AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I accept your apology.” When our eyes finally met, that same vulnerability was there that made my chest tighten. And almost made me cave. Almost. “But it doesn’t change my mind about quitting. I’m not cut out to be your assistant.”
“How do you mean? Outside of your boring ramblings and poor wardrobe choices, you keep me organized and on my toes.”
I couldn’t help smirking. “Anyone could. You’re a disaster.”
He clucked his tongue. “I’m not that bad.”
“You can’t even remember to finish the coffee I serve to you on a silver platter every morning.”
He rolled his eyes, but his breaths were a bit ragged, and fuck me if I didn’t want to keep touching him and make him unravel again. The man was wound so damned tight.
“Whoever replaces you has to be just as stellar at organization.”
Okay, he was actually being nice. Bastard.
“But dress better.”
I snickered. “Noted.”
“Though the new sneakers are a huge improvement.”
I looked at them. “They will always remind me of you.”
The room grew quiet as he cleared his throat and briefly glanced over his shoulder to the shelf where Gucci the dog rested.
My chest throbbed with an acute awareness of Rowan and how prevalent his presence had become in my life. In just our everyday routine.
Fuck, this was going to be harder than I thought.
Maybe there was some way we could still… I snapped out of it, immediately reminding myself that Rowan would not allow himself to trust someone again. He had sworn off relationships.
Relationship? Jesus, listen to me. It was a handful of hookups that were hot and fun and nothing more.
It felt better to tell myself that instead of remembering how my heart wanted to burst out of my chest whenever he was close. It was exhausting to want someone this badly.
“I’ll need you to steam a suit today,” he said, effectively changing the subject. When he reached around me to open the door, my entire body buzzed awake from the closeness. “Let’s get started with our day.”
“I’ll never want to look at a steamer again,” I muttered as I followed him out of the room. “Wait. One more thing.”
He turned to look at me. “Yes?”
“Does anyone know? That I’m resigning?”
“I was hoping over the weekend you’d…” He breathed out. “So no, nobody knows yet. But gossip travels fast around here.”
The morning flew by, and because there was a low-budget movie production crew appearing on the show with their breakaway hit, there were more people to dress and style. Every time our hands touched or our workspace overlapped, Rowan would vacillate between puppy-dog eyes and scalding looks. Him in a nutshell.
But I knew his softer parts now. The stuff that really bothered him. And he knew mine. And that left me with a stitch of longing so overwhelming I felt breathless.
In between shows, there was an overdue break, and it almost felt like a normal day. That was when I decided to tell Kendall and Anita my news, and from there, it spread like wildfire. Tony clapped me on the back as he strode by and others wished me well, which was a tad premature.
“What do you think you’ll do?” Anita asked as she carried an armful of knee-length boots to return to the shoe closet.
“Maybe assist someone who doesn’t require me to sew a hem or steam a shirt? Imagine that,” I said, and she laughed.
Kendall frowned. “We’re going to miss you around here.”
I tried to put on a brave face. “Eh, by the time you return from summer break, it’ll be old news.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “You were good for him.”
But was he good for me?
“Not sure about that, but he’ll find someone else,” I replied as I pushed the button on the steamer. “Someone who actually appreciates fashion.”
She arched a brow. “Is that really what this is all about?”
I looked away and shook my head, unable to pretend any longer.
“I didn’t think so.” She glanced into the hallway to make sure we were still alone. “Was I right that you seemed closer in LA?”
I didn’t want to give too much away, even though I had a feeling she could see right through me. “We had some laughs together.”
“And then, let me guess…he pulled away?”
“Something like that.” I winced. “Let’s hope he doesn’t try to make my life too miserable the next couple of weeks.”
“His broodiness is like his love language,” she said, and I couldn’t deny there was some truth to that. “He’ll be bummed to see you go.”
“Because he doesn’t want to train anyone new.”
She stared at me. “You don’t see it, do you?”
“What?”
“How much he relies on you and enjoys having you around. I think you hold the record for longest assistant, so I suspect he liked you from the start.” Her eyes crinkled in humor. “No way would he have taken anyone else to the ocean on a whim, and the stuffed dog in your office? Do I even want to know?”
