by K. A. Linde
“She’s excited to work with you again,” Trihn told him.
“I should go arrange the equipment to my liking, but first, what are you doing after school lets out?” he thoughtfully asked Trihn.
Trihn chewed on her lower lip. She had always been a daddy’s girl. When the stuff with Preston had gone down, her father had been the one to let her leave and process and help her get set up at school. But she had a feeling that she knew where this was going.
“I’m not sure,” she said.
“I’m not going to insist that you come to Lydia’s wedding, like your mother, but I would appreciate it if you came home to see everyone. Your mother misses you, and maybe if you talked to everyone in person, we could get this cleared up.” He sounded so hopeful.
“I don’t know, Dad.”
“I love you, baby girl. But just give an inch for me.”
Trihn looked up into his eyes and realized it was as close to pleading as he would get. She had never really been able to deny him anything, and he was the same way with her.
“All right,” she said finally.
“Damon, you’re, of course, invited as well,” Gabriel said automatically.
“Thank you, sir.”
Gabriel laughed. “Just Gabriel.”
“I would love to come and meet the rest of Trihn’s family.”
Gabriel glanced at Trihn and smiled. “I like him.”
Trihn chuckled. “Me, too.”
“All right. Back to work. Let’s get started,” he said.
Gabriel hurried into the next room, and they could hear the shrill squeal as Gabriel walked in on Francesca.
Damon raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. “You bombarded me with your dad without warning.”
Trihn cracked up. “Yep. You did good.”
“One minute, I was talking about fucking you, and the next, I’m meeting your father.” He shook his head. “At least I’ll have a warning when I meet your mother and the infamous Lydia.”
Trihn frowned and looked away. “Yeah, about that…you really don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I want to come with you.” He grabbed her by her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. “I have every intention of being there when you have to go through that situation. I know it’s not going to be easy or comfortable, but I’m not here just for the good. I’m here for everything.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too,” he said with a smile. “Now, go make your dreams come true.”
Trihn spent the next couple of hours working with the models, fixing minor issues on the designs, and basically running around like a madwoman. Her father was a professional, and with so many of the models having real-life experience, it made the process go by so much faster.
“That’s a wrap,” her father said some hours later.
The entire group cheered and congratulated Trihn on the success of her first official photo shoot. It felt incredible. All the models had photographed beautifully in her clothes. And with this, she hoped that she would have a fighting chance as a sophomore design major in such professional competition. If anything, she had put her heart and soul into it, and that showed through every product.
Her eyes sought out the one person she wanted to share this accomplishment with. But she didn’t see Damon.
“He’s out back,” Eric said, realizing who she was looking for.
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”
“Hey, Trihn?”
“Yeah?”
“I just wanted to say that I’m happy for you. I know not everything has been smooth sailing, but I think he’s an infinitely better choice than Neal. He’s a good guy.”
She smiled. “I think so, too, but it means a lot to hear you say that.”
“Good job on all of this. Wish I could have been more help, but it seems like you have it all taken care of. I’m going to head out.”
“Thanks, E.”
He tipped his head at her and then started to leave with the models who had changed out of her one-of-a-kind designs.
Trihn headed out the back door and into the darkness beyond. She saw a silhouette of Damon with his hands in his pockets. He was staring out at the campus that was softly illuminated by streetlamps.
“We just finished,” she said.
He quickly turned around. “Hey. Sorry I wasn’t in there for the finale.”
She waved her hand and came to stand next to him. “Doesn’t matter. You were there for basically everything else.”
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath of the dry, dusty Vegas air.
“What’s up?” she asked, intuitively sensing a shift in him.
“I have some news.”
“Oh?” She swallowed hard. The way he’d said it didn’t make it sound good. “The stuff Chloe told you to keep your phone on for?”
“Yeah. Our song is going to be the opener for the new album.”
“Oh my God!” Trihn cried. “The opener?”
“It should release internationally in a week or two. Damon Stone featuring Chloe Avana,” he said wistfully.
“Your name is first?” she asked, confused.
“Yeah. The DJ’s name comes first and then the singer. That’s how it’s normally done, and Chloe insisted we keep it the same—not that it changes anything, except for the order.”
“Um…I think that changes a lot, Damon. You’re going to be the first artist listed on an internationally bestselling song. This isn’t just a couple of million YouTube views. This is it.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“So, when do I finally get to hear it?” she asked.
“As soon as I can play it for you, I will,” he softly told her, still looking out into the abyss.
“I’m so excited for you. Why aren’t you more excited?”
“They asked me to be in the music video for the song.”
“That’s incredible!” she said.
But he still looked sad.
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “I guess I’ve just had such a great week with you that the thought of going back to LA is painful.”
“Oh.” She reached out for his hand, pulling it from his pocket. “But this is your dream. You want me to pursue my dream, and I want you to pursue yours.”
“I might have to miss the fashion show,” he said, wincing as he delivered the news.
