Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
“You’re seriously going?”
Brinley looked at Cypress. They were sitting on the couch in their apartment, eating pizza and watching a K-pop drama on TV. She paused the show, because she had a feeling the question wasn’t just a one-off, and Cypress was going to want more than a two-second discussion on the topic.
Earlier today, she’d informed her roomie and best friend since elementary school that she was flying to Fiji this weekend for the Miss Globe competition.
Cypress wasn’t happy about it, that was for sure.
But her unhappiness wasn’t because of the pageant itself.
She seemed excited for Brinley and the opportunity it would provide for Diamond Sash Designs, the name of the business she owned.
She was unhappy about the fact that Callista would be there.
Her sister and Cypress weren’t exactly mortal enemies, but pretty close.
Cypress hated the way Brinley was treated like crap by her sister and mom.
Hated that neither saw—in her friend’s words—how “funny and kind and smart” she was.
That they couldn’t get past the bullshit beauty standards Brinley could never meet, at least in their eyes.
Not surprising, since Cypress was Brinley’s staunchest supporter. She was the one who stood up to bullies, who called out others’ bad behavior, and who stood by Brinley no matter what. She was the kind of friend who would stand by her side through thick and thin.
Which was why she’d try to talk Brinley out of going to Fiji. Because she wanted to protect her from the vitriol she’d most certainly hear from her family members.
“I’m going,” Brinley said firmly. “I’ve got five clients who will be there, and they all got together and asked me to come.
They’re collectively paying my way. They want me there to do alterations on the fly and to make sure their outfits are perfect for the competition.
The number of new clients I could potentially get far outweighs any stupid comments my sister and mother will undoubtedly say. ”
“I still don’t like it. I wish I could go with you. But I’m heading up that research in Denali National Park.”
“It means the world to me that you want to come, but I’ll be all right. I’m going to avoid Callista and my mom at all costs. And if they say something, I’ll just ignore it like I always do.”
“What you should do is tell them off if they say something rude…which they will, because they can’t help themselves.”
Brinley smiled. She’d come a long way since she was little.
She would still rather ignore any snide comments she overheard than confront whoever was saying them, but she’d come to terms with who she was and how she looked, and mean comments rarely had the power to hurt her the way they used to.
That didn’t mean she still didn’t take them to heart more than she should on occasion; she was only human.
But she was much better at shrugging them off.
“I’ll be okay.”
Cypress sighed. “You’re a better person than me, Brin. Forgiving and patient. I would’ve disowned my family years ago if they treated me like you’ve been treated. You know…if I still had a family.”
Brinley didn’t like to think about all the stuff her best friend had been through growing up.
If given a choice, she’d choose the life she’d endured over what Cypress had been through, every time.
Part of the reason they were so close was because they’d both desperately needed a friend when they were little.
“Love you, Cy. You’re the reason why I’ve got my business and why I’ve been so successful. Without your support, I don’t want to even think about where I’d be today.”
“Same, girlfriend. Same. Now, tell me all about the clients you’re designing for and what this trip entails. I need all the details. Even though I’ll be busy in Denali, I’m still gonna be checking on your ass. And don’t you dare meet some cute Fijian and never come home.”
Brinley laughed. “That’s not happening. This is a work trip, nothing more, nothing less.”
“Famous last words,” Cypress said with a chuckle.
“You know I don’t love going to pageants.
They bring back too many bad memories. But even though Callista and Mom will be there, I think this one is going to be really interesting.
It’s the first international competition I’ve attended, and I’m hoping the women will be more mature than the girls I watched compete growing up. ”
“Don’t hold your breath. How’d Callista get to be involved in this thing, anyway?”
“She’s beautiful,” Brinley said, without any jealousy in her tone. “And as annoying and catty as she is, she looks great onstage, can dance like a dream, and wins a lot of competitions. She obviously won the right pageant at the right time and was able to get invited to Miss Globe.”
“You mean either she or your mom bribed someone to give her the slot, or she sucked someone’s dick to get there.”
