“I was angry,” Thalia said, defending herself, “Anyway, I spent the night with him,” She paused, blushing, and I swore I saw a flash of that same puppy love that I was so familiar with, “I woke up super hungover early this morning and he was gone. I didn’t know what to do so I just left and went home.”
“You think Jefferson did this?” I asked in shock, but then I remembered how fiercely he’d defended Thalia, how serious he’d looked when he promised that anyone who hurt her would get what they deserved. I looked at Thalia wide-eyed, “Oh my god, Jefferson did this. He did this to get back at me for hurting you.”
“I’m so sorry, Poppy.”
“No, this isn’t your fault. It’s mine,” I choked back the threat of tears, “I should have been honest with you a long time ago. Then none of this would have happened.”
“Well, yeah, but you still don’t deserve this.” She gave me one more hug and pulled me to my feet just as a knock sounded at the door of the studio.
“Oh god, now what?” I muttered but Thalia forestalled me.
“Remember, I told you I had to make few phone calls?” Thalia said as the door open and there was Nate, standing there like a knight in shining armor. He looked back and forth between us with a wary expression on his face.
“Is it safe to come in? I’m not walking into a war zone am I?”
I shook my head.
“It’s okay, Nate. Thalia knows everything. Like you said, no more secrets.” He let out a sigh of relief and walked towards me.
“You called Nate for me?”
Thalia shrugged at my question, “You sounded like you needed him. And I wanted to prove to you that I’m really not pissed about him. Well, not that much. Just, don’t lie to me again okay? Or hide things. We’re friends. We can handle anything together, but not if you’re not honest with me.”
“I promise. Never again,” I said, hugging her and trying to fight back tears but it was nearly impossible. “You’ll still be the baby’s godmother?” I asked after I pulled back.
“Are you kidding me? I can’t wait to meet this little tyke and spoil them rotten. I’m going to be the coolest aunt. And if I’m being honest? I’m happy for you. Both of you.”
I let out a watery laugh and finally noticed how Nate was staring at the aftermath of the wreckage that was the designs for the Midsummer show. I tried not to let it break my heart, but the cracks were already there.
“What the hell happened here?” Nate asked in shock, wrapping his arms around me.
“Last night, I got a little too drunk and told Jefferson about the fight Poppy and me had, about you two,” Thalia said with a morose shrug, “He mistakenly thought that he could avenge me or something by hurting Poppy.”
Nate looked down at me in sympathy.
“I’m so sorry, Poppy. I know how much this means to you.”
I sniffled against his chest, my mind still reeling to try and figure out what to do as the another knock on the door sounded.
I glanced over at Thalia in surprise as she shrugged again.
“I made a few other calls.” She said as the door opened and Miko and her partner Amy were standing there, bolts of fabric in in their arms.
“What is this?” I asked in disbelief as they marched in, and army of assistants at their back as well as friends I recognized.
“It’s your army,” Thalia answered, her expression determined.
“We only have three days to fix this mess?” Miko demanded, already stepping into her role as she ordered her assistant to start cleaning up. All I could do was stare in dumb shock as they jumped into action around me.
“How? Why?” I muttered, too surprised and grateful to say anything more. Miko patted me on the shoulder.
“We are going to help you fix the designs for the show,” The older woman said kindly, “As for the why? We love you, Poppy. And we all know how hard you worked for this. It’s going to take a miracle to make this work, but we’re all here for you.”
I found myself fighting back tears again, not from sadness this time, but from overwhelming gratitude.
“How can I ever repay you?”
“You can repay me by killing it at the fashion show.” Miko said, then clapped her hands sharply to get everyone’s attention.
“Alright everybody! We only have three days and a hell of a lot to get done. Let’s get to work!”
29
Poppy
“Over here! Now! Move, move, move!” I waved the model over and she hurried as fast as she could. “We only have fifteen minutes until our show starts. I want to make sure everything is absolutely perfect.”
I held my breath as the last woman took her place in the line up, partially from the nerves that threatened to overwhelm me and partially from the cramping pain that squeezed my body like a vice. I counted in my head until the pain eased, shaking it off as I had for the past four hours when the contractions started.
Please, baby. Just a little while longer, I pleaded. I was so close to realizing my vision. To seeing my dream come true right in front of my eyes.
As the pain eased, pride filled me as I looked over the designs. I knew it had taken a true miracle to get this show pulled together, and I’d had so much help to get here. Everyone had worked for three days straight to undo the damage that Jefferson had caused and that alone was enough to make me feel like everything was worth it.
I could hear the music pounding from the runway, but it was distant, looking around it felt like everything was a dream. The designs were just as I had imagined them, even better because of the army of workers that I’d had helping me put everything together at the last minute.
