Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Josh was spending Saturday morning in the studio. He'd been hard at work on the two suits they'd brought back from Milan. Thankfully, Hugh had relented and let him do the work. Even though he fully understood why Hugh wanted to keep things separate, he was also enjoying helping. Hugh had no idea what he had brought to Josh's life in these last few weeks. It meant the world to be able to repay that, even just a little bit.

The suit fabric was the most delicate shade of lilac Josh had seen. It was truly beautiful. Signora Rossi had given them material which matched so that Josh could create new panels to ensure the suit fitted Hugh perfectly.

With the radio blaring, he had spent hours making sure the dimensions were correct. Once both suits were ready for sewing, he took a break. He wanted to be totally fresh for when he made the final creation.

As he sipped a coffee, he reviewed the designs for the new Cut collection that he and Suzanne had been working on for days. They were the usual elegant yet minimalist style that had become his brand. He examined a prototype dress Sidney had finished the day before and sighed.

He'd still not even met Martha and Sidney. It was time to fix that. All the loose ends he'd left needed to be gathered up before he could even begin to plan his future.

As he listlessly wandered around the studio, his eyes were drawn to the pinned suits on the cutting-out station. He couldn't wait to bring them to life. Why didn't he feel this way about his other creations?

"Hello," came a voice from the shop. "Are you up there?"

It was Hugh. Josh ran over to the top of the stairs.

"You can't come up," he shouted.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm at a very critical point and I don't want you to see them until they're ready."

Hugh stood at the bottom staring up. He looked incredible in a tight white jumper and jeans. Josh resisted the urge to drag him into the studio and ravish him on the sofa.

"When is it safe?" Hugh asked, pouting.

"This afternoon as arranged," Josh replied. "Mrs W and the Prof are coming too, as you very well know. Go on with you."

Hugh nodded. "Okay, I'll play along."

"Good."

"What do you want for dinner?" Hugh asked. "Tonight, I'm going to thank you for doing this by delighting every sense that you have. And some you didn't realise you had."

Josh giggled. "I thought I had the regular five like everyone else."

"Hugh knows better than that."

"Then I'll let you surprise me. Now scoot."

Hugh blew him a kiss and retreated. Josh heard him mutter something to Jean-Paul who appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"I can't believe you sent a hot piece of ass like that away," Jean-Paul said.

"Hey, you," Josh replied. "That's my…"

"Your what?"

"Never you mind. Jean-Paul, will you me a favour?"

"Your wish is my command, oh glorious leader."

"Can you invite Martha and Sidney this afternoon?" Josh asked. "They've done so much work for me already and I've not met them."

Jean-Paul straightened up. "I thought they weren't having anything to do with this. Why do you want them here?"

"Because it's polite to actually get to know one's workforce. You can't have me all to yourself forever."

Jean-Paul sighed. "Fine. They probably won't be able to make it at such late notice anyway."

"I'm sure they won't be able to resist your inviting nature."

Jean-Paul stuck his tongue out and marched back into the shop. Josh returned to the studio. The grand unveiling was only a few hours away and he had a shit ton of work to do. With one last glance at the Cut collection, he vowed that he would have to resolve whatever feelings he had toward that another day. Today had to be all about Italian suits and he was more than happy with that.

The afternoon came around and everything was ready. Josh had worked until the sweat poured off his brow. Luckily, he'd remembered to bring a change of clothes. It had been years since he'd slaved this hard over a sewing machine. Excitement had coursed through him as he crafted the costumes. The final versions were amazing. Even if he said so himself.

Whilst he'd changed, he had sent Jean-Paul out for some champagne on the agreement that he could be part of the unveiling. Helga would probably have something to say about them closing the boutique early but their sales assistant drove a hard bargain. Besides, Helga was swanning around Paris visiting designers and being generally spoilt rotten. Jean-Paul should get a little fun too.

Josh came out of the toilet in black trousers and a blue shirt. He wanted to make an effort to show Hugh this really meant something to him.

"Don't you look smart," Jean-Paul said.

