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Madison
The luxurious fabric of the evening gown drapes around me as I step out of the changing room, my reflection in the full-length mirror revealing a sight that looks foreign, even to my own eyes. The long, soft champagne-colored dress clings to my curves in all the right places, the intricate beading shimmering under the store’s warm lights. Yet, it doesn’t feel quite right.
I look at Max, who’s sipping champagne by the dressing area with an appraising grin on his face.
“Nice one!” he purrs, his eyes shining with approval. “Quite sparkly. Looks good.”
I spin around, the dress swirling around me, and I can’t help but feel a surge of incredulity. This dress is a head-turner, sparkling, like Max said. But is it a little too flashy?
Then I remember that this is Max, my brutally honest best friend who won’t hesitate to tell me if I look like a disaster if I ask for his honest opinion. And his first assessment wasn’t overly enthusiastic.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel good, are you?”
Max feigns innocence, placing a hand over his heart in mock sincerity. “Madison, would I ever lie to you about fashion?”
He pauses to scan me again from head to toe, before he concludes,“But yeah, I think we can do better.”
I smirk at his theatrics before disappearing back into the dressing room to try on the next dress. This one is more demure, a deep navy with delicate lace detailing. When I step out again, I notice the hint of disappointment in Max’s eyes.
“It’s too tame, isn’t it?” I sigh, glancing at myself in the mirror.
Max takes a thoughtful sip of his champagne before speaking. “It’s not that it’s bad. It’s just… a tad boring for you. You’ve got a fierce event to attend. You need something that screams ‘I’m here to conquer the world’!’ But, you know, without being too flashy. We don’t want to appear tacky, do we.”
Max tends to speak like a well-meaning grandma sometimes. It’s one of the many things I love about him. I chuckle, appreciating his candor.
He’s right, of course. This is my moment, an acknowledgment of the work I’ve poured into adapting and funding innovative prosthetic designs and technologies since my father’s death. I’m being recognized for my contribution to the field, and I want to own the spotlight, even though the stress of the past few weeks is still sitting tight on my shoulders.
“Try the red one!” Max suggests. “That was my favorite from the ones we picked out.”
I walk back into the changing room, and Max’s eyes light up as I step back out.
“Now that’s more like it!” he exclaims, practically bouncing on his feet.
The dress is a bold crimson, its neckline plunging and its back bare save for delicate crisscrossing straps. It’s daring yet elegant. I preen under Max’s approving gaze, feeling a surge of confidence.
“Very appropriate for someone who is about to receive the… what was it again?” Max says. “Excellent… something?”
“Innovator’s Excellence Award,” I say, knowing that he’s playing dumb and simply wanted me to say the words again.
“That’s it! Innovator’s Excellence Award,” he repeats with emphasis. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that. It’s just so—”
“Ridiculous?” I jump in, but he shakes his head.
“I was going to say big, or important,” he says. “They don’t just hand these out to anybody.”
I walk over to the seating area, where Max is sipping champagne while I try on dresses, to take a sip from my own flute.
“It sounds bigger than it is,” I say, though he is not completely wrong. “And it’s not like it changes anything.”
The lavish gala that is held to hand out these awards is one of the biggest and most important events of the year for people working in the public health sector. There will be a ton of influential people and representatives, and a lot of opportunities to network—especially for those who are lucky enough to receive one of the awards that are handed out each year. I have been attending these events for years, initially accompanying my father when I was still a student, and then in my own capacity as a figure in the industry. And I’ve been dreaming of being one of the people on stage for just as long.
Still, there was little more than a tiny hiccup of excitement when I received the call that I was one of the winners to be honored this year. It feels wrong to receive an award like this when I don’t even feel like I have my business under control. The dispute with my uncle has dampened my spirit for so long, and now this infuriating Chase has joined him in reminding me that I’m just a stupid little girl, who has no idea what she’s doing.
Chase, who just won’t leave me alone. It was bad enough that he seems to manifest wherever I go, but now he’s also invading my dreams. I still feel the heat rush to my ears when I think about this morning. I woke up with a racing heart, the skin on my face covered with a thin layer of sweat and my core throbbing with a desire stronger than anything I have ever felt. And it was his face that I saw in my dream, his hands that trailed across my body, that grabbed me and pulled me closer until I was pressed against his iron chest. It all felt so confusingly real. I can still feel his hand at the back of my head, his fist closing around a hank of hair, before he yanked my head up, forcing me to look up at him before we…
“Earth to Madison!” I hear Max’s voice, muffled as if it was coming from far away.
I blink and turn around to him. “Sorry, I… what?”
