Laurent—a designer that never let down a woman.
I paid for my things—with the American Express card that Alexander insisted I take from him and walked calmly enjoying the quiet through the gallery of designers and down the stairs to the lobby of the glorious department store. Before I reached the bottom level, I passed a mannequin wearing a chiffon scarf designed by Alviero Martini, an Italian designer that my mother adored. I realized that in all the madness, I hadn’t called my mother daily as I always had and I suddenly missed her.
“ Bella, where have you been. I was worried when you didn’t answer your phone but then I reached Samantha and she said you had gone with Alexander. What is going on? Are you alright? When did Alexander return?” My mother answered the phone frantically wanting to get all her questions out in one short breath.
“ Mamma stai calma ,” I urged her to calm down so I could speak. “I am fine. And yes, Alexander has returned and we are trying to figure out the future…I guess.”
My mother sighed into the phone, “When will you learn to stop doubting and guessing about things that you can not predict. What makes you think you are smarter than the wisest of humans out there? You think you can plan or figure out the future? STOP ! Alexander’s return is fate’s way of giving you a second chance because you were so stupid the first time around.”
I cut her off huffing into my cell phone.
“Mother, you just called me stupid!” I growled in a mumble so not to be heard.
“Yes and as your mother I have every right to do so because it is said with love. Now listen here, you are at a cross road. You can either continue on as you have for the last thirty two years and continue to run love out of your life. You can pretend that the success fills your every need; but I know otherwise. Or, you can take the path that scares you the most and face it head on. The worst that can happen is that it isn’t what you fully desire and then you start fresh—but you have at least gained that knowledge and lost nothing in return. I have faith in love Evangeline and I pray bella that you can have some faith too.” My mother mumbled through a monologue that allowed me little room to speak or argue. And with every word and piece of advice, I knew it all held bountiful truths.
My mother had witnessed first hand how love had made me fearful and vulnerable. But she had also seen the loss and hurt that devoured me for months, and that is a vision that no mother wishes to experience with her child.
I thanked her for loving me and swore to her that I would try to love as she had—all her life.
CHAPTER NINE
Leila and Tom Nest met us at Spark’s Steak House in midtown Manhattan at 8:00 p.m. Tom, a CEO of a large software corporation, had come out from LA to meet with Alexander, and Leila decided to tag along, having never been to New York herself.
“Evangeline, that is a stunning outfit. We must go shopping before I head back to LA.” Leila took me by the hand and twirled me around.
Brant had, as Alexander requested, taken me to Saks Fifth Avenue to buy something for this evening’s dinner. The stunning outfit that Leila was referring to was an Yves Saint Laurent strapless cocktail design with a fitted nude satin lining and a crocheted overlay that came down right below my thighs. Short enough to be sexy, but long enough for a presentable dinner meeting.
“Thank you, Leila, and please call me Eva.”
Alexander insisted on introducing me to everyone as Evangeline. And though I had become accustomed to Alexander addressing me by the name, I wasn’t always comfortable with strangers using it.
As we sat at dinner, most of the evening was spent playfully getting to know each other. Tom and Leila were very easy to get along with. Their demeanor was that of old friends who were just catching up. They were seemingly the perfect couple: finishing each other’s sentences, always on point with whatever
I paid for my things—with the American Express card that Alexander insisted I take from him and walked calmly enjoying the quiet through the gallery of designers and down the stairs to the lobby of the glorious department store. Before I reached the bottom level, I passed a mannequin wearing a chiffon scarf designed by Alviero Martini, an Italian designer that my mother adored. I realized that in all the madness, I hadn’t called my mother daily as I always had and I suddenly missed her.
“ Bella, where have you been. I was worried when you didn’t answer your phone but then I reached Samantha and she said you had gone with Alexander. What is going on? Are you alright? When did Alexander return?” My mother answered the phone frantically wanting to get all her questions out in one short breath.
“ Mamma stai calma ,” I urged her to calm down so I could speak. “I am fine. And yes, Alexander has returned and we are trying to figure out the future…I guess.”
My mother sighed into the phone, “When will you learn to stop doubting and guessing about things that you can not predict. What makes you think you are smarter than the wisest of humans out there? You think you can plan or figure out the future? STOP ! Alexander’s return is fate’s way of giving you a second chance because you were so stupid the first time around.”
I cut her off huffing into my cell phone.
“Mother, you just called me stupid!” I growled in a mumble so not to be heard.
“Yes and as your mother I have every right to do so because it is said with love. Now listen here, you are at a cross road. You can either continue on as you have for the last thirty two years and continue to run love out of your life. You can pretend that the success fills your every need; but I know otherwise. Or, you can take the path that scares you the most and face it head on. The worst that can happen is that it isn’t what you fully desire and then you start fresh—but you have at least gained that knowledge and lost nothing in return. I have faith in love Evangeline and I pray bella that you can have some faith too.” My mother mumbled through a monologue that allowed me little room to speak or argue. And with every word and piece of advice, I knew it all held bountiful truths.
My mother had witnessed first hand how love had made me fearful and vulnerable. But she had also seen the loss and hurt that devoured me for months, and that is a vision that no mother wishes to experience with her child.
I thanked her for loving me and swore to her that I would try to love as she had—all her life.
CHAPTER NINE
Leila and Tom Nest met us at Spark’s Steak House in midtown Manhattan at 8:00 p.m. Tom, a CEO of a large software corporation, had come out from LA to meet with Alexander, and Leila decided to tag along, having never been to New York herself.
“Evangeline, that is a stunning outfit. We must go shopping before I head back to LA.” Leila took me by the hand and twirled me around.
Brant had, as Alexander requested, taken me to Saks Fifth Avenue to buy something for this evening’s dinner. The stunning outfit that Leila was referring to was an Yves Saint Laurent strapless cocktail design with a fitted nude satin lining and a crocheted overlay that came down right below my thighs. Short enough to be sexy, but long enough for a presentable dinner meeting.
“Thank you, Leila, and please call me Eva.”
Alexander insisted on introducing me to everyone as Evangeline. And though I had become accustomed to Alexander addressing me by the name, I wasn’t always comfortable with strangers using it.
As we sat at dinner, most of the evening was spent playfully getting to know each other. Tom and Leila were very easy to get along with. Their demeanor was that of old friends who were just catching up. They were seemingly the perfect couple: finishing each other’s sentences, always on point with whatever
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