Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson

Author:Miranda Dickinson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter Thirteen

Once November begins, Kowalski’s orders take on a decidedly festive theme and the workload increases. Especially so this year. Months in the planning already, the time was fast approaching for Mimi Sutton’s annual charity Grand Winter Ball. A big title for an even bigger event. While still more than a touch dubious about being a Mimi Sutton Recommendation, I was pleased that we had been given such a prestigious platform.

It had been a busy day at the store and the time Ed and I had earmarked for designing Mimi’s order didn’t materialise. But the work needed to be done so we could order the flowers and draft in extra staff in time. So I suggested having dinner at mine so we could design in more convivial surroundings. Ed agreed.

In all the time we’ve worked together, I think Ed’s been to my place maybe twice. He’s often quipped that I’m hiding a secret there and that must be why he’s rarely invited. Of course, this isn’t true. It’s just that, with Ed and me on opposite sides of Manhattan, when we meet up outside of work it’s normally somewhere in the middle. Plus, Ed has a near pathological dislike of the Upper West Side, which he claims is the preserve of superficial shopaholics with more money than sense. But I don’t see it that way at all. It’s a friendly, intelligent neighbourhood filled with fascinating people and places as varied as anywhere else in New York.

As I opened my front door and turned on the lights, Ed laughed. ‘So, you finally decided to admit me to your Holy of Holies…Do I need to remove my shoes in reverence?’

He soon made himself at home and as I dished out the Chinese food we’d picked up he took out his sketchpad and consulted his notes. ‘I went to view the venue yesterday and I think we’ve got a lot of scope for big displays. There’s an excellent staircase leading from the lobby up to the ballroom—I see fir and bay garlands working well there.’

I sat beside him and looked at his sketches. ‘Mmm, yes. Great. I was envisaging a three-colour scheme—green, white, and red for accents. We can use white gardenias and lilies along with roses for displays and table pieces. I want to avoid poinsettias, though. Way too clichéd.’

‘That’s fine,’ Ed said between mouthfuls. ‘They are so done already. Let’s look for unusual reds then—maybe utilise red foliage, too?’

‘Great.’

‘I want to do some structural stuff around the pillars in the entrance lobby, too. Something bold, showy even. We need to create a sense of awe before people see the staircase,’ Ed said, showing me the sketches he’d made.

‘See, this is why I love working with you—your designs are awesome.’

‘Though I say it myself, they are.’

There was a silence as we ate. Ed looked round my apartment. ‘I like the style in here,’ he remarked. ‘Very homely.’

‘Well, that would be because it’s my home. And I love it.’

‘Well, I love it too,’ Ed replied.

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