To Josh's amazement, Jean-Paul had laid out cold meats, cheeses and other nibbles along with the champagne nestling in an ice bucket. Josh had no idea they even had a wine bucket in the place.

"Wow," he said.

"Ah, you made the right decision to send a Frenchman to do the shopping, mon ami."

Josh squeezed his shoulder. Jean-Paul drove him crazy sometimes but his heart was usually in the right place.

Footsteps could be heard.

"Hello?" came a female voice.

Josh frowned.

"It's Martha," Jean-Paul explained.

"And Sidney?"

Jean-Paul straightened up. "I'm not sure he could make it."

"Come up," Josh shouted.

A short woman with jet black hair done up in a tight French twist appeared. She was tiny and positively glowed in a vintage bright red skirt suit that fitted perfectly.

Josh bounded over and held his hand out. "Martha. So wonderful to meet you at last."

With remarkable strength she took his hand and pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek.

"I never let a handsome man get away with just a handshake," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Josh instantly liked her.

"I'm sorry Sidney couldn't make it," Josh said.

"Who said I couldn't."

Josh looked up. A very tall, muscular man was behind Marsha. Whilst Josh only had eyes for Hugh these days, he was still taken aback by this apparition of masculinity. In his mid-thirties, Sidney was tall and his muscles almost broke free from the confines of the tight white T-shirt. He'd paired it with distressed jeans and a leather biker jacket to give himself more than a passing resemblance to Marlon Brando.

"Oh…well…I must have got mixed up. So wonderful to meet you."

He shook Sidney's hand and silently cursed Jean-Paul for not preparing him. In his mind's eye, he'd pictured a spindly older man in a cardigan.

"Jean-Paul, could you get our guests a drink?"

He turned back to see a grumpy-looking Jean-Paul approaching with two glasses.

"Already on it," Jean-Paul said. "What do you think I am?"

Josh frowned. A flash of red had crept across Jean-Paul's neck and if he wasn't mistaken, perspiration beaded on his forehead.

Martha took her glass with a warm smile. As Jean-Paul handed the other to Sidney, he caught the stem on Sidney's outstretched hand and managed to spill a large part of the contents of the glass onto Sidney's T-shirt.

" Merde. "

Sidney leapt back. With a grin, he took the depleted glass from Jean-Paul's hand.

"Wow. That's the oldest trick in the book," Sidney said.

"Meaning?"

"If you want to see what's under here, you only have to ask."

Jean-Paul scowled. "I have no desire to discover under your clothing, Sidney. On that you can be quite assured."

Sidney winked at him. "Sure."

Martha shook her head and came over to Josh's side. A cloud of fragrance seemed to orbit her. It was floral with an edge of bergamot. Josh felt this to be perfect.

"They're like this every time we come here."

Josh glanced over her shoulder to see a blushing Jean-Paul carefully topping Sidney's glass up.

Interesting.

"It wouldn't hurt Jean-Paul to loosen up a bit."

Martha regarded him. "Something I've heard you are getting better at."

"Am I the subject of gossip?"

"You're the boss. Of course you are."

Her directness was refreshing. Josh very much looked forward to finding out about this woman.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Sidney said. "The new collection is wonderful to work on."

Josh clinked his glass to Sidney's. "And a marvellous job you've done so far. Thank you both. What would you say to working from here sometimes? I'd love to spend proper time with you and pick your brains."

Both their faces lit up.

"I'd love it," Sidney said.

"How about we all hit the town after this?" Josh said. "I've not been out for a drink in ages."

"Now that sounds like a plan," Jean-Paul said, evidently regaining his composure. "I can imagine Mrs Wimpole on the dancefloor in Heaven."

Josh burst out laughing. "Never say never with that lady."

Before Jean-Paul had the chance to respond, the woman herself appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Joshua," she said.

The Professor followed with Hugh hot on his heels. Mrs Wimpole kissed Josh on the cheek, the Professor shook his hand and Hugh flung his arms around him. All three greetings were most welcome.

He ushered them into the studio.

