The Cherry Blossoms (10 page)

“I’m not sure if my House will remain in business after the reviews, but if it does, I’ll keep you in mind.”

“Merci, Mademoiselle, je comprends que.”

By day three of her holiday, she was in full vacation swing.  She and Michal spent their days in the sun lounging by the pool, taking walks to the sandy beaches, and afternoon naps.  They’d join Michal’s friends on the patio for cocktails each afternoon, after which Michal chose a different restaurant each night.  They would finish the day in the hotel’s casino.  Michal had given her $1,000 to play with.  By the third night, she held $4,000 in her purse.  Michal had lost his money, so she giggled, when she handed him half of her winnings.

When they returned to their room each night, they made love into the wee hours of the morning.

“Mon amour, vous êtes la femme sexiste que j'ai jamais rencontré.”

“Surely you jest.  There are many beautiful and sexy women here in Cannes.”

“You are right, but I only have eyes for you.  There are no French women with Irish freckles across the nose and cheeks giving them the fresh wholesome look that you have.”

Daniella giggled, “I tried to cover them with makeup.”

“Promise me that you will stop trying to cover them.  They are a part of who you are.” 

“When I was a little girl, I’d ask God every night, to blend them together, so that they would look like I had sun tanned skin.”

“Did he listen to your prayers?”

“No, so when I was old enough, that’s when I began covering them with makeup.”

In the morning while eating breakfast, Michal asked her, “I have scheduled an interview with one of the designers, do you want to join me or bask in the sun?”

“I would prefer to stay here.  I need to call Grant at some point or he’ll think I’m never coming home.”

Michal laughed.  “Tell him you may not.”

Daniella went back to the room and lathered her Irish skin in sunscreen, grabbed a hat along with a book, and relaxed in one of the chaise lounge chairs by the pool.  She started to dose off for a nap when a shadow crossed her body.  She looked through her dark sunglasses to see that a woman was standing beside her chair.

The woman then asked, “Aren’t you Danny McPherson?”  It was clear this woman was an American, who knew her well enough to refer to her as Danny.  When she left for Paris, she left the nickname of Danny behind her, and took on her proper name of Daniella.

“Yes I am.”  Daniella sat up.  “Do I know you?”

This American woman had the audacity to sit on the lounge chair next to Daniella’s.  “We went to school together.  I’m Patty Becker.”

Stunned that she flew half-way around the world to leave her horrible school years behind her, Daniella choked on the words, ‘I’m Patty Becker.’  “Of course, I remember you.  What brings you to France?”

Patty Becker was a short stout woman with short cropped blonde hair.  Her grandfather left Germany just after the war to start a farm in Colorado near her own grandfather’s ranch.

“Do you remember Mildred Pearson?  She and I stayed in touch after school.  We signed up for a ten-day tour of France and Italy.  I’d love to have dinner with you, but we have to be at the train station by 3:00 this afternoon.  I was on my way back to my hotel when I thought I recognized you.  I’m late, so I gotta run.  It sure was nice seeing you.”

“Yes it was.  Enjoy the rest of your trip.  Please tell Millie I said hello.”

“I will.”

When Patty Becker walked away, Daniella thought that she was still the selfish little girl she’d known in school.  The short conversation was centered on Patty and no one else, which was fine with Daniella.

Michal appeared just as Daniella watched Patty Becker disappear around a corner.  He sat on the chair that just minutes ago her horrible past had sat.

“Daniella, you are turning quite red.  You need to get out of the sun.”

When she stood from her chair, she asked, “How was your interview?”

“Like most designers, she focused only on her achievements.  I’ve seen her failures, but what can I say?  Did you call Grant today?”

“No I didn’t.  Shit, my phone is in the room.  I’ll call him later.  Let’s join everyone on the patio for a drink, and then I’ll call him when I go to take my shower before dinner.”

She and Michal were standing by the bar waiting for their drinks when an older American woman approached them.  Daniella assumed that Michal knew her, so she stepped back.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your conversation, but I must ask if you are Daniella McPherson.”

Two American women in one day might be two too many.  “Yes, I’m Daniella McPherson.  Have we met?”

“I don’t believe that we have.  My name is Edith Marshall.  I was at the Paris Fashion Show.”

Daniella’s heart jumped out of her chest and fell to the ground.  She was on vacation, to get away from critics who hated her designs.

“I’d like to ask you a business question, but I see that you are vacationing.  I can give you my number and when you return to Paris, I would tremendously appreciate it, if you called.”

“Ms. Marshall, I’d be happy to answer your question now.  How can I help you?”

“I’ve been asked to co-host the Academy Awards this year and would like you to design my gown.”

Daniella wasn’t quite sure what to say since she was dumbfounded by this woman’s request.  “Are you saying that you want me to design your gown?”

“Yes, I would like to have the House of Daniella design my gown.”

“The reviewers came close to saying that I made a mockery of the design industry.”

“Daniella, may I call you Daniella?” 

“Of course, you may.”

“Daniella, I’m not a young, tall, skinny model.  You did not receive the applause you deserved because you chose to think outside the box.  I don’t fit their profile.  That is why I’m asking you to design my gown.”

“How long are you in France?”

“I own a home just outside of Paris, so I’m available to you any time that you have free.”

“I’ll definitely call you when I return to Paris.”

“I look forward to that call.”

After Edith Marshall left, Daniella shook her head and said to Michal, “Do you believe that?”

He laughed when he told her, “
Oui je fais, mon amour.  There is a chance that you put a crack in the base of the Paris Design Houses.”

“Well, we’ll see.  I need to call Grant.  Stay and finish your drink.  My phone is in the room.”

