Makin’ the Cut

by Rennie Rivera

  I watch this beautiful woman next to me. She isn’t leaving room for doubt. She knows she can’t trust my ex, which she’s right to think. Lindsey’ll do anything to get ahead in the fashion industry.

  We spend the rest of the afternoon chatting as the girls work. Rhen and I even designed the stage and light set up on paper so that tomorrow we can go down and direct the crew on how to set up when they arrive. I look up at the clock and realize it’s almost dinner time.

  “Babe, are you at a stopping point? It’s almost time for dinner,” I ask.

  She looks up from her sketches. “Yeah. I need the break anyways. My eyes are starting to hurt from staring at the sketches. I want to do something different and unique. But I keep sketching the same old shit, so a break will be good. This way I can come back with a fresh mind and try again.”

  She sets her pencils down and gets up to stretch, then we all start to head down to the banquet room where dinner’s being served. Dinner goes by with no incidents and I’m relieved for that. We head over to the bar and have a couple of drinks before heading upstairs for the night. I’m enjoying a Jack and coke with Rhen when Savy comes over and sits on my lap.

  She whispers, “I need you. I want you. Now.”

  I gulp the remainder of my drink and we say our good nights to the others and start toward the elevator. She pushes the button summoning the elevator car and steps back into my arms as I wrap them around her. Suddenly the doors open and there stands Lindsey, smiling as though she’s up to no good.

  “Oh, hello. Are you guys leaving already?” she asks.

  “Hey, yeah, we were just headed up for bed. By the way, do you have any plans tomorrow? I need to do a remeasure. I have a new idea for the first round. Do you think you could stop by say, around four-thirty?” Savy asks.

  We step into the elevator as Lindsey steps off. “Sounds great. See you then.”

  As we wait to reach our floor I tell Savy, “You never cease to amaze me. I mean if the roles were reversed and I had to work with Gavin, I’d probably whoop his ass. You’re being the bigger person here. I’m so proud of you.”

  She smiles. “Baby, I have you. And it’s not as though you still have feelings for her. I know you may still hurt, but love, definitely not. Not to mention, I need to prove myself to no one. She may think this is a competition for your attention and affection, but I know it’s not because I’ve already won that.”

  Once in our ensuite bedroom, she strips down to nothing. Walking toward the bathroom she looks at me over her shoulder. “Ya coming?”

  I nod. “With you, baby, anywhere.”

  I follow her into the shower where she turns into my little minx and has her way with me. She assaults my cock with her tongue before turning around and bending over, begging me to fuck her, which I have absolutely no issue obliging.

  We move to the bed after finishing our shower, where I take my time and show her how much I care for her while slowly making sweet love to her. She digs her nails in my back as she climaxes and that is all it takes to send me over the edge.

  I look down at her as she slows her breathing to an even rhythm, and I realize at that moment that I don’t just love her but I’m madly in love with her. She curls into my arms and rests her head on my chest as we untangle our limbs and get comfortable for sleep.

  Looking down at her, I kiss the top of her head. “Goodnight, my sweet princess. Sweet dreams.”

  “Goodnight, baby, sweet dreams. I love you,” Savy whispers.

  My eyes pop open in shock. Did she just say what I think she did? I listen to her breathing.

  “Baby doll, what did you just say?” I whisper.

  She doesn’t respond. I only hear the soft snores escape her. Maybe she didn’t say it. Even if she did, I’ll wait until she’s awake to see if she repeats it. I wrap her tighter in my arms, like a security blanket, and finally drift off to sleep.

  19

  Savannah

  I’m getting so used to sleeping and waking up next to Lukah, that when this is all over, I’m not sure I can go back to sleeping and waking up alone. It isn’t the same as it was with Gavin, where we merely existed together. Now I wake up every day tangled in the limbs of this gorgeous man. He’s always touching me and holding me close.

  I didn’t think I’d like to sleep like this all the time, but to be completely honest, it’s what I was missing. Not just the attention but the intimate contact. I didn’t know that love could feel like this. I mean, that’s what this is, love. Holy. Shit.

