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“Now tell me what you want. I’m busy.”
“I want to be your assistant.”
I covered my hands over my face and lifted it to the ceiling. “Mother Mary, I promise to be a good girl from this day forward if you save me from this.”
“Too late, I’ve already volunteered. You don’t need to pay me or anything. I only want to learn.” She moved to a dress form with a half-draped piece, fingered some pleats, traced the corset, and nodded. “And I want to be the one to model this one.”
Well, it looked as if I had my model with the attitude.
“Figures. It’s called My Mistress.”
Oliana clapped her hands. “Okay, what can I do?”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” I gaped at her. “You’re serious about working with me and helping me with my new collection. This is all shit work. Like, cutting fabric and the crap we did at the shelter stuff.”
“What, you don’t think I can do hard work?” Oliana jerked her chin out, giving me an offended glare, and then unbuttoned and threw a coat worth at least ten grand on the floor behind her.
“I’m not sure you can take not being the boss. In here, I’m in charge. You don’t have any say. Got it?”
“No opinions?”
“No. My collection. My design. No one gets credit but me.”
“I’m not here to steal your designs.”
“Cut it with the offended crap. I’m just setting expectations. Even if I’m the stupidest person in the world, I feel like I can trust you, so I’m allowing you into my circle. I don’t care if you’re some crazy bitch assassin if you fuck me over, I will haunt you.”
“I would never betray family. We’re family, Sophia.”
Wait, was that hurt on her face at me thinking she’d stab me in the back?
Being around this woman confused the hell out of me.
“Explain to me when we became related.”
“The moment you protected my niece from Randolph. You took her to your home, comforted and gave her security to keep her safe. That is what family does. We are family now. There is no getting rid of me.”
“Umm, does Nikki know this, considering I’m a Morelli?”
She nodded. “Nikki reached out to your brother. They are allies now. Everything is beautiful.”
“Oliana, you bulldoze over everyone, and people have no idea how they ended up giving you what you wanted.”
“I am who I am.” She motioned with her chin. “I want to learn. Put me to work.”
“Okay, you asked for it. I need all the fabrics sorted into the bins based on color hues. Once you finish that, we will have enough space to lay out the comparison sketches. I’m having trouble deciding on the base for the centerpiece of the collection. Maybe everything out in the open will clear it up.”
“Did you say you want me to sort fabrics?” She eyed the half-opened boxes overflowing with bolts of the various materials I ordered for the project.
“In all of what I said, you caught only the manual labor part?”
Oliana looked down at her manicured nails and sighed. “Fine. Fine. Nikki owes me a massage tonight. Let me go get changed into something comfortable.”
“You sneaky bitch. You planned this and came prepared.”
“One day soon, my antics won’t surprise you. Show me where to change. My girl Nata is bringing up my clothes.”
“Don’t make me regret this.”
