Just A Kiss (Angel Sands 4)

“I made it myself,” Harper told her, tucking a lock of her blonde-and-pink hair behind her ear. She gave Caitie a little twirl, her broderie anglais skirt fanning out as she turned. “I found this material in a thrift store downtown. Somebody had donated a whole roll of it. I’ll make you something out of it if you like.”

“I’d love that.” Caitie grinned. To supplement her income as a costume designer on Broadway, Harper made one-off designs and sold them on eBay and Etsy, as well as in markets around New York. For a while she’d considered giving up her day

job altogether and concentrating on her dressmaking, but in the end the lure of a regular wage was too strong.

Still, their apartment was filled with racks of one-off dresses, along with the boxes of decorations and samples Caitie regularly brought home from work. When people walked in they always did a double take, wondering if they were in a private residence or a downtown boutique.

“Okay, I’ll make you a dress. But only if you come out tonight. Come on, I need to spend some time with my friend.” Harper gave her an impish grin. “Pretty please?”

“Maybe…” Caitie vacillated. “If I can just get this board finished off.”

“What are you doing?” Harper asked, putting her hand on Caitie’s shoulder as she looked at her laptop screen.

“I’m making a mood board for Ember and Lucas’s wedding. We need to get everything ordered by next week, and I want to make sure they’re happy with the designs.” She leaned back to let Harper see.

The mood board was a screen full of photographic ideas. On the left was a picture of the venue at Christmas, the exterior decorated with snow tipped garlands and surrounded by fir trees all lit up with stars on top. The second photograph showed the interior, with its sweeping staircase that Ember would walk down. Caitie had done a mock up to show how the Christmas tree would coordinate with the colors Ember had chosen, with thick silken ribbons of burgundy and ivory swathed around the branches. Then there were the chair decorations and the table settings, along with suggestions for the invitations and the placement cards. Everything was painstakingly chosen to be festive yet elegant. Caitie hoped to hell Ember and Lucas would like it when she sent the link to them tonight.

“That’s amazing,” Harper breathed. “You’re so talented.”

“Says the girl who makes beautiful clothes.”

“I swear we need to go into business together,” Harper said, still staring open mouthed at the screen. “We could make everybody’s dreams come true.”

“You can make the bride’s dress and be the wedding singer, I’ll do the rest,” Caitie grinned.

“Wouldn’t it be a blast? Let’s give up our jobs and run away together.” Harper looped her arms around Caitie’s shoulders and hugged her. “You know you want to.”

“I haven’t got time to run away,” Caitie said ruefully. “I need to organize this wedding. And I haven’t even booked our plane tickets for Thanksgiving. They’re bound to have gone up by two hundred dollars since I last looked.”

“Eek!” Harper tipped her head to the side. “You want me to get them? I can take a look tomorrow?”

Caitie shook her head. “Don’t worry. I said I’d do it, and it’s my own fault I haven’t. And I’m kidding about the cost. It’ll be fine.”

Caitie’s mom had invited Harper to join them for Thanksgiving, and Harper had jumped at the chance to fly to California. Especially now that the temperatures had plummeted in New York.

“I bet you feel like you’re living on airplanes at the moment,” Harper said, giving her a soft smile. “It feels like you’ve only just come back from Angel Sands.”

“I’ve been back for a week. Although with the amount of work I’ve had to catch up on it feels like longer.” Caitie grimaced.

Harper shook her head, her black hair swinging out behind her. “You work too hard. I’ve been telling you this for years. That’s why you need to come out tonight. I’ve only got a few weeks off before I start the next production, and after that I won’t be going out on Friday nights at all. So do your friend a favor and come out and have some fun. I miss you. New York misses you.”

“Okay, okay!” Caitie put her hands up in submission. “Let me email this to my brother and I’ll go and get ready.”

Harper did a fist pump. “Yes! I knew you’d give in eventually. And while you’re making yourself pretty, I’ll make us both a cocktail. It’s Friday night and it’s time to feel good.”

* * *

An hour later, they were walking into the Dead Rabbit Bar, their hair sprinkled with rain, which began to fall as they scrambled out of their cab. The bar – a converted warehouse in the meatpacking district – was packed, and it took them a while to make their way to the corner where their friend Kristi and her workmates had gathered at a booth.

“Hey, stranger!” Kristi stood up and grabbed Caitie, pulling her close. They’d been friends ever since they’d all moved to New York, having shared an apartment until Kristi moved in with her boyfriend, and Harper and Caitie had upgraded. “I haven’t seen you for months. Where’ve you been holed up?”

“Work.” Caitie screwed her nose up. “And I should have called you, I’m sorry. How’s Trent?”

“He’s good. Just got a promotion. We’re hoping we’ll be able to save enough money to get married next year.”

“That’s wonderful. I guess it’s still too early to say congratulations?”

“It’s never too soon,” Kristi said, grinning.