Read Online The Confession by Erin McCauley - Free Book Online

the call.”
    She’d just hung up the phone when Emily walked into the office. She looked beautiful in a pair of charcoal gray slacks and a pink silk blouse. Her blond hair was pulled elegantly back in a smooth pony tail at the base of her neck, and her ears were adorned with small clusters of pearls.
    “So what’s on our schedule for today? Anything we can get out of?” Emily asked casually, sitting down on the corner of Aimee’s desk, her eyes mischievous.
    “We should finalize the auction listing and get that sent over to Peter as soon as possible, but it doesn’t have to be today. You have a meeting with … ” She directed the mouse to roll down the calendar on the computer screen. “Preston Talbot at one.” She looked at Emily, wondering who Preston Talbot was, and what connection he had to Emily’s late husband.
    “Call Preston and ask him if we can move lunch to later in the week. Grab your purse and meet me out front.” She drifted from the office without another word.
    A few minutes later, Aimee was ushered into the back of a town car parked next to the fountain. Emily smiled when she scooted in next to her.
    “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Aimee asked.
    “I am going to introduce you to a good friend of mine.”
    Sitting back against the leather seats, she looked skeptically at Emily. “But you’re not going to tell me who or why?”
    “Sure I am, eventually,” Emily laughed, a rich warm sound that serenaded, and comforted, more than any sound Aimee had ever heard before.
    The car pulled up outside a small building downtown that resembled a Greek temple. White pillars adorned the front step and double glass doors opened up to a spacious room with a wall of mirrors and free standing mannequins draped in elegant gowns. A thin, short, white haired man in a three-piece suit walked over to greet them.
    “Emily, darling, you look fantastic as always.” He bent down and kissed her hand.
    “Kevin, this is my assistant, Aimee. We’re going to need something jaw-dropping for her as well.”
    Aimee was speechless as the world-famous designer, Kevin Johnson, walked over and took her hand, lifting it to his lips for a kiss. “She’s beautiful. It will be an honor to dress her.”
    Still incapable of speech, she looked over at Emily with wonder. She gulped and muttered, “Kevin Johnson?”
    “Come in.” He waved his arm directing them to be seated on a soft brown leather sofa. An elegant woman wearing a white pantsuit, her neck adorned with long strands of pearls and gold chains, handed them each a crystal flute of champagne. “I think you’ll like what we’ve created for you, Emily, darling. You will be a vision.”
    He clapped his hands together, and a tall, fair haired model glided through a wall of silk curtains. She wore a floor-length emerald gown, gathered at the left side of the waist with a square silver clasp. She posed, slowly turned a circle and floated back through the curtains. Model after model came into the showroom, each wearing a Kevin Johnson original. Some were short, most were long, all of them made with Emily in mind, in colors chosen to flatter her blond hair and porcelain skin.
    When the last model had left, Emily chose her favorites to try on.
    “Let’s see what you have for Aimee,” Emily said reaching over and gently squeezing her hand affectionately.
    Aimee gasped, as the same fair haired models came through the wall of curtains. Each of them wore a different dress, this time chosen especially for her. It felt like a dream . She sat close to Emily, smiling appreciatively at the visions lined up before her.
    “How do I possibly choose?” she asked breathlessly.
    “Well, if you want my opinion, I think the long red dress with the slit would be fabulous on you, and you should try on the white wrap. Come on, let’s go play dress up.”
    Emily’s excitement added to her own, as they both jumped from the couch like school girls, anxious to see the