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Why did I agree to this?
“April, this dress is so freaking fancy. I don’t want to ruin it.” I was currently in a sky-blue chiffon dress that had an actual train. I’d never been in a dress with a train before but I offered to help April do some shoots for her marketing. I was the dummy who said, “You know what you need? Models in your clothes. Like real life, different-sized models to showcase your amazing stuff.”
She thought it was a brilliant idea and not only jumped on it but said that I, Jane, Quinn, and Molly would be perfect for this.
The other girls jumped at the chance. I looked at Quinn, who was wearing a gorgeous deep-red dress that was similar to mine but knee-length, whereas mine went way past my feet. She really was gorgeous.
I was holding the dress up in my arms though, to keep it off the grass because April was insistent that we do this shoot at the park. Quinn recommended having Kate Montgomery, a friend of hers from Fall Springs, come down and do the shoot.
It turned out she and her husband actually lived in Golden. Which was where Archer was building that house.
And… I was thinking about him again.
It’s been fairly easy to keep my mind occupied with other things, given that I’ve quit my job, started the preliminary stuff to get my own business started and was filling up fast with clients. Thank God. I knew I was lucky to have such amazing friends supporting me.
“Don’t worry about the dress.” April waves me off. “Kate can edit it if it gets grass stains, right?”
“Definitely.” Kate nods and starts down the path ahead of us.
“I love meeting her. Supporting other woman-owned businesses is my favorite.” April sighs happily and presses a hand against my arm, the other girls wait with us as Kate makes her way to wherever she’s going. “Wait, hold on, let me fix your hair.”
Quinn is on her phone, reading something. Probably a text from Graham, and she smiles broadly.
“What are you so smiley about?” I ask, not out of jealousy, but happiness for them. I want that.
I want to run to Archer right now and tell him everything. But I knew he was working, since it was a Thursday, and I wasn’t sure exactly where we stood. I just wanted his forgiveness so we could move on.
After my little speech yesterday to Cyrus, I’d only returned to my desk for about ten minutes when two security guards approached and escorted me out of the building.
I wasn’t surprised. I was actually glad I didn’t have to wait for two weeks before getting started on my own stuff.
I’d texted Abbi, who blabbed the entire thing to the rest of our floor… then was promptly laid off as well.
I was thinking of making her my first employee, if I could figure out how to do that.
Quinn would help me with the legalities of it.
“Kate’s ready,” Quinn says and Jane and Molly smile. April squeals, clapping her hands.
“Ah, so exciting!”
I love seeing her so excited about her business. It’ll be fun to see our pictures on her website. I think April likes seeing her hard work on display. She didn’t select her clothes lightly. She put thought into each piece and made sure she could work well with whatever company she was working with to maximize the benefit to both sides.
“So, Kate is waiting somewhere down there and just wants to get some shots of us walking down toward her. So, Viv, you go first, then the other girls will follow.”
“Okay, sounds easy enough.”
April spends a couple of seconds straightening out my dress and I hold still, letting her get it just how she wants it before I make my way down the path. I try to keep my expression soft. I have no idea what they’re looking for, but I doubt it’s clown-like smiles because I’m not a model and I don’t know how to carry that fake smile and make it look real.
I feel a breeze and the fall air wraps around me, sending a shiver down my spine. I smile. I love fall. Though, this outfit is definitely more of a summer one with its spaghetti straps and sweetheart neckline. I would totally wear this for an event though.
I sigh and think about any events I’ll be going to that I could buy this for. I could wear it for Graham and Quinn’s wedding, or Chris and April’s whenever those two couples get off their butts and set dates. Though, I’ll give Quinn a break since she only just got engaged. But April and Chris have been engaged for like ten months now.
I wonder if they’ll have a spring wedding.
Damn, where is Kate? I didn’t think she’d be actually hiding, but I don’t see her anywhere.
My feet carry me to the gazebo, and I pause. My feet falter when I see a tall, broad-chested male standing there, a white button-up shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows, showing off his tattoos and jeans that hug his muscular thighs, brown boots peeking out of his pant legs and I’m frozen.
