Suitor by Design

His gal. Peter liked the sound of that. He dared to glance at Minnie.

Her brow was drawn in pure fury. Peter stared, speechless. She was supposed to be grateful. She was supposed to like him even more. He was giving her work. Why would that make her angry?

“I can do what?” she demanded, even though she’d heard every word.

“S-s-sew upholstery,” Peter stammered, the confidence ebbing out quicker than oil into a drip pan. “For pay.”

“You? Pay me? With what?” Her lips thinned as she crossed her arms.

Now he’d gone and done it. In that state, she’d never agree to go to the church supper with him. “Uh...” he croaked.

Vince roared with laughter. “Don’t worry, darlin’. The boss is paying.”

“The boss?” Minnie looked from Vince to Peter. “Whose boss?”

Vince answered, “Mine, darlin’.”

Something like excitement lit her eyes. “Do you work for a motion-picture company?”

“Naw, but I wouldn’t put it past Mr. Capone to give that a shot, too.”

Capone. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Peter couldn’t quite place it. What he did know was that the bad feeling that’d been hounding him since Vince’s arrival got a whole lot worse.

Chapter Four (#ulink_41c389b6-b48b-5b37-99af-a30136ca84b2)

Peter Simmons had some nerve. Minnie would give him a piece of her mind the moment they were out of Vincent Galbini’s earshot. How dare he volunteer her to sew upholstery for some furniture he was making for Vince?

What was he thinking?

She had no idea how to upholster anything, least of all something for the man she was trying to impress. Her family ran a dress shop. They worked with voile and crepe de chine and georgette, not the thick fabrics used by upholsterers. She wasn’t even sure their sewing machine could handle the heavier fabric, but she couldn’t say that in front of Vince. She had to bite her tongue until she and Peter left the boardinghouse.

He closed the door behind her and followed her down the steps. The moment they reached the walkway, she punched him in the arm.

“Ow!” He rubbed his biceps. “What’s that for?”

“For saying I would do something I don’t know how to do.”

He stared at her blankly.

She glared back. “Sewing.”

“You don’t know how to sew?”

“I don’t know how to upholster furniture.”

“Furniture? Who said anything about furniture?”

“You did.” Minnie hugged her arms around her midsection to ward against the bitter cold. “Don’t tell me you forgot already that you volunteered me to do some upholstery for your friend.”

“No, uh—” his neck flushed red “—maybe I should have asked you first.”

“Maybe?” She flung her hands into the air and headed back home. “I give up.”

He ran to catch up. “Then you won’t do it?”

She didn’t stop. “Didn’t you hear me? I can’t upholster furniture.”

“But it’s not furniture. It’s a car seat.”

She halted. “A car? How is that any better?”

“You’d just have to fix what’s already there. How hard can it be?”

“Much harder. Automobile seats are covered in mohair. It’s thick. I don’t know how to work with it. I don’t think our machines would handle it.”

“Uh, actually, they’re leather.”

“Even worse. Impossible.”

“Oh.” He cast his gaze down. “I thought maybe you could use the extra money for your pa.”

She bit her lip. Her father ought to return to the Battle Creek Sanitarium for treatment, but they couldn’t afford it. The family had banked on a ready-made clothing manufacturer buying Ruth’s designs. Yesterday’s failure set them back. “What car?”

Peter looked up hopefully. “The Pierce-Arrow.”

“But Vin—” She caught herself. She oughtn’t use his Christian name in public. “Mr. Galbini’s car looks new. What would need fixing?”

“Actually, the Pierce-Arrow belongs to Vince’s boss.”

“Oh.” Then Vince wasn’t as well-off as he appeared.

“And I’d only need your help if I rip a seam or have to take the upholstery apart in order to make the luggage compartment he wants.”

“Oh.” This was getting less and less impressive, but if she just had to restitch something, it shouldn’t be that difficult. She’d just have to use the existing holes and do it by hand. “That doesn’t sound like much of a job. What does it pay?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’d depend on what needs to be done. Ten dollars?”

“Ten whole dollars for stitching up some leather?”

“It would have to look good,” he added.

That was the problem. “I’m only an apprentice seamstress. You should hire Ruth.” She tossed her head, feeling the swing of her short hair, and started back toward home.

Again he hurried after her. “I could ask your sister, but she’s so busy with her designs and all that I figured you might have more time.”

“Is that the only reason you asked me?” She tried hard to shove away the disappointment.

“No, uh...uh, that’s not it.” His Adam’s apple bobbed above his coat collar. “I think you’d do the best job.”