The Cherry Blossoms Read Online Free Page A

called Michal to see if he could meet for lunch.
    His secretary answered the phone, “IL s'agit de Lisette, comment puis-je aider vous ?”
    “ Lisette, this is Daniella, is Michal available?”
    Lisette sounded shocked when Daniella asked to speak to Michal.  “Daniella il est disponible pour vous.  Veuillez tenir un instant ce que je peux lui.”
    Daniella had no idea what Michal’s secretary just said, so she responded with, “ Merci”.  If the line went dead, it meant he wasn’t available.
    Lisette must have said he was available since he laughed as he answered.  “What a wonderful delight to speak with you in the middle of the day.”
    “I was calling to see if you are available to have lunch with me?”
    “It would be my pleasure.  I have one more meeting for the magazine’s layout team, and then I can be all yours.  What did you have in mind?”
    “I didn’t have anything in mind.”
    “Then we’ll meet at the café around the corner from your office.  Go now and order a drink.  I will be there shortly.”
     
    It was amazing that Daniella found an outside table on such a beautiful day.  It was still chilly, but the sun warmed the air along with the outside heaters.  She had just taken her first sip of wine when Michal joined her.  After giving her a kiss hello, he took the chair beside her.  “Tell me have I corrupted my hard working girl?”
    “You have not, but I gave the staff the afternoon off.”
    “Then, surely I have corrupted you.”
    “I’d asked Grant to interview twenty models and bring his top ten choices.  I found that three of them might work, but the rest would never do.”  She took another sip of her wine, “Grant told me that the other design houses have entered into contracts with all the available modeling agencies.”
    Michal looked into her blue eyes searching them to see how disappointed she may be.  “Are you going to drop out of the show?”
    Daniella laughed, “Not on your life.  Grant and I talked about the design industry at length.  Michal, we designers pay high prices for the best models we can find, yet our real target isn’t the model, it’s the average everyday women who buy our clothes.  Everyday women who come in all shapes and sizes, and that’s what our designs should be promoting.  Grant is running an advertisement for models.  Once we have selected the eight I require, I will re-sketch my current designs to make the clothes flatter the model.”
    “My darling that is an ingenious idea and I assume that I cannot see the new designs until the show?”
    “You absolutely cannot.  I also would prefer that you speak to no one about what we’re planning to do.”
    “I will tell no one.  I promise, Mon amour.  Do you have a plan if this idea does not work?”
    “No, which means this has to work or I’m done in Paris.  I’ll end up designing clothes for the Dollar Stores.”
    “What are dollar stores?”
    “In the States, there are stores that sell items for one dollar.  I think that they buy overstocked or out of circulation items.”
    Michal howled, “Then it is essential that you do well in the show.”
     
    Daniella was in the office by 6:30 the following morning.  She put on the coffee and waited anxiously for Grant to arrive.  When he finally showed up in the kitchen, he casually poured a cup of coffee, and sat across the kitchen table from her.
    “Grant, I’m hoping that smug look on your face means you found models.”
    “Mon chéri, I did not find the twenty models you requested.”  Grant watched as Daniella’s face transformed from hopeful to despair. “Daniella, eighty women applied.”
    The look of pure shock on his boss’ face made Grant laugh aloud, “You should see your face.”
    “Grant, did you just say eighty, like eight, zero?”
    “ Oui Mademoiselle j'ai fait.”
    “Oh my God, let me think.  When are they coming in?”
    “Today around 10:00 this morning.”
    “ There will be eighty women in