Meeting Vivian - Chapter 4 - Serena
See Chapter 1 for notes and disclaimers
Chapter 4 - Serena
Serena pushed through the glass door into the Runway museum. It had been a long day and she wanted to spend a little time wandering around the exhibits to wind down before heading home. Hearing voices she made her way towards Vivian Martine’s recreated office. Emily and Andy were looking at something on the glass-topped desk.
“Andy, Emily what are you doing here?” Serena came up behind the young women and peered over Emily’s shoulder.
“Hey, Serena. I was just showing Emily the documents I got from Vivian Martine’s great nephew.” Andy picked up one of the pictures and passed it to Serena. “This was taken after Vivian graduated college.”
Serena admired the young woman’s picture before passing it back to Andy. “She was very beautiful. I would have liked to have met her.”
Emily’s eyes practically bugged out and Andy’s mouth dropped open in shock. Before either could shout a warning a petite woman with gunmetal gray hair appeared behind the glass-topped desk.
“Boo,” Vivian whispered. She crossed her arms and watched the women’s reactions.
Serena grabbed the back of one of the visitor chairs to keep from falling down.
Emily whipped around and threw her arms around the blonde to keep her upright. “Bloody hell, Vivian. Do you have to scare everyone you meet?” Emily glared at the ghost briefly before turning her attention to Serena. “It’s okay. She really is quite nice once you get to know her.”
Serena let go of the chair back and wrapped her arms around Emily relaxing into the embrace. After a minute with her face tucked into Emily’s neck, Serena stiffened and pulled back. “You’re friends with a ghost? Why didn’t you tell me?” She let go of Emily and took a step back.
“I’m sorry.” Emily winced. “It’s not something that comes up in normal conversation.” When she realized where she heard those words before Emily rolled her eyes and shot Andy an apologetic glance. Taking a deep breath she gestured towards the ghost. “Serena, may I introduce Vivian Martine, former Editor in Chief of Runway magazine. Vivian, this is Serena. She is the head of Runway’s Beauty Department.”
Serena nodded towards Vivian. “How do you do, Ms. Martine.”
Vivian tilted her head and studied the statuesque blonde. “Please, call me Vivian. It is a pleasure to meet you, Serena. Emily has spoken highly of you.”
“Thank you.” Serena waved at the pictures and documents littering the desk. “I should be going. You’re busy.”
Vivian came around her desk. “Andy is going to interview me for an article she’s writing. You’re welcome to stay, but I’m not sure how interesting it will be. Just a lot of facts and dates.”
Andy nudged Emily. When Emily glared at her, Andy jerked her head towards Serena.
Finally catching a clue, Emily reached for Serena’s hand as the blonde turned to leave. “We should probably leave these two at it. Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Serena looked down at their joined hands. “I don’t know. I was under the impression that you were avoiding me,” she said sadly.
Emily rubbed her forehead. “I’m an idiot. Please have dinner with me,” she pleaded.
When Serena gave her a slow nod, Emily sighed with relief. “Andy, Vivian, I’ll see you later,” she said without taking her eyes off of Serena’s shy smile.
“Well, that went well.” Vivian watched Emily and Serena walk out of the museum hand in hand.
Andy crossed her arms over her chest and stared suspiciously at Vivian. She thought the ghost seemed awfully smug. The former editor smirked and with a wave of her hand, disappeared.
“Hey!” Andy threw her hands up. “What about the interview?”
The scent of Chanel No. 5 tickled Andy’s nose and a husky voice whispered another time in her ear.
Two days prior
Serena held up the hanger holding a black silk and chiffon cocktail dress. She lightly ran her fingers over the material admiring the way the light played across the crystals decorating the bodice. Pausing she turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Knowing she wasn’t alone she carefully returned the dress to its place and turned around.
No one was visible but she felt someone near. “You can show yourself,” she said softly. Serena waited patiently and within moments a petite woman with gunmetal gray hair wearing a navy sheath and pearls appeared out of thin air. “Hello.” Serena smiled as she studied her visitor.
“Well,” Vivian put her hands on her hips. “Finally, someone who doesn’t run screaming into the night.”
Serena laughed and waved her hand towards the windows at the far end of the room. “It is only noon. Would you prefer to come back later and try again?”
