Authors: Cate Beauman
“Yeah. Okay.” She nodded as Jerrod stepped into the room, shoving his phone back in its holder.
“Ready, Lily?” He looked at Abby as he spoke.
“I am.” Lily put on her coat and Jerrod walked her to the door.
Abby slipped away to her room, too raw to do anything more than lie on her bed and close her eyes against her throbbing headache.
Abby sat among fashion’s biggest names in Lily’s
luxurious dining room, certain she was having some sort of over-the-top, awesome dream. For surely that’s what tonight was—a step onto the pages of one of Livy’s enchanted storybooks.
Dashing princes and princesses laughed and chatted while feasting on the land’s top fares. White roses in simple crystal vases and dozens of creamy tapers decorated the long table, adding to the magic of the fairytale-like atmosphere. And here she was among the gentry, feeling like the queen in the golden hewed halter dress Lily surprised her with earlier in the afternoon.
Ethan brought by a Lily Brand box containing the stunning, barely there dress with its short silky skirt, cinched waist, and ornately beaded top that plunged deep in the front and left her back bare. She’d matched it with three-inch heels and dangling earrings, and had curled her hair, twisting the shoulder-length black up in a loose updo. The end result was jaw-dropping.
Abby glanced to her right, still struggling to believe she was seated next to Tyler Maxfield, one of her biggest idols. She wasn’t a stranger to fashion’s elite. She’d posed for pictures and had shaken hands on her trips to New York City, Paris, and Milan during her college days, but it had never been like this. She’d been too busy surviving in the stash house, then hiding in her condo to enjoy the fruits of Lily’s thirty years in the industry.
Jerrod chuckled, and she looked to her left, smiling, relieved that he was having a good time while he finished his thick cut of prime rib and spoke with Lina Brovera, Spain’s fashion darling. He was gorgeous in his tux, his tough build accentuated by the tailored fit of his jacket. And he meshed well with Lily’s A-list guests. The evening couldn’t be any more perfect.
“Are you finished, madam?” the waiter asked as he stopped at her side.
“Yes, thank you.”
He reached down and took her plate of barely touched salmon.
“Thank you,” she said again as he moved to take Jerrod’s dish and walked away.
Jerrod leaned in close, his arm brushing hers. “You hardly ate anything.”
The heat of his breath feathered her ear, sending a rush of goose bumps along her skin. She turned her head in defense, her face mere inches from his as they held each other’s gaze. “I know.” She bit her lip and smiled. “I’m too excited. I’ve actually been talking to Tyler Maxfield. I used to imitate his designs, now I’m having in-depth conversations as if we’re on the same playing field.”
“Aren’t you?”
She chuckled at the idea. “I wish.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You definitely held your own.”
“Aw, thanks, big guy.” She smoothed his lapel, relieved that they seemed to be okay after yesterday’s disagreement, even though she had yet to apologize. She’d tried more than once, but he’d been on the phone late into last night and all day today, setting up the details for their evening in San Francisco.
“Excuse me, sir, madam. Your desserts—a chocolate tower with vanilla buttercream drizzle.” The waiter set two tall slices of cake in front of them.
“Holy cow, this looks
amazing
.” Abby eyed the mousse-like frosting stacked between four layers of dark chocolate. “Excuse me, is that ganache?”
“Yes, a truffle ganache, madam.” He stepped away to present two more desserts.
“Is this heaven?”
Jerrod grinned. “We should probably dig in.” He picked up his fork and took a bite. “Wow,” he said with his mouth full.
“That good?”
“Definitely.”
“Is it so delicious you’re glad we came even though getting here was kind of a pain?”
He flashed her another smile. “Pretty close.” He cut another bite, surprising her when he held the fork to her lips. “Try it.”
She sampled his offering, closing her eyes as creamy chocolate melted on her tongue. “Oh my god. This has to be illegal.”
“It’s a possibility.”
She laughed as she picked up her own silverware and enjoyed another taste of pure heaven.
“Excuse me.” Lily stood at the head of the table, pretty in her fitted off-the-shoulder black dress, tapping her knife against her glass. “May I have everyone’s attention please?”
The crowd of thirty quieted.
“Thank you.” She picked up her wine glass and sipped. “I thought I should take a moment to thank you all for coming. It’s rare that so many of us are in the same place at the same time, so I love that we’ve had this chance to get together and catch up.”