Her stomach dropped, but she managed to hold it together. He had been there enough for her. She needed to be there for him.
“That’s okay, Damon.”
“It’s not.”
“Damon, look at me.”
He did as instructed.
“You are going to be in a music video for the debut single on Chloe Avana’s new album. You absolutely cannot be sad that you’re missing one fashion show to do that. I promise you, I will have other shows.”
He pulled her in close, holding her tight, and he rested his chin on top of her head. “I just want to be here for everything. I don’t want to miss a moment with you.”
“We’re going to have so much more time than this.”
“When all your dreams come true, you’re supposed to live happily ever after.” Damon kissed her forehead. “No one ever tells you what you have to sacrifice to get there or that your happily ever after comes with a world of different stresses you never imagined.”
“That’s the funny thing about dreams. They’re always better when you’re sleeping.”
“SERIOUSLY, HOW DO YOU have so much shit?” Bryna complained, hoisting another bag into the trunk of Stacia’s SUV.
Trihn shrugged. “It’s an in-case-the-world-ends assortment of things.”
Her hands were trembling, and she felt like a bug was coming on. Everything about today put her on edge and worried her. It was the big day.
“What if it sucks?” Trihn asked.
“You’re Trihn Hamilton. It won’t suck,�
�� Bryna said.
“Plus, we’ve worn the clothes. They’re awesome,” Stacia said. She dropped one last bag into the very full trunk. “I think that’s it. Time to go.”
Trihn hopped into the backseat, and Bryna took shotgun. While Stacia drove, they blasted the radio on the way to the Vegas Strip where the fashion show would be held in one of the many glamorous ballrooms at Caesars Palace.
The girls had done their hair and makeup beforehand, knowing that they would be swamped with work once they got there. Trihn had decked them out in her designs, and she had to admit that they looked like a certified squad—the bitch, the slut, and the badass.
The radio crackled as the announcer came on. “Welcome back! We have a special announcement. A world premiere that just released. You’re hearing it here first. The first single off of Chloe Avana’s new self-titled album.”
“Turn it up!” Trihn cried.
Damon hadn’t let her hear the song yet. He had said that he wasn’t approved to do it, even while making the music video. He’d promised to let her hear it as soon as they were done. The song must have leaked before then.
Stacia flipped the switch, so the volume cranked to max.
“Debut artist DJ Damon Stone, featuring Chloe Avana. This is ‘We Never Met.’”
Trihn rocked back into her seat with her mouth open. Her heart beat fiercely as the song started. When Chloe’s vocals cued in, the girls all started dancing in the their seats.
“Oh my God,” Trihn said.
She knew those lyrics. She had heard them only twice before—once in a recording and once when Damon had sung them to her, acoustic-style, in his bedroom. This was her song.
Even though it was Chloe singing her song, it was still pretty crazy that there was a song written about herself on the radio. Plus, Damon’s backup vocals sounded amazing, and if she closed her eyes, she could remember him singing it to her.
When the song ended, Stacia turned the music down. “That was so good,” she said.
“It’s my song,” Trihn said, slightly dazed.
“Your song?” Stacia asked in confusion.
“Yeah. He wrote it about me.”
“And he let Chloe sing it?” Bryna asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, he didn’t tell me what song he was recording. When I asked him when I could hear it, he said when he was cleared for it. I guess it got leaked early or something,” she said.
“Suspicious,” Bryna said.
Stacia smacked her on the arm. “No, it’s not!”
“Sounds just like Chloe to me.”
“I’m sure it’s not like that,” Stacia said.
“Guys, I’m sure he has a legitimate reason for not telling me about the song.”
“Yeah, but what about this music video?” Bryna asked. “Aren’t the lyrics basically about finding his dream girl in a club? What are the chances that they made Damon and Chloe find each other in the club for this music video?”
Trihn frowned. She hadn’t thought about that. “I don’t know, Bri. You know Hollywood.”
“Stop freaking her out,” Stacia said. “Damon is a good guy. No one should be suspicious. His song is on the fucking radio!”
“I’m not suspicious of Damon,” Bryna said immediately. “Just Chloe.”
Trihn nodded. “Yeah, well, it’s his first single. I’m not going to worry about any of that until after the fashion show.”
They pulled into the parking lot, and a few of the volunteers came out to get the rest of Trihn’s equipment. Then, they sauntered into Caesars Palace as if they owned the place.
Backstage was full of senior design students who Trihn had been sharing studio space with for the four months she worked on this project. Models were running around half-naked with their hair and makeup in different stages of disarray. Designers were fluttering by, trying to fix issues and doing adjustments.
When Trihn made it to her models, Francesca had already organized the girls into groups. Hair and makeup was all but done. The girls just had to get into their clothes, and they would be all but ready to walk the runway.
“You’re a goddess,” Trihn said before kissing Francesca on both cheeks. “I could never thank you enough for doing this.”
