When Shea and Addy came out of their rooms the next morning, Brooklyn was already at the table, eating her bagel and drinking her coffee.
“Hey, you two!” she called out, looking up from her laptop. “How’d you sleep?”
Shea shook her head and headed straight for the coffeepot. Addy yawned and went over to the refrigerator.
Pulling out a small carton of cottage cheese, she went to get a spoon and said, “I’ve had better nights. I’m thankful I’ve got the day off today.”
Leaning against the counter as she ate, she looked at Shea, who was pouring coffee into the largest mug she had found in their cupboards, and asked, “What about you? How did you sleep last night?”
“I didn’t,” Shea said, walking around Addy to get the creamer out of the refrigerator.
Addy and Brooklyn frowned at each other.
Shutting her laptop, Brooklyn asked, “Did you hear from Adam at all last night? I mean, he must have wondered where we got to.”
Shea shook her head again and said, “Nothing. Not a call. Not even a text! I even checked all his feeds, but he didn’t post anything last night.”
“I wonder if those boys actually drank the drinks meant for us,” Addy mused, wiping her lips and getting up to throw her container away.
Shea froze in place, her coffee mug halfway to her mouth.
“Do you really think so?” she asked, looking at her friend.
Shrugging, Addy said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if that actually happened. If what Brooklyn saw was true, that is.”
“It was,” Brooklyn said before Shea could respond. “I know I didn’t mistake what I saw for something else.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Addy said, reaching over to put her hand on her friend’s shoulder and squeezing it.
Brooklyn grinned up at her and said, “Just making sure.”
Turning back to Shea, Brooklyn said, “It’s entirely possible they drank the glasses we’d switched out, so maybe he’s either too embarrassed to have gotten caught, or he hasn’t woken up yet.”
The three friends giggled.
Shea grabbed a bagel and put it in the toaster. When it popped back up, she brought it to the table and joined her friends.
“What are you working on there, Brooklyn?” she asked, reaching for the cream cheese and nodding toward Brooklyn’s laptop.
“I’m trying to think up a suitable topic for my next article,” she said, opening it back up. “But I’m having writer’s block at the moment and can’t think of anything.”
“Why don’t you write about Addy’s new job?” Shea asked, biting into her bagel.
Brooklyn looked thoughtful, then looked at Addy and asked, “Would you mind if I did? It might give you some exposure for the future, too.”
Addy nodded, finishing her coffee.
“Sure,” she said, standing up. “Let me know if you need anything, but unlike the two of you, I’ve got to get to work. Luckily, I’m only working half a day.”
She went to her room to get ready while Shea and Brooklyn remained at the table and finished their breakfast.
When she came out of her room, she wore a pink halter top and knee-length faded denim skirt. She put on her high boots before grabbing her straw shoulder bag.
“Meet me for lunch after I get off work,” she said. “You can fill me in on what happened today. Especially if you hear from Adam.”
Brooklyn and Shea nodded and waved at her.
“You know it,” Shea said, taking a drink from her mug.
Addy put on her sunglasses, grinned at them, and waved as she left the apartment.
Addy made it to work right as the store was opening.
“Good of you to join us this morning,” Rochelle sneered as she flipped the sign from Closed to Open.
Shrugging, Addy said, “Technically, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m here to help everyone out for the big sale this morning.”
Before Rochelle could respond, the bell above the door chimed, signaling their first customer.
“Hello, and welcome to Cheri’s,” Addy called out, walking toward the two women who had walked in.
She heard Rochelle huffing in annoyance as she walked away but ignored her, focusing on her customers.
Toward the end of her shift, things finally slowed down. Addy went into the back of the store to get her purse before heading for home.
Slinging it over her shoulder, she heard, “I hear you’re going to be working for Barto Luciani.”
Turning around, she saw the owner of the store, Linda Barstowe, leaning against the wall. She had her arms crossed over her chest and stood smiling at Addy.
“Does this mean you’re going to be turning in your resignation?” she asked, standing up from the wall and walking toward Addy, who shook her head.
“I can do both,” she told Linda. “Don’t worry about that.”
Linda sighed with relief and said, “I was afraid I was going to lose my best salesperson.”
Addy grinned at her and said, “I’d at least give you enough time to get a suitable replacement for me before leaving.”
