Epilogue
Cami
12 Months Later
I rush around like a crazy person, checking over the dresses while the models get their hair and makeup done. I’m so damn nervous and the fact that the left heel for my third outfit has been misplaced is making me freak the fuck out.
Tonight is the night I’ve been waiting for since I was a little girl. It’s my runway show for the very first Cameron Drew collection.
I’ve worked my ass off for this. I’ve been pricked by sewing pins at least one thousand times, I’ve had countless late nights where my head never really seemed to hit the pillows, and not to mention, there have been hundreds of meetings to have just to make sure all the people in the industry who I’m wanting to show off for are actually turning up.
I am a mess of nerves.
And I still can’t find this fucking shoe. I mean, who steals just one shoe?
“Cami,” Bec calls from across the backstage area. I look up and see her waving a hand, indicating for me to get my ass over there. “Come here for a sec,” she yells out.
I dash over there as quickly as possible and find her holding two different blouses while looking down at my black pencil skirt. “What’s up?” I question.
She looks up at me which is when I notice the same nerves in her eyes that I’m sure is showing within mine. “I can’t remember which top went with the skirt, and which heels you had picked.”
I let out a breath. At least this is a question I can actually answer unlike the hundreds of other questions that have been thrown my way this afternoon.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me right now. Usually, I’m so in control, I’m focused, and attentive, but right now. I’m a fucking mess. I’m too close to this and the thought of failing is scaring the shit out of me.
I try to shoo the self-doubt from my mind and focus on the task before me. “Ok,” I say. “The yellow blouse goes with the skirt and the black pumps,” I tell her before indicating to the other top she holds in her hands. “This was the back up if, god forbid, anything was to happen to the other one. Keep it close by.”
“Got it,” she says before sliding the hanger through the top of the yellow blouse and matching it with the skirt before turning and searching out the black pumps.
“Hey,” I call to her back. She turns back around and raises a questioning eyebrow. “Have you seen the heel for the third outfit? It’s missing.”
“Shit,” she says with a cringe before looking around to glance at the heels beneath the outfits. “No, sorry,” she tells me. “It will be here somewhere. It couldn’t haven’t gotten far.”
I let out a quick, sharp breath. She’s right. It will show up. It has to.
“Cami,” I hear from the hair stylist. I let out another and head on over there. “What were you thinking for this one?”
I look down at the model and try to remember which outfit she’ll be in. “You’re the fourth girl down the runway?” I question. The girl, who must only be nineteen, nods and I look over the features of her face. “I think a high bun will be good, though, make it a little edgy.”
“No problem,” she says with a laugh before turning her attention back to the head of hair before her.
I start hurrying around the place, searching out this damn shoe when I hear a flurry of activity followed by my event manager calling out. “This is your thirty-minute call,” she tells the room. “Time to start getting the models dressed.”
“Shit,” I groan under my breath as a wave of nausea comes over me. I can’t do this.
The models who have completed their hair and makeup start rushing around the backstage area and instantly start stripping off their clothes with the majority of them in nothing but skin colored thongs.
They reach for my designs and I watch in awe as the start pulling them on. I mean, I did a great fucking job. The dresses fit perfectly, the curves of the designs show off their figures perfectly, and I can’t help but feel incredibly accomplished. It’s the same feeling I got when I first opened Style me Crazy and again when I re-launched it.
The only other time I felt this way was on my wedding day three months ago when I finally married the man of my dreams.
“Fuck me,” I hear from a very familiar voice behind me. “I must have died and gone to heaven.”
I turn around and grin at the man who is taking in all the ass and tits in the room. “What are you doing back here?” I scold him. “You’re going to make the girls uncomfortable.”
“Well,” Jace chuckles. “If they’re feeling uncomfortable, tell them to come see me. I can help with that.”
I roll my eyes at my ridiculous husband before swatting his arm. “Shut up.”
He takes a step and pulls me into his arms before pressing his lips to mine. “I came to make sure you weren’t freaking out, and from the frantic look in your eye, you need to calm the fuck down. You’ve got this.”
I pout my bottom lip out and the wild emotions from the day start catching up to me. I feel the tears beginning to pool in my eyes and I will myself to pull it together. “I lost the heel from the third design and if I don’t find it, the girl is going to be walking out there with nothing on her feet and I’ll be slammed.”
He puts both hands on my shoulders and I feel the nerves beginning to seep out of me. “When did you see it last?” he questions in his alpha male, take charge tone.
I swallow back before trying to think it over. “I don’t know, maybe an hour ago.”
