Friendship on Fire(2)

He couldn’t seem to remove his hand from her back. The feel of her curves beneath his palm were refreshing. The women he’d dated were usually pencil thin. Going out to dinner equated to watching skeletons graze on leafy greens, with fake smiles plastered on their artificially plumped lips and dollar signs in their eyes. Then again, Josh’s dates had primarily been setups from business colleagues who believed he needed to date the “right” women for his social status. Over the past year or so, he’d become disenchanted with those expectations, and he’d taken to dating fewer and fewer of them, but that was a thought for another time.

“I can take her from here,” Claudia said, pushing between them.

Josh reluctantly removed his hand. He looked into Riley’s eyes again, remembering how he’d been drawn to her when they were teens. The way her eyes had always been like windows to her emotions. Even back then he’d known when she was happy or sad, angry or bored. He had an urge to put his arm around her and soothe away the worry that lay there, but just behind that worry, he saw excitement mounting, and he knew she’d fare just fine—at least he hoped she would.

“Riley, I’m glad you’re here.” Josh ignored the narrowing of Claudia’s eyes and the iciness that surrounded her like a cloak. “If you need anything, just let Claudia know. She’ll take good care of you. Right, Claudia?” He took pleasure in nudging Claudia out of her villainous stare.

“Thanks, Josh. I appreciate everything. I won’t let you down,” Riley said.

“Shall we?” Claudia grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

Josh headed for his office, thinking about Riley. Her designs were damn good—fresh and stylistic in a way that was different from the typical New York trends. He’d have brought her on as a junior designer if he hadn’t believed that she needed to first learn the down-and-dirty side of the business. Claudia’s designs, on the other hand, left much to be desired, as did her people skills, but as head design assistant, he knew she was the cream of the crop. Organized, efficient, dedicated, and never missed a deadline. Claudia kept the staff in line, even if a little heavy-handedly. He hoped she’d put away her claws long enough to teach Riley the ins and outs of the fashion world.

If not, I just might have to do it myself.





Chapter Two


“THIS IS THE DESIGN studio,” Claudia said. She waved a hand at the tables as they passed. “Everything happens here as far as design is concerned, but it’ll be a while before you sit at one of those tables.”

“Yes, of course,” Riley agreed, taking note of how the other employees put their heads down as Claudia passed. She wanted to run up and greet each of them. Hi. I’m Riley Banks. I can’t wait to work with you! But she already knew better than to irk Cruella. She wondered how a cold fish like Claudia got the job working for someone as warm as Josh in the first place. Is there another side of Josh that I’m not seeing? Riley made a mental note to watch how other employees reacted to Josh. Maybe he was one of those guys who knew how to charm women but sometimes forgot to hide their wolfhound ways. She didn’t want to believe that the Josh she’d spent time with would have that side to him, but Riley was a realist. Anything is possible.

“Fashion design is not for the faint of heart. There are few pats on the back but plenty of harsh stares, head shakes, and starting over.” Claudia led Riley into a cubicle at the far end of the open studio. “This is where you’ll work.”

Riley felt her smile falter. She tried to right her frown but feared she’d failed. The dingy metal desk tucked into the tiny cubicle looked more like something that belonged in a warehouse than a design studio. She eyed the computer and the cloth rolling chair with distaste. You’re here. That’s all that matters. She couldn’t help but feel that this was Claudia’s way of showing her who was the superior design assistant. She wouldn’t be taken down by her—or anyone else, for that matter. She was there to make a career, and Josh must have believed in her design skills to have hired her. She smiled, meeting Claudia’s one-upping, cold eyes.

“This is perfect. Nice and private.” Riley set her purse in the desk drawer. “Where do I start?”





BY SEVEN O’CLOCK, Riley’s feet ached. She wasn’t used to wearing four-inch heels all day, but then again, she was used to working at Macy’s in her hometown, where “heels” meant fancy cowgirl boots and people greeted her like she mattered. She’d had time to chat with customers, other employees, and even her friends, when they’d swing by on their shopping trips. She’d laughed; she’d nearly cried when friends were having trouble—even at work, she’d let her emotions come through. At JBD, people worked as if they were on speed, and with Claudia watching her every move, she dared not be overly friendly with the other staff members just yet. She needed Claudia to like her, or at least to tolerate her.

