To Love A Cowboy: A Billionaire BWWM Western Romance (5 page)

Kate tried to keep a smile on her face. She knew Bruce was scheduling
some things for the two of them, but she was not sure how much of it
she would be able to do. With a demanding client who would possibly
need her for more than just the red carpet and some appearances, Kate
was afraid her free time would be limited. But she did not want to
mention that to Bruce. He had gone through so much to make this trip
perfect for her.

"That sounds good. You are so great at surprises. I wonder what
you have in store."

He leaned across the table, whispering in her ear. "A little of
this, a little of that. All you have to do is show up, look
beautiful, and be ready to go."

"I think I have that handled."

The meal was filling and just as the sun was setting, Bruce and Kate
set out to walk the city.

Hand in hand, the setting was just right. Laughing, talking, joking
with the man she loved. It could not be more perfect. The city lights
were a gorgeous backdrop. Paris seemed magical. She saw other couples
who seemed to be experiencing the same. Snapping a few pictures with
her phone, Kate wanted to stay in this moment for as long as she
could.

Being in the moment was something Bruce asked her to do more often.
When she could, the pieces fit together expertly.

"This has been a wonderful evening. I could not have asked for
more."

Bruce turned Kate to face him. "You don't have to ask for more.
I will give it to you anyway. Any and everything you need. I am here
to make sure it is yours."

She leaned her head on his chest. Bruce had a way of making her feel
so secure.

"I know you will. And I love that about you."

His hands around her, they stood there, soaking up the enchanting
city. For Kate, everything in life for once was perfectly in
alignment and she would not have it any other way.

Bruce called for the car, and while they waited for it to arrive,
they took a walk along the River Seine. Kate thought about how hard
she worked to get to this point. All of the sacrifice was well worth
it.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"I was just thinking how all of the sacrifice and hard work paid
off. Everything seems to be coming full circle."

Bruce nodded.

"But I'm not just talking about in my career. I'm talking about
you and I as well."

That comment seemed to peek Bruce's interest.

"I know I seem to be more wrapped up in work and my career and I
don't ever want you to feel like you come second to all of it. You
are exactly what I needed in my life. You have made me the happiest
girl in the world."

His lips on hers told her exactly how he felt.

"Trust me. I get your desire to work so hard and build your
empire. It's almost intoxicating. But success is nothing without
someone you love to share it with."

He was correct. Being with Bruce enhanced her life and made things
more exciting.

"Once again, you are correct. Thank you."

She gave him a quick peck on the lips. A vibration in his pocket
signaled his phone ringing.

"It's the car service. Time to get back to the cottage."

Bruce escorted her to the car and they sat cuddled with one another
in the back seat of the car, riding through the Paris streets.

Kate was prepared for all that life had to offer her, and right now,
she liked every offer on the table.

Morning came way too soon. The time difference was starting to catch
up with Kate. She had to be awake and ready for five a.m. The car
service was already waiting for her out front when she readied. Kate
was always ready early, but between jet lag and feeling so
comfortable in bed with Bruce, it was a struggle to get up out of
bed.

The thought of lying in bed all morning wrapped in Bruce's arms was
appealing. She wondered how many extra minutes she could steal to
stay in his arms, but time marched on and she knew she had an agenda.

She kissed Bruce on the forehead, appreciating the fact that he was
able to get such peaceful rest. He stirred slightly, but Kate did not
want to wake him. Tip toeing, she closed the door softly behind her.

Daybreak was on the horizon, and she thought it best to grab a small
plate of food from the continental breakfast spread that was already
set in the dining room.

The driver opened the door for her, closing it as she sat down in the
vehicle. The fruit and muffins she had on her plate would only tide
her over for so long. She hoped there would be a proper way to order
food later for breakfast and lunch. Just in case, she had a few
energy bars in her purse and had taken two bottles of water from the
continental breakfast spread at the cottage.

She was not sure where she was going as the driver navigated the
Paris streets, but that was the exciting part. Being in a strange
city, doing something new. That was what life was all about. It was
an amazing opportunity to have in life, and she wanted to enjoy each
and every minute of it; the car rides, the scenery, the meals at the
café. She needed to be able to breathe in all of it. Her
mother often told her it was necessary to live in the moment and
spend more time in the right now. Kate was always looking at her
agenda to find out what was next instead of recognizing the richness
of what was going on in that very second.

It was advice she took to heart but it was hard to consider when she
had so many goals, so many dreams. Focusing on those goals and dreams
was all she could do. It was all she wanted to do. If she was not
focused on the goals, how would she get to where she needed to be?

Bruce agreed with her mother's advice. Kate hated feeling like she
was being double teamed. Somebody had to see it her way. Although
Bruce understood her drive and ambition, he constantly interjected
that finding balance between doing the thing that you loved and being
in love.

He confessed to her how his intense ambition left him without love in
his life. Bruce knew all too well how ambition did not leave room for
much else. She heard him loud and clear, but it was going to be a
lesson that she would have to learn on her own. Not that she
necessarily was the type to stumble and fall flat on her face in the
light of someone else's experience, but in her mind, Kate was not
able to reconcile that she would not be able to have one thing
because of the other.

Her father instilled in her the ultimate work ethic. The fact that he
worked so hard and they had so little was reason enough for her to
work even harder to get to where she would like to be in life. She
had to do better than her parents, not that they did badly, but she
had to take all that she knew and take that to the next level. What
did not make sense was why the people closest to her did not
understand that. Why did they not understand her urge to have more
and surpass even her own wildest dreams?

Sitting in this car now, she felt she was well on her way to
achieving everything she ever wanted, and some of what she never knew
she could have.