“Right,” he says. “I’m going to go find it. In the meantime, you need to go sort out the model in the red thing. When you made me model that outfit, I’m pretty sure I had it on the other way.”
I look back over my shoulder and gasp at what I see. As usual, my husband is right and completely saving my ass. I head straight over there and instantly get to work fixing up the red dress.
Ten minutes later, a grinning Jace returns with one beautiful black heel. “Is this what you’ve been looking for?” he asks, holding it out.
“Oh my god, yes,” I sigh as I quickly grab it out of his hand and practically launch it over to the ten-foot-tall model who’s been hobbling around with one heel for the past few minutes.
I turn back to Jace as he takes my hand and leads me away from the craziness of the show. Once he’s got me alone, he places both hands on my shoulders and looks down at me. “You,” he says slowly. “Have got this.”
“Are you sure?”
“What do I always tell you?”
I can’t help but roll my eyes as I grin up at him. “Stop asking you if you’re sure.”
“Good, now I have to go find my seat,” he tells me. “You’re going to kill it.”
He pulls me in and crushes his lips to mine. “I love you,” I murmur between kisses. With my name being called in the distance, I pull away, only to have Jace spank my ass before disappearing through a gap in the curtain to find the boys and their seats.
Ten minutes later, I stand by the side of the stage and the music blasts while listening to my line being introduced. I can’t help but look out at the full house and gasp as I take in the people who are here. I mean, every top designer and label have shown up. To my freaking show. I can’t fucking believe it. Even the guy from Macy’s is here.
Jace catches my eyes and with the proud as fuck grin he sends my way, he knows exactly what's going through my mind, after all, it’s all I’ve talked about over the past few months. You know, apart from the whole marrying the man of my dream’s thing.
He gave me an incredible wedding and just as he had promised, he made me the happiest girl in the world. He even took me to McDonald’s right in the middle of our wedding, just to brag that gave me everything I ever asked for. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The show is an absolute hit and two hours later, once the last of the media has disappeared, I stand in the empty room amongst my friends while my husband's arm is securely wrapped around my side.
“Congratulations,” Rylee cheers as she pulls two bottles of champagne from behind her back. She hands one over to Cole and together, they both pop the lids.
Everybody cheers at the sound as Imogen hurries to place out glasses while Rylee quickly fills them. Lex gets in on the action and starts handing a glass around to everybody while we all talk about the three offers I received at the end of the show.
I mean, I’m on such a high that I can barely even comprehend what’s happened tonight.
Lex busily hands everyone a glass before she reaches me. She holds it out and I hold up a hand. “Oh, no thanks,” I say. “Not for me.”
“Eh?” she grunts. “What do you mean? Tonight is your night. It’s kind of the rules to have a glass to celebrate.”
At that, she reaches out the glass to me again. Jace’s fingers tighten on my waist as I look up at him with a knowing smile before turning back to Lex. “No really,” I tell her with a grin. “I can’t.”
Rylee buts her head into our conversation as she narrows her eyes on me. “What the hell is taking so long?” she questions. “I want to toast to my best friend already.”
With a knowing smile, Lex turns to Rylee. “She’s telling me can’t.”
“Pull your shit together and drink that bastard. Tonight we’re partying it up. What do you say we go to The Dark Room after this?”
I roll my eyes and laugh at my best friend. Clearly, she’s already had a few drinks and I’m going to have to spell this one out for her. “First off,” I tell her. “I’d love to go to The Dark Room after this, and secondly,” I say, slowing down my words and giving her a meaningful look. “I can’t drink any alcohol.”
Imogen squeals from beside Caden before bursting into tears of happiness. “She’s pregnant.”
“What?” Rylee gasps with wide eyes as she looks to Imogen. “Is she?” she turns to me. “Are you?”
“Yeah,” I laugh before she pulls me into her arms. Not three second later, our whole group is crowded around, celebrating not only my massive win tonight, but the life Jace and I are expecting to bring into this world.
When Rylee finally releases me, Jace takes his spot beside me and once again snakes his arms around me, only this time, his hand comes to a stop on my tiny little baby bump, one that you wouldn’t even notice unless you were looking for it.
“I fucking love you so much,” he murmurs in my ear.
I turn in his arms so I’m looking right up at him. “Thank you,” I tell him.
His eyebrows furrow as he looks at me I confusion. “For what, babe?”
At that, a smile rips right across my face. “For keeping your promise,” I tell him. “You told me you were going to give me the world, and you’ve done that a million times over.”
“Anything for you,” he says. “You know I’d give you the world every damn day if I could.”
At that, I pull him down and press his lips to mine. “You already do.”
The end.