Everyone clapped.
Lily smiled, giving a small nod, commanding the room to settle again. “At times like this, having close friends at my side is a comfort. As you know, Lily Brand has faced a couple of rough days in the media.”
Troubled murmurs carried through the dining room as Abby glanced around, struggling not to squirm with the rush of guilt swamping her.
“
The Times
and Toni Torrell have quite brazenly spewed very serious accusations at the expense of three talented models.”
Abby picked up her water, swallowing a long, cool sip, certain everyone somehow knew that she was at the root of Lily’s problems.
“Since I’ve never been one to fold, I’m going to do what I do best and use this latest development to my advantage.”
A few people laughed while others cheered their encouragement.
“I thought you might approve.” Lily grinned. “I’ve decided it’s time to work on a new cause very dear to my heart. It’s here among my friends that I announce the launch of Lily Brand’s latest line, the
Escape
line.”
Abby set down her glass among the raucous applause, afraid she would drop it as Lily’s gaze met hers across the room, and her words sunk in.
“I’ll be handing over this endeavor to one of my very best and brightest. She, along with our new product, will make their debut at Fashion Week.”
“Who, Lily?” Jeremiah Jacobson asked. “Who’s your new designer?”
She shrugged. “I guess we’ll all find out next month.”
Abby’s heart pounded as she looked from Lily to Jerrod. “Did she just—I can’t—Jerrod.” She shook her head in utter disbelief, reaching for his hand.
He laced their fingers, holding tight, while the room buzzed with speculation.
“Do you know who?” Tyler asked Abby.
She shook her head again. “I’m—I’m not sure.”
“This is news to us,” Jerrod added.
“I’ve never been more excited for Fashion Week. This should certainly kill Toni’s buzz.” Tyler laughed. “Leave it to Lily to use this entire situation...”
“Yeah,” Abby replied with a small smile, still in the throws of shock.
“How about some air,” Jerrod said into her ear. “We have about twenty minutes before we have to head to the airport.”
She nodded.
Jerrod helped her push back her chair, and they started toward the double-pocketed doors of the balcony, but Lily stopped them. “Heading out?”
Abby’s eyes filled as she stared at the amazing woman before her. “Oh, Lily.” She moved in to hug her.
Jerrod stopped her with a hand to the shoulder. “If you hug her now, you’ll kill the mystery.”
“You’re right.” She took Lily’s hands instead. “How do I thank you for everything? How do I thank you for making my dreams come true?”
“You kick ass, kid.”
“Oh, I’ll kick ass…after the shock wears off.”
Lily laughed. “And I want you walking the runway again as soon as the general here says it’s safe.” Lily stepped back, looking Abby up and down. “Damn, Abigail Harris, there’s not much height to you, but you sure as hell know how to make my designs come alive. Doesn’t she, General?”
Jerrod nodded. “She looks lovely.”
Lily snorted. “Lovely’s a little g-rated, but we’ll go with it.” She winked at Jerrod. “You could make a potato sack look like something everyone wants to wear.”
She grinned. “Only if it’s designed well.”
“Ha. We’ll go with that too.”
Abby’s smile vanished as reality snuck back to amaze her. “Thank you, Lily.”
Lily waved the gratitude away. “I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. Do you still have those clothes you wowed me with at your interview?”
“Yes, of course. They’re hanging in my closet.”
“Good. You’ll need to bring them with you to the shoot.”
“What shoot,” she and Jerrod asked at the same time.
“Connie Withers wants you for the March issue of
Trendy
.”
Abby’s eyes popped wide as she absorbed the next surprise. “Nuh uh.”
“She wants an interview and photo shoot showcasing the new line—or what we have of it so far.”
Abby pressed a hand to her forehead, laughing in amazement. “You’re making this up.”
“I’m sure as shit not. Nine a.m. Friday at the Trendy studios.”
“I can’t
believe
this.”
“They want to use you for several photos. Are you up for whatever they throw your way?”
“Yeah. Yes. Definitely.”
“Lily, Abby can’t do this.” Jerrod stepped closer to Abby. “Abby, you can’t do this.”
Abby opened her mouth to object, but Lily cut her off.
“Of course she can. The mystery behind the designer along with rumors of the shoot will give the brand more exposure. It’s brilliant marketing. Everyone will want a copy of the magazine.”
“That may be, but we can’t take these risks.”
