by E. L. Todd
“Whatever,” he said. “I was working too.”
“Not very hard, obviously.”
He came around the desk and gave me a hard kiss.
The affection didn’t register with me whatsoever. “The most amazing thing happened to me today.”
“Was that it?” he asked, dead serious.
“No. One Shot wants to do a spring catalog with me. We’re having lunch tomorrow.”
“But you’re supposed to have lunch with me tomorrow.” His eyebrows furrowed.
“Did you hear what I said? One Shot?”
“That clothing dude?”
“Yes, that clothing dude. It’s a really big deal.”
“Well, congratulations. If you’re excited, I’m excited.” He gave me another kiss. “But you can’t keep ditching our lunch dates for other guys. After a while it’ll hurt my ego.”
“It’s only once in a while. I promise.”
***
“For real?” Skye said over the phone. “That’s unbelievable.”
“I know,” I said with a small shriek. “I was wearing his jeans today too. And then he calls.”
“That’s so big, Trin. This could do amazing things for the company.”
“I know. I’m a little nervous to meet him…”
“Don’t be,” she said. “You walk in there like you own the place. Exude nothing but confidence. He wouldn’t have called if he didn’t think you were talented.”
“It’s still a bit nerve-wracking.”
“Trinity, you’re the best of the best. He’s the one who should be nervous.”
That’s why I called my best friend. She always knew just what to say. “Thanks. How’s it going with Cedric?”
“Great,” she gushed. “He’s the most perfect thing in the world.”
“Hey,” Cayson said from the background.
“Okay, he’s one of the most perfect things in the world,” Skye said.
I chuckled. “Cedric never gets old.”
“Nope. He’s the love of my life.”
“Hey,” Cayson repeated.
Skye yelled into the background. “Oh, shut up.” Then she came back to me.
“Do you miss PIXEL?”
“Sure,” she said. “Of course I do.”
It didn’t seem like it.
“Well…a little bit.”
That didn’t sound right either.
“Okay, not really,” she said. “Honestly, I haven’t thought about it once. I like being home with Cedric all day.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I know. It’s just weird to think that a few months ago PIXEL was my life. Now it’s just something distantly in the back of my mind. You’ll understand what I mean soon.”
“I’m sure I will.” My first love was Slade and my second love was my fashion line. But I had a feeling all of that would change the moment Olympia or Ryan arrived.
“Any pregnancy mood swings? Cravings?”
“Not really,” I said. “But I just started to show.”
Skye laughed into the phone. “When I was one month along I showed.”
“Yeah, but you looked cute.”
“I’m sure Slade is totally hung up on it. Cayson was like that. I still don’t understand why but he was. Personally, I thought I looked like a blob.”
“His sex drive has definitely moved to a new realm. He’s obsessed with my tummy. He’s always touching it and staring at it.”
“Awe…”
“It is kind of cute.”
“Well, let’s get dinner tomorrow. That way you can tell me about your meeting with One Shot. What’s his first name anyway?”
“Uh…” Actually, I didn’t know. “I’m not sure. Everyone refers to him as Mr. Shot so I’ve never looked into it.”
“Just stick with that. And good luck.”
“Thanks, Skye.”
“Not that you need it.”
***
We were meeting at Dorian’s, an Italian restaurant just a few blocks away from my building. I wore my nicest outfit, and despite Slade’s protests, I wore heels. They were silver stilettos to give my black dress some color.
The nerves were kicking in and I felt skittish. I wasn’t star struck by many people, but fashion icons were my weakness. Knowing who they were and what they accomplished always dwarfed my own success. No matter how hard I worked I would never be as successful as they were. I simply liked the artistic vision.
I walked inside the restaurant then was led to a table in the corner. The restaurant was dimly lit with candles. Everyone had quiet conversations at their tables, dressed in their finest even though it was the middle of the day.
I held myself upright and forced my shoulders back. Exuding confidence was an important quality when meeting someone for the first time. I wanted Mr. Shot to know I was an admirer of his work, but I also wanted him to understand that I valued my own work just as greatly. It was a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
When I reached his table I got a good look at him. He had thick dark hair just like I’d seen in pictures, and he was fit enough to be a model. The ratio between his shoulders and his waist was ideal. He projected everything his line strode for.
He stood up and faced me. Once he took me in a large smile stretched across his face. It was a look you would give an old friend, someone you were fond of and hadn’t seen for a long time. “Trinity.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
I took it. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Shot.” Now that he greeted me so warmly I wasn’t as nervous. There was no pretentious vibe in the air. There was only friendliness.
“Call me Maximum.”
The name suited him. “I will.”
He pulled out my chair like a gentleman before he took his place across from me.
I sat down and noticed there were already two glasses of water and a bottle of wine. The basket was in the center of the table but I wasn’t a fan of bread. I might have a piece of toast once in a while but that was the most I could handle.
