The Best Friend Scandal - Lucia Jordan Page 0,61

to myself aloud as I crawled back into bed.

I would figure out how to navigate New York City in a design meant only for the runway, and then I would stand in a window to pose for what would likely be the last shoot. Then, maybe, we could spend the day working side by side again and end tomorrow back at Arlo’s apartment, where I could wake up in his arms again the following day. At some point, I was sure that the admission of my feelings toward him would get brought up, and when they did, I would either just be honest or lie and tell him that I didn’t mean it in the way it sounded. I could figure that out tomorrow.

When I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, I had a dream that Arlo said those three little words, too.

22

Chapter Twenty (Arlo)

When Hensley had first said the words, I had to admit that I was shocked. The shock didn’t come as much from the fact that she had said it, but more from the way that she just said it without hesitation as if it were as natural as breathing. I had been wrestling for weeks with whether or not to tell her how I felt, when to tell her, and how to tell her; it had almost become an obsession in my mind. When I had the idea of what I would do in the window display and was able to get Meg’s cooperation, it all started to fall into place, especially once I heard Hensley say those words.

I knew that if I didn’t tell her that I loved her, too, she would worry that I didn’t. I knew it wasn’t really fair of me to make her wait and let her think that perhaps I didn’t actually feel the same. But it wasn’t too long of a wait, and it would be worth it. I had the best surprise in store for her, and as long as things went according to my plan, this was going to be one of the best days of both of our lives, a day that would be captured in both our memories and in pictures. I made sure to get everything ready the day before, which made me seem even more distant and preoccupied, but it was necessary for things to go off without a hitch. Everything at Closet Magic was ready, and Meg had done the best job of keeping it all under lock and key so that there was no possible way that Hensley would find out about the surprise ahead of time. I had coordinated two of my staff to be there when we arrived; one was an excellent photographer who would capture every moment of it on camera, and the other was one of my set designers who would make sure the rouse looked as believable as possible right up until the minute we revealed the real reason we were there.

I got out of bed and got ready. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt because this was meant to illuminate Hensley's beauty and all of the creativity and passion that she brought to my life. I almost walked out of my door without the small box, which at the last moment, I slid into my pocket. On my drive to Closet Magic, I thought about Hensley trying to navigate her commute to the store through the city while wearing that dress. It was also unfair of me to make her do that, but again, there was a reason. It was her fairytale, and I had to make the story both believable and poignant; otherwise, what was a fairytale, really? I chuckled a little bit, visualizing Princess Hensley making her way through the crowded streets of New York City, catching everyone’s eye and not realizing the destiny she headed toward.

When I got to Closet Magic, it was already close to nine o’clock. Fortunately, everything looked perfect, and the only thing missing was Hensley. I had an hour or so before she arrived, so I used the time to calm my nerves and enjoy the scene in the window. Hensley had done a fantastic job with all of the displays, and she was far more of a creative designer than I was. But there was something about this window that I had created that was special—very special. Meg pulled the curtain that had been placed over the glass to