Page 122 of Pretend To Be Mine

I was so damn proud of her.

After photos, we did the obligatory press interviews. It was mostly softball questions about Fashion of Love Week. There were a few about our relationship, but thankfully, the press stayed on topic. They asked questions about what to expect from tonight’s show, which Dash handled easily.

“Are we going to see Elizabeth walk again?” one reporter asked. “Her appearance in New York was a highlight.”

“Not tonight,” Elizabeth said smoothly. “Tonight, I’m here as a designer. I’ll be debuting three original pieces in Dash’s show.”

“Original pieces?” The reporter perked up. “Can you give us a preview?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.” She smiled mysteriously. “But I will say they’re unlike anything you’ve seen before.”

The reporter ate it up. I felt a surge of pride. She’d found her voice, learned how to talk about her work with confidence and passion.

After the press obligations, Elizabeth disappeared with Annika for final fitting of the dresses while I tracked down Dash to review the show flow.

“Your girl’s pieces go in between the main bedroom collection and the lingerie finale,” Dash explained, pulling up the running order on his tablet. “It’ll create a nice palette cleanser—still sexy, still seductive, but with more romance. More emotion.”

“They’re not bedroom pieces,” I said. “They’re actual dresses.”

Did I sound defensive? Probably. I didn’t want her to feel like she was being lumped in with Dash’s more dangerous designs.

“I know what they are. I’ve seen the designs, remember?” Dash grinned. “They’re perfect for what they are. Bold without being obvious, sexy without being vulgar. They’ll photograph beautifully and stand out without feeling out of place.”

“You’re going to give her logo a few minutes of screen time, right?”

“Yep. Screens will go black. Then her logo fills them. It’ll be a moment.” He looked at me seriously. “Adrian, her designs are good. The fashion press is going to lose their minds.”

“She deserves it.”

“I agree,” he said. “I know this started as a PR stunt, but Adrian, I’ve watched you this week. You’re different with her. Lighter. More like yourself instead of the CEO robot you became after Dad died.”

“I’m not a robot.”

“You were. Are. When you’re in work mode. But with her, you’re just Adrian again. The brother I grew up with.”

It was a weirdly sentimental moment. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. My brothers and I didn’t really do raw honesty like this.

“Get out of here. I’ve got a show to finalize and you’re distracting me with your lovesick puppy face.”

I found Elizabeth in the dressing area, standing on a platform with Annika while she made final adjustments to one of the models wearing the sapphire gown. The dress looked even better than I imagined. I hoped she was ready to become a household name.”

“Adrian!” Elizabeth waved me over, excitement radiating from her. “Look at it. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what we envisioned.”

“It’s incredible,” I said honestly. “Elizabeth, this is going to blow people away.”

“We have to credit Annika too. She’s the one who made my sketches a reality.” Elizabeth gestured to where Annika was pinning a hem. “I couldn’t have done any of this without her.”

“True,” Annika said without looking up. “But the vision is yours. I just executed it.”

“These are going to change everything for you,” I told Elizabeth, pulling her aside while Annika worked. “After tonight, your name will be everywhere. Every publication, every fashion blog. This is your moment.”

“I’m terrified,” she admitted.

“Good. That means you care.” I tilted her chin up. “But Elizabeth, you’ve already proven you can handle anything. Two weeks ago, you couldn’t stand in front of a camera. Now you’re about to debut your collection at Milan Fashion Week. You’ve got this.”

“Only because you pushed me. Because you believed in me.”

“I just saw what was already there.” I kissed her forehead. “Now go help Annika with final adjustments. I need to check on a few things before the show starts.”