strolled up, tying a length of white chiffon around her hips. “I am so late, Val, honey,” she said. “My shoot ran long. Tell me you forgive me. Where’s Chloe?”
“Willow, meet Vanity,” Val said. “Friend of the family since we were children. She’s a model. Chloe had an engagement, darlin’. She should be back anytime.”
“Poor Chloe,” Vanity said. “I’ll look after her when she does come home. She’ll be interested in meeting your new friend, Val.”
“Willow is a professional,” he said rapidly. “And she’s very good at what she does.”
Vanity, who had lovely Mediterranean features with deep brown eyes and olive skin to complete the package, gave Willow a speculative glance. “I’ll take your word for it,” she told Val.
“I’m Willow Millet.” Some things needed to be made clear and fast. “I own a company that caters to domestic needs. We take care of everything from shopping, cleaning and generally maintaining households and gardens, to large catering jobs and special events. We can also deal with personal assistant work—theater tickets, restaurant reservations—you name it and we can probably do it.” Willow considered her network of go-to people her greatest strength.
Vanity looked interested now. “How many regular employees do you have? It’s always the casual staff that make me nervous.”
“We have a full-time staff of six and several regular part-timers. We employ a large pool of what you call casual workers, but they are all well-vetted and we rarely have to call in first-time employees.”
Vanity smiled approvingly. “So you did the catering tonight? The food looks yummy.”
“I didn’t—”
“Willow also makes sure her events run smoothly,” Val interrupted. “She’s a natural hostess and you know how often Chloe isn’t up to all the noise and fuss. Look around. Everyone’s having one hell of a time.”
“I shall steal you away from Val and Chloe then,” Vanity said. “I have the worst time getting good help.”
“We found her so she’s ours,” Val said, laughing. “We’re going to keep her so busy she won’t have time for you or anyone else.”
Willow grew more uncomfortable by the second. This wasn’t her scene. She was happy supervising staff at an event like this, but she realized that she had no interest in playing hostess.
“Millet,” Valerie said suddenly, snapping her fingers. “Not the Millets? The voodoo ones?”
“Psychic,” Willow said reflexively. Darn her carelessness. “That’s the story they tell about us, anyway.”
“Mmm,” Vanity said, giving Willow a piercing look. “But you say it isn’t true? All the red-haired, green eyes stuff? You are all red-haired and green-eyed?”
This could get boring. “Actually not. But a number of us are. It’s just worked out that way.” She forced a little laugh. “The family has a penchant for a certain look in the people they choose as partners.”
“You did admit the psychic bit,” Vanity said and her dark eyes sparkled with interest.
“I said that’s the story about us,” Willow told her. “That’s all. New Orleans does love its little myths.”
Screams from the pool demanded attention. Two men held a streaming beauty aloft while she stripped off the top of her bikini and flung out her arms. Torchlight flickered over her large, white breasts before she kicked free and landed back in the water. A great deal of splashing and screeching followed, and a lot of underwater action. Willow turned hot.
Vanity bent to whisper in Willow’s ear. “Women like her embarrass me. How about you?”
“I’m not supposed to have opinions when I’m working,” Willow said. “But I agree with you.”
A shadow passed over her and she felt as if it slipped away into a group to the right. Willow’s skin tightened and she shivered. She looked to see what or who had caught her attention, but couldn’t make out anything remarkable.
Her throat tightened, as if a big hand
“Willow, meet Vanity,” Val said. “Friend of the family since we were children. She’s a model. Chloe had an engagement, darlin’. She should be back anytime.”
“Poor Chloe,” Vanity said. “I’ll look after her when she does come home. She’ll be interested in meeting your new friend, Val.”
“Willow is a professional,” he said rapidly. “And she’s very good at what she does.”
Vanity, who had lovely Mediterranean features with deep brown eyes and olive skin to complete the package, gave Willow a speculative glance. “I’ll take your word for it,” she told Val.
“I’m Willow Millet.” Some things needed to be made clear and fast. “I own a company that caters to domestic needs. We take care of everything from shopping, cleaning and generally maintaining households and gardens, to large catering jobs and special events. We can also deal with personal assistant work—theater tickets, restaurant reservations—you name it and we can probably do it.” Willow considered her network of go-to people her greatest strength.
Vanity looked interested now. “How many regular employees do you have? It’s always the casual staff that make me nervous.”
“We have a full-time staff of six and several regular part-timers. We employ a large pool of what you call casual workers, but they are all well-vetted and we rarely have to call in first-time employees.”
Vanity smiled approvingly. “So you did the catering tonight? The food looks yummy.”
“I didn’t—”
“Willow also makes sure her events run smoothly,” Val interrupted. “She’s a natural hostess and you know how often Chloe isn’t up to all the noise and fuss. Look around. Everyone’s having one hell of a time.”
“I shall steal you away from Val and Chloe then,” Vanity said. “I have the worst time getting good help.”
“We found her so she’s ours,” Val said, laughing. “We’re going to keep her so busy she won’t have time for you or anyone else.”
Willow grew more uncomfortable by the second. This wasn’t her scene. She was happy supervising staff at an event like this, but she realized that she had no interest in playing hostess.
“Millet,” Valerie said suddenly, snapping her fingers. “Not the Millets? The voodoo ones?”
“Psychic,” Willow said reflexively. Darn her carelessness. “That’s the story they tell about us, anyway.”
“Mmm,” Vanity said, giving Willow a piercing look. “But you say it isn’t true? All the red-haired, green eyes stuff? You are all red-haired and green-eyed?”
This could get boring. “Actually not. But a number of us are. It’s just worked out that way.” She forced a little laugh. “The family has a penchant for a certain look in the people they choose as partners.”
“You did admit the psychic bit,” Vanity said and her dark eyes sparkled with interest.
“I said that’s the story about us,” Willow told her. “That’s all. New Orleans does love its little myths.”
Screams from the pool demanded attention. Two men held a streaming beauty aloft while she stripped off the top of her bikini and flung out her arms. Torchlight flickered over her large, white breasts before she kicked free and landed back in the water. A great deal of splashing and screeching followed, and a lot of underwater action. Willow turned hot.
Vanity bent to whisper in Willow’s ear. “Women like her embarrass me. How about you?”
“I’m not supposed to have opinions when I’m working,” Willow said. “But I agree with you.”
A shadow passed over her and she felt as if it slipped away into a group to the right. Willow’s skin tightened and she shivered. She looked to see what or who had caught her attention, but couldn’t make out anything remarkable.
Her throat tightened, as if a big hand
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