Sophia

 

 

Son of a bitch.

I say that to myself. Mr. Foster tricked me. He goddamn tricked me into coming to his office at nine fifteen because he knew damn well Nicholas Wolf would be here.

Shit. He looks better than I remember. He must have rolled out of bed and came straight here. His hair, the growth of beard on his chin and that sleepy, all-too-sexy look in his eyes are all dead giveaways.

I shake the thought of Nicholas in his bed out of my mind.

"You asked to see me, sir?" I shift my gaze from the man I once thought I loved to the man I temporarily loathe. Mr. Foster isn't a matchmaker and he shouldn't be playing one on a random Monday morning.

"I did, Sophia. I wanted to go over the two designs you submitted to Sasha last week."

I already know how much Sasha loves those designs. She told me as much this morning when I got in. Since I signed my new employment contract, it's been full steam ahead on the launch of the Ella Kara line. I've worked tirelessly on not only creating designs but on sewing samples so that Sasha and Mr. Foster have a clear understanding of my vision.

"I came come back later if you're busy." My voice shakes. It's not surprising. I've been avoiding Nicholas for the past two weeks. Every single time he sends me a text message, I fire one back to him telling him that I'm too busy to meet. It's not a complete lie. Ella Kara is my life at the moment and since the launch is only a couple of months away, I need to have six outfits in place, approved and ready for the manufacturer before we unveil the collection to the press.

"Nicholas was just leaving."

I turn to look at him. His brows lift in surprise. Apparently, he wasn't aware that his meeting with Gabriel is over.

I step aside to allow Nicholas room to pass me after he stands. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Gabe."

I bite back a laugh at the expression on Mr. Foster's face. He relishes whatever this is that is going on between him and his favorite author. "I'll see you soon."
"You can count on that." Nicholas moves toward me. "It's good to see you, Sophia."

It's good to see him too and painful. My stomach bunches as he brushes past me and exits the office without another word to me.

 

***

 

"You look so fucking hot right now." Dexie eyes me as I enter the living room of my apartment. "Can you believe we are going to a party to celebrate your fashion line?"

I can't. I've tried wrapping my brain around it since Mr. Foster told me about it during our meeting on Monday morning. I was still reeling from seeing Nicholas when I found out that I'd be attending a get together of some of the most influential professionals in the fashion industry.  I've literally had to pinch myself more than once to make sure this isn't a dream.

I glance down at the simple red dress I chose to wear. It's a new design for me. It's fitted with a cut out back. It's too daring to wear to work, but it's perfect for tonight. Dexie helped me pull my hair into a tight, high ponytail. The entire look is sleek and sexy. It screams successful fashion designer.

"Is Cadence meeting us there?" The excitement in Dexie's voice is palpable. I invited her as my plus one as soon as I got back to my workstation on Monday. I also told her that I'd need a clutch to carry with me tonight. This may be a party to celebrate the impending launch of my collection, but I want eyes on Dexie's designs too.

"She'll be there. Tyler's coming too."

I didn't have to ask Mr. Foster if there was room for them. Cadence received a formal email invitation from Mr. Foster's new assistant on Monday. My parents did too but the cost of coming here from Florida on such short notice made the trip impossible for them. I promised my mom I'd take loads of pictures and send them to her tomorrow.

"What about Nicholas?" Dexie wiggles her perfectly shaped brows. She looks gorgeous tonight. Her small frame tucked into a sleek black dress I designed just for her. Her pink hued hair is in loose waves that cascade down her shoulders and onto her back.

"What about him?" I bite back as I fasten my mom's silver watch to my wrist.               "He's a writer. He doesn't know the first thing about fashion."

"He's a part of your life," she points out.

"Was a part of my life," I correct her quickly. "This night is all about me and my accomplishments. My current success has nothing to do with him."

That's not entirely true. If Nicholas hadn't freaked the fuck out and called Mr. Foster because he thought I stole his book, I wouldn't be the head of the Ella Kara collection. It's a bare truth that I think about every single day. His rantings lead Mr. Foster to my website and the rest is history.

"We're going to be late if we don't head out now." She taps the face of my watch. "The last time you were at Hibiscus is going to be a distant memory after tonight."

I confided in Dexie about my reservations about stepping foot in that restaurant again. It's filled with the bad taste of the angry words that Nicholas was throwing at me. She's right though. Tonight will change everything for me. This is my new slate and I'm ready to make the most of it.