Billionaire Romance Boxed Set 1(167)

Ashley’s touching my arm brought me back to reality and I followed her gaze towards the back of the store where she exchanged waves with an attractive man I recognized as Joshua Cane. With his brown hair perfectly slicked back, just a hint of stubble on his cheek, and his welcoming smile, he looked just as perfect as he did when featured in magazines.

Standing beside him was a nervous young woman with flaxen hair who looked like she hadn’t eaten in years. After giving instructions to her, he then snapped his fingers at her twin. It wasn’t until the two women were running around doing his bidding that he sauntered over to us wearing a dark pair of almost too tight jeans and a tucked-in button shirt in a bronze print that accentuated his tanned skin.

“Ashley, you gorgeous thing you,” he said before kissing her on both cheeks. “I have some fabulous new items for you. My assistant Corrie will escort you to the dressing room where everything’s waiting. If you need anything, she will be at your beck and call.”

“Well aren’t you just all business?” Ashley teased him. “Joshua, this is Deborah—”

“Of course it is darling,” he extended his hand in my direction and I shook it. “I recognize her from the University newspaper. Did you know she took first place in ready-to-wear?”

“Really? I had no idea! Why didn’t you tell me?” Ashley asked me.

“Its not a big deal. I mean of course I was thrilled to win, but…” I didn’t know what else to say without talking about how it was just a school competition with so many categories that everyone won something. Even if I did think I won the best category, I thought there were others with more creative designs.

“But you don’t think you really deserved it, do you?” Joshua said.

“No, I…I worked hard for it. I knew my work spoke for itself and did deserve to win, I just…” Didn’t think I should win is what I thought, but those words I knew were best kept to myself.

“Corrie, please take Mrs. Boone to try on my fall collection,” Joshua called out to one of the women he spoke to before then turned to Ashley. “We need to catch up sometime and I’d love to see that adorable baby of yours, but today is business. I want to focus my attention on this talented designer you’ve brought me.”

“Sure, just call me whenever you want to come by,” she said before following Corrie to the dressing rooms.

“Come with me, I’m sure Carrie has everything under control in the store.”

“Carrie? I thought her name was Corrie,” I said.

“Carrie is my other assistant. They’re twins. Because you know, my life isn’t complicated enough without having to figure out whether I’m seeing double or just looking at them.”

He laughed as I followed him to a quiet corner of the store, blocked from direct view by Asian inspired silk screens depicting a serene water garden. His work area consisted of a long work table, a sewing machine, a high end HP tablet/laptop combo that sat on a small desk, a dress form for fittings and a corner filled with yards upon yards of fabric.

“Wow, this is exactly the kind of place I want to have one day,” I said as I looked at his sketches that were pinned on the wall.

“I’m sure you will one day. From what I’ve seen you are very talented.”

“Thanks but—”

“But nothing. Own that. You are talented young lady, don’t ever forget that. If you have a dream, you have to go for it. Remember, no one is going to just give you what you want, you have to make your dreams happen.”

I nodded as his words sunk into me. “You’re right. That’s why I pushed to finish school and graduate. I could’ve stopped so many times and just given up.”

“Listen, Deborah. I never do this, but I loved what I saw and we do share an alma mater. There’s a lot I can teach you about running your own brand. I’d like to offer you a job here as my assistant.”

“Assistant? Like Corrie and Carrie? Thanks, but I really don’t think so.”

“No, no, no. Trust me, I know what you’re thinking. Those two are assistants in that they help me take care of customers. I’m offering you the chance to design with me.”

“Wow, Joshua. I didn’t expect this. But I really don’t know, I need to think about it and I want to weigh all my options now that I’ve graduated. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to work with you, the experience would be amazing. I just don’t want to jump into anything and right now my head is spinning. I need time to think.”

“Of course. I don’t want you to rush into it either. Listen, speaking of options, I have a friend who works over in HR at Hargrove’s.”