“You always find ways to blame me,” Ron shook his head, then cocked it in Isabel’s direction. “She seems terrific,” Ron agreed. “Don’t screw it up.”
“Even if I were serious about this woman, what makes you think I would?”
“You’ve never brought a woman to our lunches, and I think that you have serious trust issues.”
That might have been true so I didn’t argue. “I’ve never met anyone like her,” I admitted. “I just wish I knew more.”
“Like what?”
“Like where she’s from, what she does, how she’s connected to Hayes Enterprises.”
“Why is that important?”
“Because it’s suspicious that she refuses to tell me.”
Ron nodded, and took a deep breath. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
Here we go.
“You don’t know that much about me.”
“I know that you’re exactly like I am. I made mistakes being single minded. Focused on business before anything else.”
“What am I supposed to do to prove she can trust me?”
“That might not be as hard as you think.” Ron shrugged. “But I will tell you one thing; what that woman might be hiding has nothing to do with who she is. And because I know you, I know it wouldn’t matter,” he paused. “At least I hope it won’t,” he added under his breath.
24
ELLE
On Friday afternoonI finished off my second hot and censored that day, placing my new tumbler in the empty space near my computer.
Focus. Focus. Focus.
I was handed the biggest gig of my life a week ago. At this point, I would have had samples delivered, tastings scheduled, quotes from vendors dropping like hail in my inbox. But all I could do was stare at font styles for the invitation and think about how dreadfully awful last Sunday had become.
After a painful brunch with my old boss and a man I should have avoided from the start, I raced home and sulked until Char arrived.
Pouring my heart out to my best friend should have helped, but it only made things worse when Char outright confirmed my bleak reality.
“You need to walk away,” Char reminded me as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “You’re going to have to pull a ‘Josh’ and not return his calls…or you need to come clean.”
I felt nauseous.
My initial instinct to keep up my charade with Scott because of his connection had become less of a concern. I wasn’t worried about losing my job anymore.
That was until Dean handed me the gala event Empire Fashions was calling theWinter Ballard; raising the stakes immensely for me. It was the biggest event of the year. Throwing it all away now would be foolish and I’d be a bigger disappointment to myself than I was to my own mother.
I’m a professional. I won’t fail.
“I’d go with the classic font,” Mimi commented over my shoulder.
“Oh, I wasn’t really looking anymore.” I minimized the screen I’d been staring at all day.
“I know.” Mimi grinned and leaned leisurely at my desk. “Want to talk about it?”
I looked up at her, considering the offer, and wanting so much to open up to someone who’s heart was slightly bigger than that of my ice queen bestie’s was. But I’d already wasted enough time daydreaming, and I certainly wasn’t about to give anyone the impression I was losing focus on the job.
