Peter sighed “You don’t know that she isn’t clever and capable give the girl a chance. Let’s see how she does the rest of the week hmmm?”
“Sure, mostly because in the middle of this crisis I don’t have time to hire someone else.”
He smiles leaving my office before I change my mind. I don’t have time to waste worrying about gorgeous assistants, I have a company to save.
Chapter 4:
Isobel
I wipe the coffee of my dress, but I know it’s no use. It’s ruined. When I make Maddy’s new dress I will buy enough fabric to recreate mine. Tears stream down my face. I look in the mirror my makeup is a mess. I need this job Jake needs tuition money, I need to eat and have a place to live. Ever since my parents died and I became my brother’s guardian life has been hard. It had been two years it felt like yesterday and forever ago. Jake graduated and got a partial scholarship to college allowing me to finish design school before getting a job to pay for the rest of his college. At least Mom and Dad’s apartment was paid off with the insurance money so that was one thing I didn’t have to worry about.
I made a mess of my first impression it was just I was so nervous she has such a commanding presence. There wasn’t time to wallow she hasn’t fired me yet. I would go to wardrobe get a new outfit and then show her that I deserve to be here that I wasn’t some timid girl who knees shook in front of her idol. I would convince her to keep me and then eventually I would work up the courage to show her my designs three or four years from now.
I open the door and run right into Penny.
“Hey are you ok? I am so sorry with the breakup and Jenny taking our line for New York fashion week she is a bit stressed. Peter says she is willing to give you another chance.”
“Really?”
She puts her arm around me. “Really, now let’s go find you something fabulous to wear, and devise a plan for you to knock Sabrina’s socks off.
****
“Girl what happened to you?” Richard one of the top designers for Bella Flore’ turns and looks at me.
I try to smile but miss the mark.
“Sabrina happened she is on the rampage today.”
Richard rolls his eyes “Jenny wasn’t the creative genius Sabrina touts her as. I think that woman’s brain was clouded by great sex.”
I choke back a laugh. He eyes me up and down.
“That dress is fab. Well it was before you spilled coffee down the front. Who is the designer?”
“Me.” I say simply looking him straight in the eye.
“You made that? Why are you an assistant then?”
“I just graduated from design school that was the only job I could get without experience.”
“Do you have a portfolio?” He asks as he peruses the racks for something for me to wear.
“Yes, several.”
“You bring them into me I want to see them. In the meantime, let’s find you something fabulous to wear.” He smiles at me. I feel myself smiling back. The top designer at Bella Flore’ wants to see my portfolio this day is looking up, maybe I will get to be a designer after all.
Chapter 5:
Sabrina
1 week later
I look at my emails there are fifteen from Layla, the marketing department, and promotions asking me about our line for New York fashion week. There is not a line for fashion week. The two designers I interviewed balked at the idea of only having three months to produce an entire new line. They used words such as impossible, unimaginable, and declared they didn’t need that kind of stress on their creativity.
I roll my eyes sigh sitting back in my chair. They signed an NDA with very severe consequences for breaking it. I can’t let it get out that we don’t have a spring line for fashion week.
I need to find something fresh, a new never heard of before designer to knock their socks off.
“Sabrina do you have a moment?” Clarrissa sticks her head in the door. I stifle my sigh waving her in.
“What can I do for you Clarissa?”
“well I was thinking since we are in need of a spring line for fashion week now that Jenny is gone, I could design one.”
I narrow my eyes no one outside of my very close team that I trust knows that Jenny took her line with her when she left.
“Just because Jenny left doesn’t mean that we are without a spring line.” I say my voice monotone watching her expressions. I knew that Clarissa and Jenny were friendly at the office, but I wasn’t aware that they were close.
“Oh, I know you still have the line, but I thought you might want to freshen it up since Jenny is going to have her own spring line at fashion week now that she is with French Boutique.”
“Thank you for the kind offer but I have fashion week under control. If we need bags or shoes to accessorize the line, I will let you know.”
Clarissa pouts at me and I barely control not rolling my eyes.
“You know I want to work into clothing lines.”
I give her my best fake smile “Yes, but your shoes and bags are some of our best sellers I need you to keep doing what you do best for now.”
She preens a little bit at this overexaggerated praise. Her bags and shoes are at our lower price points and do sell well but they are nowhere near what Jenny’ s designs used to bring in.
Thinking about Jenny brings me right back to my predicament and the smile slides from my face.
I look from Clarissa and then pointedly at the door.
She smiles at me suddenly cheered “Well if you need some help let me know.” She flips her long brown hair and saunters out of my office.
I look at my watch it is dinnertime. I need a break from all of this stress. I need a drink. The thought of getting all dressed up and going to my favorite club appeals. I don’t want Jenny to get word that I am holing up at work I need to be seen out so that she knows that her taking my entire spring line with her isn’t causing me to sweat.
