A Dress to Die For Read Online Free PDF

anyone.”
    “See, that worries me because I could work Bob. I could make him see it my way. But Jeremy? He’s like… I don’t know.”
    “Maybe you lost your mojo.”
    Ruby sneered as if Laura had told her she’d gained twenty pounds and a double chin. “It’s not me. It’s him . He’s... I have no idea how you cope with him… or why. He’s bossy. I don’t like it. How do you deal with it in bed?”
    “He’s actually quite—”
    “Stop!” Ruby dropped her fork and held up both hands. “I’m eating. Please. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
    “Wait a minute. Since when don’t you want every detail? What happened to you? You switch to women, and suddenly men are gross?”
    “Not men. Just Jeremy. I mean, I’m glad you’re happy. Really. You deserve it. And I’m not saying he’s not fine looking and all, but besides the bossiness, what’s with the cough? Time to see a doctor, don’t you think? Some antibiotics maybe?”
    “Ignore the cough.”
    Ruby rolled her eyes. “No, you ignore the cough.” She’d stuffed a forkful of pasta into her mouth and refused to discuss Laura’s love life further.
    **
    When Laura came back from the fitting, Mom was sitting at her desk.
    “Hey,” Laura said. “I have a meeting in, like, ten minutes. What’s up?”
    “I need to see the dress again, and that cop won’t let me.”
    Jeremy strode in and made a beeline for his desk. “Jackie can’t find the key to the conference room.” He yanked open his top drawer and cursed.
    Jackie, another one of the three girls who had come to them because of Rolf Wente, was his assistant. She was great at looking good and sketching, but keeping track of things wasn’t her forte.
    “Take mine.” Laura plucked her keys out of her drawer and tossed them to him. “Are they here yet?”
    “Just the lawyers. Hello, Jocelyn.”
    Mom nodded. “Jeremy.” She still wasn’t crazy about him, and it showed.
    “I’ll see you in ten,” he told Laura and was gone.
    Laura couldn’t be late. The meeting was a contract signing with New Sunny Garments, a Chinese manufacturer that would be responsible for up to ninety percent of Saint JJ. Though Laura’s signature wouldn’t be required and Saint JJ wasn’t her responsibility, Jeremy wanted her to be his eyes and ears in the exploding business. It comforted him to know that if he needed a hospital stay, she had things covered.
    Laura gave her attention back to Mom. “Why?”
    “I need to prove to them they can pull prints off the back of the button.”
    “I feel like a broken record asking why again.”
    “You don’t need to question me, young lady.”
    “What’s the deal, Mom?”
    “I talked to your curator this morning, and he swears it’s the right dress. But if my prints aren’t on the button, it’s fake.”
    Laura felt as if she’d been hit over the head. Was that what people went through with her? Was that what it felt like to have someone run around asking questions about something you’d let go of already? “Mom, seriously? Bernard Nestor? You hunted down Bernard Nestor to tell him he curated the wrong dress? Did he slice you a new one, or is he going to just take it out on Jeremy and me?”
    “You’re being very self-centered.”
    “I am not. No one stands to lose more from a fake dress than Jeremy, but I’m not greasing wheels with the NYPD for this.” Laura gathered her notebook and paperwork for the meeting. “Cangemi’s already pissed at me for just existing.”
    “Fine.” Mom pushed away from the desk and stood. “I have a meeting with Mr. Nestor tonight. I’ll ask him to grease whatever needs greasing.”
    “No, you won’t.”
    “Oh, yes, I will.”
    “Mom.”
    “Laura.”
    “Don’t.”
    “Good-bye.” Mom slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door.
    Laura hurried into the hallway and saw her mom walking, head high and ready to take on the NYPD and Bernard Nestor to prove some point Laura didn’t understand.
    “Mom,”