Chapter 6
ELIZABETH
Adrian led me through the workshop floor, weaving between tables covered in sketches and fabric swatches. The creative energy in the space was palpable. It hummed in the air like electricity. I wanted to stand in the center of the room and just breathe it all in.
This was where magic happened, where ideas became reality. It was the very thing I had craved since I was five years old.
We stopped at a doorway to a smaller side room. I heard laughter before I saw anything else, the deep masculine sound of a man that was clearly having a good time. I wasn’t sure I wanted to walk in on whatever was happening. It definitely sounded like flirting.
“Hold still, Sebastian, or I’ll pin this to your actual leg,” a woman’s voice said, exasperated but affectionate.
“That sounds kinky. I’m into it.”
More laughter, this time feminine and high-pitched. I was definitely not trying to walk in on whatever was happening in that room.
Adrian pushed the door open without hesitation.
I followed him in. A man stood on a small platform in the center of the room, wearing a tuxedo that looked half-finished.
A woman knelt at his feet with a piece of chalk in one hand and a pincushion strapped to her wrist, marking the hem of his pants with quick, precise strokes.
Two women lounged on chairs against the wall, both impossibly beautiful in a way that made them obviously models. They were watching the fitting with the kind of attention that had nothing to do with tailoring and everything to do with the man in the tux.
The man looked like he’d stepped out of a cologne advertisement. Same dark hair as Adrian, same strong features, but where Adrian carried himself with controlled intensity, this one radiated easy charm.
Sebastian Blackwell.
Holy shit.
I’d seen the billboards and magazine spreads, but they did not do him justice. I’d seen him all over social media but a still image didn’t capture any of the charm radiating off him. He was gorgeous.
Sebastian was grinning like he was having the time of his life. He caught sight of Adrian in the doorway. “Big brother!” Sebastian’s face lit up. “Come to check on my inseam? I bet you have gentler hands than Annika.”
The seamstress poked him in the leg and he jumped.
“I have no desire to see your inseam or anything else,” Adrian replied. “How’s it going, Annika?”
The woman at Sebastian’s feet glanced up. She was probably in her fifties, with silver hair twisted into a bun and sharp blue eyes that missed nothing. “It would go faster if your brother could stand still for more than thirty seconds.”
“I have a condition,” Sebastian protested. “It’s called being alive.”
The two models giggled. I felt myself shrinking back slightly, trying to become invisible. These women were stunning, all long legs and perfect bone structure. These were the women who set the beauty standards in fashion magazines.
The models noticed Adrian then, and their attention shifted like flowers turning toward the sun. But when they saw me standing slightly behind him, their smiles faltered with curiosity.
“Ladies,” Adrian said with a polite nod. “If you’ll excuse us, we need to borrow Annika. Fashion emergency.”
They nodded like that made perfect sense, then got to their feet, smoothing their already-perfect clothes. They filed out of the room. One of them brushed against Sebastian as she passed, trailing her fingers across his shoulder.
He winked at her. “Stay by your phone tonight.”
“Sebastian, this is Elizabeth Laramie,” Adrian said once we were alone. Well, alone except for Annika, who was still working on the tux. “Elizabeth, my brother Sebastian.”
Sebastian’s eyes landed on me, and his grin widened. “Elizabeth. Now this is interesting.” He stepped off the platform despite Annika’s noise of protest. “Adrian didn’t mention he was bringing anyone by. Especially someone so—”
“She’s going to be attending Love Week events with me,” Adrian interrupted smoothly. “She needs outfits for every occasion.”
“Every occasion?” Sebastian’s eyebrows rose. He looked between us, and I watched understanding dawn across his face. “Oh. Oh. You’re the—”
“Yes,” Adrian said firmly.
Sebastian let out a low whistle. “Well, damn. Carol’s going to lose her mind.” He turned his full attention to us, scrutinizing us like a detective. “Welcome to the circus, Elizabeth. Hope you’re ready for the ride.”
I managed a small nod, not trusting my voice. Sebastian Blackwell was standing three feet away from me in a half-tailored tuxedo, and I couldn’t decide where to look. At his face? That seemed too forward. At the floor? That seemed rude.
“Alright, I need this tux off before you steal Annika away,” Sebastian said, reaching for his shirt buttons. “Fair warning, Elizabeth. In this world, modesty is optional.”
He started undoing his shirt buttons. My eyes went wide when I realized what he was going to strip down in front of me. I immediately spun around, facing the wall.
Behind me, Annika laughed. “Oh, kiddo. You’re going to have to get used to this. In fashion, half-naked models are just Tuesday afternoon.”
“She’s right,” Sebastian added. I could hear the amusement in his voice. “Give it a week and you won’t even blink. I’m basically furniture to Annika at this point.” He smiled at the woman like she was a favorite aunt. “That’s why she keeps sticking pins in me.”
I kept my eyes fixed on a very interesting poster on the wall, feeling my face burn.
This felt unprofessional but was totally standard operating procedure.
This was normal for them. I just needed to be professional too.
I wanted to work beside these people someday—someday soon if I played my role right.
I had to get used to models and their nearly naked bodies.
Sebastian wasn’t a sexy man. He was a dress form with a head. And insane abs.
Yeah, I snuck a glance in the mirror. I’m only human.
After what felt like an hour but was probably thirty seconds, Sebastian said, “All clear. I’m decent. Well, decent-ish.”
I turned back slowly. Sebastian was now in jeans and a T-shirt. He looked more relaxed now, less like a magazine spread and more like a regular person.
Except regular people didn’t have those cheekbones. Or that square jaw. And these Blackwell men were so tall.
