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“Handsome and smart?” Kandi beams. “Emma, you’ve got the whole package here.”
She has no idea. Handsome and smart doesn’t even scratch the surface. But I can’t explain to her how selfless he has been during this entire process. That he put his life on hold to come to New York and help me. That he spent the last week getting to know me, preparing for today so I don’t put my business at risk. He likely has a million better things to do but is sitting next to me right now because he’s protective and loyal and kind.
And then there’s the way he made me come last night. The way he plucked an explosive, all-consuming orgasm out of me, without even touching me. I won’t mention that, but it’s definitely worth noting.
Since Griffin arrived in the city, I’ve been concerned about making him fit into the mold that I thought the perfect husband would be, but he doesn’t need to fit. He is the mold.
All I can do is smile and try to push the emotion I’m feeling back down.
“That’s why I married him.”
Jess sent over samples of my gowns, which are now hanging on brass busts in the open space behind the sitting area. I walk Kandi through the dresses in my line. She asks about my design process, favorite projects I’ve worked on and upcoming trends I see with bridal fashion.
I expect Griffin to be sitting in one of the comfy chairs checking his phone, maybe secretly watching a game online, like a man waiting on his significant other to finish shopping. But he stands with Kandi and me, listening to our discussion and giving me encouraging smiles.
“Which one is your favorite?” Kandi asks Griffin.
He takes his time answering, walking around each gown, like he wants to make sure he answers the question thoughtfully. His interest, or at least the appearance that he’s interested, in my work is surprising. Maybe I’m skeptical from the years of Alec’s disinterest, but to have Griffin actively participate and seem to enjoy it is warming my heart. It’s also making my belly flutter with anticipation.
“This one.” He points to the lace-covered dress. “It’s the most similar to how I see Emma. The cut of it is delicate and sweet, the lace makes it romantic, and the strap detailing on the back is sexy. All those details together show her passion for what she does.”
My heart pounds in response to Griffin’s words. Why does my husband have to be so adorable?
I can see the effect he has on Kandi. His reserved nature and humble charm have reduced what I thought to be a no-nonsense, severe magazine editor to a mushy pile of love.
“Meeting you two was a pure delight. You have such a special relationship.” She looks between us, “And Emma, your designs are everything I imagined and more. I’m going to be watching you and look forward to what you have in store for us in the future.”
“Thank you, Ms. Kline.”
“I’m going to have Nakita see you to hair and makeup for the photoshoot.”
Nakita appears and motions us down the hallway, toward a small room. Inside, a makeup artist is setting out brushes and compacts. Next to her, a man is pulling out styling products.
I drop into the seat Nakita indicates and Griffin takes the chair beside me. After introducing themselves, Bobbi gets to work on my makeup and Luis starts to style Griffin’s hair.
With the interview behind us, I can feel my body relaxing. The hardest part is over. Now, it’s the fun part of getting pampered with hair and makeup, smiling for the camera. With a photographer father, all of this is second nature to me.
“Somebody has a crush,” I tease Griffin.
“Who?” he asks.
“Kandi does. On you. She’s smitten. She loves you. She’s your biggest fan, remember?”
“What’s not to love?” He wiggles his eyebrows, which makes me laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing you locked me down when you did,” he teases back, “or you’d have competition.”
I roll my eyes.
“Don’t get a big head or I’ll be forced to dominate you again in Yahtzee.”
“Then I’ll be forced to pull out the Twister mat.”
The tone of his voice is joking, but when I look across the mirror at him, his eyes are the same intense pools of green that they were last night when he told me to come against his leg. So much for relaxing.
“Kandi wants your makeup natural and your hair up,” Bobbi informs me as she applies a tinted moisturizer.
“Sounds great.”
It’s customary for the editorial feature to have some over-the-top photoshoot, so the fact that we’re in this random building and Kandi wants minimal makeup and hair has me wondering what she has in store for us. There was the notable May 2018 Grand Central Station photoshoot featuring Maggie Kwan, and a personal favorite, designer Vivienne Castillo’s dress floating in Central Park Lake. The last week and a half, the priority has been getting to know Griffin, so I haven’t had much time to dwell on what the photoshoot might be.