“Poppy, there you are!” I turned at the sound of Thalia’s voice, freezing in rage at the sight of the person following behind her.
“What the hell is he doing here!” I growled, taking a step towards Jefferson but Thalia stopped me.
“Please, Poppy. He came to apologize. Just hear him out, okay? He feels terrible about what happened and wants to make up for it,” She paused, looking bashful for a moment, “Besides, we’re dating now and I told him he would have to talk to you before we could see each other again. Please Poppy.”
I looked at my best friend, could see how serious she was, but I was still so pissed off at Jefferson I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to him.
“I’ll listen to him, but I’m not making any promises.”
“That’s all I ask.”
I sighed, waving him to follow me further backstage to a small hallway where there was at least a little bit of privacy.
I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest. I wasn’t about to make this easy on him.
“Well?” I demanded, “You got me here. I’m listening. You have exactly sixty seconds.”
“Please, Poppy. I won’t even bother asking for your forgiveness. I know I don’t deserve it. I know what I did was terrible. Reprehensible. It was completely uncalled for. Thalia was just so upset and hurt and I…I kind of lost my mind and I reacted. I don’t expect you to understand, or forgive me. Thalia has already dragged me up and down about it and I just wanted you to know how sorry I am and that I’ll do anything I can to make it up to you.”
“You destroyed months of work, Jefferson. I can’t just forgive that.” My glare eased a little bit, “But, I do understand that however wrong it was, you did it because of Thalia. Just…don’t try to do anything like that ever again or I swear I’ll…” I stopped mid-threat, sucking in a sharp breath as another contraction his.
Jefferson gave me a worried look.
“Poppy? Are you okay?”
“It’s fine. It’s just another contraction.”
“A contraction!” His eyes widened in horror, “Oh my god, Poppy. You’re in labor!”
“Yeah, I know,” I said, rolling my eyes up at him. “It’s going to take a long time to make it up to me, Jefferson. And I’m not going to hire you back.”
“I know, I get that. Completely understand
,” He shot me another look, “Um, shouldn’t you be at the hospital?”
I shook my head. “The shows about to go on.” I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to breathe past the vise-like pressure. I counted down in my head until it started to fade once more. When I opened my eyes again, Nate was standing in front of me, a frown on his face.
“Is Jefferson telling the truth? Are you in labor right now?”
I glared at my ex assistant. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors,” I growled and Nate gaped at me.
“Poppy! We have to get you to the hospital right now!”
“But what about the show!”
“Poppy, our baby is coming.”
“Don’t you think I know that?! I’m the one that’s been having contractions for four hours.”
“Four hours?” Nate spluttered at me, then took matters into his own hands by lifting me up, giving me no choice. “Jefferson, let Thalia know we’re going to the hospital. And don’t you dare touch any of the designs. I still have a big bone to pick with you.”
“I will, I mean, I won’t!” Jefferson said, flushing with guilt and more than a little fear.
“Wait, what about the show?” I wailed and Jefferson reached out and patted my hand, before a glare from Nate had him pulling his fingers back as if afraid he was about to get them bitten off.
“I’ll take care of everything. Please, Poppy. I owe you so much. Let me try and make it up to you a little bit. This will be a small start, I know, but at least let me try.” Jefferson pleaded and I had no choice but to nod, feeling relieved as Thalia walked over.
“Keep an eye on your new boyfriend, okay?” I told her and she sent me a tearful smile.
“You just worry about delivering your beautiful baby. I’ll be at the hospital as soon as I can. And don’t worry. We’ve got everything here. Just stop working for a little bit, okay?”
I gave her a grateful hug, Nate hovering over me impatiently as he took me outside to the car and gently strapped me inside. I stopped him before he could stand up, holding onto his hand.
“I love you,” I told him, trying to put everything I felt for him in my kiss as I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.
“You are infuriating, and incorrigible.” He whispered against my mouth, “And I love you more than anything or anyone in the entire world. Let’s go have a baby.”
Epilogue
Poppy
Fabric swirled around me. Chiffon and tulle, velvet and French lace. In sweet nudes and pastels and then vibrant, shocking ruby red and magenta. It was a storm of color and texture and I was trapped in the middle of it.
I let out a delighted laugh, clapping my hands in joy.
“It’s so pretty.”
I set aside the sketchbook, all covered with drawings and ideas, brainstorms and notes. I was already envisioning the rest of the designs for the line of clothes for little girls.
“Knock, knock.” The voice sounded from the frame of the hospital room doorway and I looked up to see Nate walk inside, still in his scrubs with nurse Barbara behind him. All of my attention focused like a laser on the small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket swaddled carefully in her arms.
“I wanted to give you plenty of rest before coming in and waking you up, but I see you’re already up.”
“I’ve had plenty of rest,” I exclaimed softly, holding my arms out, “I want to hold our daughter.”