  I’m in love with him. Fuck, I need to talk to Momma. It’s too soon.

  We only just met and started dating. Shit. No, it can’t be love. It’s just lust. I mean hello, look at him. Those sexy hazel eyes, curly auburn hair, infectious smile, and that body. Fuck, that rock, hard, muscular body is extremely lust worthy.

  I roll over, attempting to quietly crawl out of bed only to be pulled back in.

  “Not yet. Stay here a little longer. Please? The rest of the world will still be there later. I just want to hold you,” he mumbles.

  “How can I say no to that?” I giggle, curling up against him.

  “What’s on your mind, my little minx?” he asks in a whisper.

  “I’m thinking of how things are progressing with us. I know I should be freaked out at how quickly we’ve fallen into a routine, but I’m not. I actually found myself wondering how I’ll cope with sleeping alone once we go back to the real world. We had an awesome weekend, and now we’re here, but what happens when the competition is over? You’ve got a company to run and I have to plan the next leg of my career now that school is over. I can’t count on winning this. I refuse to set myself up for upset.” I settle my head on his shoulder.

  He kisses the top of my head, wrapping his arms tighter around me. “Well maybe once all is said and done here, we can discuss moving in together. I know we can make it work.”

  I sit up quickly in complete shock. “Wait, what? You don’t think that’s moving too fast?”

  “Baby doll, I love waking up to your beautiful face every morning. Having you fall asleep in my arms every night. Will you at least think about it?” he replies.

  I nod and lay back down into his arms.

  Move in together? Is it too soon? I mean, I guess we’re pretty much living together now, so what would really be the difference, right? Just something else to talk to Momma about. I’d rather get her advice before making such a life-changing decision. I need to be smart about this relationship.

  I don’t want to end up shattered again, I’m not sure my heart can take it. My thoughts are interrupted by Lukah snaking his hand down my stomach towards my sweet spot.

  “Someone is awfully handsy this morning.” I giggle.

  He whispers into my ear. “Well I was thinking of distracting you for a bit longer. I know that we won’t get too many more mornings like this in the next couple of weeks. So, I want to take full advantage of the moment and pleasure my gorgeous girlfriend. Help her start her day off right!”

  “Mmm I like the way you think. Please, continue,” I say as I roll to face him and guide my fingers down his washboard abs reaching for his hard, thick cock.

  He flips me to my back and jumps on top of me then, without wasting a moment, guides his cock into my entrance. A moan escapes me as I revel in the pleasure he’s delivering. He isn’t soft and sweet this time, he’s hard, rough, and animalistic. I love when he takes over, it drives me crazy. It isn’t long before I’m at my peak ready to fall over.

  “Oh fuck, I’m gonna cum, baby. Mmm.” I moan.

  “That’s right, you little minx, cum with me,” he growls before we both fall over the edge.

  Laying there panting, I kiss his chin and then his nose. “Fuck, even a quickie with you is phenomenal.” I laugh as I roll out of bed. “Come on baby, let’s shower and get some coffee. I have some sketching to do.”

  He gets up, smacking me on the ass as he walks past me into the bathroom. “I aim to please, baby
doll.”

  We quickly shower and get dressed for the day. I decide to wear some comfy yoga pants and a tank because I’ll be in designer mode all day. He wears some relaxed fit jeans and a red polo, which he looks so sexy in. I admire the view as I slide on a pair of fuzzy socks. We head out into the suite to join Fia and Rhen for coffee and breakfast. Rhen again brought food up, knowing I would want to get straight to work once I emerged from our room.

  “Bubba, you know me so well. Thank you for bringing food and coffee up. You’re the best,” I say as I kiss his cheek and grab some coffee.

  Fia and I get to work. I think the new designs are going to be better than I first imagined. Fia went ahead and interviewed the other two models for me so that I could go over the notes and design the best outfit to fit each personality. All that’s left is Lindsey, and that one has me wanting to keep an eye on her.

  I know Lukah said she won’t be a problem, but I don’t trust her. She had a look about her when she was looking at him that didn’t scream platonic. Lukah is mine, this competition is mine. I’ll be damned if some underfed, snobby model takes it away from me.