Abby opened her mouth again and quickly closed it when Lily jumped in for the second time.
“We’re going to use Jackie and Marco for hair and makeup. You know them. You’ve cleared them both. And I assure you Zenn MacGreggor and Connie are no danger to Abby. I’ve made sure this is safe, Jerrod. We won’t leak the rumored shoot until after it has already happened.”
“And the trial will be over by the time the magazine hits the shelves,” Abby finally added, frustrated that her new adventure was just beginning and precautions were already ruining everything. “Prosecutor Bitner said there shouldn’t be anymore delays.”
Jerrod’s calm eyes held her gaze. “Just because the trial’s over doesn’t mean you’ll be in the clear.”
She pressed her lips firm, well aware that he was right. “I’m doing this. I need to do this.”
He shook his head. “It’s a bad idea.”
It probably was, but she couldn’t live in the shadows forever, unless she planned to give up her career, which she didn’t. “This is my dream.”
“Tell you what, General. I’ll talk to Connie about a contingency plan. We’ll make sure there’s a Plan B if things aren’t going the way we want them to in regards to Abby’s safety.”
Jerrod sighed. “Send me your ideas, and we’ll go from there.”
“Fine. Done.” Lily turned her attention back to Abby. “Connie wants to discuss the new line and our plans to donate one hundred percent of the profits to the safe houses we’re starting here in LA and Baltimore.”
“Lily,” Abby whispered as her eyes filled again, but this time they overflowed. “Oh, Lily.” The clothing line
and
the safe houses. This was everything she’d been wanting—a way to change lives while doing what she loved most. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“I’ll scan over the main points I want you to hit during the interview. Of course you’ll have input after we’ve had more of a chance to talk, but this should get us started.”
“Thank you.” She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks.
“Shit, Abby, thank
you
. My profit margins are about to go through the roof,
and
there’s a good cause behind it. We both get what we want.” She glanced around. “I should mingle.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you Wednesday.”
She nodded, her voice too tight with emotion to do more as Lily walked away.
“Come on.” Jerrod took her arm. “Let’s get your wrap, and I’ll call Austin. We can head to the airport a couple minutes early.”
“All right,” she murmured, suddenly overwhelmed by the daunting evening. “I’m going to use the bathroom.”
“Okay.” Jerrod veered toward the hall closet.
Abby continued down the hall, pausing outside Lily’s master suite when she spotted another balcony. Craving fresh air, she stepped in and unlocked the slider, pulling it open, bracing herself against the rushing winds and shock of cold as she walked to the railing. Her teeth chattered, and she gripped her arms tightly around herself as she stared out at the city, relishing the freedom and endless views, afraid she might have somehow imagined the entire evening. How often did a person actually get everything they’d ever dreamed of?
“I thought you had to go to the bathroom.”
She whirled with a hand to her heart. “I just needed a minute.”
Jerrod stepped up next to her, placing her wrap around her shoulders.
“Thank you.” She held the white cashmere tight.
“Damn it’s cold out here.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as he hunched against the harsh rush of wind.
She tilted her chin to the air. “I like the breeze. It’s real.” She turned, facing him. “Is this—the private jets and limo rides, dinner and conversation with my idols, my own
clothing
line?” She laughed. “Am I going to wake up in my bed, or worse, in the stash house only to realize my subconscious was playing nasty tricks on me?”
His jacket blew about with the next unforgiving gust. “It’s too damn cold out here to be anything but reality. Although if we are dreaming, I want more of that cake.”
She smiled. “I can’t believe this is happening. I wish Gran were here. She would be so proud. And Lex… I don’t know what to think or feel.”
“Is this what you want?”
“Oh, yeah.” She smiled again. “I’ve wanted this since I sewed my own prom dress. I’ve wanted the
Escape
line since the night Lex and I were stuck on Zachary Hartwell’s roof.”
“You’ve got it. What are you going to do with it, Abigail?”
“I’m going to take it and run…after I stop being terrified.” She laughed again and threw her arms around him, holding on to the warmth and comfort that was Jerrod.
He returned her embrace, his rough hands sliding along the bare, sensitive skin of her back as her wrap flew about like a cape. “Abigail, you’re freezing.”
She drew away, still holding him, unwilling to let go. “I’d say I’m more afraid than anything.” She planted a noisy kiss to his cheek, then looked in his eyes. “And really, really happy.”