Chapter 17
Zoe quickly glanced at her phone before slipping it under a pile of fabric swatches. She tapped her tablet stylus on the cutting
table in Prestige’s costume shop. Derek couldn’t be late because he’d never promised he’d be here at three o’clock. But she’d
gotten used to him visiting every afternoon since she began working on the show.
“Will you stop sighing and pushing fabric around?” TJ asked from across the table. He waved a pile of fabric pieces at her
like a pom-pom. “It’s very distracting.”
“I’m not sighing,” Zoe replied. She stared at her digitized sketches without focusing on them.
“Sure.” He dug through the fabric piles and sighed heavily. TJ picked up a pencil and tapped it on the table and huffed loudly.
“That’s not what I was doing!” She laughed and threw a piece of faux leather at him.
“Maybe not that loudly, but I can feel your broody energy all the way over here.”
“Our table is only three feet wide, TJ,” she pointed out.
“Whatever you call this”—he waved in a circle in front of her—“it’s sucking all my creativity.”
“Sorry. I guess I’m a little distracted,” Zoe admitted. She checked the time on her tablet. It was now eight minutes past
three. Derek had come down to check on her every day by no later than 3:05 p.m .
“He’ll be here with our caffeine hit soon,” said TJ with more sympathy in his voice this time.
“Who?” She feigned ignorance as she zoomed in on her sketch of the Emperor’s headdress. Danny was tall, so maybe she didn’t
need to make it quite as big.
“Do I have idiot tattooed on this pretty face?” TJ shook his head. “We both know you’re waiting for Derek, your crush.”
“Excuse me. We’re friends. I don’t crush on people.”
“Now you’re lying to me and yourself.” TJ slid off his stool and walked around the table to stare her down.
“Derek and I haven’t talked in years. I only want to spend as much time as I can with him before he goes back to his busy,
glamorous New York life.” Zoe wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince.
“In the six months we’ve known each other, you haven’t dated anyone.”
“I don’t date random people or swipe dating apps. It’s because—”
“Yes, you’re demisexual.” TJ cocked his hip. “You need an emotional connection to be sexually attracted to someone.”
“Did you memorize that from Wikipedia?”
“I did my research. That’s what friends do.”
“I’m touched,” she said dryly. “But I don’t have a crush on my college best friend.”
“Your face lights up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve when Derek walks through those doors at exactly three o’clock.”
Zoe laughed at TJ’s flair for dramatics. “Can’t I be happy to see him?”
“My dear, have you stopped to ask yourself why that is?”
“We’re just friends,” she said firmly. So what if she was excited that he checked in with her every afternoon? That’s how
their friendship was in college, so why would it be any different now that they’d mended their rift?
“Even if you’re not crushing on him—and you are—that boy’s got a flame burning for you. Or he’s being financially irresponsible by buying us boba every day for the past week.” TJ returned to his side of the table.
Zoe’s jaw dropped. It was a ridiculous idea that Derek was interested in anything except friendship from her. She waited for
a quip from TJ but thankfully he’d returned his attention to the swatches they’d pulled for the sisters.
“Once you finalize your fabric choices, I can color them into your sketches on your tablet,” TJ offered.
“That’d be great. Once those are done, we can send them to the copy shop.”
The brown craft paper covering the table rustled as she slid the device and stylus across the table. Zoe was disappointed
and relieved that TJ had dropped the subject. But now she had more questions than answers.
She’d never even considered that Derek had romantic feelings for her. No. No way. He would’ve told her. How could he not?
They told each other everything during college. Unless this was a new development.
TJ didn’t know Derek as well as she did. He was misreading Derek’s intentions. Zoe should be the one bringing him coffee after
cutting all contact with him when they were supposed to move to New York together. He’d forgiven her, and now they were mending
their friendship.
She promised herself that she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize their friendship ever again. They’d survived together as
the only two Asian Americans in their theater program for their entire four years of college. She couldn’t throw that away.
“Hey, beautiful costume shop! Sorry I’m late.” Derek’s voice boomed from the double doors.
Zoe looked up from her work. The room grew brighter with his appearance. She couldn’t stop the giant, goofy smile breaking out on her face.
“You’re here!” She hopped off her stool to meet him at the door.
“Girl,” TJ muttered, loud enough for only her to hear.
Zoe’s cheeks grew warm. Was this what TJ meant about her crushing on Derek?
“I thought my favorite costume designer could use a pick-me-up.” Derek set the cardboard tray of drinks on the costume shop’s
kitchenette counter before hugging her.
“The afternoon slump was hitting me hard. Until now.” She grabbed her Vietnamese coffee boba—extra sweet—as Derek passed along
TJ’s matcha boba.
“This sexy body needs some sunlight. I’m heading outside for some fresh air. Thanks for the boba, Derek.” TJ blew a kiss at
the two of them before heading upstairs.
“Wait for me,” called Shawn, the costume shop manager, from his office. He grabbed his iced coffee and ran after TJ.
“It’s the two of us. Finally,” said Derek as he bumped her arm with his.
Wait, did TJ and Shawn leave them alone on purpose?
“What does that mean?” Zoe asked, trying for an even tone as she stabbed a straw through the top plastic.
She stepped around Derek to grab a coaster. Most costume shops didn’t allow food or drink because a spill could ruin a costume.
But they were still in the preliminary stage, so a coaster would keep the condensation from damaging the paper covering the
cutting table.
“It means you’ve been extremely busy and we haven’t had any quality BFF time,” he replied as he followed her to the table.
“You’ve been busy, too. Did you and Th ? o figure out the opening number?”
“We got enough of it to rehearse. Once we hear it and see it in action, we can smooth out the rough spots.”
“That’s great! I’m looking forward to the first read through.” Zoe had read the script and new pages as they were written, but she was excited to see the musical come to life once the actors arrived.
“How are things working out with TJ?”
“He can be a lot for some people, but his energy keeps me motivated.” She laughed. “Like today he said that you have a crush
on me.”
Zoe sucked in a breath. She had not meant to blurt that out.
Derek’s eyes widened and he pressed his lips together in an uncomfortable smile. He seemed as surprised as she’d been when
TJ told her.
“What?!” Derek finally replied in disbelief. He shook his head and laughed.
“That’s what I said, too.” Her shoulders slumped in relief. “It’s funny, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve been best friends since college.
If there had been anything, why wait so long to say something?”
“Exactly. I mean, that’s absurd.” He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
“Would you like to see the fabrics I’ve chosen for the Emperor?” Zoe quickly changed the subject.
“Yes, I would.” Derek nodded encouragingly. “But I already know I’ll love it.”
She pulled up the sketches on her tablet and grabbed the metal ring that held the swatches for the Emperor’s robes. Derek’s
close presence projected the calm she needed to prepare for the designer presentations coming up.
Just friends. And they supported each other the way friends did.
Zoe couldn’t wait to tell TJ how wrong he’d been—about both of them. She and Derek were best friends and nothing else. Besides,
anything more than that would create a complicated work situation for the two of them.