long day.”

“Can I do anything to help?”

“Oh no. Everything’s basically done. I’m just waiting on the pasta to finish.”

Justin pulls out one of the stools from under the island counter and motions for me to sit. I lower myself onto it and clench my hands in my lap as a silence falls over us. Before it can linger too long, Justin jumps in.

“Is the painting done at the store yet?”

“Almost. They just have some retouching to do.”

“Then you’ve got to decorate it, right?”

“Yeah. Susan is going to help me with that.”

“Didn’t you say your mom is an interior decorator? You should get her to help.”

Justin clearly hasn’t met my mom yet or he wouldn’t suggest that. “Her taste isn’t quite right for what I had in mind.”

The phone rings before he can pursue the subject and he excuses himself to go answer it. Unfortunately, Lynn picks up right where he left off.

“So your mother’s an interior decorator? That must be interesting.”

“She really enjoys it.”

“You said your parents live in San Francisco?”

“My mom lives there with my stepdad.” I expect her to ask about my father but that particular question doesn’t come up.

“Any siblings?”

What is with this woman and family? “One younger sister and two stepbrothers.”

“Are they in San Francisco?”

My fingers start to tap against my thigh and my eyes dart to the doorway. Justin’s leaning against the frame, his back to us, talking on the phone. I stare at the back of his head, silently willing him to get off the phone and come back. I can’t take all these questions. “My stepbrothers do. My sister, Elodie, lives in San Diego.”

“Married?”

“Mm hmm.” I can predict the next question so I simply answer it. “She and her husband have a six month old baby girl.”

“Oh, that’s nice. What’s her name?”

“Emma.”

“That’s sweet. Do you see them often?”

“As much as I can.”

“It must be hard with such a busy schedule. Especially with opening a store.”

I nod. “Yeah, it is. Once everything’s calmed down a bit I’m planning on going out there and seeing them.”

“And it will be easier to get there now that you’re living in LA. That’s not such a bad drive to San Diego.”

I smile and nod. I can’t take many more questions. Especially questions about my family.

“So your step-”

“That was Rachel,” Justin says, interrupting Lynn and my eyes close briefly as I say a prayer of thanks. “Do we have enough food for her if she comes over?”

“Sure,” Lynn replies. “Is she close by?”

“She said she’d be like fifteen minutes and not to wait for her to start.”

“Alright. Because everything’s about done.”

I push the stool back. “I’m just going to go wash my hands before we eat.”

I make a quick exit from the kitchen and get to the bathroom as fast as possible. I shut myself in there and sit on the closed toilet seat. The meditation and deep breathing makes a comeback.

The worst is over. Lynn has hopefully gotten all the question about my family out of the way and now Justin will be there to help water down any further interrogation. I understand that this woman wants the best for her son and wants to know about my background but honestly. There is such a thing as too many questions.

I’m just finishing washing my hands when there’s a knock on the door followed by Justin’s voice quietly calling my name. I open the door.

“You okay?” he asks, stepping into the bathroom with me and pushing the door shut behind him.

I take a deep breath and nod. “I’m good. It was just a lot of questions.”

“I figured. She just wants to get to know you.”

“I know.”

“I told her to lay off a bit.”

I give him a small smile. “Thanks.”

“All the food’s done. Are you ready to eat?”

Another deep breath. “Yeah.” I raise my hand to run my fingers through my hair but Justin catches it before it can reach my head and pulls it back down.

“Don’t be so nervous.”

I stare at him and can’t help but smile a bit. I hadn’t realized he had picked up on my nervous habit. “I just don’t want her to hate me.”

“Don’t be stupid. She doesn’t hate you. She likes you.” He brings my hand up to his mouth and kisses the back of it. “And after getting to know you as well as I do she’s going to love you.”

I feel like his words could be taken a very scary way for a commitment wary person such as myself but instead of analyzing it too much, I let it drop. “Okay.”

He opens the door and pulls me out of the bathroom, draping his arm around my shoulders as we walk to the kitchen. We all sit down to eat and it isn’t so bad. The firing of questions has stopped and I find myself able to fall into somewhat normal conversation with Lynn. And for the first time I feel like maybe, just maybe, we might end up getting along just fine.