  Hours go by with us steady at work, when there is a knock at the door. Rhen answers it.

  “Oh hello, I was looking for Savannah. She asked me to stop back by for a remeasure,” Lindsey states.

  I get up and walk to the door. “Hi, Lindsey, thanks for stopping back by. Come on in.” I lead her to the table. “First, I want to ask you a few things then take some more measurements.”

  She nods. “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Okay, just a few questions. It’ll help me personalize the outfit to you. First, favorite colors? Second, favorite season? And third, favorite hobby or activity?”

  Lindsey responds, “Wow, interesting questions. Favorite color, periwinkle and pink. Favorite season, spring. Favorite activity or hobby? Photography. I love to take pictures. Can I ask, why the questions? Didn’t they include some personal facts about us in our model profiles?”

  I nod, “They did. I just feel like it isn’t enough. In order to personalize the outfit, I must know a little more about you than they provide us.”

  Lindsey responds, “I can’t wait to see what you come up with now. Do you need anything else from me?”

  “No, only for Fia to get your measurements again. I want to be sure I have exact measurements and this way I can leave a little room for gain or loss. Otherwise if I went based on the measurements provided it could be completely off. Honestly when did they take those measurements?” I reply.

  Lindsay says, “We’re measured every three months. The agency keeps us on a steady diet and exercise regimen.”

  “Yeah see, they should measure you biweekly or monthly. But, no worries, that’s why we as designers measure and remeasure a few different times along with doing two to three fittings. I’ll get to work on the sketches. We’ll do our first fitting in a couple of days. I’ll have Fia give you a call to set up a fitting,”

  She gets up and goes over to Fia to get her measurements done and then waves bye as she leaves. I get busy working on the sketches as Fia starts making notes on all the profiles we have for the models. She knows what kinds of things I look for when designing, so her notes help immensely.

  I spend two days sketching and perfecting my creations on paper before getting ready to cut fabric to start the sewing process on the third day. Almost a full week in and I have two out of the three pieces ready. I’ve been lost in my work for over a week. Sadly, I only see Lukah when I crawl into bed or when I crawl out before he leaves to get some work done. I miss him if I’m being completely honest.

  One night Lukah grabs my attention. “Baby doll, you’ve been working non-stop the last few days, why don’t you come join us for dinner? Even Izzy’s joining us.”

  I look up at him and smile. “Okay, baby. Just let me change into something more dinner worthy.” I kiss him and go to change out of my yoga pants and tank into some skinny jeans and a cute top.

  Lukah says as I come out of the bedroom, “Baby doll, you could’ve left on what you had on.”

  “Yeah, well I figured for someone who’s used to dating models, I should dress a little nicer for dinner.” I reply.

  He looks up and whistles, “Damn, baby, you look so sexy. I love them curves. Maybe we should stay in.”

  I smirk. “No silly, I need to get out of the room for a little bit. The next two days are crunch time. Let’s go see Izzy and have dinner.”

  We head down to dinner. It’s buffet-style tonight, so we make our plates and join Izzy, Fia, and Rhen at their table.

  “So glad you came down Savy, I know you’ve been super busy up there. Fia was telling me that your creations are going to blow the judges away. With day one of the first round just three days away, are you nervous?” Izzy asks.

  “No not nervous, just excited and anxious. Plus while creating this round’s looks, it inspired ideas for round two for if I make it in. I’m just excited to have this opportunity,” I reply.

  “Oh, you’re so modest, love bug. You got this shit in the bag. These judges won’t know what hit them when your designs walk out onto that stage,” Fia jumps in.

  “Thanks, Fia. Let’s talk about the wedding. I’ve been eating and sleeping competition for the last week and a half so I can use a distraction for a little while. I have the designs for your dresses finalized too. Now I just need the bridesmaid’s info so I can design theirs too.”

  “Oh, a wedding, how exciting. Can I help? I love weddings,” Izzy asks.

  “Hells yes, shit you can be a bridesmaid if you want! Love bug is the maid of honor. It’s literally just us in the wedding party.” Fia laughs. “Savy will just need to get some personal info about you before she makes your gown.”