Daniella’s cell phone indicated she had messages, so prior to calling Grant, she retrieved them.  There were a total of three messages, all of which were from Grant.  She giggled as she listened to them.  Grant’s voice raised an octave with each subsequent message.  She dialed his number and before she could say a word he was excitedly chattering in her ear.

“Mademoiselle, nous ne pouvons pas suivre le nombre de demandes qui arrivent par téléphone.  Je crains que nous perdrons ventes si vous ne retournez pas à Paris sous peu.”

“Are you serious or are you playing a vicious trick on me?  If I understood you correctly, you said we are receiving a number of calls to create designs.”

“Mademoiselle Daniella, I requested that Charlene, Michele and Annette come into the office to record messages for you.  I may need to bring the seamstresses in as well.”

“Bring them in.  We’ll pay them all double time.  I need to talk to Michal before I commit to leaving early.”

Michal was speaking with Samanta at the bar.  “Samanta, how serious were you about joining the House of Daniella?”

Samanta looked her in the eyes, “Daniella, je suis très grave.  Pourquoi demandez-vous ?”

“Michal, would it upset you if I left earlier than planned, to return to Paris?”

He looked at her quizzically, “Vous ne profitent vous-même ?”

“Yes, I am enjoying myself.  I just spoke with Grant.  He called in the entire staff, including the seamstresses to answer phones and take messages.”

Samanta applauded her, “Daniella that is magnificent.  I am so happy for you.”

“That’s the reason I asked if you were serious.  If Grant isn’t exaggerating, I will need a second designer.  I don’t suppose you brought any designs with you.”

“I never travel without a sketch pad.  If you like, I can sketch something this evening and show it to you in the morning.”

“That would be perfect.  I don’t care what you design; I want the opportunity to see your creativity.”

In the morning, Samanta met Michal and Daniella for breakfast.  While Daniella reviewed the designs, she couldn’t believe that the House of Victoria hadn’t qualified for the show.  The sketched designs were exactly what Daniella was looking for.

“These designs are perfect.  If you want to work for the House of Daniella, you have the job.”

“
Merci.  Pensez-vous vraiment qu'ils sont bons ?”

“They are not just good, they are very good.”

Michal chuckled, “Est-il sécuritaire de supposer que les deux vous travailleront ensemble en harmonie, création de dessins et modèles ?”

It was Daniella’s turn to chuckle, “Yes it is.  We will not only work in harmony, we will orchestrate a symphony of designs.  Michal, will you pout if I leave this afternoon?  I will call as soon as I know if what Grant said is true.”

“Do you want me to leave with you?”

“No, stay here in Cannes.”

Samanta asked, “Daniella, do you want me to travel with you?”

“No, let me see what we’re working with first.”

Michal rode with her to the airport.  “Is there no way I can talk you into staying?”

“You know that I would very much love to stay.  This is a beautiful place to vacation, but Grant seriously needs my help.”

“You intend to leave me behind with a beautiful woman, whose perfume scent was on my pillow?”

“Am I confused?  Didn’t we discuss this?  Did I not make it clear that you have choices?  If one of those choices is to bed Samanta, that’s fine with me.  All I ask is that you be honest with me and tell me if you choose to make love to her.  I will then release myself from our relationship.”

“Would you have more trust, if I asked you to marry me?”

“You haven’t asked.”

“Ah mon amour, alors je vous demanderai maintenant
.  Veux-tu m'épouser ?”

Daniella laughed, “You’re asking me to marry you?”

“Yes.  What is your answer?”

“Are you seriously willing to engage in a monogamous relationship with one woman?”

“I am, as long as that woman is you.”

“In that case, I can’t say anything other than yes to your proposal.”

“Daniella, j'adore vous plus que n'importe quelle femme j'ai tous connus.”

During the flight to Paris, Daniella wondered if in fact, Michal was capable of a monogamous relationship.  She hoped that he was.  She knew that she’d be heartbroken if he just lied to her.  She said her new name in her head, Daniella Bagot.  It had a very nice ring to it.

It was mid-afternoon when her plane landed in Paris.  Daniella took a cab to her shop.  When she entered, there was chaos in every direction she looked.  No one realized she was home, there were people she’d never met in her lobby, and Annette was desperately working as quickly as she could to answer the ringing phones.  When she spotted Grant, he looked frazzled.  She stood still a few minutes assessing the situation before diving into what appeared to resemble the New York Stock Exchange floor during heavy trading.  Her cover was busted when Grant spied her standing quietly against the wall.  He rushed to her side.

She laughed when Grant told her in a voice full of panic, “Daniella, j'adore vous plus que n'importe quelle femme j'ai tous connus.”

“Grant, I was watching and find that things are not out of control.  You’re doing a great job managing the situation, so maybe I should go back to the Riviera and not mess up your organization.”

“Oh non, ne laissez pas moi seul dans cette folie.”

“It only looks like madness.”

Grant clearly shaken took hold of her arm, “Daniella, I do not know where to start.”

“Well if you insist, tell me what you want me to do.”

His face was aghast, “Je veux vous pour prendre en charge.  Je veux que vous me dire quoi faire.  Il y a tellement des gens qui veulent parler avec vous.”

“If I understood you correctly, you want me to take charge of what appears to be chaos, is that right?”

“S'il vous plaît, puisque je perds piste de tout le monde.”

“Have you put together a list of callers and what each is looking for?”

“Yes I have.”

“Wonderful.  The girls look as though they have everything under control, so grab your list and meet me in my office.”

While she waited for Grant, Daniella called Michal.  When he answered the phone, she told him, “You would not believe my shop.  There are people everywhere.  Grant is so anxious, I’m afraid he’s going to have a heart attack.”