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I let out a long exhale. “And I’ll be waiting.” I blew him a bunch of kisses until he finally smiled.
“Go to bed and get some sleep. That’s an order, Ms. Sokol.”
“You too, Mr. Crane.”
We ended the call, and I buried my face in my hands.He looked so worried; I hated keeping secrets from him.I glanced over all the fabric I needed to sew for my other classes and to reconstruct my winning dress.How will I get it all done in time?Not by sitting here sulking.
I mixed an energy drink and went to work.
The rest of my week was spent measuring, cutting fabric, sewing, and recreating the winning copper gown. Even in class, I was too busy to notice the other students, only my work. In desperation, I even had Ben take me to The Grill to recharge my creativity. It was well past seven p.m. on the following Friday when I reached Professor Elan’s office. But the light was still on.
“Nadia, bring me the dress,” she called from her studio.
I rushed up and handed her the garment bag. My head throbbed, and I wiped the sweat from my upper lip.
“Are you sick?” she frowned.
“Just nervous. Can you please check it over now?” my voice strained.
Professor Elan unzipped the garment bag and scanned over every stitch, comparing it to the damaged dress that was clean though discolored. There was the desire to make significant changes that I had to block. It had to be as close to a replica of the winning dress as possible to ensure it was still fair to all the other students.
“It’s the dress. It’s practically the same garment.” She nodded and smiled.
I tilted my head back towards the ceiling and let out a loud cry. “I did it!”
“You did,” Professor Elan said and laughed.
I re-tucked my black wavy hair back into the messy ponytail on top of my head. I was wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday, a black A-line dress that fit looser than it had the last time I’d worn it. Happy tears fell down my cheeks as I beamed at Professor Elan. “Thank you for all your encouragement.”
She cracked a smile. “Go to sleep. You look like a zombie. Great work.”
“Thank you again.”
I sent a text to Ben.
Nadia: On my way.
I’d reached outside the building and saw Ben standing outside the Mercedes, but he wasn’t alone. A blonde woman in a power suit was standing in front of the passenger side. It didn’t take long to recognize Paul’s mother, Dani Crane.
“Excuse me.” I gestured toward the car door.
Her head tilted to the side. “Can I at least get a minute with you?”
I stiffened. Although Paul and his mother didn’t seem terribly close, she was still a person of influence in his life. I wanted nothing to do with her, but out of respect for my mom and all she had taught me about respecting my elders, I held back the anger burning within me. The week had been horrendously busy, and I was exhausted. I took a deep breath and tried to respond cordially. “Mrs. Crane, I heard all your words when I was in the loft and know what you think of me. But with all due respect, let me save you the time. I understand I’m just a temporary part of Paul’s life. So I ask that you please leave me alone.”
I figured his mom was behind Gunnar’s proposal. When he said she was running to a matchmaker after meeting me, it occurred to me that she might’ve been behind the payout.
Her shoulders dropped. “Well, we both agree on that. I’m not trying to interfere; I can see Paul’s happy and having fun, so thank you. But of course, he’ll be much more occupied once the baby comes.” Her lips stretched into a smile.
“The surrogate. Not selected or pregnant yet,” I added.
Dani’s smile wilted and my own broadened. She thought she had some juicy gossip to upset me.Too bad.
“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you congratulations on your dress. As a member of the board of trustees, we were notified there was an incident. Are you okay?”
I folded my arms. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
She smirked. “I’m sure you can, but I bet Paul is more than willing to help you. I hear you’re going to Givenchy, too. I hadn’t realized he had influence there.”
