he had his arms around her, but I was happy at least that my design had been saved, especially since it was my favorite out of all the pieces and would be impossible to recreate in time for the show.
Arlo scooped Kerynne up in his arms, and she let her head fall against his chest as her legs dangled over the side of his arms. Man, she was milking this. I couldn’t believe Arlo couldn’t see it for what it was, a pitiful and childish cry for attention.
“What happened?” Cai asked as he came around the corner with Kerynne’s requested water in his hand.
“I think she’s just a bit lightheaded from the shoot,” Arlo answered. “Can you drive her home?”
“Not tonight,” Cai said. “Sorry, but I’m late for a party already.
He had already taken off his outfit and changed into his street clothes, making him look like he would fit right in with the whole underground-nightclub vibe. Cai really was a damn attractive man. He handed me the outfit and smiled before leaving.
Arlo stood there with Kerynne still draped in his arms. I could see her one eye open just a crack as she tried to pretend that she was too weak to be set down on her feet.
“Hensley,” he said as he walked toward me carrying Kerynne. “I hate to ask you to do this, but would you mind staying to finish cleaning up for me? Most of the stuff is already taken care of, but the faux forest still needs to be broken down.”
“Sure,” I said. “No problem. But where are you going?”
“I’ll need to take Kerynne home since there doesn’t seem to be anyone else willing to give her a ride back to her apartment.”
“Can’t you just call her a cab?” I asked.
“No. For starters, she’ll ruin this dress in a cab. And secondly, I would never put any half-dressed woman in the back of a cab. Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll make sure I get the dress from her before I leave her apartment. I’ll bring it to you in the morning.”
He picked up her street clothes, which she pretended to be too weak to put on until she got home and could have her roommate help her change, and then he carried Kerynne out to her car. Now, since everyone else had already left, I was the only one here to break down an entire set. It wasn’t just the dress that I was worried about; it was also Arlo with a half-naked Kerynne in his arms as he headed to her place. I told myself I was overthinking. Kerynne had a roommate who would help her get changed.
Arlo would probably wait in the living room, take the dress, and then leave. But I didn’t really think I was overreacting this time because Kerynne was totally fine, and she had other plans for when they got back to her apartment. Arlo leaving wasn’t one of them. It didn’t matter, though. I was here on my own, and I had to get things cleaned up and put away. I was a little mad that Arlo had asked me to do it. I was the fashion designer, not the set builder. Didn’t he have people who took care of these kinds of things?”
I set down Cai’s garment bag along with the empty one that didn’t have Kerynne’s dress in it since the dress was still on her, and I started to dismantle the vines and branches from the backdrop.
“What are you still doing here, all alone?” Cai’s voice came from behind me.
“Cai,” I said. “I thought you already left.”
“I did. But then I realized that I had left my wallet in the dressing area and I need it for the bar. Where is everyone else? Where’s Arlo?”
“He went to take Kerynne home,” I answered.
Cai chuckled. “Can’t believe he fell for that,” he said.
“For what?”
“For Kerynne’s fake fainting-spell act.”
“You knew she was faking?” I asked.
“Of course, wasn’t it obvious?” he said.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I thought it was, too. Not sure why Arlo didn’t pick up on it.”
“Maybe he did.”
That didn’t make me feel any better.
“I’ll help you with this,” Cai said as he set down his wallet on the table by the garment bags and walked over to help me take down the trees.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I thought you said you had a party to go to.”
“Eh, I have a party to go to every night,” he shrugged. “It won’t hurt for me to be a