  “That’s right, the designer who personalizes every piece. I love it. Yes, I’d love to be a bridesmaid. This is going to be so much fun. Aside from Lukah, I don’t have many friends. He keeps me pretty busy at work, but without me it’d all fall apart,” Izzy replies.

  “Hey, wait a minute, I can handle things on my own,” Lukah protests.

  “Ha ha yeah, okay, if you say so Lukah,” Izzy sasses while patting him on the back.

  We all giggle and talk more wedding plans and enjoy our meal. Afterwards, I excuse myself, saying goodnight.

  “Wait, baby doll, I’ll go with you,” Lukah says jumping up to go with me.

  “No, baby. Stay, chat and enjoy yourself. I’m exhausted and just want a hot shower and to crawl in bed. Just wake me when you come to bed.” I kiss him and head out.

  Heading to the lobby to get in the elevator, I notice some other designers chatting and pointing at me. I raise my hand to wave, but they give me the dirtiest of looks and turn away shaking their heads. I stand confused as the elevator doors open.

  When I step inside, I find flyers on the wall and floor reading: You want to get ahead in this business, just do what Savannah did. Sleep with the man on top. I rip them down and rip up the ones on the floor in shame.

  Stepping out of the elevator I see more flyers and pictures on the walls and across the floor. There are also pictures of us outside our room, me pressed against the wall, his hand under my shirt, me unbuckling his pants and us making out like we’re in high school. Then, as I approach our suite, I notice the door is cracked.

  Strange, I remember we pulled it closed before we left. I slowly push it open to find my room destroyed. Designs are scattered everywhere, ripped to shreds and fabric is shredded all over the place. “WHORE” is painted in big giant letters on my sewing machine. “JEZEBEL” across my table, along with “PROSTITUTE” and “SLUT” across the mirrors, windows, and walls. I fall to my knees in shock, tears streaming down my face as I scream and cry.

  “NOOOOOO. No no no, this can’t be happening.”

  Moments later, I hear Sofia behind me, yelling. “What. The. Fuck. Happened?”

  Pushing past Fia, Lukah pulls me into his arms. He holds me and strokes my bac
k. “Holy shit, baby doll, are you ok? What happened? Who did this?”

  “I... I… I don’t know. The door was cracked open when I got off the elevator. Thinking we may have forgotten to pull the door closed, I just walked in, and this is what I found. What have I done? I’m ruined. Everyone thinks I slept my way into this. Who would do this? Why would someone do this?” I sob uncontrollably.

  Lukah gathers me into his arms, stroking my hair and trying to soothe me.

  “This is exactly what I was afraid of. Someone or now everyone thinks I slept with you for my position in this competition. I shouldn’t be here. I knew I didn’t belong here. I... I... I need to go. I’ve gotta get outta here.” I cry hysterically as I scramble to my feet and run out the door.

  I need my momma. I dash into the elevator before Lukah can get to me. I hear him yelling my name as I push the door close button repeatedly. I can’t believe someone would sabotage me like this. Was it Claire? It had to be. Who else would it be?

  As I exit the elevator I hear, “Going somewhere, Savannah? What’s the matter? Lukah finally get tired of playing house with you? Did he finally see that you were using him?”

  I turn to see Lindsey standing there by the doors, smiling with an evil glint in her eye. I look at her in horror.

  “It was you. You did this. Why? Why would you do this?” I ask her.

  “Me? Why, whatever do you mean? What did I do? You’re the one who fucked the CEO to get in this competition. You probably don’t even have any talent. I’ll bet the whole thing is rigged for you to win. Can’t you see you don’t belong here? Lukah may be slumming now, but he’ll tire of you and come back where he belongs.” Lindsey looks at me with a smug look on her face I want to knock off.

  “Seriously, that’s what we’ve resorted to? I’m nice to you even after learning that you used to date my boyfriend, and you destroy my life and work. Lukah isn’t going to run back to you after this, stupid. Do you really think he’ll take you back?

  Just as she starts to answer, the elevator doors opened to reveal Lukah. Then it hits me, him. It is all because of him.