Vivian stared at the remarkably beautiful woman with the sexy accent. “Not necessary. My name is Vivian Martine.” She dipped her head in greeting.
“Serena,” she responded. “I hoped we would meet.”
Shaking her head, Vivian crossed her arms. “Did Andy tell you about me?” She was intrigued by this woman’s response.
“Oh, no.” Serena tilted her head and studied the spirit. “My Grandmother had special gifts. She said I was like her in that way. I’ve felt you whenever I visited the Museum.” She paused and looked around the room. “There are others here. Are they shy?”
Vivian’s eyebrows shot up. “Not really. They’re just very private.” She considered for a moment before deciding to call her friends. “Girls it’s okay.”
Six young women appeared clustered behind Vivian. They gawked at Serena with a mixture of shock and surprise.
Serena inclined her head to the new arrivals. “It is a pleasure to meet you ladies.”
The models smiled, a couple waved shyly, and then they disappeared one by one.
Vivian raised one eyebrow as she watched the last model vanish. “It may seem strange but these days they prefer being unseen,” she explained. “They only modeled a short time before ...” Vivian sighed and turned back to Serena.
“I’ve seen you down here many times. You’re dating Emily.” Vivian was surprised when Serena’s expression fell.
“For now,” Serena whispered. “I don’t think Emily is really interested in me.” She turned back towards the clothes rack and started flipping through the dresses as she tried to regain her composure.
“What? Of course she’s interested in you.” Vivian moved around to catch Serena’s eye. “I’ve heard her talking to Andy.”
Her hands stilled, Serena’s eyes brightened as she glanced at Vivian. “Really?”
Vivian nodded. “Oh, yes. If anything, Emily is a little insecure. She doesn’t consider herself good enough for you.”
Frustrated, Serena rubbed her forehead. “She’s perfect. I’ve tried to tell her so.” She shook her head and looked at Vivian. “How can I get through to her?”
A slow smile spread across Vivian’s face. “I have an idea.” At Serena’s hopeful expression, she gestured for the woman to follow. “Let’s step into my office.”
Chapter 5 - The Thief
Chapter 4 - Serena
Serena pushed through the glass door into the Runway museum. It had been a long day and she wanted to spend a little time wandering around the exhibits to wind down before heading home. Hearing voices she made her way towards Vivian Martine’s recreated office. Emily and Andy were looking at something on the glass-topped desk.
“Andy, Emily what are you doing here?” Serena came up behind the young women and peered over Emily’s shoulder.
“Hey, Serena. I was just showing Emily the documents I got from Vivian Martine’s great nephew.” Andy picked up one of the pictures and passed it to Serena. “This was taken after Vivian graduated college.”
Serena admired the young woman’s picture before passing it back to Andy. “She was very beautiful. I would have liked to have met her.”
Emily’s eyes practically bugged out and Andy’s mouth dropped open in shock. Before either could shout a warning a petite woman with gunmetal gray hair appeared behind the glass-topped desk.
“Boo,” Vivian whispered. She crossed her arms and watched the women’s reactions.
Serena grabbed the back of one of the visitor chairs to keep from falling down.
Emily whipped around and threw her arms around the blonde to keep her upright. “Bloody hell, Vivian. Do you have to scare everyone you meet?” Emily glared at the ghost briefly before turning her attention to Serena. “It’s okay. She really is quite nice once you get to know her.”
Serena let go of the chair back and wrapped her arms around Emily relaxing into the embrace. After a minute with her face tucked into Emily’s neck, Serena stiffened and pulled back. “You’re friends with a ghost? Why didn’t you tell me?” She let go of Emily and took a step back.
“I’m sorry.” Emily winced. “It’s not something that comes up in normal conversation.” When she realized where she heard those words before Emily rolled her eyes and shot Andy an apologetic glance. Taking a deep breath she gestured towards the ghost. “Serena, may I introduce Vivian Martine, former Editor in Chief of Runway magazine. Vivian, this is Serena. She is the head of Runway’s Beauty Department.”
Serena nodded towards Vivian. “How do you do, Ms. Martine.”
