Page 18 of Fate

ChapterFive

Kathleen

“Ugh,what I wouldn’t give to have a doughnut right now,” Chloe grumbles and sips on a wheatgrass smoothie.

I watch her suck down the disgusting concoction and fight my gag reflex. “Still on the paleo diet, Isee.”

She bites down on her straw as if drinking the stuff is hurting her as much as it is helping. “A few more days, and then I can work up to a twelve-hundred-calorie diet again.”

My eyes practically bug out of my head. “Work up to it? What are you eatingnow?”

“Five hundred,” she says while pushing papers around herdesk.

I’ve just given her the designs for the new menswear line I want to start my teamon.

“Sounds…er…practical,” I say, the lack of sincerity in my voice betraying how I reallyfeel.

Chloe rolls her eyes. “We both know I’m basically starving myself so I can look incredible in the gown you’ve drawn up for Paris FashionWeek.”

I chuckle. “You could just take a couple of Bree’s yoga classes.”

“And look at that hot bitch while sweating like a pig and falling on my ass in a position God never intended a woman’s body to be in in the first place?” She stares at me, blinking rapidly.

That does it. Laughter pours out of me, and I flop back against my own chair in the master office we share. “God, you’re good for me.” I wave at my now overheated face, trying to cooldown.

“Well isn’t that the truth.” She sucks on the green smoothie, grimaces, hacks, and tosses it half-full into the trash before grabbing a foil-wrapped treat off my desk. “How many calories do you think are in just one of these? Like ten, right?”

I snicker. “Try seventy-five to a hundred.”

Her eyes widen after she plops it into her mouth. “Your numbers are jacked. I’m going with ten. That means I can have nine more of these suckers.” She winks and then picks up one of the designs.

“What’s this little L-shaped thing here?” She points to a section of mywork.

My penmanship with my left hand has gotten better, but actual designs don’t always fare as well. Usually, I take advantage of the super savvy voice-activated computer Chase had crafted by his tech geniuses. The software records what I speak, and with a finger I can scratch onto a tablet display to get my designs down on paper.

“It’s a pair of socks.” I smile.

Chloe nibbles on another Snickers bar. Mentally, I plan on taking out an inch on the dress I’ve designed for her without mentioning it. What are friends for, anyway?

“Socks? Since when did we get in the business of sock making?”

“Well, it’s something I wanted to chat about. I was with Chase last week and noticed he always tries to match his socks to whatever shoe color or pant color he’s wearing. What if we design socks to match our suits? We can even create an entire line of ties that can be sold with each suit and sock set to make it even easier for the customer.”

“As if being a man isn’t easy enough?” she deadpans.

I wait. Finally, a hint of a smile curves her lips at the edges.

“Clo…”

She waves a hand and opens another candy. “No, no. I’m seeing it. Totally seeing it. We could call it Men at Ease or something like that. Make it easier for the men to get dressed in a given week. Everything can be interchangeable. It’s brilliant as usual, Kat.” She smiles.

“I thought so.” I waggle my eyebrows.

“Let’s meet with the creative team about it later in the week. Soundcool?”

I nod. “Yeah, works for me.” I push the button for our shared receptionist. “Jen, can you schedule a meeting for both of us to meet with creative for a new product powwow? We’ll probably need a good two hours. Make it over lunch, and we’ll orderin.”

“Nice. Good idea.” Chloe gives me a thumbs-up.

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