The Best Friend Scandal - Lucia Jordan Page 0,38

hug longer than I should have and longer than a friend would do. I felt our faces rest against each other and pressed my cheek closer to hers as if both of our bodies weren’t ready to let go of the embrace. I wasn’t sure how long we would have stood in that spot if the janitor hadn’t come in to sweep up as part of his closing duties. When we let go, it felt like my arms were too empty and like my skin was too cold without her against me. I was excited for the show tomorrow, too, both because I was looking forward to seeing all of her hard work pay off, and because I was looking forward to the project being successfully over so that we could move on to something else together and maybe, just maybe, something even more.

I dropped the lights that I had brought onto the table and then turned to leave. “Hey, want to grab a quick drink before we head home?” I asked. “Just one, since we have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Sure!” she said.

We spent a couple of hours sitting nestled inside a cool little bar right next to Madison Square. The temperature at night was starting to get cooler, and it made the small space inside the bar cozy, especially with the amber mood lighting that was permeating from the hanging fixtures. We kept it at one glass of wine, which we lingered over for about an hour or so while we chatted about all the things we would do after the show.

Hensley had no shortage of ideas when it came to just about everything, and I loved it. I watched her talk and laugh and sip her wine. There was something about her eyes glinting in the light of the bar while she looked at me, which made the whole atmosphere seem surreal and made her look like a fairy who would fit right in perfectly with the fantasy theme of the show. She was mesmerizing, and I couldn’t believe it had taken me so long to see it.

When we were finished at the bar, I gave Hensley a ride to her apartment.

“Well,” she said as she got ready to open the door of the car. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks for the wine date.”

“Get some rest,” I said with a smile. “I have a feeling that you’re going to need it tomorrow.”

Hensley smiled back and then got out of the car. I waited to make sure she got inside okay. When she turned to wave goodbye before walking inside, I felt a strong desire not to want to leave and realized how completely ridiculous I was being. Tomorrow would be one of the biggest runway shows of my career, with the potential to launch Luscious even higher up the industry ladder than it already was. I needed to stay focused.

I went home, got a good night of sleep, and woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to meet this exciting day head-on. I stopped by the office for a few things and left the secretary with a set of instructions, then headed straight to the show to meet Hensley and the models. As soon as I got there, I could see that the chaos was already well underway.

14

Chapter Thirteen (Hensley)

Wow, Arlo was right; doubling as both the designer and a fill-in model was a challenge. The makeup artists and hairstylists were busily working on each of the models and prepping for the show. It took literally hours for some of the looks to be achieved, and although the models were all used to it, it still didn’t seem like they were very cooperative about sitting still and letting the team of artists do their job.

Once their makeup and hair were done, it was my turn to step in and get the models ready in their outfits. Unfortunately, it seemed like all of the models were ready at the same time, so I found myself running around from model to model as I tried to get them into their clothes. They all looked stunning, albeit annoyed, in their completed designs and looks. Kerynne didn’t say much to me; it seemed like she was too focused on primping herself to pay me much attention, which was good. Cai didn’t say much to me, either.

I didn’t know if his silence and cold expression were because he felt bad about having slipped me drugs the other