30. Chapter 30
Daria
Three months later...
“I’m digging the disco ball design,” Briar says, holding the knit top I finished up against her torso. “These sequins must have taken you forever.”
“They did,” I huff with a satisfied smile. “But it was worth it.”
Briar grins. “I get to keep this one, right? Even if it doesn’t win the most votes?”
“Sure. I have a feeling this one’s going to win, though.” I take the top when she hands it to me and place it on the hanger before adding it to the other three.
“How’s your online campaign been going?” she asks, eyeing the rack of clothing in the center of my work room. “It seems like you’ve had a lot of supporters join recently.”
I nod, unable to keep the glee from bleeding into my response. “It’s going great. I’m almost to my goal.”
Winning the fashion show gave me the boost I needed to showcase my designs online and start asking for people’s support. A week after the show, a video of Dane in his evening wear went viral, which spurred me to start a fundraising campaign for my new line.
Men's clothing wasn’t exactly on my radar, but it is now thanks to my super-hot boyfriend absolutely rocking a pair of dress pants. A satisfied sigh eases from my chest. I suppose a lot of things that weren’t on my radar came true once Dane came into my life.
Not only are we happily together, but he introduced me to therapy. Something that, in the back of my mind, I suspected might help me but pushed off because of my pride. I now see Jamie’s therapist and am working through my attachment issues. Among other things.
“How many pieces are you planning to have in this line?” Briar asks, riffling through the clothing rack.
“Ten complete looks, five for women and five for men, plus some women’s separates.
I want at least enough variety to last an entire season.
” If she ever got on social media, she’d have known how many I’m adding.
All the info is listed online. But I don’t fault my friend for not living on her phone like the rest of us.
She nods. “That makes sense.”
My phone buzzes on my desktop. Dane’s face lights up on the screen, stoking the low-lit fire that seems to live inside me now. We’ve been inseparable since that first kiss. Not physically since he works and I do too, but...emotionally.
It’s as if we’re somehow spiritually knit together and neither one of us wants to tug at the threads for fear of losing this special, incredible thing we’ve found.
“I’ve gotta get this,” I tell Briar, who lets her full smile bloom.
“I have to run to the bathroom anyway.” She winks and slips out the door.
“Hey, you,” I say into the phone once she’s gone.
“Hey, beautiful.” Butterflies flutter wildly about in my belly at the deep timbre of his voice. “You with Briar?”
I let out a little sigh. “Yeah, she came over to try some things on for me. I want to get some pictures up on the site by tonight since it goes live next week.”
“I know.”
I smile. Of course he does. All that man does is live and breathe my interests anymore. Sure, he still goes to the gym every day, and likes to read late into the night, but he’s memorized every important detail of my life. All to get to know me better. To prove that I’m what he wants.
“Know-it-all,” I murmur, knowing good and well he thinks I’m rolling my eyes at him. In all reality, I’m leaning back in my desk chair, pushing off the floor with my foot and spinning around like a giddy girl in love.
Gosh, I love this man.
“I’m just invested in my girlfriend’s new business venture,” he says plainly. “Speaking of which, I wondered if you could come over for a little bit when you’re done there. I have something you might be able to use for your business.”
My interest instantly piques. “What is it?”
“You’ll see when you get here.”
All right, Mr. Secretive . “Okay,” I say, holding out the last syllable. “Sure you wouldn’t rather just tell me? You know, save me the trip?”
“And steal the opportunity for you to check in on your most popular male model? I don’t think so.
” I can vividly picture his teasing smirk.
It doesn’t help that after his video went viral, he was approached by multiple modeling agents begging to represent him.
Of course, Dane being Dane, he turned them down.
“Have you read any of the comments on that video lately?” I ask, twirling a strand of my hair. “I’m starting to think you may earn yourself another stalker.”
"Not funny.” He grunts his disapproval. “But what is funny is my girlfriend keeps insisting she doesn’t want to see me when I know, for a fact, that she does.”
I bite my lip to keep my amusement in check. “Your girlfriend sounds like a pill.”
“Nah, she’s coming around.” He lowers his voice like he’s imparting a secret. “Don’t tell her I told you this, but I think I’m slowly and surely convincing her that love exists in the real world.”
My heart trips and sends signals to my eyes to start watering. “You wish,” I grumble, hoping he doesn’t detect my sniffle. When he next speaks, there’s a sexy timbre to his voice that sends goosebumps rippling across my skin.
