Sophia

 

 

"You want me to go with you to a school with you so I can read books out loud?" I shudder at the thought. "Public speaking isn't my thing, Nicholas."

"You're the designer behind Ella Kara, Sophia." He places both of his hands on my shoulders. "You don't think you're going to have to do interviews or make an announcement on launch day?"

I scan his face. "Shit. Holy shit. I hadn't thought of that."

He shakes his head and laughs. "It's a middle school, Sophia. They're hosting a career night. I'm one of the feature speakers and part of the agreement was that I'd stay and read a few chapters of Action's Cause."

"Is that book even appropriate for a bunch of kids that age?" I eye him suspiciously. "It's graphic, isn't it?"

"I guarantee you that the video games they play after school each day are a hell of a lot worse than my book."

My excuses are running out. "I should stay home and work on my designs."

He looks at me patiently. "I spoke to Gabriel earlier and he said you were ahead of schedule."

There's absolutely no way I'm getting out of this. "If it's important to you, I'll do it, but I want you to know that I'm a hostile reader."

"You've been reading that manuscript I gave you, haven't you?"

I have. I wasn't going to. My plan all along was to give that flash drive back to Nicholas, but I decided to keep it. I know that it meant a lot to him that I asked for the book in the first place, so I made a vow that I'd work my way through the entire book. I'm almost done and it's even more impressive than I anticipated. It's no wonder Joe cashed in on it the way that he did. Nicholas writes with an intensity that's captivating. I got lost in his words more than once.

"I have read a lot of it," I confess. "I love it. I'm proud of you."

"You're proud of me?" He places both of his hands in the center of his chest. "I feel the very same way about you, Sophia. Your life will change when Ella Kara launches. My only hope is that you won't forget about me. Don't leave me in your dust."

"I'll never be as famous as you are."

He pulls back and looks me right in the eye. "When I'm with you, I just want to be Nicholas. I don't want to be famous."

"You are just Nicholas to me." My lips twitch. "I went to see Noah Foster a few weeks ago to get a new headshot and we talked about you."

"Noah's a good guy. He did my headshot a year or so ago."

My eyes wander to the photograph hanging on his wall of the beautiful, nude woman that Noah took. "He told me that I reminded him of his wife. I don't know her, but it felt like a huge compliment at the time."

"He doesn't hand out many."

Noah's words mean even more now. "He told me that it was good that I didn't care that you were Nicholas Wolf, but I do care. I care that you have such passion for your work that you captivate people all over the world. I care that you have taken years to hone your craft and that you're dedicated to telling the best story you possibly can."

His eyes soften. "Your opinion matters to me, Sophia. If you're proud of me, I'm capable of doing anything."

"Next week we'll go to that school and I already know I'll walk out at the end of the night in awe of you."

"I feel the same way whenever I talk to Gabriel about you."

"I'll go with you and I'll read to the kids if you want me to, but when we're done, you have to promise me one thing." I lean up to brush my lips over his.

"I'll do anything for you. You know that."

"Promise me that you'll let me teach you how to play that beautiful instrument behind us."

His fingers trace a path along my collarbone before dipping down to the buttons on the front of my dress. "I'll try and learn to play the piano if you'll promise me that you'll let me feast on you tonight."

"I promise," I say as I watch his hands open my dress and reach for the clasp at the front of my black bra.

 

***

 

"I'm going to be on Rise and Shine." I smile broadly. "Do you remember the first time you were on that show, Cadence? Now, I'm going on too."

"You're a star," Cadence singsongs with a huge grin on her face. "You know that old saying, Soph. If you can make it on Rise and Shine, you can make it anywhere."

"It's a song." I toss her a mock scowl. "If you can make it in this city, you can make it anywhere."

"That's exactly what you're doing." Her hand rubs her chin. "I'd say you officially made it already."
"That's why I made this lunch reservation." We near the entrance to Hibiscus. "I want to celebrate my upcoming appearance on the show that's already launched your career and will soon launch mine."

"You don't need a short appearance on a morning television show to launch your career." She scans the exterior of the building. "I keep telling you that as soon as Ella Kara launches, you'll be a household name."

"My clothing designers aren't household names." I point out as I reach for the handle of the door.

She steps in before I do. "You're launching a collection that is affordable, Soph. That means that you'll have millions of eyes on it. You're going to blow up the fashion world. Mark my words."

"Sophia Reese," I say to the woman at the hostess desk before I turn back to Cadence. "I hope you don't mind that we came here. I didn't eat much when we were here for the party. I want to try the smoked trout."

"I'm having one of everything." She looks over my shoulder into the busy dining room. "This place is hopping."

It is. Dining out with Cadence is an experience onto itself. Her eye is critical of everything and her palate professionally trained. She knows what works and doesn't work and it's not uncommon for her to ask to speak to the chef after we've been served our entrees. The majority of the time she does that to commend them on a job well done. If she does have critical feedback, she always presents it in a kind and respectful manner.

I follow her as the hostess takes us to our table. Cadence observes everything, soaking in the subtle details of the design and the table layout.

"Whoever is behind this restaurant is a genius," she says to the hostess once we're seated. "Is the manager available? My name is Chef Sutton."

It's rare for her to pull out the chef card. I like when she does. I want her to be proud of what she's accomplished in her short career.

The hostess beams as Cadence speaks to her. "I know exactly who you are. You're marrying Tyler Monroe."

"I am," Cadence grouses. She's proud of Tyler, but her accomplishments are often overshadowed by his.

"Are you thinking of shooting your segment here, Den?" I interject myself into the conversation. "I thought you were set on showcasing that new restaurant on the Upper East Side and not this one."

The hostess straightens, her hand reaching out to tentatively touch Den's shoulder. "You're here on official business, Chef? I had no idea. Your meal is on the house and I'll get the manager out as soon as possible."

With that, she takes off toward the kitchen.

"I'm not thinking of showcasing this place on my show." Cadence narrows her gaze at me. "I can deal with people thinking Tyler is a better chef than I am."

"I can't." I meet her gaze and hold it. "I want the entire world to know that my best friend is an incredible chef. If I have to tell every person I meet, I will."

"You're the best, Soph." She nibbles on one of the pieces of bread that were already on the table when we sat down. "I only wanted to talk to the manager so I could tell them I admire their style."

I open the menu in front of me and scan the offerings. "You'll do that and then we'll eat for free."