The Best Friend Scandal - Lucia Jordan Page 0,51

it would cause another whole incident.

“Everyone will be getting paid according to their contracts,” I said as professionally as I could muster my tone with her. I really just wanted to wring her neck. “You remember what a contract is, don’t you, Kerynne? It’s that legally binding document that you signed. The one that prevents you from harassing any of my staff, including my designers.”

She scowled at me. There wasn’t much more she, or any of them, could say to that. Hensley was my hired designer, regardless of what else she was or would become. Kerynne and all of the models were bound by contract not to harass her. I may not have been able to prove the dress-cutting incident, but I was standing right there, watching their behavior now. And since my staff and secretary were here, too, that meant there were multiple witnesses to whatever Kerynne said or did. She seemed placated at the moment, and the rest of the models went back to looking over their assignments for the week and asking logistical questions of me and wardrobe and design questions of Hensley. The only one who didn’t seem to be quite over holding a grudge was Cai. However, I wasn’t exactly sure what grudge it was that he would be holding onto. He and I hadn’t had any issues at the runway show. And I wasn’t feeling nearly as much jealousy and animosity toward him now that I knew Hensley was mine and she wouldn’t be hanging around him anymore. Still, there was definitely a prickly edge to his demeanor today.

“What about the mass production?” one of my design team members asked.

“All taken care of,” Hensley replied before I even needed to open my mouth. “All of the samples were already sent out, and production has started. By the beginning of next week, the first shipments will go out directly to the retailers.

I nodded at her as if she needed my approval as her boss, which, of course, she didn’t. She knew how to handle all of this, and it reaffirmed my decision to put her in charge of the launch. I was impressed by how confident she seemed today and how willing she was to let go of what had happened at the runway. Maybe it was her post-coital glow, or perhaps it was just the fact that she was allowed to lead and shine now. It didn’t matter what the reason was, she was brilliant in action, and nothing that Kerynne or Cai could do was going to dampen the creative fire she was radiated now.

19

Chapter Seventeen (Hensley)

“I guess I should have tried being your friend first, too, huh?” Cai said, loud enough for everyone in the large room to hear.

I had just been bent over the wide drafting table as I showed one of the models the changed-up zippered back on one of the retail dresses based on a dress she wore on the runway. I straightened up and looked at him from across the table.

“Excuse me?” I said.

As soon as I said something, I realized I should have stayed quiet and kept my mouth shut just so the situation didn’t escalate. When Cai opened his mouth to say something else, I knew that whatever he said was only going to enrage Arlo, and that would undoubtedly lead to something that no one wanted to see happen.

“I mean, obviously, that was the way to get into your pants,” Cai sneered. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m not offended by the fact that you wouldn’t sleep with me because we both know that you would have. It just seems that Arlo beat me to the punch with the game of strategy. I would never have guessed that the whole friend-thing was a kink of yours. Guess we can’t all have high standards, can we?”

Kerynne snickered, but none of the other models or staff seemed particularly amused by Cai. I thought most of them liked me, and we seemed to get along pretty well. They saw that I worked hard and tried to get along with everyone. I didn’t think they saw the need for the pettiness that Kerynne—and now Cai—seemed to enjoy playing with. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought, though; it was too late because Arlo was already turning red with anger. I turned to see Arlo as his jaw tensed and his posture change just as he got ready to launch around the table at Cai.

“Arlo, don’t,” I warned as I tried