In mid-July, Zack’s casts came off, and he had to do rehab for his wrists and his leg. He was stiff from being unable to use them. He was diligent about the rehab so he could play sports again. The five of them went to the park, and he threw a ball around with the twins, and Mike joined them while Spencer watched and lay on a blanket on the grass. They had brought a picnic with them and spent the day there before they went back downtown.
And it was cause for celebration when Jennifer finally came home in July and met Spencer. Spencer took her to see the new store in progress, and Jennifer was in awe when she saw it, and loved spending time with her. They went shopping together and Spencer took her to lunch. Mike loved to see them get along. He was doing better with Maureen these days, who was in a much better mood. She had a new boyfriend, and was happy about the divorce now. She had forgotten what it felt like to be happy, after years of being married to a man she didn’t love anymore.
And at the center of it all, Spencer and Mike were happy and in love. They were worthy opponents, lovers, partners, and friends. The relationship gave them each what they wanted and had given them a new life. And his clever structure of their association made it feel like a partnership from the start.
“I really like her, Dad,” Jennifer told Mike shortly after she got back from San Francisco. She was staying with Mike more than with her mother. She and Maureen had a relatively peaceful truce for the moment, but she didn’t want to push it.
Spencer took both Zack and Jenny with her to the Free Love garage when they asked her to, and they helped her hand out the bags. Zack even volunteered for an evening of filling them, and said he really liked the crew. Mike came with her every week when she went there.
They had decided to keep the old store closed for the summer while they focused on the new one. The HR people were busy hiring additional employees for the larger store, while the ones who had worked in Chelsea were off for the summer on half pay, and most of them were happy to have the time off. A few complained, but not many.
And for Spencer and Mike, the future was glittering ahead of them, beckoning them forward like stars in a brightly lit summer sky. They had fought hard for their dreams, as opponents and allies, and they had both won in the end.
Chapter 16
On the fourteenth of September, the car parkers in starched white jackets were lined up ready to take charge of the cars on Fifth Avenue. Most of the guests arrived with their cars and drivers. Two hundred people had accepted the invitation to discover the new store. The women emerged from their cars in short cocktail dresses and high heels, with impressive jewels. They were among the most elegant women in New York, wearing big-name designers and Parisian haute couture. They were all desperate to come inside and see the store. Liveried waiters were serving champagne on silver trays, with hors d’oeuvres by the best caterer in New York. The flowers in enormous urns placed in effective locations were spectacular, and people were in awe of the magnificent mansion with well-chosen furnishings in inviting groupings. There was soft music playing and the scent of delicate perfume in the air. People were going up and down the staircase, and stopping at every floor to discover where to find their favorite items.
Marcy was wearing a chic black dress, the men were all in coats and ties. Spencer was wearing a short red lace dress with long sleeves and a plunging back to the waist. The mayor had come, the editors of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and all the right journalists from WWD and The Business of Fashion online. There was a photographer from the New York Post combing the crowd for famous faces, of which there were many. Rappers wearing all their bling, politicians, writers, movie stars. The crowd was even more exciting than the clothes, and the details of the house were enhanced by being freshly painted. No one was disappointed by what they saw that night. For those who had forgotten that Brooke’s existed, it was a lively reminder, and for those who had never known it, it was an introduction they wouldn’t soon forget. There were TV reporters and members of the fashion and mainstream press.
Spencer watched the crowd arrive and knew that the evening was a success before it even started. The atmosphere was electric and warm and excited.
Mike found her and asked her to come to his office. He had to tell her something important. She was waiting for him there when he walked in, looking incredibly handsome in a dark suit, a white shirt, and the Hermès tie she had given him. He put his arms around her when he walked in and kissed her, and she smiled.
“It all looks great, doesn’t it?” she said happily.
“Of course, because you did it,” he complimented her. His parents were coming later, and she couldn’t wait for them to see it.
“What did you want to tell me?” she asked, curious as to why he wanted to see her in his office, and he smiled.
“I just wanted to tell you that I love you,” he said and kissed her, “so we don’t forget what this event is about and how lucky we are.” It reminded him of the evening when he had invited her to the party at the Met, and seeing her before that, at the store, when she greeted him so politely. He had dozens of images of her in his mind now, of different places and times. They had been through some hard times together, and some terrifying moments, the nights of the fire and the shooting, and happy moments alone and with their children. The contract she had agreed to and almost signed, and the one they finally did sign, which had brought them together for this magically beautiful event. It felt almost like a wedding and was the celebration of the bond between them now, both personal and professional. When they had dined at the Met, Spencer had never expected any of this to happen, that she would be the woman in his arms one day, and the person she would share the new store and her life with, as well as her history.
What she had learned in the months of working with Mike, in the hard times and the good times, was what a remarkable person he was, and he had learned the same about her. They were a perfectly matched couple, where each moment together was a graceful dance. And they had fun together too.
He kissed her one last time in the privacy of his handsomely done wood-paneled office in the old library, and then they went back downstairs to enjoy the guests and continue to show them around for the rest of the evening.
When they went back to the party, Spencer heard a voice behind her speak above the others. “The lights are too bright, because the ceiling fixtures are too low.” She laughed the moment she heard it and turned to see her mother. She knew it had to be her. Only she could find fault in an evening like this. But Eileen seemed to be enjoying herself, speaking to an older couple who were newly arrived. They were telling her about their latest cruise. They had gone halfway around the world. Eileen’s eyes lit up when she spoke to them, and then she glanced over at her daughter with a shy smile. Spencer couldn’t imagine that it was a sign of approval, but anything was possible on a night like this.
There was a small area with a dance floor set up, and Mike danced with Spencer for a few minutes and then stopped to say good night to their guests as they left.
People stayed late that night. The last guest left just after midnight, although the invitation had said “until ten.” It was a dazzling success, and old and new customers couldn’t wait to shop there. And there was a long mention of the party on Page Six of the Post the next day.