Page 99 of Last First Date

“I guess you could say he used to be a celebrity. Knox.”

Their faces registered shock and disbelief simultaneously. Janie’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide and filled with a mixture of shock and excitement. Meredith, on the other hand, remained silent for a moment, studying me intensely as if trying to decipher the truth.

“Knox? As in your boss, Knox?” Meredith finally spoke, her words slow but firm. “You’re kidding?”

I shook my head. “I wish I were.” The confession surprised me as much as it did them. I had never mentioned my feelings for Knox before but having said it out loud now made it all too real.

Janie was the first to break the silence. “That’s unexpected, but not really. You must have some feelings for him. You wouldn’t hop in bed with a guy you didn’t like. Are you guys a thing now?”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem,” I confessed, rubbing my temple lightly. “He’s my boss and now there’s this whole fame thing and I just don’t know. At first, I thought he was upset with me about the runway thing. I took the spotlight from him, but then he ended up being so supportive. I saw a totally different man in New York. He was kind and thoughtful.”

“And was the sex good?” Meredith asked bluntly.

“A lady never tells,” I said, laughing.

“That means it was good,” Janie said, grinning. “I would believe it. That man is hot.”

“So you guys are at least dating, right?” Meredith asked. “You went to New York as our little Waverly and come back a celebrity with a model boyfriend.”

“I don’t think either of those things are true,” I said. “He’s not my boyfriend and I’m not a celebrity.”

“Was it just a one-night thing?” Janie asked.

“No. It was a couple-night thing,” I admitted. “I just don’t know what we’re doing.” I told them about the trip, including the sightseeing and his thoughtful gift the night of the party.

They listened and nodded.

“You need to think about what you want, Waverly,” Janie said. “If it’s Knox you want, then go for it. Life’s too short for indecision and regrets.”

“I know, Janie,” I said, sighing. “But it’s not that black and white. There are repercussions to consider. What if it goes wrong, and I end up losing my job? What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

“Then you have to weigh your options and decide what you’re willing to risk,” Meredith said. “But from what you’ve told us, it sounds like Knox has genuine feelings for you. A man doesn’t buy a dress and set you up with a spa day if he doesn’t like you.”

“Yes, but—” I began, only for Meredith to cut me off.

“No buts, Waverly,” she said firmly. “You’re only going to drive yourself crazy overthinking this. For once, why don’t you just ride the wave? Enjoy the highs. It might be a risk, but just think about how good it was to be with him.”

I sighed and took a deep gulp from my glass. The wine flowed smoothly, warming my insides and injecting a shot of courage into my veins. I knew they were right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. Life wasn’t about playing it safe. It was about taking chances, making mistakes, and learning from them. I gave myself that same speech in New York before I did the runway.

“I’ll feel him out,” I finally agreed. “I don’t want to become a nuisance to him. If I get the impression there is something more, I’ll approach the subject. But he’s my boss. I need my job. I don’t want to risk making things awkward. Maybe it was a fling. We were in a different city and got to be different people for a few days.”

“You have to talk to him,” Janie said.

“I will, I will,” I muttered.

“So, what was it like to be up there, strutting your stuff in front of a New York audience?” Meredith asked. “Was it terrifying? Especially since you were in lingerie.”

I took a sip of my drink. “Honestly, it was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. Stepping onto that runway, I felt a surge of confidence, but there was also this underlying fear of tripping or messing up. I got a quick session training me how to walk the runway, but I didn’t know if it would do me any good. And the other models were so nice. The adrenaline rush was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

“The models were nice?” Janie asked with surprise.

I laughed. “They were! Really nice, actually.”

“You looked stunning,” Janie said. “I’ve seen fan accounts dedicated to your runway debut. How does that feel?”

The notion of fan accounts left me dumbfounded. “It’s humbling, really. I never expected people to be so supportive. It’s like this unexpected wave of positivity and encouragement. I appreciate every message, every comment. It’s incredible. I really thought people were going to be calling me a pig, cow, or whatever insult they could think of.”

Janie leaned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So, are you ready for the celebrity life? Paparazzi, red carpets, the whole shebang?”