“I need to get back to work,” Sebastian said, grabbing a leather jacket from a chair. “But Elizabeth? Word of advice. My brother seems scary, but he’s actually a giant softie. Don’t let him intimidate you.”
“I’m standing right here,” Adrian said.
“I know. That’s why I’m saying it.” Sebastian flashed me one more grin, then pointed at Adrian. “Don’t screw this up. She seems nice. And I’ve always wanted a sister.”
“Out,” Adrian said, but there was no real heat in it.
Sebastian winked at me and left.
“Annika, I trust you can handle the situation,” Adrian said.
Annika nodded. “I wasn’t expecting this to happen so soon.”
“Me either,” Adrian replied, looking at Elizabeth. “But when you find the right one, you just know.”
Annika and Adrian laughed, and even I cracked a smile, despite how overwhelmed I was feeling. So far, there was a warm vibe to the people at Blackwell. If our time together kept the same tone, this insane job might not be so bad.
Annika stepped closer to me. I fought the urge to step back.
She walked around me slowly, the same way she’d circled Sebastian on the platform, her eyes cataloging every detail.
I felt exposed, like she was seeing past my clothes to every flaw underneath.
I had done the same thing during past fittings back at school.
I didn’t like being on the receiving end of it.
“Good bone structure,” she murmured, more to herself than to us. “Beautiful coloring. Those eyes will photograph wonderfully. And your figure? Exquisite.” She made an approving noise. “The camera is going to love you. You’re softer than most of the models, more curves.”
I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not.
“Take her to the main room,” Adrian said to Annika. “Get her sorted out. I need to make some calls.” He looked at me like he was second-guessing his purchase. “You’re going to be fine. Annika’s the best.”
Then he was gone, the door closing behind him, and I could suddenly breathe again.
With Adrian in the room, I’d felt like every nerve ending was on high alert, hyperaware of his presence. Without him, the pressure valve released.
“Oh thank God,” I breathed, slumping slightly.
Annika laughed. “He has that effect on people. Especially lately.” She gestured toward the door. “Come on, let’s go play dress-up. And you can tell me how you ended up agreeing to this insane plan.”
“You know about it?” I asked.
I had just signed a very detailed NDA. I wasn’t about to say anything.
“Yes, I know. You’re pretending to be his fiancée. I wasn’t expecting him to find you so quickly, though. Those Blackwell boys work fast.”
“My brother is friends with him, and I needed a job, and then suddenly Adrian was calling me and asking me to pretend to be his fiancée, and I said yes even though I have no idea what I’m doing, and oh my God, this is really happening, isn’t it?”
I was rambling. My nerves were shot. I probably sounded ridiculous and she was probably thinking Adrian was out of his mind to choose me for this little sideshow.
Annika smiled, pulling a dress off the rack, something green that shimmered in the light. “Hold this. Let me see it against your skin.”
I took the dress, holding it up to my chest.
“Perfect,” Annika said. “And yes, this is really happening. Welcome to the fast-paced world of high fashion.”
“I just agreed like five minutes ago,” I said, still marveling at the speed of it all.
“When Adrian Blackwell decides something needs to happen, it happens.” Annika pulled out another dress, a deep navy blue one with delicate beading. “He’s a force of nature. Has been his whole life, but especially this past year since Buck died.”
“Buck?”
“Their father. Buck Blackwell. He was the heart of this company, and when he passed?” She shook her head.
“Adrian took it hard. They all did, but he took on the weight of the world, trying to be everything his father was and more. That’s why this Love Week event is so important to him. It’s about honoring Buck’s legacy.”
“He seems very intense.”
“That’s one word for it.” Annika held up a third dress. Blush pink, romantic and soft. “He used to smile more. Laugh more. But grief changes people. And so does responsibility.”
She said it matter-of-factly, but I heard the affection underneath. She cared about him.
“Try this one,” Annika said, handing me the pink dress and pointing to a changing screen in the corner. “Let’s see how it fits.”
I stepped behind the screen and changed quickly, my fingers fumbling with the zipper. The dress slid over my body like water, fitted at the bodice and flowing out from the waist. When I stepped out, Annika’s face lit up.
“Oh, yes. This is the one for the first party.” She circled me, adjusting the fabric at my shoulders. “You look like a dream. Romantic, soft, exactly the kind of image Adrian needs right now. Damn, you’re going to be fun to dress.”
I caught my reflection in the three-way mirror and barely recognized myself. The dress transformed me into someone elegant, someone who might actually belong at Adrian Blackwell’s side.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered.
“Believe it, honey.” Annika’s phone buzzed. She pulled it out, her eyes scanning the screen. Her expression shifted. “Okay, change of plans. We need to get you prepped right now.”
“What? Why?”
“Because apparently, you have a press conference in half an hour.”
My stomach dropped. “What? No. I can’t. The ink isn’t even dry on the contract.”
“Ready or not, it’s happening.” Annika was already moving. “Take that off.”
She walked away and a few seconds later she stepped behind the screen where I stood in my bra and panties.
“Try this one.”
It was a cream-colored dress that looked like something Princess Catherine would wear.
“Annika, I can’t do a press conference. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to stand.”
She took my face in her hands, forcing me to meet her eyes.
“Elizabeth, listen to me. I’m going to get you ready.
Mary Jo, our makeup artist, is going to make you look like a million dollars.
And you’re going to walk out there and stand next to Adrian and smile.
That’s all you have to do. Can you smile? ”
I nodded weakly. “I mean, not right now, but yeah.”
“Then we’re golden. Now get dressed. You have twenty-eight minutes till showtime.”