Chapter 38
BERNADETTE
The runway was perfect.
I stood backstage, clipboard in hand, headset on, watching the organized chaos unfold around me.
Every light was positioned exactly where it should be.
Every extension cord was taped down. Every emergency exit was clearly marked and unobstructed.
The fire extinguishers were in place, the first-aid station was staffed, and I’d personally walked the entire venue three times to make sure there wasn’t a single hazard that could turn this spectacular evening into a disaster.
It was, without question, the best work I’d ever done.
I had never seen a runway show up close and personal.
I couldn’t wait to watch the models sashay down the runway.
Annika was like a drill sergeant in her wardrobe area.
Models went in wearing robes or sometimes just their underwear and emerged looking like queens.
Annika didn’t have a single hair out of place.
She looked like she’d done this whole song and dance a million times.
I supposed she probably had. It was just another Tuesday for her.
“Bernadette, we need you at station three,” a voice crackled through my headset. “Model tripped on her hem.”
“On my way.” I was already moving, weaving through the backstage maze of racks and makeup stations and half-dressed models. I found Portia sitting on a stool, Annika kneeling beside her, examining her ankle.
“I’m fine,” Portia insisted, but I could see the wince when Annika touched the joint.
“Let me see.” I crouched down, gently probing. Not swollen yet, good range of motion. “Can you put weight on it?”
She stood carefully, testing. “Yeah, it’s okay. Just tweaked it.”
“Sit out this walk,” I said firmly. “We’ll have Tempest take your spot in the finale. No arguments.”
For once, she didn’t argue. Two weeks ago, she would have. Hell, she would have told me exactly where I could shove my safety concerns. But somewhere between the coconut conversation and the Venus shoot, I’d become part of the team instead of the enemy.
It felt good. Really good.
I wasn’t going to hold out any hope I’d be invited to the Swiss Alps for their little Christmas escape, but that was okay. They were being nice now and that’s what mattered.
I caught movement in my peripheral vision and turned to find Sebastian watching me from across the backstage area.
He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit.
He looked absolutely edible. When our eyes met, he smiled—that private smile he saved just for me.
He was thinking about me. Naked. Wanting.
“You’re staring at your boyfriend,” Annika whispered in my ear.
“He’s not my—” I started, then stopped. Was he? We hadn’t exactly defined anything. We’d spent the last two nights tangled up in his bed, sure, but we hadn’t talked about what happened after we left. After the campaign ended and real life came crashing back in.
“Honey, that man looks at you like you’re the only person in the room,” Annika continued, pinning a last-minute adjustment on Portia’s dress.
My cheeks heated. “We should focus on the show.”
“The show is perfect because of you.” She patted my arm. “Now go do your safety coordinator thing. And try not to combust when he keeps eye-fucking you from across the room.”
“Annika!”
She just laughed and shooed me away. The woman looked like a doting grandmother, but sometimes the things that came out of her mouth would make a sailor blush.
After a flurry of activity, I heard someone say it was time.
I almost clapped and squealed like a damn seal.
The music started, a pulsing beat that I felt in my bones, and the first model stepped onto the runway.
I positioned myself in the wings where I could see everything: the runway, the backstage area, the crowd.
Everything was running like clockwork. I watched Elizabeth’s designs float down the runway, each one more beautiful than the last. The tropical-inspired pieces we’d photographed looked even better in motion.
The audience loved them. It was a small crowd of exclusive guests, invited personally by Blackwell Couture. I could hear the appreciative murmurs, the gasps when something particularly stunning appeared. Photographers’ cameras clicked like a swarm of mechanical insects.
A realization dawned on me. I had to look up to make sure there wasn’t an actual lightbulb glowing above my head.
I was good at this. Not just the safety part—though I was definitely good at that—but being part of something creative and alive.
I liked being a part of a team and creating something beautiful together instead of just sitting in an office, looking for reasons to deny people’s claims.
My father’s company had never felt like this.
My days were spent focused on the bottom line and nothing else.
I’d told myself I liked the structure and the predictability.
But the truth was, I’d been slowly dying inside that sterile office.
Following my father’s orders had sucked the life out of me.
Sebastian appeared at my elbow, somehow managing to look both relaxed and alert. “Everything good?”
“Perfect,” I said. “Portia twisted her ankle, but it’s minor. Tempest is covering her finale spot.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
I shook my head. “I’m just doing my job.”
“You’re doing it better than anyone I’ve ever seen.” His hand slid down my back and then to my ass. He squeezed and then slapped, causing me to squeak.
“Sebastian!”
“Five minutes to finale!” someone called out.
He disappeared back into the organized chaos.
The finale was breathtaking. Every model walked out in Elizabeth’s designs. The audience was on their feet, applauding and pointing out their favorites. I saw Adrian in the front row, looking at his wife with such pride and love that I had to look away from the intimacy of it.