"Jean-Paul, can you…"

The shop assistant already had glasses of fizz poured and was handing them out. He proved to be an exceptional host. Josh made a mental note to suggest to Helga they give him a pay rise.

"Everyone, can I introduce you to the real skill at Cut. Our dressmakers Martha and Sidney."

He watched Hugh's eyes widen when he saw Sidney. He would tease him for that later.

"Which outfit do you want first?" Josh asked, striding farther into the studio.

"Mine," Mrs Wimpole and the Professor said in unison.

Josh got a kick out of how excited the pair were about this new project. How had he ever thought that someone as fun as Mrs Wimpole would get upset by it? He couldn't have been more wrong. She was in her element.

"Okay, I think the Professor got in there first," Josh said.

To be fair, it had been a straight tie but he wanted Mrs Wimpole's to be the grand finale.

He went over to the two mannequins he'd covered with spare material. With a flourish, he whipped off the cover to one of them.

Everyone gasped. The two-piece tweed suit glimmered in the late-afternoon sun pouring through the skylights. Josh had added delicate diamante across the whole piece. The effect was showbiz enough without detracting from the character who would be more gruff than Hugh's character.

Hugh dashed forward. "Oh my God, it's gorgeous. I can't wait to see it on Michael."

"We should have invited him," Mrs Wimpole said.

"He's away at the moment," Hugh replied. "He's got a one-night gig in Bognor Regis."

Mrs Wimpole nodded. Josh was willing to bet she had no idea where that was.

"It's exquisite," Martha said, creeping forward to examine his work closely.

Josh beamed. "Thank you."

"Now the other," Hugh said, hopping from one foot to the other and spilling his champagne down his T-shirt.

Josh laughed. This was more fun than he'd expected.

"Shall I do a countdown?" he suggested.

"No," Mrs Wimpole replied. "Put us out of our misery."

"Very well."

With even more flourish, he dragged the second piece of material away. He had done wonders with the suit, even if he said so himself. The joins were almost invisible. It had taken all the concentration he possessed and he was proud of his achievements.

The beautiful shade of lilac almost glowed. Josh had given this garment a helping hand with more diamante. This time he'd been more pronounced with lapel and collar trims. If Hugh accessorised correctly, it would be a knockout.

Hugh grabbed him and kissed him. "It's fucking gorgeous. Can I try it on?"

"Of course you can. Jean-Paul, can you help?"

"I thought you'd want to do that," Jean-Paul replied.

Mrs Wimpole tutted. "No need for coarseness, young man."

Jean-Paul bowed. "My sincerest apologies, Mrs Wimpole. Come on, Hugh. Let's see what all the fuss is about. I heard about the Barbie outfit."

Once they'd gone into the bathroom, Mrs Wimpole allowed a smile to creep over her face.

"He's a shocker, that one. I don't know how you cope with him."

Josh grinned. "It can be trying at times but you're right, we'd never cope without him."

Sidney sidled up to them. "I would hope not. He's worth his weight in gold."

Josh and Mrs Wimpole shared a knowing look.

Oh Jean-Paul, you can keep quiet after all.

Marsha took Sidney by the arm and led him over to Michael's suit. Josh was alarmed at just how close they were studying his work.

You're the boss, remember.

The Professor joined them. "Did you put these quotes in the lining?"

Josh had found some beautiful material covered in excerpts from Dicken's work.

"Well, the designer did," Josh replied.

"It's stunning."

"It truly is," Martha enthused. "Two masters at work."

The Professor snapped to attention at that. "Very well put."

Josh glanced at Mrs Wimpole who was staring hard at Marsha.

"How wonderful for the Professor to benefit from your seamstress's viewpoint," she said.

Josh stifled a grin. "She seems very nice."

Mrs Wimpole gently led Josh over to the food. She selected an olive and popped it in her mouth.

"How is Hugh getting along?" she asked. "I believe photographs of the two of you in Milan are doing the rounds. My grandson keeps me up to date with viral whatnots."

Giggling rang out from the bathroom. He hoped that didn't mean the suit didn't fit well. The Professor was engrossed in whatever Martha was telling him. Poor Sidney could only listen in. Josh would be willing to bet Sidney wouldn't be used to not being in the centre.

