Page 63 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

The concept is supposed to be something fairly gender-neutral. Considering what I normally design, the look isn’t very feminine.

As I look at it, though, I can just imagine men looking at me with disgust. You dare try to dress me in flowers?

Oh, boy.

Plenty of men enjoy floral accents. This embroidery is so dark it almost matches the color of the jacket. It reminds me of the fantastic costumes the men wore in that fantasy movie Aaron and I saw.

It doesn’t matter if some people won’t like it. Some people will, right?

I realize that my vision has become unfocused because I’m staring too hard.

Time for a break.

I head out to the kitchen, rubbing my itchy, dry eyes. The start of a headache pushes at my temples, so I run a glass of water.

This is going to work. I won’t give up when everything is so close. Tomorrow I’ll take one last look at the design I’m working on. Then I’ll hand it over to the tailors to fit it to my model, and I’ll have gotten them all done.

From then on, I’ll have to work on the logistics. The non-design stuff.

And I want so badly to call Aaron. I want to unload on him all my fears but also hear about how his event is coming along.

I wish there was a way for me to be there for him. And for him to be there for me.

Maybe, depending on how well our individual events go, we’ll be able to meet up afterward.

Maybe, after this show is over and I finally get a full night’s sleep… well, I’ll think about the possibilities once that’s happened.

For the time being, I need to hydrate myself and go to bed.

“Careful, you might drown yourself chugging like that,” Ellen says.

I glance over and lower the glass of water. “I’m having a drinking contest. If I can drink this faster than I drink it, then I can have another one and go to sleep before I have to pee.”

Ellen snickers. “I’m not even going to try to make sense of that. I saw your light was still on. Are you going to bed soon?”

“Soon,” I promise. “Just as soon as I finish drowning.”

Ellen nods her approval. “Anything I can do to help?”

As she brushes her hair behind her ear, her ring catches the light.

“Maybe I should take my mind off work.” I finish my glass and refill it. “Have you been thinking about what sort of dress you want?”

“Oh, I’m thinking something with a huge, poofy skirt. Or maybe something sleek and sexy. So, you know.” She laughs. “Either a Cinderella princess dress or something like what Jessica Rabbit wears.”

I squint. “I can make it work so you have both.”

Ellen grins. “Oh, somehow I bet you can. But that’s not going to be awhile yet. Sometime next week we need our ice cream and strawberry wine and to flip through wedding dress catalogs.” Her expression falters. “That is, unless—”

“I want to do that, too,” I quickly interrupt.

“Unless it’s too hard for you,” she finishes anyway.

I look away. “I’m happy for you.”

“You can be happy for me while also admitting some things are still too soon,” Ellen says.

My shoulders slump. “Honestly? I won’t know if it’s too soon until after this stress is over. I understand now why you dragged me out to Castleton. I thought I needed to keep my hands and mind busy to get over Steven. But it seems like when I’m busy, I can’t figure anything out.”

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