Then Elizabeth herself stepped onto the runway, and the place went absolutely wild. She was glowing—literally glowing, probably from the pregnancy though only a few of us knew about that. When she reached the end of the runway, she gestured to the wings.
Sebastian joined her on stage and I was pretty sure the room had a collective orgasm. I actually saw a woman fanning herself. The two of them smiled and waved, thanking everyone for coming.
Then Sebastian turned and looked directly at me. He jerked his head, motioning me to join them.
I froze. “What? No.”
“Go,” Annika hissed, giving me a push.
“I can’t.”
Elizabeth walked toward me with a huge grin. “Your man is waiting.”
I looked down at what I was wearing. Thankfully, I had put on one of the dresses Annika gave me. God, would it become transparent under the lights?
I hoped not.
I walked out to join him, feeling absolutely ridiculous and embarrassed.
“Bernadette Simmons, everyone!” Sebastian called out. “This is the woman that pulled all of this off.”
I wanted to melt under the bright lights.
“This campaign has been the biggest project I’ve ever led,” Sebastian went on.
“And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.
My brothers weren’t sure either.” He flashed a grin toward Adrian, Briggs, and Dash in the front row.
“But we did it. And we did it because of the incredible team behind these designs.”
He turned to gesture at Elizabeth, at Annika, and the models all gorgeous with shoulders back and perfect smiles.
“But there’s one person who made sure this all happened safely.
Who kept us from doing stupid things—and trust me, I had a lot of stupid ideas.
” Laughter rippled through the crowd. “She worked tirelessly behind the scenes to protect everyone here. Bernadette Simmons is the reason this campaign succeeded. She’s the reason everyone will make it home in one piece. ”
I was blushing so hard I probably matched my hair. “Sebastian,” I hissed. “That’s enough.”
“I’m not done.” He took my hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of my knuckles. Oh God. He was making me wet in front of a hundred people. “Bernadette, you’re the smartest, most capable, most infuriatingly rule-following woman I’ve ever met.”
I frowned. “Um, thank you.”
“And I love you.”
The world stopped. The crowd gasped, a collective intake of breath rushing in like the sound of a broken wave. I stared at him, the beautiful, ridiculous man who was declaring his love for me in front of hundreds of people, cameras, press, his entire family.
It was insane. Had he been drinking?
“I love you,” he said again, quieter this time, just for me. “I know it’s crazy. I know it’s fast. But I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“You’re definitely crazy,” I whispered.
“Crazy for you.”
The line was so cheesy I had to laugh. The crowd was going absolutely wild now, cheering and clapping.
“You ridiculous, dramatic, perfect man. I love you too.”
He kissed me then, right there on the runway, under the lights, in front of everyone. I kissed him back, my hands pulling at his expensive suit jacket, not caring about the cameras or the crowd or anything except the feeling of his mouth on mine and his arms around me.
When we finally broke apart, I was dizzy and breathless and happier than I’d ever been in my entire life.
My phone, connected to the Bluetooth headset still on my ear, chimed. I gave Sebastian a quick kiss, waved to the crowd, and practically ran off stage.
I pulled my phone from the pocket of my dress and saw my father’s name on the screen. For a moment, the old fear tried to claw its way back in. The dutiful daughter who always did what she was told.
But I wasn’t her anymore. I deleted the message without reading it. Then I blocked his number entirely.
“Everything okay?” Sebastian asked, joining me in the corner.
“I’m officially unemployed,” I said. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I was fired and smiling.
His eyes widened. “Wait, what? Did your dad fire you?”
“Maybe. Probably. Or I quit. Does it matter?” I tucked my phone away. “Either way, I’m done with that life. I just torched the bridge, doused it in gasoline, and lit it on fire. No going back.”
“Well, that’s funny. I was just going to beg you to come work for Blackwell as our safety coordinator. Turns out we’ve needed one this whole time. Who knew?”
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. You’re incredible at it. The whole team loves you—well, they do now that you’re not being mean to me.” He pulled me closer. “Plus, it means I get to see you every day. And I have it on good authority that the boss is very friendly.”
“Adrian looks terrifying.”
He kissed my forehead. “Very funny.”
“Oh, you want to be my boss?” I teased.
“Say yes, Bernadette. Come work with us. With me. Be part of the family.”
I looked around at the scene surrounding us. Elizabeth and Annika were crying happy tears. Adrian, Dash, and Briggs were all standing together looking proud and united. Mimi had tears in her eyes as well.
“I’d love to,” I said.
“Welcome to the family.” Sebastian spun me around.
“I love you,” I said again, just because I could.
“I love you too.” He kissed me once more, sweet and perfect.