1
EMILY
“No,no,no,”Imuttered to myself and groaned, putting down my tablet. I closed my eyes, pressed my fingers against my temples, and rubbed them in circles.
“Is everything okay?” Mia asked, popping her head into my office.
I opened my eyes. “It’s not working. I’m too stressed to think clearly. If I don’t get this right by tomorrow morning, I’m going to lose Richmond, and I can’t afford that.”
My stomach twisted at the thought. Tony Richmond was one of the biggest clients I’d had in a long time. Designing his holiday home would give me the cash injection my company needed. Losing him would do the opposite—I would buckle.
“What are you still doing here?” I asked, frowning at Mia.
“I’m just wrapping something up.”
“You’re a saint, M,” I said. “But go home, okay? You don’t have to pull an all-nighter for the project. It’s not due for a while.”
“I’ll leave just after this,” Mia said with a smile and left.
I sighed and picked up my tablet again, trying to figure out where it had all gone wrong. Something about the room wasn’t right, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.
My phone rang.
“Where are you?” Sadie asked when I answered. “I’ve been waiting for a while, but I’m almost at the door, and—”
“Oh, God.” I pressed the heel of my hand to my head. “I completely forgot. I’m still stuck at the office.”
“You forgot about girls’ night?”
I groaned. “The office is a madhouse this week. I’ve been staying late every night, and tonight it looks like I’m going to have to sleep under my desk. If I get any sleep at all. I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“I’m holding you to it,” Sadie said, and we ended the call.
I let out a breath, feeling like an idiot for forgetting about our girls’ night. I was lucky to have a friend who understood.
I turned my attention back to the tablet. While I worked, I was aware of Mia packing up her things and leaving so that I was the last one left in the small office area I rented to run Essence Interiors. It wasn’t much—the offices were small and cramped and bland, and the rent was sky-high despite it being class-B office space, but my company was up and running, and I was living the dream. Sort of.
One day, I would be able to afford to renovate my own office space to showcase my work when clients came to see me here. Right now, I didn’t have any extra cash lying around. I had bills to pay—not only my own—but we all had to start somewhere.
I’d wanted to be a designer since I could remember. After studying interior design, I’d tried working at a firm, but it didn’t work for me. I had a different vision, and doing art on someone else’s behalf didn’t sit right with me.
It had taken me a couple of years to get on my feet, but my company turnaround was enough for me to live on my own and to dream about turning it into a raging success one day.
At twenty-nine, that wasn’t bad. Most of my friends were still stuck in the grind, working nine-to-fives, making money for someone else.
I told myself that working twelve-hour days sometimes, instead of eight like everyone else, would pay off in the end. It was worth it to stand on my own two feet, and I wouldn’t work myself to death for the rest of my life. I had to pay my dues first, and that was what I was doing.
I deleted everything I’d done for the living room on my tablet and started from scratch. All the other entertainment areas had come out right—I’d managed to get a design down that was both stylish and fit for a bachelor. Tony Richmond was recently divorced and ready to throw lavish parties at the holiday home he’d won in the settlement. It was my job to have it ready for him in less than a month from now.
Or else.
No pressure, or anything.
“Hello?” someone called from outside, knocking on the glass door. “Em?”
I frowned and got up. When I reached the reception area, I saw Sadie with her hands cupped around her eyes against the glass looking in.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, unlocking for her. She wore a sequined dress and heels. Her blonde bob hung straight to her shoulders, manipulated into place by hairspray.