He stared at me for nearly thirty seconds before he spoke again. “I was looking through your fall catalog months ago, and that’s when I realized what was right under my nose. Correct me if I’m wrong, but your line has only been around for a few years, right?”
“Yes.” I didn’t like bragging about it. Some designers worked for decades before they finally got their break.
“That’s impressive.”
“Thank you.” I would normally say nothing, but I had to keep my confidence up.
“And what do you owe your success?” He sipped his white wine and kept his eyes glued on mine.
One person came to mind. “My father.”
He stared at me like he wanted me to elaborate.
“I’ve learned everything from him. He’s been running his own company for a long time. Hard work and determination pay off.”
He nodded. “Preston, right? Mike Preston?”
“Yeah.”
“PIXEL is impressive. It’s no wonder you were able to build your empire so quickly.”
“I guess it’s in our blood.”
“I wouldn’t put everything on that,” he said. “You graduated from Harvard, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” When people read my biography I sounded like a snooty brat.
“You’re intelligent, so I wouldn’t give your father all the credit.”
“I guess not.” Even though I would give him a lot of it.
“Well, I was hoping you and I could collaborate on something. Our visions are very different, but I think that can be our greatest asset. What do you say to that?”
Stay confident. “I think that’s a great idea. We can learn from each other and it could be a rewarding experience.”
“My thoughts exactly.” He gave me a warm smile before he pulled out his sketchpad from underneath the table. “Tell me your thoughts.”
***
Lunch
lasted longer than I expected to because we were so caught up in what we were working on. Maximum had a lot of great ideas, and sometimes I wondered where they came from. They left his lips so easily I wondered if they just fell out of his brain.
The chemistry was right between us, something very important in regard to collaboration. While I considered myself to be a successful up-and-coming artist, Maximum had been in the business far longer than I had. He was probably ten years older than me, but he didn’t look a day over thirty. There was a sparkle of youth in his eyes, and he was so charismatic.
“I like the way you think, Trinity.”
“Thanks. Fashion is my passion. And no, I didn’t mean to rhyme on purpose.”
He smiled like I amused him. “I think the Milan premiere would be good for this. What do you think?”
You could only be a part of that by invitation, so I hadn’t been given the honor yet. But now I finally found my way in. “That sounds like a great idea.”
“I have a few retailers that would love an exclusive for this. That will generate buzz all on its own.”
“I’m sure it will.”
The bill had been sitting at the edge of the table but I hadn’t grabbed it because I didn’t want to be rude. We were in a heated conversation, and I didn’t want to interrupt it just to slip some change inside.
His hand moved to the black tab so I snaked my wallet out of my purse.
Instead of grabbing the wallet, his hand landed on mine.
My heart skipped a beat at the touch, caught off guard by the gesture. I turned back to him, unsure what any of this meant. Maximum was Italian, and I knew they were known for their passion and affection.
He kept his hand there, resting on mine. His eyes were on me, and there was a possessive look to them. The friendly camaraderie I felt earlier had disappeared. Now it was just those dark eyes staring into mine.
I wanted to pull my hand away but I didn’t. I was scared of offending him if the touch was only friendly.
“You should come over for dinner tomorrow,” he said. “I have a nice place overlooking the bay.”
Was that friendly? Was I overthinking it? Or did Maximum Shot just come onto me? I tried to think quickly on my feet before I said the wrong thing or did something stupid. “I have plans with my husband. We’re going shopping for baby stuff before the little one gets here.” That was a safe move. “But maybe another time.”
He didn’t seem surprised to know I was married. He didn’t blink or show any sign of familiarity. It meant nothing to him, or he just had a really good poker face. “How about Saturday?”
Shit. “Uh, I’m busy that day too.” I got the distinct impression the invitation was anything less than friendly but could I really be sure? I just told him I was married but he didn’t seem to care.
“Then I’ll set something up with your secretary.” He finally pulled his hand away and grabbed the tab. He quickly placed the cash for the entire meal inside.
I would offer to pay for my half but I was in shock.
Maximum stood up like the meal was over, so I did the same. He came close to me, far too close for a professional meeting. Then he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “It was very lovely meeting you in person, Trinity. I look forward to working together.”
***
“You look sick.” Skye reached across the table and felt my forehead with the back of her hand.
“I feel sick.”
“You don’t have a fever…” She drew her hand back and kept examining me. “Did you eat something bad?”
“I just had a bad lunch.”
“Didn’t you go to that nice Italian place?”
“It wasn’t the food that made me sick…”
Skye finally understood what I meant. “The meeting didn’t go well?” She cringed like she didn’t want to hear my answer.
“No.”
“Tell me everything.” Skye had a glass of water because she couldn’t have any alcohol. Her breast milk had to be alcohol and caffeine free. The hummus in the center of the table was untouched by either one of us. Since Skye ate everything in front of her, it was a miracle it was still there.
