floor above. Her ice blue spring suit was a stunner.
'Prudence, I heard you were here,' she said with a smile.
Her assistant, Tessa, a tall, blond girl wearing a sober suit, followed Tang, carrying an alligator briefcase and matching purse. Tessa was briefing her boss in a fully audible whisper.
'You have four minutes right now. Remember, you have to leave the leadership luncheon in an hour. You have to be at CBS for your taping at two. I booked makeup for one-thirty. Ben doesn't have a lot of time for you today; he's doing Hillary.... Don't worry about leaving the dais. They know you can't stay for dessert. After your taping, your husband will pick you up at the studio. His plane leaves at eight. You only have dme for a quick drink, but he insists—'
'That's enough.' Tang raised her hand, and Tessa shut her mouth. Wendy knew Tang needed constant reminders about her schedule and clearly enjoyed the running monologue. She raged at her own Lori for taking such an inconvenient vacation.
'Tang, how are you?' Wendy said, rising quickly to her feet.
Tang tapped at her diamond watch. She didn't have time to comment for Wendy.
'How does your mother like her jacket?' she asked Prudence, all smiles for
Prudence, however, could barely respond. She was that close to tears. 'I don't know. I think it's all right. But Tang, this gown is a complete mess. My underwear shouldn't show. I expected better than this from you.'
Tang frowned. 'Let me see. Oh, my goodness, you're right. Have you been partying a little too much, Prudence?' she teased.
'Two minutes. The car is waiting,' Tessa reminded.
Wendy glared at her. Tang made the silence signal with the back of her hand, then pushed the fitter out of the way so she could poke at the back seam of
Pru's gown, with its long zipper and two hundred tiny buttons that wouldn't close.
'Oh, this is not a problem. Kim can fix this in a second.' She turned to Kim, her honey voice turning to acid. 'Fix it in a second, Kim.'
He nodded. 'No problem.'
'It's a problem for Miss Hay Don't disappoint her,' Tang said coldly. Then the honey voice again. 'You'll have it tomorrow. Say hello to your mother for me.' Tang turned to the open elevator and got in,
p
followed by Tessa, already talking again.
Wendy smiled until the elevator doors closed and Prudence disappeared into a dressing room. Then she let loose.
'What's wrong with you? I wanted that dress done today!' she fumed, so furious at Kim she could barely control the tremor in her voice. 'The gown was way too tight. The bustier showed. You upset Prudence and Tang.'
'Don't yell at me, Wendy.' Kim couldn't take it when people were upset with him.
'You did it on purpose,' she ranted. 'Why?'
'She got fatter,' he protested.
'She did not get fatter. You fucked up her dress. Are you crazy? Don't you understand we can't afford having anyone suspicious now?'
Suspicious? He looked as her sideways. 'Why you mad at me, Wendy? I don't understand. No one's suspicious.'
'Don't give me that shit. The cops are all over me. You understand perfectly what's at stake. What do you think you're doing messing with that dress?'
'Clio so mad with me I'm scared she'll kill me in my sleep,' he said. He was holding the heavy dress and long train in a plasdc bag. It dipped to the carpet when Wendy took him by his two shoulders and shook him hard.
'You messed up Tovah's dress. You shouldn't have fucking been there. Don't you understand!' she hissed at him. 'Now Prudence's. What are you thinking! Do you want us all in trouble?'
'Don't be mad with me, Wendy.' Kim's teeth clacked with her shaking.
Wendy stopped shaking and dug her fingernails into his upper arms. 'Yes, I'm mad at you.'
'You're hurting me,' he said.
She let him go. 'What's Clio's problem?'
'Clio hates Tang. She don't pay me. I do extra work. She don't pay me.'
'Oh, please. You make extra work on purpose. You want a tip, isn't that it?'
'Clio hate those rich girls.' He swiped at his nose. 'She hates them. She's not happy with me,' he added sadly.
'Well, hello. Surprise, what did she expect?'
'Every day more mad. The police ask so many questions. Help me, Wendy. Tell Clio don't be mad.'
'The police ask questions, doesn't mean they know what they're doing. Remember poor Andrea? God knows that was bad enough. ...' Wendy let him go, her heart racing at the threat of Kim messing up those dresses just so he could do more work and get a tip. 'What did you tell them?' she demanded.
'Oh, police?' Kim lifted his shoulders with the meek smile that was his trademark. 'I don't understand English,' he said softly. 'Hardly a word.'
'What did Clio tell them?' Wendy demanded.
'Clio crazy,' he said. 'She told me she'll kill me in my sleep.'
Wendy blew air out of her mouth to stop herself from laughing at Clio's dilemma. She'd married a gay seamstress, hoping he'd become a heterosexual waiter. It wasn't going to happen.
'Look, keep me out of your troubles, Kim. Just keep my name out of it. And get that dress finished tomorrow the latest, you hear me? Make it perfect.'
'Wendy, I gave Tang the plant you suggested. She's not mad with me, is she?'
'How should I know?'
Prudence came out of the dressing room, wearing her street clothes.
'There you are.' Wendy smiled.
At three-thirty, after Prudence and Lucinda left the shop, Louis collapsed at his conference table, surrounded by the sketches for Pru's wedding. He was creating Hawaii again with real blooming passionflower vines, and a water wall studded with birds-of-paradise. A hundred and fifty Hawaiian Sunset cattleyas would bloom in real seashell centerpieces on the tables, and even the band members would be dressed in leis and tropical shirts.
'What's the matter with you?' Wendy demanded as soon as they were alone. Everybody was in a funk today.
'Why bother asking? I thought you hated me.' Louis's stormy gray eyes raked her over.
'What are you talking about?' Wendy tossed her head at the ridiculous idea.
'You stormed out on Monday, shrieking that you hate me, don't you remember?'
Wendy laughed. 'Getting paranoid again, are we? Forgetting to take our medicine?'
'Oh, very funny.' Louis made an irritated face and patted his hair uneasily.
'We're in this together, so don't freak on me. Prudence is having her prewedding jitters.'
'Not exactly my problem. You're the Hay manager,' Louis said.
'Uh-uh-uh. It's all our problem. Kim made her dress too dght. Her bustier showed. Lucinda is freaking out because of what happened to Tovah. We can't afford anyone acting out now.'
'Well, I don't like her, either,' Louis said sullenly.
'Who?'
'Spoiled, silly Prudence.'
'Oh, for God's sake! Prudence is a lovely girl... . What's that face supposed to mean?'
'The police were here again.'
Wendy's stomach heaved. 'Which one?'
'The one with the mustache,' he said, rolling his eyes.
'They all have mustaches,' she said, impadently.
'This one was in cowboy boots, quite attractive but a terrible dresser.'
'Oh, the Spanish one. What did he want?'
