Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Penn.”
I swallowed and shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a choice, did I?”
Harmony arched an eyebrow. “Who knew Camden would be so good for you?”
“Probably not even me,” I admitted.
And then the lights went down, and Elizabeth Cunningham stepped on the stage to announce her new runway line. Harmony lit up with excitement, and it all happened so fast. One minute was the whirlwind of anticipation. The next was the final run-through, and the lights were coming on. The crowd soared to their feet, applauding Elizabeth’s genius. She had a knack for color and style and design that few other designers truly possessed. It was a marvel to watch on display.
“She did great,” I said, catching Harmony’s arm.
“She really did.” She drew me into a hug. “Come back with me.”
I nodded and grabbed my purse before following her toward Elizabeth and the string of media. I’d already posted a picture of my outfit and checked in for the event, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some more material. I’d been slacking lately on my social accounts with all the time I’d been spending at the hospital and planning the charity function for ChildrensOne. I didn’t want any of my followers to wonder where I was and what I was doing.
Elizabeth put her arm around Harmony to take pictures for the cameras. Then she gestured me over. I walked over like I was supposed to be there, but I was genuinely shocked.
“Need both of my daughters for the pictures,” Elizabeth said.
I smiled for the cameras, but I couldn’t believe those words had come out of her mouth. We’d been civil for years… but her daughter? She had never treated me like that. Had Harmony told her what I’d done and how I’d been there for her? Or was Elizabeth just playing it up for the cameras?
Elizabeth winked at me when we were done. “Look at you. You’re so trim right now. You could be up on that stage.”
I laughed. “There’s no way. I haven’t walked a runway in, like, five years.”
“Well, with this perfect figure, we should put in the advertising again. I have this new line, and you’d fit into it perfectly.”
“Count me in,” I said with a shrug.
Why not? She likely wasn’t serious anyway.
“I will.” She looked like she was going to turn back to the others who wanted her attention, but then she pointed her finger at me. “Get me the name of that trainer you’re working with. I’d like to speak with him.”
I nodded. “Of course. I can do that.”
“Keep it up, Katherine.”
She smiled one more time and then disappeared. I let the rest of the crowd wander off without me, only stopping to talk to a few faces that I recognized or who wanted a solo picture.
I didn’t have another runway for a few hours. I’d been planning to walk to a few of the boutique pop-ups and possibly sneak in an interview if I had time. I was so giddy for it that I could cry. Fashion Week was like Disney World for us in the industry.
But as I stepped out into the daylight again, I found Camden waiting for me. His eyes strayed from his cell phone up to me, and he smiled. Not a full-watt thing, but one that was private. Just for me.
“Hey, I thought you’d be at work,” I told him.
He drew me in and placed a kiss on my cherry-red lips. “I wanted to take you to lunch.”
I nodded. “That sounds nice.”
He slid an arm around my waist as we walked out of the park toward a little café that I knew he loved.
“Don’t you have your secret society meeting or whatever?”
“No, that’s on Mondays.”
“Ah, so it is a secret society.”
He shook his head. “Not exactly. Just where we all get together to talk business.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You do that everywhere.”
“An exclusive place to do that.”
“Semantics. Sounds like a secret society to me.”
“It’s truly very dull,” he assured me. “Are you ready for the gala this weekend?”
“Yep. I had my final fitting this morning. I’m excited for you to see it.”
His eyes lit up with desire. “I’m ready to take it off of you.”
I bit my lip. “That would be good, too.”
“You know, I had a thought for this gala.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Maybe… we could go together.”
My feet stalled, and I looked up at him in surprise. “Together? Like, you want to show up with me and walk the red carpet?”
“I do.”
I couldn’t believe it. Camden and I had been married over a year. We’d “dated” long before that, and I couldn’t remember a time that we’d shown up to an event together. We always showed up separately and then co-mingled in the room when it was necessary. But… things were different now. This time… we were in love. This was how it always should have been.