“Still here?” Claudia peered into her cubicle, a Valentino bag hanging from her forearm.

“I’m just studying up on line sheets and tech packs, making organizational charts for myself to be sure I don’t miss anything.” And maybe I’ll run into Josh. “I really appreciate all of the guidance you’ve given me today. There’s so much to learn.”

Claudia tilted her chin up. She spun around and said, “We’ll see if you can keep up.” Her voice trailed behind her as she left the office.

“I’ll not only keep up. I’ll shine,” Riley whispered angrily. She waited until the click-clack of Claudia’s heels disappeared before venturing out of her cubicle and was surprised to see almost everyone was gone for the evening. She eyed the design tables, taking one tentative step after another, her eyes darting around the empty room as if she were a jewel thief. She stood at the edge of the long table and dug her fingers into the silken fabrics. A smile crept across her lips, and she closed her eyes, savoring the feel of the rich fabric between her fingers. She brought it to her nose and inhaled the smell of the finishing chemicals and dyes that others might find severe but that she drew inspiration from.

“Some people might think you had a real problem, smelling fabric like that,” Josh teased.

Riley’s eyes flew open. She dropped the fabric and stepped back from the table. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to be touching things. I just couldn’t help myself.” She felt heat rush up her cheeks. Josh carried his suit coat over his forearm, his shirt still perfectly pressed. The word dashing ran through Riley’s mind. Stopitstopitstopit.

He laughed, just as he had earlier that morning. “Riley, it’s fine. How was your first day? Does Claudia have you working late?”

“Good. Fine. Exciting.” I sound like a babbling idiot. “I really enjoyed it.” Riley had stayed late, hoping to see him in addition to trying to catch up on her work, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I just wanted to be sure I had everything in order before I left."

“Were you treated well?” He leaned against the table and folded his arms, his attention focused solely on her.

Riley pressed her lips together, mulling over the potential answers: Claudia hates me. I didn’t talk to anyone. I hate my cubicle. I need to be around people.

“Yes. Fine. Claudia filled me in on everything I’ll be doing, and I’m really excited.” Despite the awful cubicle and Claudia’s weird need to make clear that she had an advantage over her, Riley was excited to actually be working in a real design studio, and Claudia had filled her in, so technically, she wasn’t lying.

“Good.” He smiled.

He looked at her for a beat too long. Butterflies nested in her stomach, and Riley dropped her eyes before she blushed again. Don’t misread his looks. He’s being polite. He’s well mannered, nothing more. Then why is my heart racing?

Josh looked at his watch and pursed his lips. “I have to run to a meeting, but Mia is still here. She can lock up when you’re ready.”

She didn’t know what she wanted from Josh, but she was relieved that the electricity that had filled the space between them was now draped in a conversation. “Mia?”

“You didn’t meet her today?” Josh pushed away from the table and stood so close to her that she could smell toothpaste on his breath.

You brushed your teeth for a meeting? Just what kind of meeting is this? She tucked away the curiosity—and a pang of something that felt a hell of a lot like jealousy—and focused on answering his question. “Nope, not yet. Truthfully, I haven’t really met many people yet, but it’s only my first day. I figured Claudia would get around to introductions when she was ready.”

Josh offered Riley his arm. “Come with me.”

She wrapped her arm in his, and a thrill rushed through her. She swallowed hard, trying not to let the stirring in her belly sidetrack her from remembering that she was in a professional New York design office, walking down a hallway with her boss.

At the end of the wide hallway, he unwrapped his arm from hers.

“Excuse me,” he said, then pulled the doors open, revealing the largest “closet” Riley had ever seen. The walls were lined with designer heels, boots, flats—every shoe imaginable from floor to ceiling. Accessories hung from hooks and hangers, and row after row of clothing racks filled the remaining space.