Welcome to Stealing Serenity, a stand alone, erotic contemporary M/M romantic suspense. This novella is releasing one scene/day (weekdays) on the blog ahead of publication. All chapters will be available for free until the book is published, then they’ll be removed. If you simply can’t wait, the complete ebook is available now on the webstore. Paperback and Subtle Cover alternate coming soon. Expected publication: July 5th
Chapter Four
July 19, Tuesday—8:15 a.m.
224 Alondra Ave
Rybin’s Nest Tailor, La Mesa
Daniel held the tailor’s door open for Justin and let the bell chime on the handle to announce their presence. A heavy-set woman with a tape measure draped around her neck looked up from the mannequin and summer dress she was altering. Her mouth was full of pins. She grunted at Daniel and jerked her head to the middle of the room where a line of mirrors stood in a semi-circle.
“Go ahead,” Daniel said to Justin. “She’ll need all your measurements, so you might as well go first.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Just stand there for a minute.”
The tailor finished pinning the dress and said from her stool. “Daneel, something not good?” Her Scandinavian accent thickened her vowels. “No trouser break is latest fashion.” Her small eyes glanced at him over smaller glasses perched on the end of her nose. They said very clearly that she knew there was no problem with her work.
“It’s very stylish, Helena. I’m just here for a fit check and to get Justin set up with his first suit.”
Justin frowned at him. “I own a suit.”
Helena stood up off her angled stool, but her height never changed. “Not one of mine you do not. Daneel, I cannot fit clothes you are not wearing, go change.” She snapped the tape measure off her wide neck.
Daniel hid a smile at Justin’s wide-eyed look and found the changing room in the back. It was littered with half-completed projects, pants full of pins and skirts with twice-folded hems. When he returned to the main room, Helena had recruited her assistant to take notes. She moved Justin around like a doll, running the tape measure up, down, and around various angles of his body and calling out numbers as she found them, rapid-fire information in her native language.
With sudden decision she moved from measurements to fabrics and draped several samples over Justin’s shoulder. Daniel smiled. “Not the green or the pattern, Helena. We’re trying to talk people into parting with their money.”
“Bold makes the impression, but as you like.” She removed the two outlier samples and shuffled in some alternates. “It is not the black, I think.”
“I like black,” Justin said. “It goes with everything.”
“Except your hair,” Daniel said.
Justin put a hand on his short surf-bleached hair and glanced in the mirror. “Since when do you know anything about suits?”
“Ha,” Helena barked and swapped samples again. “When he come to me first he was like kitten. Know only mother’s milk.”
“Hey, I know a thing or two.”
“You did not know between a Gucci and a Zegna.”
Justin made a face. “Gucci is a bag, right?”
Helena let out a long sigh. “Gucci is a person, Yusteen.” She tapped the samples on his shoulder. “It is the blue or the charcoal.”
“Blue,” he said.
“Charcoal,” Helena and Daniel chorused.
Justin huffed. “Why did you even ask?”
“It was… how is it, retorisk?”
Justin glanced at Daniel.
He clarified, “Rhetorical.”
Helena muttered the word to herself and threw the samples back in her box. “You are wanting links or buttons?” She took the notepad from her assistant and shooed the woman out of the room.
Daniel checked the jacket he had on. “Links. Keep the fit understated, though. This is a work suit and a leisure suit so it needs to blend in everywhere. I don’t think Justin plans on having a collection of them.”
Helena looked up. “Why not?” She peered at Justin. “You do not want another suit?” She asked, as if people regularly walked into her shop requiring an entirely new wardrobe in one visit.
“No,” Justin said.
Helena remained unaffected by the flat answer. She scribbled in her notebook then gestured for Daniel to take Justin’s place in the middle of the floor. “You will be boring, also?”
“I hope not.” Daniel smiled. “I want to take the break out of these pants. Fit the jacket in a bit more. Flatter my backside.”
“Ah ha. I told you no break was good.” Helena tugged and folded at the fabric around Daniel’s arms and legs. She pinned, measured, and drew with a white pencil directly on the suit. “Fancy like Zegna?”
“Don’t go crazy.”
“Daneel, you do not have a Zegna. You come to me and you say you are doing what, a party with rich people? Zegna is the suit for parties. They throw money at you,” she jabbed a pin through the fabric and muttered, “and maybe tear off the Zegna.”
“Helena, you’d be better off making an entirely new suit than trying to turn this old thing into something like that.”
“Yes.” Helena threw her pencil into the samples box. “That is what I will do. A new suit for Daneel, and a new suit for Yusteen. You two will, what is it, kill it. That is what the kids say today?” She shooed Daniel out of the fitting area and guided him to her countertop where she could ring up the order. “Two new suits,” she looked over her small glasses, “in black.”
Daniel sighed. “Two suits. Black for me, but charcoal for Justin. And will you please alter this one?” Daniel indicated the one he was wearing with a flick at the collar.
Helena rolled her eyes with elaborate exasperation. “Fine, I will also fix the cocktail suit.” She flapped her hand at him. “I will ring you up. Change.”
When Daniel came back out of the changing room Justin had stepped outside to wait. Daniel lay his bagged suit over the counter and pitched his voice low just in case. “Helena, cut mine like a Zegna, but don’t go beyond Gucci for Justin’s.”
She made a face at him. “You will not match like this.”
“He’ll never have a suit that fancy in his life—”
“No, I cannot do this to you. You two walk in together, you do not match, it is a disgrace.”
“Helena,” Daniel leaned over the counter, “he’s not the one I’m trying to impress.”
She blinked at him as if it took a moment for his words to translate. Then her eyes narrowed to slits. “You are sly like a woman, Daneel.” She canceled the register with a few taps and nodded to herself. “It is dangerous.”
“You’ll do it?”
“Yes.” She made a grasping gesture. “Your card, before I change my mind about the cocktail suit.”
Daniel passed her Kearin’s card. “We’ll need to pick up the new ones on Friday. You can take your time with the alteration.”
“Yusteen’s suit will be ready. When is your party?”
“Monday night.”
“You will come in Monday for fitting and details.”
“Cutting it a little close, isn’t it?”
“Show me someone else that can make you a Zegna from numbers in a week and you can go to them,” Helena said with the kind of tone that stated she knew quite well no one else could hope to match her skill. “They won’t even have the wool by Monday.” She handed the card back with a direct look.
Daniel would have said it was aggressive if he hadn’t been familiar with her bold manner. He nodded. “Monday. I’ll be here.”
Helena smiled. “I like when you come to visit me, Daneel. You are absent lately.”
“Work has been keeping me focused for a while.” Daniel signed the receipt. “I’ll catch up with you next time, I promise.” He waved on his way out and found Justin waiting by the car.
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