I grab my bag off of its hook throw it over my shoulder and saunter out of the office. I don’t want any of these people to worry about their jobs, so I am going to continue to project a confident air.
For now, I am going home getting sexy and having a night out on the town.
*****
I walk into the club my lips pull up in a grin. The pulse from the music pounds through me. I feel the stress of the past few days slide from my shoulders. I know the relief is temporary, I am going to enjoy it while it lasts. I see some cute girls eyeing me by the bar. Taking one of them home would complete my hat trick of stress relief. I start toward the bar when I see a swing of bright blonde hair. I stop midstride watching as her head swings back as she laughs at something the bartender says.
I stride over to her seeing a bunch of my employees at a table near her.
“Hi, Sabrina welcome to the party.” Jason says grinning at me.
“What is going on with Isobel?”
They look over to the bar rolling their lips over their teeth.
“That girl cannot hold her liquor.” Jason says watching as Isobel stumbles as she stands from the stool.
“I was in the process of calling her an Uber.” Peter says showing me his phone.
“Cancel it I will take care of it.”
They just nod and go back to their conversations. I give one more heated look toward the lovely women down the bar from me mentally saying goodbye to the good time we might have had together.
“Isobel, come with me I will take you home.”
She turns throwing herself into my arms her sunny smile making my pulse jump.
“Sabrina, I am so happy to see you.” She says hugging me close. The feel of breasts pressed against me starts a low throbbing in my core. She is so beautiful…and so drunk.
I put my arm around her and help her out to the valet station handing them my ticket.
They bring my car around, the valet helping me to get her into the car. I give him a big tip, before sliding into the driver’s seat and roaring away.
I look over at Isobel she is leaning against the door her eyes closed. I ask for address she mumbles it out I can barely understand her.
I pull up in front of her building chuckling to myself when she doesn’t even move.
How much did she drink?
I open the door catching her before she can slide all the way to the ground. She is that boneless that only the truly drunk can achieve. I swing her up into my arms she weighs almost nothing.
“Sabrina are you going to carry me like in one of those romantic movies?” She murmurs putting her had on my shoulder snuggling close.
I take a deep breath the throbbing in my center has grown even worse, it feels as if I am throbbing in time with each step I take. The feel of her body against mine is almost more than I can take. But she is drunk, and I don’t take advantage of drunk girls.
I find her apartment taking the keys I got from her purse and opening the door. It is a spacious apartment making me wonder how she was able to afford it while she was in school and on her salary. We pay very well but not enough to be able to afford this apartment in New York City.
I put her on her feet shaking her again. “Isobel you are home.”
She opens sleepy eyes giving me a loose grin that is adorable.
“Have I ever told you that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen? You are my idol, I thought when I first saw you all grumpy outside your office that you were even more beautiful than you are in pictures.”
She sighs falling back into my arms.
“I want you.”
I swallow hard one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen just told me she wants me. I shake the thought out of my head she is drunk and innocent. I am a player who breaks women’s hearts. I am not made for a relationship all Isobel would get from me is heartache.
“Let’s get you to bed sweetheart.” I say walking her back through the apartment until I find her room. I know it is hers because the perfume she wears lingers there.
“Arms up.” I say and she obediently lifts her arms. I slip the skintight dress she has on off praying she is wearing underwear.
She is wearing underwear but no bra her perky breasts bounce as I toss the dress to the side. I close my eyes the sight of her breasts burned into my memory.
I walk her back towards her bed throwing back the covers. Helping her in pulling the covers up around her.
Looking down at her she looks like an angel I can’t stop myself from brushing my lips against hers. She smiles, sighs.
I need to get out of here before I do something I will regret. I walk out of the room stopping at the threshold to look back at her sleeping form one last time.
Chapter 6:
Isobel
I wake up, squinting as the sun streams across my bed. My head is pounding, my eyes feel like sandpaper and my mouth is a desert. I roll over and groan. I have no idea how I got home last night but I seem to be intact.
I am such a lightweight 3 drinks put me under. All I remember from my night out is the drinks, going to the bar flirting with a girl there. I tried to dial Maddy, but I am pretty sure I was successful. I will find out when I get to work.
I check my phone blink, check it again. There is no way that time is right.
“No! I scream running into the bathroom despite my pounding head and jump in the shower.
****
“Girl you look rough, long night?” Maddy asks as I run into the lobby sprinting past her. I went and got drunk with the crew from Bella Flore’ last night now I am three hours late for work.”
“Hey just so you know, I met someone the other night it is really new, but I know we planned a date for later in the week.”
The elevator door opens, I take a moment to beam at Maddy “I am so happy for you I hope she deserves you. The dress is ready I just need to press it I will bring it in for you tomorrow.” I say holding the door open.
