Sophia

 

 

"I can't believe I'm the newest member of the Ella Kara design team." I park my elbows on my kitchen table and rest my chin in my palm.

"You're what?" Cadence takes a bite of a stalk of celery covered in chocolate syrup.

I swallow back the urge to vomit in my mouth. "Why do you have to eat things like that? What is it with pregnant women?"

"Pregnant women?" She asks dryly. "I'm the only pregnant woman you know."

"Incorrect." I slide a paper napkin from the pile I keep on the table toward her. "You have chocolate on your cheek."

"I don't need the napkin." Her fingers brush over her cheek, transforming the chocolate from a simple, circular sphere to a long elegant line. "Who else is pregnant? Jesus, Soph, tell me you're not having Nicholas Wolf's baby."

I laugh aloud. "That will never happen. I'm not the pregnant one. Gabriel's wife is. I found out today."

"Did you find this out before or after he fired you?"

I reach across the table to tap her forehead twice. "Try to follow along, Mama. I'll repeat word-for-word what I told you in the voicemail message I left you earlier. Mr. Foster gave me a job in the design department. I'm working on the new line that launches next fall. It's called Ella Kara. It's named after his daughter Ella and his baby-to-be, Kara, who is going to be about two months younger than your baby."

"Information overload." She dips the end of the celery back in the jar of syrup she found in the back of my refrigerator. "So Nicholas Wolf wasn't entirely wrong? Mr. Foster did fire you?"

I sigh. After I had spent three hours with Sasha, I went back up to Gabriel's office and as I packed up the personal items from my desk, he filled in all the blanks for me.

During his call with Nicholas last night, Mr. Foster realized that I had a website that features my designs. Nicholas mentioned it when he was telling Gabriel that Claudia wanted to meet me after seeing my work. At the very moment Mr. Foster found the site, Nicholas suggested that I lose my job for what he believes I did to him. Mr. Foster didn't argue the point because he was too busy looking over my designs. He told me he saw my potential immediately. By the time Nicholas abruptly ended their call, Gabriel was already envisioning my work as part of the new Ella Kara collection he's preparing to launch.

"I wasn't technically fired. I accepted a new position within the company." I smile because my new contract includes a mile long list of perks and a healthy raise. As soon as Zoe Beck looks it over and approves it, I'll sign on the dotted line. Until then, I'm shadowing Sasha to get a feel for the process.

"Mr. Foster didn't want you to sell your designs in Claudia's stores, did he? He knows you've got something special. He realizes how much talent you have."

I crack an unexpected smile. "You hit the nail on the head, Den. Today my boss finally saw my potential and I couldn't be happier."

I'm a liar.

I could be happier. I could be celebrating my new job in the arms of Nicholas Wolf tonight. Instead, I'm expecting an attorney to call me at any time to tell me that the man I thought might be my future is taking me to court.

 

***

 

I spot her almost instantly inside the boutique that has drawn the attention of virtually every aspiring clothing designer in the country. She's beautiful; tall, regal and wearing a red jumpsuit that would be impossible for most women to pull off. It's not surprising that Claudia Stefano began her career as a model.

Every notable designer in the world wanted her for their shows and print ads. At one point, she was the most in-demand model on the planet. When she stepped away from that to pursue a career in fashion, I knew that one day I'd meet her. Today is that day.

"Can I help you?" A beautiful woman with brown hair and a sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks asks me as she approaches. Her eyes scan my outfit. I left my wool coat back at work since the walk to this boutique is less than half a block.

I would have chosen something else to wear today if I had known that I'd be coming face-to-face with Claudia. I woke up this morning and put on a dress I'd designed more than a year ago. It's pale purple with a narrow black belt. The lines are clean and simple. It's more than enough to impress Sasha, but she's not in the same league as Claudia.

Just as I was organizing my new workstation in the design department, Mr. Foster walked in. The room hushed and as he stalked toward me, the smile on his face gave me a sense of comfort I didn't know I needed until right that second.

I confided in him about Claudia when I went up to his office to brief his temporary assistant earlier today. I repeated the words Nicholas said about Claudia making sure my designs would never see the light of day. It turns out that Gabriel Foster and Claudia Stefano are old friends.

I didn't have to ask him to speak to her on my behalf. He offered to make a call to her immediately.

My new contract with Foster Enterprises prohibits me from showing any of my pieces in her boutiques right at this very moment, but fashion is a fluid industry and now that I'm a designer for Ella Kara, my path will inevitably cross with Claudia's at some point. I have to undo any damage Nicholas has done.

I'm not a thief and the sooner that Claudia knows that, the better.

Saving my relationship with Nicholas may be impossible, but my professional reputation is salvageable and today that's all that matters to me.