I tried to act nonchalant, as if holding diamonds meant for the princess of Finland was an everyday occurrence for me. I took the stand from the box, which was like a six-inch high tree with just two branches, each one displaying a cacophony of diamonds. I wanted to remark on how freaking sparkly they looked and ask whether diamonds always looked that way, because, for the record, cubic zirconia definitely didn’t.
Primrose stood up. “As you know, this was the option Dexter picked out of the three earring designs we had. Our theme, the Finnish landscape, comes through strongly in these pieces. The loop here,” she said, indicating the row of diamonds that formed an unfinished almond-shaped loop, “represent the lakes of Finland. There’s a great deal of skill to make this chandelier earring asymmetrical while still ensuring a symmetrical hang. Frank and his team have had to come up with some creative solutions to bring the design to fruition and they’ve done a great job.”
The chairs were arranged around the edge of the room. I started at one end and very slowly moved along the line.
Along the edge of the lake hung different-sized diamonds that represented falling snow. Each was a slightly different cut, echoing the way each snowflake was unique. They were the most beautiful earrings I’d ever seen.
People’s reactions ranged from scribbling down notes, to trying to get so close I was concerned the earrings might get inhaled. Most seemed excited, in the subdued way people at Daniels & Co did, and remarked on how beautifully they’d turned out.
“I know everyone is working really hard on this,” Primrose said. “And although some of you haven’t worked on the earrings, none of this collection works without all the components. So, thank you to everyone in this room. You all contributed and we wouldn’t be here without your talent and creativity.”
“You think we’ll win?” Jamie, one of the guys who did a lot of work on the computer—I just wasn’t sure what, exactly—asked.
Primrose frowned. “There are lots of things that I don’t know. But I’m sure we will all have done our best.”
The door opened and Dexter swept in. I hadn’t been expecting him until Jeremy’s presentation. I clung to the stand with the earrings, and tried to pretend my life was no big deal.
“What does everyone think?” he asked, scanning the faces of his employees. He glanced at the earrings and then up at me. “Hollie?”
I tried to ignore the heat crawling up my neck. “I think they’re beautiful. And a little daring.”
A smile curled the corner of his lips. “I like that. Daring. Anyone else?”
“The design is modern,” Sarah said. “I think most other houses will go much more traditional—”
“I don’t want us comparing ourselves to other houses,” he said, cutting Sarah off. “We are competing against ourselves. I want us to give everything we have—to know we’ve left it all on the field and if we had our time again, we wouldn’t do anything differently. If we win, that’s great. If we don’t? Well fuck them for not choosing us because we know we’re the best.”
The room dissolved into laughter, and I tried hard not to toss the earrings at Jeremy, jump into Dexter’s arms and kiss his face off.
“Judging takes place at the end of the week,” Primrose said. “But we won’t have results until all the pieces are in.”
Everyone groaned and chatter started to rise about how we wouldn’t know the score before the bracelet was submitted. But Dexter was right, knowing wouldn’t change anything.
“Did no one hear what I said earlier?” Dexter asked. “The score doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect our output. Come on guys—be your own competition. Push yourself. Now get back to work. Jeremy, Frank, Hollie, Primrose, stay behind.”
Everyone filed out and Jeremy’s cheeks began to flush. Was he nervous because he’d come up with the presentation concepts or because he was presenting to Dexter, who looked even more completely fuckable than usual? His skin seemed bronzer than normal, his hair a deeper black if that was even possible, and there was a lightness about him I didn’t usually see at the office.
“Frank,” he said, beckoning to the chief engineer. “Two of those settings need to be redone.” He spoke so quietly I could barely make out what he was saying.
“Two?” he asked, approaching me to stare intently at the earrings I still held.
I put them down on the plinth and the two men bent to look at the stand as if they were watching a flea circus.
“I knew about that one,” Frank said, pointing at one of the solitaire diamonds that hung from the lake. “I told you about it.”
“And there,” Dexter said.
Frank looked closer then pulled out his loupe to inspect it more thoroughly. “Bloody hell. How did I miss that?” he asked. “I’m pissed off with myself.”