Linda laughed, then shook her head.
Sobering, she reached out to pat Addy’s arm.
“While this is a fantastic opportunity for you, I hope you are very careful when working for Barto. He’s, well, he can be difficult to work for.”
Addy frowned and asked, “Is he one of those temperamental designers I’ve heard about?”
Linda bit her lip and glanced to the side before focusing her attention back on Addy.
“Just tread lightly with him,” she said.
“Linda!” a worker called out from the front of the store. “Can you come and take a look at this?”
Linda smiled at Addy and said, “Duty calls. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Addy smiled at her as she walked away and turned toward the door.
“I can’t believe a nobody like you is going to be working with someone as famous as Barto Luciani,” she heard from behind her.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she pasted a fake smile on her face before turning around and saying, “Well, hello there, Rochelle! I didn’t see you slithering, I mean, walking back here.”
Rochelle’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Addy.
Taking on a disinterested air, she looked down at her nails.
“You know, Barto asked me to work for him first, but I have other commitments already, so I wasn’t able to accept his offer. I mean, he’s famous and all, but when you’re going to be working with Versace and Gucci, you have to decline the lower designers.”
“Right,” Addy said, nodding. “I see what you mean.”
She stared at Rochelle for a moment longer before heading for the door.
“Have fun stocking those Versace and Gucci items,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll tell Barto how sad you were to have to decline his offer. “
She ignored Rochelle sputtering behind her and laughed as the door shut out the noise.
Shaking her head as she walked down the street, she pulled out her phone. She sent a text to Brooklyn and Shea letting them know she was off work and asking where they wanted to eat lunch. She continued up the street as she waited for them to respond.
Back in their apartment, Shea finished her breakfast and got up from the table. “I’m going to take a long, hot bubble bath and try to forget last night ever happened,” she said. “I don’t blame you,” Brooklyn said, taking one last sip of her coffee before getting up to put her plate in the sink and refill her cup. Looking back at Shea, she asked, “Is it my turn to do the dishes?” She nodded and said, “I did them last night.” Frowning, Brooklyn asked, “Why do you always get that chore when it’s take-out night?” Shrugging, Shea grinned at her friend and said, “Just lucky, I guess.” “Or you’ve got really good timing, and I’m just now catching on,” Brooklyn said, threatening to throw the dish sponge at her. Shrieking, Shea ducked and ran for her room. Brooklyn laughed as she shook her head and turned the water on to wash the breakfast dishes. Once she had finished, she dried her hands and walked back to her laptop, powering it on as she sat down. She set her elbows
After the cab had dropped them off, Shea walked down the street to head to the boutique for her shopping. Addy and Brooklyn climbed the steps to the door of their apartment building and went inside. “Are you really going to do an article on those guys?” Addy asked as they climbed the stairs to their third-floor apartment. Brooklyn nodded and grinned at her friend. “I’m going to do a little research on them first, of course,” she said. “If they really are in the movie business, like Ben and Jeremy told both of us, I’m sure I won’t have much trouble trying to find out more about them.” “Do you know their last names?” Addy asked. Brooklyn shook her head and said, “But I can start with Adam. Shea told me his last name was Sheringer.” Addy nodded and said, “There shouldn’t be too many Adam Sheringers out there, even though we live in a big city.” Nodding, Brooklyn said, “My thoughts exactly.” They entered their apartment, and Addy headed toward her room. “Good luck wi
After Shea sent Adam a text letting him know they’d made it home safely, she followed it up with another, asking if they’d like to get together again. The friends giggled after she’d sent it, then Brooklyn said, “Okay. We need to make sure our plan is in order before we even think about going anywhere with these scumbags.” Shea and Addy nodded. “First thing, get the guys to agree to another date at the club,” Shea said, holding up her phone. Brooklyn and Addy nod. “Then we will all be equipped with tiny cameras to record everything,” she continued. “We just need to be able to get them on camera while they are putting something in our drinks.” “I think we’ll be able to do that,” Shea said. “I mean, it’s a big club, and if someone has to use the ladies’ room again, I think we’ll be able to sneak up behind them and catch them in the act.” The other two nodded, then Addy asked, “But what if one of them spots us spying on them?” “We can always use the excuse that we were