Vivian tilted her head and studied the statuesque blonde. “Please, call me Vivian. It is a pleasure to meet you, Serena. Emily has spoken highly of you.”
“Thank you.” Serena waved at the pictures and documents littering the desk. “I should be going. You’re busy.”
Vivian came around her desk. “Andy is going to interview me for an article she’s writing. You’re welcome to stay, but I’m not sure how interesting it will be. Just a lot of facts and dates.”
Andy nudged Emily. When Emily glared at her, Andy jerked her head towards Serena.
Finally catching a clue, Emily reached for Serena’s hand as the blonde turned to leave. “We should probably leave these two at it. Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Serena looked down at their joined hands. “I don’t know. I was under the impression that you were avoiding me,” she said sadly.
Emily rubbed her forehead. “I’m an idiot. Please have dinner with me,” she pleaded.
When Serena gave her a slow nod, Emily sighed with relief. “Andy, Vivian, I’ll see you later,” she said without taking her eyes off of Serena’s shy smile.
“Well, that went well.” Vivian watched Emily and Serena walk out of the museum hand in hand.
Andy crossed her arms over her chest and stared suspiciously at Vivian. She thought the ghost seemed awfully smug. The former editor smirked and with a wave of her hand, disappeared.
“Hey!” Andy threw her hands up. “What about the interview?”
The scent of Chanel No. 5 tickled Andy’s nose and a husky voice whispered another time in her ear.
Two days prior
Serena held up the hanger holding a black silk and chiffon cocktail dress. She lightly ran her fingers over the material admiring the way the light played across the crystals decorating the bodice. Pausing she turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Knowing she wasn’t alone she carefully returned the dress to its place and turned around.
No one was visible but she felt someone near. “You can show yourself,” she said softly. Serena waited patiently and within moments a petite woman with gunmetal gray hair wearing a navy sheath and pearls appeared out of thin air. “Hello.” Serena smiled as she studied her visitor.
“Well,” Vivian put her hands on her hips. “Finally, someone who doesn’t run screaming into the night.”
Serena laughed and waved her hand towards the windows at the far end of the room. “It is only noon. Would you prefer to come back later and try again?”
Vivian stared at the remarkably beautiful woman with the sexy accent. “Not necessary. My name is Vivian Martine.” She dipped her head in greeting.
“Serena,” she responded. “I hoped we would meet.”
Shaking her head, Vivian crossed her arms. “Did Andy tell you about me?” She was intrigued by this woman’s response.
“Oh, no.” Serena tilted her head and studied the spirit. “My Grandmother had special gifts. She said I was like her in that way. I’ve felt you whenever I visited the Museum.” She paused and looked around the room. “There are others here. Are they shy?”
Vivian’s eyebrows shot up. “Not really. They’re just very private.” She considered for a moment before deciding to call her friends. “Girls it’s okay.”
Six young women appeared clustered behind Vivian. They gawked at Serena with a mixture of shock and surprise.
Serena inclined her head to the new arrivals. “It is a pleasure to meet you ladies.”
The models smiled, a couple waved shyly, and then they disappeared one by one.
Vivian raised one eyebrow as she watched the last model vanish. “It may seem strange but these days they prefer being unseen,” she explained. “They only modeled a short time before ...” Vivian sighed and turned back to Serena.
“I’ve seen you down here many times. You’re dating Emily.” Vivian was surprised when Serena’s expression fell.
“For now,” Serena whispered. “I don’t think Emily is really interested in me.” She turned back towards the clothes rack and started flipping through the dresses as she tried to regain her composure.
“What? Of course she’s interested in you.” Vivian moved around to catch Serena’s eye. “I’ve heard her talking to Andy.”
Her hands stilled, Serena’s eyes brightened as she glanced at Vivian. “Really?”
Vivian nodded. “Oh, yes. If anything, Emily is a little insecure. She doesn’t consider herself good enough for you.”
Frustrated, Serena rubbed her forehead. “She’s perfect. I’ve tried to tell her so.” She shook her head and looked at Vivian. “How can I get through to her?”
A slow smile spread across Vivian’s face. “I have an idea.” At Serena’s hopeful expression, she gestured for the woman to follow. “Let’s step into my office.”
Chapter 5 - The Thief