AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wine,” she says, almost desperately, and reaches for the glass. “Thanks for waiting.”
“It’s not a problem.” I have to clear my throat and cross my arms over my chest so I don’t reach for her. “The food should be here soon.”
“Want a tour while we wait? It’ll take about three minutes.”
I laugh and nod. “Hell yes. Show me your home, madam.”
“This is the kitchen.” She gestures grandly. “The only appliances that work in here are the fridge and microwave. The dishwasher is iffy at best, and the stove gave up the ghost a while ago.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Another project?”
“One that I haven’t had time for,” she confirms and leads me back to the living room. “This is not an open floor plan. I was going to take down that wall that separates the kitchen and living space, but again. Time.”
With another shrug, I’m led down the short hallway, and she gestures to the bathroom. “This is my one and only bathroom. But I live here alone, so it works fine for me. Even though it looks dirty, I assure you, it’s not.”
“It doesn’t look dirty,” I reply with a frown.
It just looks old. The whole place needs a complete overhaul.
“My bedroom,” she continues, and I poke my head in. There are more paint swatches on the wall, and the bed in the center of the room doesn’t have a headboard. But it is covered in soft blankets and pillows full of color and looks damn comfortable. “And I converted this smaller bedroom across the hall into a closet.”
I follow her and feel my eyebrows climb into my hairline.
“Wow.”
She smiles with so much pride and joy that it makes me want to tug her close and hug her.
“I know.” She walks inside and stands on the other side of the island, drinks her wine, and gazes around happily. “This is the one project that I refused to put off. I needed a place for my clothes and bags. And shoes. And all of the pretty things.”
There are built-in racks and shelves around the room. She has a few bags on display, but there is still a lot of room for more of those. The racks for clothes, however, are practically bursting.
“I love clothes,” she continues. “Bags. Shoes. Jewelry. Scarves. Fashion is just so wonderful to me.”
“You have some blank spaces.” I gesture to the shelves she has designated for her bags and watch as she bites her lip and then nods.
“I’m picky,” she admits with a laugh. “I want the more luxurious bags. I like labels. So, I save up and buy the bags on my wish list when I can.”
“Is there one bag that is the bag of all bags that you’d want to own?”
“Duh.” She laughs again and sips her wine, wandering over to pet the leather on a black purse. “I want a black Chanel classic flap, medium, with silver hardware. I’d prefer caviar leather.”
“They make leather out of fish eggs?”
That makes her grin, and it’s a punch to the gut. Fucking hell, she’s beautiful.
“No, it’s just a thicker, grainier leather. The lambskin is also gorgeous and feels like butter, but I think it’s more fragile, so I’d be afraid of scratching it. Anyway, that’s a lot of information about a handbag.”
“It interests you,” I reply simply.
“My ultimate dream?” she says before taking another sip of her wine. “Buying that bag in Paris, at the original Chanel store on Rue Cambon. In Coco Chanel’s store, the one she labored in and loved. I’m somewhat of a Coco Chanel history buff.”
“Fascinating.” Following her out of the closet and back to the living room, I sit next to her and turn to face her on the comfortable couch. “What do you find the most interesting about her?”
Polly narrows her eyes. “She never lived in the apartment above her shop. She entertained there. She loved to entertain and would often find ways to trick people into staying longer. I think she was lonely. But she lived just a block away at the Ritz Paris. From her suite, she could see her shop, and that’s where she lived for thirty years. The suite still exists to this day, and it’s the only room in the whole hotel that is decorated differently because they let her decorate it the way she wanted. From the photos I’ve seen online, it’s beautiful. She was an interesting woman, and I love her bags and clothes.”
“Did you study fashion in college?”
The doorbell rings before she can answer, so I collect dinner from the delivery guy, tip him, and when I turn, Polly is standing behind me.
