way that I could think clearly until I apologized to her. I just didn’t know what to say. The only reason that I had to give her was the truth, and the truth was that I flew into a jealous rage over Cai being there with her twice while I wasn’t. If I told her that, then she would know. She would know that somehow along the way, I had developed feelings for her, feelings that were getting harder and harder for me to ignore. I had to tell her something when I apologized, but I couldn’t bring myself for it to be that…not yet, at least not until after the runway show. I would come up with something else to tell her in the meantime, along with a huge apology for acting like such a jackass.
When Hensley showed up at my office in the afternoon with dark sunglasses on and a bandaged up hand, I wasn’t sure whether I should apologize to her first or ask her what happened. I wanted to ask her what happened to her, but I knew she probably wouldn’t even talk to me until I had apologized, so I had to bite back my urge to come to her rescue again and beg for forgiveness instead.
“Here are the finished samples,” she said as she wheeled in a rack stuffed with clothes. “Once you okay them, they’ll be ready to roll-out for retail after the show. I still have the dress. It had uh, an accident, and I need to make a repair on it. I’ll have it back to you by tomorrow at the latest.”
She turned around to leave.
“Hensley, wait,” I said. Even I could hear the desperation in my voice.
She paused and turned around to face me.
“What happened to your hand?” I asked. Dammit. I was supposed to apologize first.
“I cut myself with the thread-puller,” she said very matter-of-factly before she got ready to leave again.
“Wait,” I said. I walked out from around my desk to stand in front of her.
Why was she wearing sunglasses inside my office? I guessed that now would not be a good time to question her fashion choices, so I kept my mouth shut about the sunglasses.
“I’m really sorry,” I said. “I never should have shouted at you or said any of the stuff that I said to you last night. I was just really stressed and frustrated, and I know that’s not an excuse. Please forgive me; it won’t happen again.”
She pulled her sunglasses off and smiled at me. She looked really tired and had dark-purple circles under her eyes. I hoped it wasn’t because I had been working her too hard.
“Thank you,” she said. “I accept your apology.”
I leaned forward and gave her a hug out of reflex. For some reason, the simple friend gestures that I was so accustomed to giving her were starting to feel differently now. She wrapped her arms around my back, and I buried my face in her hair against her shoulder for a minute. When we let go, she didn’t seem like she was in as big of a hurry to leave as she had been a few minutes ago.
“I heard about the models dropping out, and I want to propose an idea that I think might help,” she said.
“Okay, come sit down,” I said as I gesture to the chair. “What’s your idea?”
“Well, I went out with Cai last night, and it was actually his idea, but I think it’s a good one.”
“You went out with Cai?” I asked. I could tell that the tone in my voice sounded shocked and accusatory. I tried really hard to squelch the jealousy that was brewing up inside of me. What was it with that guy? Why did he keep trying to get with Hensley?
“Yeah,” she said with an uneasy look. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“No,” I said through clenched teeth.
In my head, I was thinking, “Yes, everything is wrong with that,” but I couldn’t tell her that because, as far as she knew, we had nothing but platonic feelings for each other. I couldn’t come across looking like some sort of psychotic, overly protective friend.
“Of course there isn’t,” I said, even though I wanted to choke on the words. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t realize that you and Cai were close.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re close,” she chuckled. “We just both needed a break for a night. I made up for the few hours of time this morning.”
“I’m