“Thanks Isobel you are the best.” She says I let the doors close leaning my head against the wall for the short ride to the top of the building. How am I going to explain this to Sabrina? I have a fuzzy memory of a dream from last night that she stared in. That wouldn’t be strange she has been staring in all of my dreams for the last week. I might be a virgin, but it doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about having her lips on mine.
The elevator dings, I prepare to do my walk of shame opening the wide glass doors onto chaos.
I look in wonder as people run around like they are in a frenzy, even Jason looks like he is actually answering phones and not playing with his nails.
I walk slowly through the chaos to my desk.
“Hey, you made it, don’t worry she has been so busy this morning I don’t think she even has noticed you were not here.” Penny says smirking down at her.
“You really are a lightweight.”
“I am, what is going on around here?”
“It is sample day.” The major department stores come in to look at the different lines, so that they can decide what they want to purchase for their spring line up. It happens 4 times a year it’s insane all day.
“How did I get home last night?”
“You don’t remember.”
I shake my head, worried about the slow grin that crosses her face. I hope I didn’t go home with someone and they left before I woke up. I would like to remember my first time thank you very much.
“Sabrina took you home.” I feel my stomach hit my shoes. I groan and put my face in my hands. She can’t have said what I think she just said.
“You are kidding me.” I say looking back up at her.
“’friad so friend. She practically carried you out of the bar.”
“I can’t believe how wasted you were after three drinks.”
“I don’t ever drink, and those hurricanes were really strong.”
“Yeah they were, well get to work buddy she didn’t even notice so you are in the clear.”
I sit and stare blankly at my computer. I try to remember last night. I think really hard and some fuzzy images come back to me. Telling Sabrina that she was beautiful, telling I want her. Sabrina taking of my dress seeing my breasts, tucking me into bed sliding her lips across mine before she left.
I groan and put my head on my desk.
“Someone is starting to remember last night.” Peter grins at me I glare back.
“No more hurricane nights for you sister.” He says as his phone rings.
He picks it up. I log into my computer and get started on some data entry Sabrina gave me yesterday.
“Hey, hung over girl the boss wants you to proof that letter she sent you yesterday ASAP. Oh, and you didn’t dodge the bullet she asked if you had dragged yourself in here yet.” He winks at me then chuckles when my face goes white.
“Don’t worry about its girl Sabrina is good with it as long as it’s not a regular thing. There isn’t a one of us that hasn’t dragged ourselves in late after a night of partying.”
I breathe out a relieved breath, I should go in there and apologize at least, I can’t lose this job Jake needs tuition money and I need to be able to eat and pay taxes on our apartment.
I stand up smooth down my skirt and knock on the door to her office. I might as well get it over with apologize then stay out of her way for the rest of the day.
Chapter 7:
Sabrina
I stare at the alerts popping up all over my screen. They are from all the major gossip rags; Jenny has sold our story to all of the major fashion magazines. She of course has made me look like the monster that comes out of the closet to eat small children while she is the innocent party. It is a good thing that she left my company because I would be wrapping my hands around her throat right now if I had the chance.
A knock at my door has my head coming up.
“It’s open.” I say and see Isobel come in. She is drawn and pale. Her perky naked breasts pop into my mind again causing me to scowl.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” I say in an i
cy voice.
She stops in the doorway like a deer caught in the headlights of an upcoming car. I am sure that Peter or Penny have told her my lax policy about hangovers, but her presence is just too much today. I am too attracted to her; I want her in my bed but that would be breaking my promise to Layla. I don’t need to embroil us in another scandal I have already caused the one that is currently raging in the gossip rags.
I can see Jenny laughing as she pretends to be wounded for the reporter.
“I am just coming into apologize.” She says stepping just inside the door shutting it behind her.
“In the future I would appreciate a phone call if you are not going to come in at your designated time. I don’t run a daycare center it is not my job to babysit you.” I see her eyes tear up and I know I need to stop this, but I have all of this pent-up frustration. All I want to do is press her against that door and ravage that sweet mouth.
“If you haven’t noticed I am running a business. If you do this again just don’t come in at all.”
I give her a cruel smile. “Run along home now, you are no good to me in this state.”
A small sound of distress leaves her mouth, the tears fall down her face as she opens the door and runs out of the office.
Peter and Penny peek inside “What did you do?” Peter says shaking his head before he goes back to his desk.
Penny just looks at me and goes back to her desk.
“What was that look for?” I call after them the guilt starting to eat at me. All of us in this office had come in late from drinking too much at one time or another. It was known that I was pretty lax on the occasional late day after a night of partying as long as it isn’t a regular thing. I had taken all of my frustration out on that poor girl.
“I think I have a solution to your problem.” I look up and see Richard standing in my doorway a folder in his hand.
“Which problem would that be? I have multiple at this point.” I say dryly looking at him.
“I can’t help your truly awful taste in women, but I can solve your fashion week problem.”
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