Addy fanned herself with her purse and leaned closer to Jeremy, saying, “It sure is warm in here. I could go for a drink.” Jeremy’s face lit up, and he grinned at her. “I’d be happy to go get you something from the bar,” he told her, winking at her. “I’d love that,” Addy said, leaning toward him with a smile. “Hey, baby, would you be a love and get me a drink?” Shea asked Adam. “I’m simply parched.” He grinned at her and said, “But, of course, my lady.” With a short bow toward her, he and his friends left the table and headed toward the bar. Instantly, the smiles vanished from the friends’ faces. “Time to put our plan into action,” Brooklyn said. Shea and Addy nodded. They moved away from the table, spreading out as they made their way toward the bar. Just as the three stepped up to the bar, Brooklyn, Shea, and Addy stepped up behind them, holding their phones so they could see the drinks. Adam took a small bottle out of his pocket, grinning at he did. He
Once again, Brooklyn was at the table eating breakfast when Addy came out of her room. “Didn’t you go to bed last night?” she asked, shaking her head as she went to the cupboard to take a bowl from the shelf. “Not much,” Brooklyn told her, taking a sip of her coffee. “I was too pumped up about the article and what happened.” A As Addy brought her breakfast to the table, she asked, “Have you seen Shea yet?” Brooklyn looked at her friend and shook her head. “She hasn’t come out of her room yet, but she usually sleeps in on weekends, so I’m not too surprised she’s not out yet,” Brooklyn said. “Plus, I’m sure she’s upset over what happened last night.” Just then, the door to Shea’s room opened, and she came out, fully dressed. “Hey, girls!” she said as she saw her friends staring at her from the table. “What’s on the agenda for today?” Brooklyn and Addy looked at one another, then back at Shea, before Brooklyn said, “Uh, I’m working on my article today.” “And I’m goi
“Well, you look lower than low,” a voice said, snapping Brooklyn out of her reverie. “Everything okay?” She’d been leaning forward on the counter, propping her chin upon her fist, as she thought about the drama of the last couple of days. Deep in thought as she stared at the wall in front of her, not seeing anything. She didn’t see anyone step in front of her, blocking her gaze until the figure spoke. Straightening, she gave a sheepish grin to the dark-haired woman with pale skin and brown eyes standing in front of her. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she wore a pair of denim shorts and a white t-shirt with a gaming logo on it. Multicolored tennis shoes completed her outfit, and she looked at Brooklyn with concern on her face. “Sorry about that,” she told the woman, smoothing down her apron and shaking her head. “I was, I mean, I had, I mean, what can I get for you today?” The woman grinned at her and said, “I’ll take a chamomile tea with honey. I’ve had a rough tim
Addy was already in the kitchen when Brooklyn walked out of her room. “What are you doing up so early?” Brooklyn asked, stopping in place when she saw her roommate. Addy turned around so fast her elbow hit the cereal box next to her. She knocked it over, scattering the contents over the floor. “Oh, man! Look what I did!” she said, getting on her hands and knees to clean up the mess. Brooklyn hurried forward, getting down on the floor to help her. “You must be nervous,” she said, sweeping the pieces of cereal toward her in a pile. “You aren’t this clumsy unless you are.” Sighing, Addy stopped cleaning up the spill and sat back on her heels. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I am nervous. This job could be my big break, you know? What if I mess it up?” Brooklyn sat back as well, leaving the cereal on the floor. Reaching out to put her hand on Addy’s, she said, “You won’t. I know you, and I’ve seen your work. You’re going to do fine. I have a good feeling about this,
Addy arrived at the atelier before her start time. Thankfully she’d been so nervous that she had left earlier than she would have on any other day since those cute guys had blocked the stairway. She stood outside of the building for a moment, staring at the door and taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. “You’ve got this,” she murmured, smoothing down her skirt and adjusting her top. She checked out her reflection on the glass door before reaching out for the handle. “Are you going to stand there all day, admiring yourself, or are you going inside?” She jumped and whirled around to see an older woman with short blonde hair and bright red pursed lips standing behind her on the sidewalk. Tapping her toes against the cement, she stared at Addy with an annoyed look as she waited. Addy’s face turned pink as she muttered, “Sorry.” She opened the door and held it for the woman, smiling apologetically at her. The woman walked through with a sniff, ignoring Addy. Addy grimace