Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“There it is,” he said, gesturing at the screen. “Your eyes lit up just then, which means the spark’s still there.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.” That actually surprised me.
“You keep telling yourself your entire future depends on six pieces of clothing, and that’s way too much pressure. No wonder you’ve been stuck! But you have to know it’s not true. You’re going to have a bright future, no matter what happens with your senior project.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re talented, smart, and determined. If some big, fancy designer doesn’t have the sense to snap you up after graduation, you’re going to succeed anyway. You’ll forge your own path if you have to. That’s just who you are.”
I asked, “Do you really believe that?”
“Of course. And before you point out that I don’t know a thing about fashion, let me pre-empt that by saying I know beauty when I see it. Every time you’ve shown me a sketch or a photo of something you’ve designed, it’s been so gorgeous that it’s blown me away.”
To him, all of this was the absolute truth. I whispered, “Thank you for believing in me.”
“Always.”
“Thanks for listening, too. It helped. I feel calmer now.”
“I’m glad. I’ve been worried about you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve seemed so stressed out,” he said, “and because you’re always on the go, between work and school and your internship. You need some time to relax and unwind, without constantly trying to be productive. Please tell me you have some downtime planned for this weekend.”
“Actually, I’m working this afternoon, and then all day Saturday and Sunday. I also have to finish an assignment for one of my classes and try to come up with some ideas for my collection.”
Ryder frowned at that. “You’re going to burn yourself out.” He wasn’t wrong. “What time will you get home tonight?”
“Around six. It’s only a four-hour shift.”
“Since it’s Friday night, let’s do something fun.”
“Like what?”
“Let me take you on a date. What do you say?”
As much as I loved that idea, I had to ask, “How are we going to manage that, when geography is working against us?”
“I’ll just have to get creative.”
“Okay. What should I do?”
“Message me when you’re on your way home from work. I’ll do the rest.”
“Are you sure? Because I could—”
“The whole point of this is for you to relax and have fun.”
“I know, but—”
He grinned and said, “Trust me, Hal. I’ve got this.”
7
Hal
As requested, I sent Ryder a text when I left work that afternoon. Even though we were doing this long-distance, I was still giddy with anticipation and couldn’t wait to see what he had planned.
When I got home, Vee was in the process of grabbing a coat from the rack beside the front door. “Hi there,” I said. “Are you on your way to work?” Since he looked entirely unlike himself in a bland button-down shirt and dress pants, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to that.
“Yeah. I’m working until two a.m. Lucky me.” He worked the front desk at a boutique hotel and hated every minute of it. “In better news, you got a couple of deliveries this afternoon, which I left outside your bedroom door. So, who’s your admirer?”
“Ryder and I have a virtual date tonight. I assume he sent whatever was delivered.”
Vee perked up at that. “I’m glad. I’m rooting for you two.”
“Are you?”
“Absolutely. I know the long-distance thing isn’t ideal, but there was such an obvious spark between the two of you when you were together. That doesn’t happen every day.”
He opened the front door and paused to tell me, “I have to run, but I want to hear all about it tomorrow. You have the house to yourself, by the way. Yolanda and JoJo are having dinner and seeing a play with friends, and Dylan and Lark decided to do an impromptu weekend getaway. Just FYI, in case the cybersex gets loud tonight.”
He grinned and winked at me, and then he left before I could tell him that wasn’t going to happen. Ryder and I had kept this strictly platonic since we got back from Las Vegas. There was no reason to assume that was about to change.
I hurried upstairs to see what Ryder had sent, and a surprised laugh burst from me. An absurdly large tan-colored teddy bear was leaning against my door. Beside it was a gorgeous bouquet of yellow mini sunflowers and purple irises in a vase, along with a small, gold gift bag.
Steve, the black cat who’d shown up at the pink Victorian one day and never left, was curled up on the bear’s lap. “Sorry, cat,” I said, “but I have to move the bear so I can get through the door.”
As soon as I started to shift the stuffed animal, Steve leapt up and stalked away. The bear weighed a ton and was easily four feet high, even in its seated position. I dragged it into my room before going back for the gift bag and flowers.