Brinley nearly spewed the drink of water she’d just taken.
Cypress smirked. “You know as well as I do that your sister will sleep with the devil himself if it means she gets what she wants.”
“I do. And I have no idea what she did to get invited. But I also don’t care.”
“Now that’s a lie. I’m your best friend. I know you better than anyone. You care. Too much, in my opinion. They’ve treated you like shit your entire life, and yet you still crave their approval.”
Cypress wasn’t wrong, and that made Brinley feel a little ashamed.
“I know it’s been twenty-five years,” she said quietly, “but I can’t forget how close Callista and I were at one point.
She’d climb into my bed at night and snuggle with me.
She was so sweet and didn’t care about my ears or crazy hair. ”
“And then she started winning pageants and believing the bullshit your mom said under her breath about how hideous you were. She didn’t hesitate to join in bullying you when she started school, and she never, not once, stood up for you when other kids made fun of you.
She’s weak, Brin, and she and your mom are never going to come to their senses.
You’re better off without them in your life. ”
Her best friend was right again, Brinley knew she was, but even at thirty years old, she couldn’t help the need to be accepted by her family. To continue hoping they’d eventually see beyond her looks to the good person she was.
“They know you’re going to be there, right?” Cypress asked.
“Yes.”
She looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. “You told them.”
Brinley shrugged. “I figured it was better for them to hear it beforehand than see me there and be surprised. So yeah, I sent a message to Callista.”
“Let me guess, they’ve been trying to guilt you into making a dress for your sister ever since.”
Sometimes it sucked that her best friend knew her so well.
“Please tell me you aren’t falling for their bullshit.”
“I’m not,” Brinley said firmly. “I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were.” Her friend’s voice was gentler now. “I just know you too well. You crave the tiniest show of affection from those bitches, and if you thought designing a gown for your spoiled-rotten sister would make them appreciate you at all, I’m guessing you’d do it.”
Brinley sat up straighter. “I’m not desperate for them to like me. I’m past that.”
Cypress gave her a skeptical look.
“I am,” she insisted. “I hate that you don’t think I can stand up to them. That you think I’m so pathetic I’d cater to whatever they want.”
“It’s not that. You aren’t pathetic at all, Brin, you’re smart, successful, and Diamond Sash Designs has become known throughout the world as the must-have designer in order to win.
But you also have a tender heart. You want to be loved—which isn’t a bad thing.
You’re going to make someone the best partner someday.
You’ll give everything to him, love him unconditionally, probably be willing to give your life for his.
And you deserve for all your relationships to be the same way.
You know that’s how I feel about you. But your mother and sister will never be more than the superficial bitches they are now.
They’ll never be what you want or need.”
“I know.”
And she did. Despite still wanting it, she’d come to terms with the fact that she’d never have a real relationship with her family.
And Cypress was right again…Brinley did want to be loved.
She wanted to find a man who would love her exactly as she was.
But she was also a realist. She’d had enough experience with guys by now to know that she wasn’t ideal girlfriend material.
Most had no desire to get to know her. They either offered to date her out of pity or because they thought she’d be an easy lay.
That since she wasn’t conventionally pretty, she’d be willing to sleep with them out of gratitude for any scrap of attention.
And that was why she was still a virgin.
It was ridiculous and pathetic, but Brinley refused to sleep with anyone without having their affection.
She wasn’t even looking for love. Just someone who enjoyed spending time with her.
Who didn’t get an uncomfortable look on his face when he sat across from her in a restaurant, ashamed to be seen with her in public.
Which was utterly stupid. It was unbelievable in today’s day and age that being less than attractive was worse than being a shitty person.
But in her experience, men would vastly prefer to be with someone like Callista—who’d use them for sex or money, then spit them out and move on to the next guy—than be with Brinley, someone they felt uneasy introducing to their buddies because of her looks.
“Right. Enough depressing talk. Tell me about your clients. And give me the rundown of your schedule when you get to Fiji.”