"This is going to sound like I'm being paranoid," Josh said. "I'm beginning to think it's all connected."

Mrs Wimpole snapped to attention. "In what way?"

"I don't know," Josh replied. "Hugh himself says he's hardly A list so why would people bother to jump on a bandwagon? Those pictures of us in Milan can't have made much money. It's not as if we're Charles Worthington and Luis Salvatore."

"This is true," she replied. "When the press came for them, it was all I could do to keep the vile parasites out of Queens Crescent."

Josh remembered the story of Mrs Wimpole and the Professor barring the paparazzi from their little street.

"What is our evidence?" she asked.

"None really. Someone bad-mouthed them on a talk show, the footage from the wedding and now these photos."

Mrs Wimpole stared off into space. "All seemingly unconnected except for Hugh."

"Like I said, I'm probably being paranoid."

She took another olive and chewed it, clearly deep in thought.

"Leave it with me," she said. "Getting to the bottom of mysteries like this is right up my street."

Josh didn't think Hugh would approve of the neighbourhood sleuth getting involved. Although now Mrs Wimpole had the scent, resistance would be futile.

"Perhaps I won't mention it to Hugh just yet," Josh said. "He's stressed out enough about all this."

Mrs Wimpole winked. "The secret is safe with me."

A sense of foreboding crept over Josh.

"Only if you're sure."

"Sure about what?" the Professor asked as he inspected the food.

"Joshua thinks there may be dark forces at work with all this nonsense poor Hugh is experiencing," Mrs Wimpole explained.

The Professor took a sip of champagne and stared at Josh.

"Then we'll root them out," he declared. "Have no fear of that."

Mrs Wimpole clutched the Professor's arm. "That's exactly what I said."

She also shot a victorious smile at Martha. It would be a brave woman who tried to upset this particular apple cart.

He was so lucky to have these people in his life.

"When Winston left, I never expected to smile again," he said, a little choked up. "Thank you for being so wonderful."

Mrs Wimpole winked. "Life never remains bad forever. It feels like it sometimes. Hold firm, Joshua. You'll see."

The bathroom door opened with a bang and Jean-Paul marched out.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Are you ready?"

Martha and Sidney dashed over to get a better view. The light was flooding through the skylights. Mrs Wimpole took his hand and squeezed it.

"We certainly are," Josh said.

Hugh came out in the suit. Of course, without a wig and full face of makeup, the whole vibe wasn't complete. Even so, Josh gasped.

"Oh my goodness," Mrs Wimpole exclaimed. "It's a perfect fit."

She went over and inspected from all angles as Hugh did a little pirouette. He positively beamed.

"Do you like it?" Josh said, walking over.

"Are you kidding me?" Hugh replied. "I love it. I think Mrs Wimpole may have been right. I've been a fool not letting you help."

Josh reached across and took his hand. He kissed the back of it.

"Does that mean I may get some commissions in the future?"

Hugh raised an eyebrow. "I can't afford your prices."

Mrs Wimpole had been inspecting the seam on the skirt. She popped her head up.

"I'm sure you will find ways to pay."

They all gasped.

"Mrs Wimpole!" the Professor exclaimed.

After getting to her feet, Mrs Wimpole straightened her dress.

"Now did I hear someone say a night out might be in order?" she asked. "I may not be ready for Heaven but I think we could probably find a decent bottle of fizz in Club C."

Josh was lost for words.

"If you're sure?"

She turned to Martha and Sidney. "You won't be members I dare say but don't worry, I have connections."

With that she took the Professor's arm.

"We'll catch you up," Hugh said. "I don't think Rodrigo will let me in like this."

After Mrs Wimpole had frog marched her little tribe out of the studio, Josh took Hugh in his arms.

"You look sensational."

They kissed. Josh thought his heart might burst out of his chest.

"Thank you," Hugh said. "I can't wait to get the full slap and wig on. You really are a genius."

Josh kissed his forehead. "I'm your genius."

Hugh stared up at him. "Now that I can get on board with."