"I am on my way to the office now," Kate spoke to her
assistant. She appreciated the fact that Amelia was working despite
the time difference.

"You will be meeting with Emily. She will be your point of
contact and your assistant in Paris. I have emailed you her contact
information. She will be taking the clothes that were pulled over to
the hotel suite where your client will dress for the red carpet.
Today's event starts at four p.m. Paris time. Your client needs to be
dressed and ready to go by three thirty. The hotel is about fifteen
minutes from the carpet. Anything else that you need, please don't
hesitate to call me. I can quickly send you anything that you need."

"Thank you, Amelia. You have been a life saver. I know that it's
late for you."

"No problem, Kate. Knock 'em dead out there."

"I certainly will."

The car was coming to a stop and she knew it was time to begin work.
Excitement pulsed through her veins. The pressure was on.

*****

Fancy was an up and coming pop singer. Her newly released song was
number one on the charts. Coming to Paris for the music awards show
poised her for international super stardom.

Becoming her fashion stylist positioned Kate for a career beyond her
dreams. She and Linda talked about how this opportunity would
immediately create more press and more work for the two of them.
Amelia was ready to field phone calls and emails. Once the insiders
found out Kate was the stylist, Grey's Boutique was sure to be
inundated with calls and new clients and Kate's personal styling
business was sure to get a boost.

"Kate, these dresses are amazing! Let's try that silver one on
first."

Fancy undressed right there in front of Kate, and slid the dress on
her body. Kate began fussing over the client, making sure that
everything fit just right.

"I like this one, but let's try the black one on as well. Black
always pops on the red carpet."

Fancy took Kate's suggestion and tried on the black dress.

"This is the dress. I love it. It's perfect."

Fancy admired her curves in the full length mirror. She looked at
herself from all angles and smiled at what she saw.

"I would have never chosen this dress for myself if I saw it.
You have a great eye Kate."

"Thanks. I love what I do. Turn around, let me see something."

Kate whirled Fancy around. "Right here, let's take this part off
and shorten it a bit."

"Are you serious?" Fancy's eyes were huge like round
saucers. "This dress is killer expensive."

"Secrets of a stylist. I have everything from double sided tape
to the ability to sew a hem that can be taken out. It's all in how
the dress hangs on you. If we take up about two inches here at the
bottom and sew you in here at the waist, your silhouette will be
amazing. The whole point is to get on all of the best dressed lists."

Fancy nodded. "You're right. I'm down for risks. I have to be on
that best dressed list. It will make or break my career."

Kate pinned and stitched, laughing to herself. Here was a bonifide
pop star, her career was making music. But one of the things that
would make her career was landing on a best dressed list for fashion.
And that had nothing to do with the sound of her voice or how deeply
her songs moved anyone. It all had to do with image. Image was
everything in a world of social media where people were like voyeurs,
peeking into one another's lives all day long.

"There. Now what do you think?"

Kate stood behind Fancy and turned her around to face the mirror.

The reaction on Fancy's face was the one Kate lived for. It was the
expression of someone who was completely satisfied with her look.
Clients had to be comfortable in their own skin in order to shine.
Only a portion of what she did was dealing with fashion trends. The
bigger part of what Kate did was make people feel good about
themselves. It was amazing to be able to get someone to see
themselves in a different light. Trying on something they would have
never tried on before and seeing themselves in a different light
fulfilled Kate.

Being a stylist was more to her than just hemlines, high heels, and
little black dresses. It was about making people feel their best. It
was all about helping her clients to find something inside of them
that they did not know was there.

Fancy gushed over the black dress. It was a silk sheath with a lace
embroidered overlay that was embellished with crystals.

"When you walk the carpet and the cameras start flashing, you
will catch everyone's eye. I'm predicting best dressed."

Fancy, so full of excitement, hugged Kate.

"This is gorgeous. I can't wait to see what you have for me for
the after party tonight. I also will be here in Paris for the next
three days. I need at least two outfits a day so when I step out and
I am seen around the city, I look my best. I want to add your
services on for one more day. We have the red carpet tonight, the
awards banquet on Wednesday, and a meet and greet appearance with my
fans on Friday. Can we make that happen?"

"Of course." Kate responded in the affirmative, but she
knew that working Friday may be a problem.

Bruce asked her to set the time aside before they left so they could
go to dinner and out for another surprise. He would understand. Of
course he would. Duty called and the real reason she was here in
Paris was to work.

Kate heard hundreds of times from professionals that did not get to
properly tour the city where they traveled because of work. This
looked like one of those times. Today would be nothing but dressing
Fancy for the music awards red carpet and the after party. Tomorrow,
she would stop in and dress her for the day before she made a few
appearances.

She would have the clothing laid out for Fancy to dress for Thursday,
but the awards banquet was Wednesday and that was another day of
glam. Now, adding on Friday's appearances, Kate was not sure she
would have the additional time Bruce was looking forward to spending
with her.

It was mid morning and the light food she ate coming from the cottage
was wearing off. There was no time to leave out and get something to
eat. Kate opted to call the hotel front desk and ask for room
service. So much for stepping out to eat at a trendy Parisian
restaurant.

"What are you doing?" Fancy asked as she returned to the
room, casually dressed in jeans and a peach colored tank top.

"I was just about to call for room service."

"Oh no. Please, lunch is on me. There is this cute little eatery
about a block from here. I saw it on the way here in the car. Would
you like to join me, Kate?"

Kate pondered for a moment.

"You have to eat, darling. We have a long day ahead of us. And
from what I here, there isn't real food at these events. I don't know
about you, but I can't survive off of lettuce and water."