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stationer’s on the Upper East Side. Brett had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He no longer felt on top of his game.

C hapter Seven
    D ana, Andrew, and Nina cruised southwest on I-78 towards Pipersville, Pennsylvania, the home of Winterberry Christmas Tree Farm. Nina Bramen had a heavy foot, and the Bug sped down the Interstate at seventy-five miles per hour. The antiques buyer for B. Altman was in her early forties, had short, graying hair, and wore round, dark-rimmed glasses. As Brett had noted, Nina was a feminist, a bohemian by nature since her earliest days growing up on the Upper West Side. Unmarried, she had eclectic interests that sometimes bordered on the eccentric. Smart and opinionated, she was well-traveled, loved Peru, practiced Buddhism, and collected Asian art and objects, especially miniature Japanese sculptures called netsukes. She had found her strong voice and outspoken manner courtesy of the growing women’s movement since it matched her fiercely independent mindset. She also had a kind heart and would do anything for a friend.
    Dana always felt energized in Nina’s presence. Though Dana was diplomatic and chose her words carefully, she nevertheless admired Nina’s willingness to speak her mind openly and take chances both personally and professionally. In some ways, she was very much like Dana’s mother, a woman who believed in candor and full disclosure. Nina was an honest and forthright individual, and Dana daydreamed of one day being able to set her agenda at B. Altman with the same courage and tenacity as the woman who was now driving the VW while speaking animatedly about her travel plans for the near future. She would be journeying to India in search of exotic merchandise for the store’s Indian extravaganza, a lavish event planned by Ira Neimark and Dawn Mello to compete with Bloomingdale’s Retailing as Theater movement. The movement was the brainchild of Bloomingdale’s Marvin Traub, who staged elaborate presentations such as China: Heralding the Dawn of a New Era. Typical extravaganzas featured fashion, clothing, food, and art from various regions of the world.
    “I’ll bring back enough items to make Bloomingdale’s blush!” Nina said confidently. “And I’m not just talking sweaters, hats, and walking sticks. I’ll stop first in the Himalayas and prowl the Landour Bazaar.”
    Andrew grinned at Dana, and she knew exactly what he was thinking.
I’ll stop first in the Himalayas and prowl the Landour Bazaar
. Only Nina could utter such a phrase so matter-of-factly and be taken seriously.
    “They have three-hundred-odd shops there that sell any and everything,” Nina continued. “After that, I’ll head to Jaipur just in time for its fairs and festivals filled with bright turbans, ethnic clothes, embroidered textiles, and jewelry. But that’s just to set the stage! I intend to bring back other objects as well to really lend flavor to the show—reed baskets, woven carpets, mirrored ceramic elephants, antique brass accessories, Imari porcelain, miniature paintings, and—well, the list goes on. Ira will absolutely love it.”
    Dana was envious. A teen makeup section paled in comparison to such lavish presentations as the one Nina was going to help stage. The Retailing as Theater concept did not bring in revenue as much as highlight merchandise and whet a buyer’s appetite, so why worry about a little free makeup?
    Dana looked out the window as the miles drifted past and decided not to spoil such a beautiful day with worries about work or her meetings with Bob Campbell and Bea. She felt that her marriage had been given new hope the night before. Brett had spoken of making their dream of a weekend country home a reality, and if he were truly serious, his sentiments might bode well for starting a family. She needed to remember, as she’d done the night before, that his sacrifices for the firm had been difficult for both of them. Dana had been patient, and now that patience might