Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
maddox
Annalise is nestled between my legs as I watch her sketch with the new set of colored pencils I bought her.
We’re sitting together on a picnic blanket under a giant cherry blossom tree by a secluded lake in a town an hour away from San Francisco.
Tsuki is rolling around on the grass, having the time of her life.
We took a horse-drawn carriage ride through the meadows earlier this afternoon and later indulged on gourmet sandwiches, fresh fruit, and wine—all prepared by the owner of the ranch.
The ranch owner and his son are huge NBA fans, so I was able to convince him to let us use the ranch for the day by offering courtside tickets for the rest of the season, a basketball autographed by all of the players—well, minus Lucas—and a meet and greet.
I also purchased several cases of wine from him and promised to promote his business.
It feels nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is no cell service out here, so we’re able to disconnect and appreciate the beauty around us.
With Chandler being out, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. I put a lot of pressure on myself and overexerted on our road games. We won two out of three games, but I felt like a huge failure when we lost. If we have one more loss, we’ll drop to number two in the league, and I can’t have that.
Being away from San Francisco gives me the tranquility I need and the ability to cast away all my worries. Out here in the countryside, I’m not Maddox Masashi Kamado, the world-famous NBA player. I’m just a regular guy enjoying a date with his girlfriend.
Although we haven’t formally labeled our relationship yet, in my heart she is undeniably my girlfriend, my soulmate, and the love of my life. I hope one day I’ll get to call her my wife.
“That dress is turning out beautifully, Rosie.” I place a kiss on top of her shoulder. Her mouth curves into a smile.
“Hmm. I don’t know, it kinda looks plain. I feel like I need to add something.” She taps her forehead with the colored pencil and sucks in her cheeks as she stares at the sketch.
A few moments pass and she sits up straighter, her face lighting up as though a lightbulb has gone off in her head. Pulling out a deeper shade of pink, she begins adding more to the piece.
I watch in awe as she adds intricate details to the dress, making it come to life. I can’t draw to save my life, but she does it so effortlessly.
“You are so incredibly talented. I know celebrities will be fighting over who gets to wear this dress on the red carpet.”
She lets out a small laugh and an adorable shade of pink tinges her cheeks. “Oh, please, you’re just saying that. I’ll never be good enough for celebrities to wear my designs.”
Grabbing her waist, I turn her body so that she’s facing me. “I’m not just saying that to make you feel good. It’s the truth. If I sucked at basketball in high school, would you have lied to me and told me I’d make it to the NBA?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been practicing shooting baskets since you were in your mom’s womb.” She chuckles, shaking her head. “But no, I wouldn’t have lied to you.”
“I’ve always believed you were destined for greater things, ever since we first met when we were only eight years old,” I say, smiling warmly as I meet her eyes. “Being a fashion designer is in your blood.”
“This is what you need to be doing.” I point to the dress she sketched.
“Making your own designs and bringing them to life. Not performing every ridiculous task Veronica asks of you. As much as I love seeing you at Dauntless—which is the only reason why I’ve been dragging my feet through this collab—it kills me to not see you do what you love. To do what you were born to do.”
Annalise smiles, her eyes glossing over. “I want to quit every single day, but I can’t. It’s too risky.” She shakes her head. “I’ve been helping my mom cover some of the bills from Abuelo’s treatment, so I need as much money as I can get.”
“I’m not saying you should quit, but you should start somewhere. Maybe sell a few items online?”
She sits up straight, the smile slowly returning on her face. “I have thought of doing that before. Only problem is, there’s really not enough room in the apartment to put my sewing machine and all of my materials.”
“You can always use my place,” I offer. “I have plenty of empty rooms.”
“Trying to get me to move in with you on the second date, Dimples?” Her brows shoot up, a teasing smile pulling at her lips. “Don’t you think that’s a little fast?”
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I squeeze her tight and kiss the top of her head. “Is it a crime that I want to wake up next to you every day?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be every day. You do have to travel for games, and I’ll be all alone in that giant house.”
A laugh bursts from me. “I’m trying to be romantic and you’re getting technical on me. Plus, you wouldn’t be alone. Tsuki would be with you.”