“So you’ll come over later?”
I hum, like I’m considering it. “Is dinner included?”
I don’t know why I’m like this. Call it learned behavior or old habits dying hard. Either way, nothing I throw at Dane seems to faze him.
“Of course. I’m trying out another one of Mom’s recipes tonight.”
A laugh slips free. “Oh, boy. Can’t wait to try this one.”
“Hey, that last one wasn’t my fault. She forgot to explain that the potatoes needed to be cooked separately.”
“Uh huh.”
“You still ate it.”
And it wasn't half bad, but I can’t admit that. “Whatever. We’ll see if this one ends up being edible and enjoyable.”
A long sigh echoes through the line. “All right, fine. If it tastes horrible, we’ll order take out. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“You’re a hard woman to please, you know that?” The smile in his voice tells me he loves trying to do it, though.
And you’re an easy man to fall in love with , I want to say but don’t. “Nothing good’s ever easy, Charles Dane.” I love using his full name when we’re bantering back and forth.
Briar softly knocks on the door, peeking in the room. I wave her in and get to my feet. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll text when I’m about to head over, okay?”
“Sounds good. Bye, baby.”
“Bye.” I hang up and pretend like I’m not mentally twirling in a field of flowers, blissfully happy. “Sorry about that,” I say to Briar. “Dane wants to have dinner with me later. Says he has something I might like to use for my business.”
Briar rolls her lips inward, an obvious tell that she’s fighting a wide smile. “Oh. I wonder what it could be.”
I narrow my eyes at my friend. “You know, don’t you?”
She shakes her head so fast some hair falls free of her top knot. “Nope. Not at all.”
“Yes, you do. Tell me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I know nothing.” She crosses her arms like a temperamental toddler.
“Briar,” I say in an even tone. “What’s going on?”
She starts whistling— whistling— and gives me her back to fiddle with the clothes again.
“So you’re just ignoring me now?”
“I think the purple is my favorite,” she says, tugging on another top. “Goes with my fair hair.”
I let out a long sigh. It’s clear I’m not winning this one. “Just tell me if he’s going to propose.” When she whirls toward me, wide-eyed, I add, “I just want to be ready in case that’s what it is. You know, so I can wear something cute.”
“Are you ready for him to propose?” Her brow furrows as she examines me like I’m some harebrained science experiment.
“I, um...” I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
Her entire face—entire body, really—melts into what I can only describe as a love-drunk puddle. “Oh my gosh, D! You want to marry Dane? When did this happen? How long have you known ?” She bounces up and down, hands clasped under her chin.
“I...don’t know. I don’t know if I do, I just—I just need to know if that’s what he’s planning.” So I can lock myself in my apartment for a week and pretend that’s not exactly what I want from him. Ugh, why am I so complicated?
Briar’s face falls as she shakes her head. “Oh. Well, I don’t think that’s what he’s going to show you tonight.”
“Okay,” I say, acting like I’m not completely disappointed. “Okay, that’s good. Because like I said, I don’t know if I’m ready for that. It’s only been three months and—” I force a humorless laugh. “That’s nowhere near enough time to know if I want to be with him for the rest of my life.”
Lies. All lies. I knew as soon as I moved my last box out of his apartment that I’d be pining away for the day when I could move all my stuff back in.
“Right.” Briar clears her throat. “Well, let’s finish the try on and get these pictures for the site so you’re not late for dinner with Dane.” She smiles again, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. What exactly does she know that I don’t?
I pull up outside Dane’s apartment building just as the sun begins to set.
I hadn’t meant to spend so much time with Briar this afternoon, but I wanted to make sure I got all the shots I’d need for my site.
Every angle of every top, outfit, and accessory was taken, giving me the peace of mind I need to fully be present for whatever it is Dane has for me tonight.
I’m like a giddy adolescent girl getting ready to see her first big crush when I spy Dane out front. It’s odd that he’s waiting for me on the sidewalk, but maybe he’s just as excited to see me as I am him.
As soon as I park, he’s at my door, opening it for me. “Finally,” he says, taking my hand. “I thought you were going to bail on me.”
“Sorry, got busy.”
Slowly, he leans forward and cages me against my car. We’re in the street, probably at risk of being roadkill, but I hardly care. Not when Dane and his purely masculine scent that smells like all my midnight fantasies drifts toward me.
“I missed you.” His low murmur vibrates over my skin as he nudges his nose against the side of my face. “So much.”