Page 127 of From Rivals to I Do

work, looking around the old assistant’s desk for the job manual or something that could help me ease into the routine Leonard expected.

The elevator dings, and I turn around, expecting to greet Leonard. But instead, it is a woman carrying a large bag filled to the brim with different clothes and fabric swatches. She is smiling at me.

“Good morning. How are you?” I greet her with a friendly smile.

“Very well. And you?” she replies, less enthusiastically than I sounded.

“Good, thank you. Can I get your name, please?” I ask her, assuming she must be here for a meeting with Leonard. He does dress very nicely, and I presume

he gets invited to galas and large events often, so a stylist appointment seems reasonable.

“My name is Monica Harris. Mr. Kapino sent me for a fitting,” she offered me. “This fitting is for a Rayne Stevens.”

I stare at her in confusion, shaking my head back and forth. Why would he schedule a stylist fitting for me? I hold my finger up to ask her to wait a moment,

quickly searching through his calendar to see if there was something in the books to explain it. There are no events, no important meetings for me to attend, no

dinners. Nothing to explain why he would send a stylist for me.

“Well, that’s me,” I admit after a moment. “I just don’t know why he sent you. I think we should wait for him to arrive. If you can, just have a seat.”

Monica sighs and sits down on one of the lush velvet chairs, holding her purse tightly on her lap. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, and I feel like I might

have annoyed her in some way. I offer to bring her some refreshments just so I can get away from her for a minute, but she declines. The silence between us is

extremely uncomfortable, and I count down the seconds for Leonard to arrive.

Thankfully, not long after Monica sits down, the elevator dings again, and Leonard walks out with his briefcase in hand, wearing a nice black three-piece

suit and long trench coat.

“Morning,” he smiles at me before walking over to Monica. “Hi, it’s so nice to see you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Leonard!” Monica greets him with pure delight, standing to hug him. Her entire demeanor changes with him in the room, and I can’t help but roll my eyes

when she isn’t looking. “It’s been a few months, hasn’t it? It doesn’t look like you need my help picking clothes anymore, though.”

Is she flirting with him? It certainly sounds like it. I’m surprised to realize I feel a little bit jealous of her as they chat, discussing the last time they saw each

other and laughing. A small pang of annoyance grows inside my body the longer their banter goes on.

“Excuse me,” I interject. Leonard and Monica both turn around when they remember there’s another person in the room. “Monica said she’s here to style me?”

Leonard steps away from Monica and walks to my desk. His words address us both. “Yes, I asked her to come in to style you for your work clothes,” he states.

“I wasn’t aware there was a uniform,” I reply, looking down at my current outfit, which apparently wasn’t up to his standards.

“I should clarify, there isn’t a work uniform per se. But we give all staff a clothing stipend so they can dress professionally and adhere to the company’s

standard,” he explains. I can’t help but feel slighted by his statement. “Monica will just get your measurements and fit you for some outfits to see what works

for you, and she’ll bring you a new wardrobe in a few days.”

He waves at Monica and walks through the glass door to make his way to his office. I quickly chase after him, trying to catch him out of Monica’s earshot.

“Leonard, wait!” I quietly call after him. “I don’t know if I’m comfortable taking money from the company to buy new clothes like this. I know I might not be

the most fashionable–”

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