“What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t help you in your time of need?” Francesca eyed the other designers’ work and raised an eyebrow. “And it looks like many are in some desperate need.”
“Okay, everyone,” Trihn said, rounding up the troops. “Once you’re finished in hair and makeup, please get into your outfit and line up in order. If you have any questions, please direct them to me, Bryna, or Stacia.”
The volunteers had placed the last of her designs on a rack, and girls started rifling through the bags to collect their outfits. It was less organized than Trihn would have liked, but as long as they were all where they needed to be, then it was fine.
About half an hour before the show started, Trihn was fixing a zipper on a girl’s skirt when Bryna snuck up behind her. “Hey, I have a surprise for you.”
“Wha—” Trihn asked through a mouthful of pins.
“I need to steal you.”
Trihn took the pins out of her mouth and finished the last stitch on the hem of the skirt. “I think that’s good. Let me know if it doesn’t hold up.”
“Thanks, Trihn!”
She turned back to Bryna with raised eyebrows. “What’s up?”
“I might have called in some favors.”
“Oh, Lord, what did you do?”
Bryna grabbed her arm and dragged her up the stairs to the stage. From their viewpoint, they could see out to the crowd that had started filing into the ballroom. Only a few rows in the back left were still open.
Trihn felt the familiar sense of stage fright take over, and she put her hand on her chest. “That’s a lot of people.”
“Yeah, but look.” Bryna pointed to the front row, and Trihn followed her line of vision.
When Trihn saw who Bryna was pointing at, Trihn gasped and smacked Bryna on the arm. “You invited Gates?”
“Ouch. Take it easy! Of course I invited Gates, but it’s not just that. Look at his date.”
“Fuck,” Trihn whispered when she saw the tall leggy blonde with bright red lipstick in a two-piece white-skirt-and-crop combo seated next to Gates. “Is that—”
“Yep,” Bryna said, popping the P.
“I thought she was dating Calvin Harris!”
“Oh, who can keep up? She’s here with Gates, and that’s all that matters. It looks like she’s brought some friends, too.”
“I can’t.”
“Yeah, I have a feeling this is going to be all over Page Six in the morning. I don’t think they’ve been photographed together before.” Bryna nudged Trihn and smiled. “You’d better win this thing, so you can get your name in the paper, too.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I know,” she said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Everyone, gather around!”
Trihn looked over her shoulder and saw Teena Hart gesturing for all the students to get together to talk before the show started. Trihn hurried down the steps and shouldered into the lineup.
“Thank you all so much for the endless hours of hard work and dedication to your craft. It’ll all culminate in tonight’s performance. We have some exceptional guests in the front row of our audience tonight, so be prepared for more press than intended. We’re working on controlling the situation, but we didn’t exactly anticipate celebrities showing up to this round.”
Trihn glanced over at Bryna, who snickered.
“In any case, that doesn’t change anything for you. As you know, the winner of this show will go on to New York City to compete nationally. This year, for the grand prize in New York, the winner’s line will be picked up by Bloomingdale’s and be featured in Glitz magazine.”
Trihn’s mouth dropped open. Bloomingdale’s was her dream store. Of course,
she had a lot of hurdles she would have to jump before she got to that, but just the opportunity was unbelievable. And to get into Glitz magazine, where her mother was a senior executive for the company, without her mother’s help would be so satisfying.
“But no matter what happens here today, you have all completed your assignments, and you are all winners in my eyes. We’ll be starting in just five minutes. Please get your models ready. Thank you, and good luck.”
Teena left to introduce the fashion show, and all the designers scattered to get their models into order and make final adjustments.
It felt like hours before it was finally Trihn’s turn. Bryna and Stacia squeezed her hand before leaving to go watch her big moment.
Francesca was her first and last model, and before Trihn walked out onto the runway, Francesca enveloped her in a big hug. “Show the world what you’re made of.”
Trihn nervously smiled at her and then took the stairs to the stage. She catwalked the runway like she was born to be onstage. A microphone was waiting for her at the end, and she stepped up to it with her heart in her throat.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Trihnity Hamilton, and this is my designer collection, Clothes by Trihn. The look I’m showcasing for you today is a street-to-runway look that you can wear anywhere. Whether walking the streets of New York City, dancing on a rooftop in Milan, or lining the red carpet in Hollywood, Trihn fashion can take you there because I’ve been there as a ballet dancer in New York City, a model in Milan, and now fashion designer here in Las Vegas. Welcome to my personal street style, Clothes by Trihn.”
At her last line, Francesca walked out onto the runway in Trihn’s signature black cutout dress. The crowd cheered as she and Francesca circled each other. Francesca winked, and then they passed one another.
When Trihn made it backstage once more, she put her hand to her chest and breathed in, feeling relieved. She had forgotten how nerve-wracking it was to be onstage. She worked with the rest of the girls before they went on at their allotted times.
Trihn hurried over to help Francesca into the final piece. She was the only model who was wearing two items, but Trihn wouldn’t have it any other way.