“Everything was going really well. Maximum and I worked on our sketches and shared a few ideas. We made some really amazing pieces together. We actually spent the entire hour just talking about that.”
“Then what happened?” Skye was leaning over the table, trying to absorb every single word.
“He grabbed my hand.”
Skye kept the blank stare on her face. “Sorry?”
“He grabbed my hand. He rested it on top of mine and looked deep into my eyes.”
“Oh…” Her eyebrows furrowed and she covered her lips with her fingertips.
“He asked me to come over to his place for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Oh my god,” she said. “What did you say?”
“I said I was picking out baby clothes with my husband.” It was the only thing that came to mind.
“Good response,” she said. “That shouldn’t have offended him.”
“But then he asked if I were free on Saturday.”
“What?” she gasped. “Even though you told him you were married?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him I was busy. Then he said he would arrange something with our secretaries.”
“Oh…”
“A part of me thinks he’s just being friendly and platonic. I mean, he knows I’m married and I’m pregnant. What guy would want to get involved with that? But the way he looked at me and the way he kept asking me to come over…tells me otherwise.”
“Stick with your gut,” Skye said. “What does it tell you?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Why did he have to ruin the lunch by acting like that?” Skye snapped. “The only touching that should be happening is a handshake. I don’t care if he’s Italian. This is America and that’s how we do things.”
“I know.” I let out a deep sigh, the kind that hurt my chest.
“Do you think that’s why he wants to work with you…?” Hesitation was in her eyes, like she wasn’t sure if she should have said that.
“I really hope not. Maximum can get any girl he wants so I doubt he would jump through hoops just to be with me.”
“You’re gorgeous, Trinity.”
“And pregnant,” I said quickly. “No guy finds that sexy except the father of the baby.”
“Maybe he’s into weird stuff…you know?”
I cringed. “The most powerful man in the fashion world is a creep? I sure hope not.”
“He’s attractive so he’s probably used to getting any girl he wants. Being married probably doesn’t make a difference to him.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“So, you do think he was hitting on you?”
It wasn’t clear. It was covered in shades of gray. “I’m not totally sure.”
“So, you’re going to keep working with him?”
That was in shades of gray too. “I don’t know. Working with him could be huge for my career. Just having my clothes with his at the fashion show in Milan is huge. If I accuse Maximum Shot of hitting on me and then cut ties with him, that could be the death of everything I worked so hard for.”
“Fucking bullshit.” Skye hardly ever cussed, so when she did it was a big deal. “That’s sexual harassment at its worst. Absolutely unfair.”
“I know…” If I were a man I would never have this problem.
“Maybe you should keep working with him but set boundaries. Make it clear you aren’t just married but happily married. You have no interest in having an affair.”
“But if I say that and he wasn’t hitting on me it’ll be too awkward for us to recover. Or if he was hitting on me it’ll still be too awkward to recover from.”
Skye nodded in agreement. “I would see him again, and if he makes another pass and it’s clear he’s coming onto you, then I w
ould lay down the law. You can say it politely and even in a flirtatious way to make it less insulting.”
“I guess.”
“And I’m assuming you aren’t going to tell Slade any of this?”
“Hell no.” I knew exactly how that conversation would go and it wouldn’t end well. “He would hunt Maximum down and take him out—literally. Slade would be in jail for murder for the rest of his life.”
“Yeah…I can see that.”
“So no, I’m not telling him a damn thing.”
“I wouldn’t tell Cayson either. When it comes to stuff like this, neither one of them can see straight. He wanted to kill Rhett even though the guy never touched me.”
“Yeah…our husbands.”
“I hope everything goes well with Maximum. I know this is something you really want.”
“Me too.” But a little voice in the back of my head told me otherwise.
***
Slade was home when I walked inside. He stood in the kitchen shirtless and he was squinting at a cookbook like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Somehow, seeing him confused was cute. Even if he was a bit dense on the inside, he was so pretty on the outside. “Hope your lunch went well and you won’t be blowing me off again.” He set the book down like he’d given up on it.
“It did. And no, I won’t blow you off again.” I set my purse on the table then came around to him.
“That’s right.” His toned arms snaked around my small waist, and his lips trailed across my jaw until they reached my mouth. His embraces were always so gentle but packed with obvious desire. The way he touched me was so much better than the way that creep placed his hand on mine. I liked the affection Slade gave me. It made me feel like his princess and his fantasy at the same time. “So, how did it go with what’s-his-name?”
I pretended everything was normal, that Maximum only saw me as a partner. “Great. He has so many ideas. His vision dwarfs mine.”
“Psh.” Slade shook his head. “There’s no way. No one is better than my wife.”
I smiled even though he was just saying that because he loved me. “He’s had a lot more experience than I have. I’ve already learned a lot from him.”
“And pretty soon it’s going to be the other way around.” He kissed my neck then the shell of my ear. “So, are you going to keep working with him?”
“I think so. We’re doing a show together in Milan.”