At the mention of her name, she leaps on to our laps, covering us with kisses. “Hey, pretty girl,” Annalise coos, scratching the spot behind Tsuki’s neck that she loves so much. “You love me more than your daddy, don’t you?” Tsuki barks in response. “I knew it.”
“Please, that was a mere coincidence,” I say, rolling my eyes. Tsuki moves close to Annalise, nuzzling her head against her.
“So, when you open up your own boutique, what will you name it?” I ask while I run my fingers through her hair.
Her smile widens, eyes sparkling with joy. “I would call it Thorny Roses.”
“Thorny Roses. I love it!”
“Maybe I’ll get Mazi to help me take pictures of the clothes to post on the website!”
“Yes! Now we’re talking. I love seeing you get excited about something again.”
“Thank you, Maddox. For lifting me up when I doubt myself.”
“I will continue to lift you up. I hope one day you can see yourself the way I see you.” Tilting her chin, I place a soft kiss on her lips. “Perfect.”
She smiles and brings her lips back to mine once more.
“Do you wanna take a dip in the lake before we leave?” I ask.
“But we didn’t bring swimsuits.”
Shrugging, I strip off my clothes and jump into the lake, splashing water everywhere.
“Maddox, you got me wet!” She groans.
“Damn, already?” I flash her a suggestive smile and she shakes her head. “Come join me! The water feels perfect!”
“You are crazy.” She hesitates for a moment before stripping down and jumping in.
A few days after our date, I schedule a meeting with Veronica to discuss the collaboration. Trang still hasn’t come up with a single design that I like.
“What is it you wanted to discuss with me, Mr. Kamado?” Veronica says, motioning for me to sit down.
Shutting the door behind me, I take a seat on the leather chair opposite her. “The collaboration. I’m afraid it’s not working out.”
Her face pales. “W-what do you mean? I thought things have been going well.” She chews on her bottom lip and bounces her knee under the table as she waits for my response.
Leaning forward, I rub my temples and let out a heavy sigh. “Ms. Zhang, I tried giving Trang a chance, but she continues to do the exact opposite of what I tell her.”
Veronica swallows, the color in her face draining further. She now matches the white wall behind her.
“You told me Trang is the best, but I don’t think she’s the best person for this collaboration. I need to work with someone who understands my vision.”
I should’ve had this conversation with Veronica months ago, when Trang first showed me her horrendous designs, but coming to Dauntless gave me an excuse to see Annalise—even though she gave me the cold shoulder during those first few weeks.
I don’t need to use Dauntless as an excuse now that we’ve worked things out, but there’s something so thrilling about keeping our relationship a secret while we’re here.
The stolen glances we exchange when no one is looking, the quick kisses in the elevator, and the way our hands brush against each other in passing keeps my heart racing.
Veronica reaches for her water bottle, taking large gulps from it. “So does this mean you still want to work with Dauntless for the collaboration?”
I nod. “Although it didn’t work out with Trang, I would still love to collaborate with Dauntless.”
A hint of color returns to her face and her shoulders relax.
“I apologize, Mr. Kamado. Trang is the top fashion designer at Dauntless, and I truly thought she was the best person suited for the role. But you are valuable to us, and I don’t want to continue wasting your time if you are not satisfied with Trang.
I will work hard to find you someone more suited for the role. ”
I highly doubt that whoever she replaces Trang with will be able to capture my vision. There’s only one person who is capable of doing that. “Perhaps the person you’re looking for is someone who has been hiding in the shadows, waiting for her chance to shine.”
Veronica shoots me puzzled look. “Sorry, I’m not following. Who are you talking about?”
“Ms. Monroe.”
She starts to laugh, but covers it with a cough when I glower at her. “Mr. Kamado, this isn’t a small project. This is a big one that will have a great impact on our company. I can’t just give it to someone with absolutely no experience.”
“She may not have been in the industry long, but her talent is immaculate. I know if you give her a chance, she will succeed. Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves. If we were never given that chance, I wouldn’t be in the NBA, and you wouldn’t be running one of the top athletic brands in the nation. ”
Veronica stares at me, an unreadable expression on her face.
I glance at my watch to check the time, even though I’m not in a rush to be anywhere. “I must get going, but I’ll return next week. In the meantime, I hope you take what I said into consideration.”
Getting up from my seat, I walk toward the door. Veronica remains frozen in her seat, her eyes unblinking.