“She’s perfect,” Barbara said, gently placing the baby girl in my arms, her eyes sparkling as she looked from me to Nate and back again. “Congratulations, both of you.”
I grinned up at her.
“Thank you for putting up with me.”
“You were a much better patient this time around,” She laughed before leaving Nate and I, and our daughter, alone for a moment.
“We need a name for her.” Nate said, his voice rough with emotion as he held both of us.
“I was thinking about that,” I smiled up at him, “What about Isabella? Izzy, for short. After your grandmother? After all, none of this would have happened without her.”
“She would love that.”
“And what about you?”
“I love it too.” He leaned down, “Hello, Izzy.”
I stared down at this precious girl, her closed eyes were blue just like mine and she had a mop of dark hair. In the space of a heartbeat, she had become the center of my universe, right alongside Nate and all I could was marvel at our little miracle.
“She’s so incredibly.” I whispered in awe, and gave a startled shake when Nate leaned down and kissed me.
“Of course she is. Just like her mother.”
I melted at the look in his eye. A look at spoke to the love he had for me, for our daughter. A love that would carry us through the good times and the bad times, a love that would get us through anything that came.
He had taught me so much in the time I’d known him, that there was so much more to life than just work and I was happier than I could ever remember being. He had changed me, helped me grown, help me learn so much about life and love.
“Thank you,” I whispered and he gave me a startled look.
“For what?” He laughed, nodded at the bundle of joy in my arms, “You did all the hard work.”
“For being with me. For loving me.”
He swept a lock of hair behind my ear.
“I will always be there for you. And I will always love you.”
“Move out of the way! Let me see my niece!” Thalia’s voice interrupted us and Nate pulled back to reveal not just Thalia but Jefferson, Miko and Amy, and Nate’s grandmother all crowding into the hospital room.
They all cooed over the baby, and Isabel was ecstatic when she learned that we had named our daughter after her. I swore I even saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes as she hugged Nate and congratulated us both.
“I have something to show you, by the way.” Thalia said, handing over the magazine she had tucked into her purse. She opened it up and showed me the first page.
Front and center was a gorgeous image from the Mid-summer show, featuring my designs.
“Poppy Black is a show stopping starlet that dropped into the scene of this years Midsummer runway. The style is everything that is feminine, strong, real, and empowered. She is breaking the mold of the fashion industry by bringing fashion to real women, and women of all shapes and sizes, and I applaud her. Keep your eye out for this rising star on the L.A. fashion scene.”
I read the words, then gaped as I read the author.
“Imelda?!” I said on a choked laugh.
“She loved the show, Poppy. I talked to her after and she even laughed about the whole photoshoot thing after I told her you were pregnant at the time. She wanted to talk to you but I told her it would have to wait. You had more important things on your plate, like bringing this precious little peanut into the world.”
I stared at Thalia, grinning like an idiot but I didn’t care. It felt amazing to get a glowing review from Imelda, but as I looked around the room, I realized that I had everything I needed right there. I had my family. I had my daughter.
I glanced at Nate and found him smiling back at me, and I had the man that I loved more than anything in the world.
***The End***
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DESCRIPTION
A Halloween party. A chance encounter. A blooming relationship. An explosive demise.
Sounds like a regular college romance, right?
But for me, it was four years of my life I’ll never forget.
I went to that Halloween party a single, curious college girl and left as the apple of a man’s eye.
As Brett’s dedicated little sweet treat.
Four wonderful years… and one night is all that it took.
One night and my life was shattered.
I watched him walk away…
And today, I’m sitting in his billion dollar company interviewing for a job.
Memories resurface, secrets are revealed, and…
I am making the same mistake.
Falling for a cheating, heartbreaking man for a second time.
I shouldn’t be doing this…he’s ex for a reason.
Not only that, he’s my boss!
Mistakes have consequences,
And mine is evident from the two positive lines on the pregnancy test.
CHAPTER ONE: OLIVIA
Consultant Manager. That was my official job title. But really, I was working for Brett Greyson, CEO and owner of Greyson Consulting. I didn’t like working for him. Or underneath him. I needed the job, though. Badly. I interviewed for the position and was hired on two weeks ago, and I had yet to run into him.
The boy from my childhood.
My first two weeks on the job was for training purposes. A pompous man with a pimply face despite the fact he was almost fifty years old took me around, trying to show me the ropes. He walked me through how to turn on a damn computer. Like I didn’t know how to work an inkling of technology at the ripe young age of twenty-six. Everything was explained to me as if I were a child, and the only thing that made it bearable was the fact that it was paid training. Thankfully, after the first two weeks it was done. Which meant I got to settle into my office.
Best Friend's Boyfriend (Be My Boyfriend Book 2) Page 21