She's early.
"I'll be right down." I hang up before Cassy can reply. Looking down at myself, I straighten my blouse. Satisfied with my outfit—not that I could've done anything about it now—I pick up my mug and head downstairs, grateful for the distraction from the surprise delivery.
Cassy is chatting with a dark-haired woman in her early thirties. Her hair is a similar shade to mine, curled in glossy waves, and her clothes scream wealth. They turn at my approach, and I plaster a smile on my face. I extend my hand. "Good morning, I'm Denielle. Denis asked me to assist you today."
Her large brown eyes shine with delight, and her smile could put men to their knees. She has perfectly straight, white teeth, full lips, and skin you only see in dermatology ads. She holds herself with confidence but doesn't come across as arrogant. She has a Birkin bag draped over her arm, and I have to swallow not to start drooling. I've grown up with money, but not that kind, and for someone who adores purses, this one is a dream.
I fight the urge to recheck my outfit, suddenly feeling like an ugly duckling.Don't be an idiot.I'm anything but plain. Despite my…condition, I've always had healthy assertiveness when it came to my appearance.
She places her palm in mine. "It's so nice to meet you. Please call me Em. I try not to be too formal when I'm not around my family." She smirks mischievously. "Denis spoke highly of you. I can't wait to see what you come up with."
Good grief, even her voice is beautiful.
I gesture to the sitting area at the other end of the room. "Let's sit. I was told you're looking to have some alterations done?"
"Yes, I have one of his older designs. I love the dress. It holds special meaning to me, but I would like to add some of the detail he's been using in his latest collection." She laughs when she takes in my frown. "Here, I'll show you. It sounds worse than it is."
We settle in the cream velvet tufted chairs, and Em pulls several pieces of paper out of her purse. One is a photograph of herself in the gown, and the others are magazine clippings from articles about Denis's recent designs. After a brief explanation, I'm relieved to see that she didn't play down the work. It will take some time to complete the alterations and at least two to three fittings, but nothing impossible that would be easier accomplished by purchasing a new one.
"This will be stunning," I assure her. My pulse quickens with giddiness. This is a huge opportunity to prove myself to Denis. I'm excited to get started. "If you'd like, we can schedule an appointment for you to bring in the dress and to look at the fabrics we have upstairs. That way, we can determine if those work or if we have to order different materials." I want to make sure everything matches, and even if everything is black, using something that is just slightly off, a little too matte or shiny, would ruin the original gown.
"Wonderful. I knew we would work well together." She slips her arm through her Birkin bag and stands. I lead her over to where Cassy is perched on a stool behind the counter. After putting Em on the books for next week, we say our goodbyes, and I watch herglideout of the showroom. She approaches a shiny, gray Maserati waiting in front of the boutique and slips into the passenger side. The windows are too tinted for me to make out the driver. Curiosity tickles in my mind but is quickly replaced by irritation when Cassy informs me that Collin moved his meeting with Denis to the next day.
The coward didn't even call Denis himself. He called the mainline and had Cassy do his dirty work. He isn't feeling well. Riiight. My guess is that he partied a little too hard. Nothing I haven't heard before. While we were together, he either scaled back or hid it well. After all, he hid his ongoing affair(s) from me. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than one.
When I pullinto the garage, my insides feel like a thousand insects crawling through my veins. I texted Lilly about my first solo project, and she immediately replied,We're going to celebrate!!!!!!!
Not sure why this warrants seven exclamation marks, but oh well. She's happy for me. But celebrating with her also means Marcus since she doesn't go anywhere without herShadow. If it were an outing not during his shift, he would swap with one of the guys. Marcus is a typeAcontrol freak. For Lilly's safety, I am all for it. Having to be in his vicinity, though, not so much. If it wouldn't raise a million questions, I'd ask if Ethan could take point instead—as the guys always called it. But I've never made a big deal about our mutual dislike. Starting now would be suspicious.
Why did he have to give me the best orgasm of my life?
I hang the keys to the G-Wagon on the board and stare at the garage door for a long time before I finally reach for the knob. He is off the clock. He is probably in the guesthouse. The chances of running into him are slim to none.
The deeper I walk into the house, the faster my breathing becomes. This is ridiculous. But I pulled one over on him this morning. Surprised him. That won't happen again. He'll make sure of it.
Sweat creeps across the insides of my palms, and I swipe them at the sides of my skirt—no Marcus in sight. My pulse slowly returns to a non-life-threatening pace, and I find my best friend on the patio. She's sitting with her laptop on one of the wrought iron sets, her signature Yeti with a tea bag hanging out next to her. Her head tilts up as I approach, and she beams at me.
"Hey, you! How was the rest of your day?"
"Hey." I let myself fall into the chair next to hers. Slipping my heels off, I tuck my legs under myself.
Lilly studies me with a crease between her brows. "You seem different."
"Oh?" My brows arch.
She taps her forefinger to her chin. "I can't pinpoint what it is. You've been so…withdrawn since you got here. But right now"—she gestures at me—"you're the Denielle I remember from high school."
Well, if that isn't interesting.
I shrug it off—or try to. "I'm in a good mood. I landed my first solo project. The woman is super nice, not like Denis's usual stuck-up clientele. Oli and Elena are visiting Friday…" I trail off.
A broad smile stretches across Lilly's face. "They are? I haven't seen them in ages."
"Just for the day. Elena's best friend from college is getting married."
"It'll be great to see them." Her good mood dims a little. "Do you have to work?"
I shake my head. "No, I've worked every day since last week, so I have Friday and Saturday off."