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Sophie sank her top teeth into her lips and nodded. Sheepish for the first time since I'd met her.
"I can."
She said it so softly I almost didn't hear her. "Do you have any pictures?"
Sophie palmed her phone, flipping it over in her hands. Who would have thought a year ago that I’d be having a conversation about career crises and wanting to try something new?
"You'll have to show them eventually..." I made a gimme motion with my hand. "I promise I'll be gentle."
She lifted a solitary brow. "I bet that's not something Sebastian ever says to you."
I choked on my wine, a laugh bursting from my chest. "Well, that's accurate."
Her eyes lit up in victory. Then my new friend unlocked her phone, swiped across her screen, and pulled up a photo. Sophie inhaled deeply, holding her phone briefly to her chest before handing it over while pinching her eyes shut.
Wow. "This is good. This is really good."
I swiped right, taking a closer look at her original work. Her wearing her own work. "You made these for yourself?"
She shrugged. "Might as well model my own stuff."
“Absolutely,” I wholeheartedly agreed.
“I have to apply to the program. I think I have to take some prerequisites.” She shuddered and I couldn’t blame her. The thought of going back to school in any capacity gave me hives.
“What kind of classes do you need?”
She rolled her eyes. “Things not even relevant to fashion, it seems. English and a few business classes. Those at least make some sense to me.”
“I’m sure that will help. That’s what my brother studied.” I pointed behind me to where Sebastian and Harrison were deep in conversation. “Him too. A business background can really come in handy.”
“I know, I know. It’s just that I want to get down to business and start formal lessons. I just know what I’ve learned from YouTube and being in design houses. I don’t know any of the official techniques.”
"And how does Harrison feel about you going to fashion school?"
A small smile teased her lips. "That man wants me to do whatever makes me happy. He was practically throwing his checkbook at me offering to pay for classes."
Swoon. "So, he's only sort of supportive," I joked.
She belly laughed. "Exactly."
"Harrison's on board. That helps, I'm sure. It must be weird making plans around another person," I mused.
Sophie shook her head. “Not when you love them, it’s not. It’s easy to accommodate and meld to meet each other’s needs.”
My mind wandered to Sebastian. Wondering what it would be like for me to bend for him. For us to bend for each other. Envisioning the compromise that comes with any successful coupling.
Sophie chatted away but my brain was busy thinking about the man behind me. I could hear the deep timber of his voice. That soothing sound that made my toes curl when he used it against me in bed, his warm breath in my ears as we lay tangled in the sheets, our bodies wrapped around one another.
I rubbed my chest. A sharp pain took root there. Only a few days separated us from my gallery show. That was our unofficial end date, and I hated to bring up what would happen afterwards. It sat there on the tip of my tongue, a bitter taste whenever I thought about bringing it up. I wanted to protect this time together. Just us in our little bubble.
And now we were in a literal bubble, a hundred feet above the Strip.
Would he be willing to come to the city more? Would he want to? I'd hate for him to leave Willow behind for any length of time.
And I'd never lived outside of the city beyond spending a month or two in various major European cities. Could I do that for more than a few weeks?
My palms began to sweat. The pain in my chest grew worse.
