Page 3 of Inevitable

Ashlynn

7 years later

“Damnit!” I shout as I try to stop the bead of blood that has begun to bloom from my fingertip.

Years of sewing and designing clothes and I still stab myself daily. I have taken after my mother from her love of fashion and design. Shortly after I was born, she created Olivia Adams Designs. She wanted to be more than just a senator’s wife and she had an incredible gift that deserved to be shared. She started it all in one of the spare rooms of our house, designing evening gowns for the many events she attended with my father. Before she knew it, she had started up her business and every stepford wife on the east coast was wearing her clothes.

The business took off and is now a highly desired designer label across the world. She taught me everything I know. When she got sick, I was only 17 and it wrecked me. She was my best friend in the whole world, my inspiration, the one person who always stood in my corner. We spent her final days going over techniques and ideas together. It was how we dealt with things and tried to ignore the ugly C word that was quickly draining the life out of my mother.

She passed away on my 18th birthday. It broke me and I don’t think I ever fully recovered from the loss. She left her company to me under the stipulations that I graduate from college and spend 2 years working for the company before taking my position as CEO. I am only 9 months away now and it feels like I am so close to having everything I have ever wanted, well almost.

The interim CEO Camila is the vilest person that has ever walked this earth, I swear. She knows her days are numbered so she does everything she can to make my life a living hell. Today that includes putting me on scut work, hand stitching accents for some of our sample pieces. Something that one of our interns could have easily handled.

“Hey Ash,” Kiki, my best friend and coworker chimes as she walks into the room and plops down into the seat across from me.

“Hey Keek’s, where is the wicked bitch of the Northeast?”

She titters at my nickname for Camila. “At a lunch meeting with a client.”

I roll my eyes. “She is at one every day. Yet our new client contracts are at an all-time low. Weird.”

When this officially becomes my company there will be a lot of changes, that’s for sure. Kiki shrugs before moving on.

“So, you are going out with Andrew tomorrow, right?” She asks.

I sigh heavily at her reminder. “Yeah, unfortunately. I can’t stand the guy. He is nice enough I guess and good looking, but he is so pompous and condescending. He is always in business mode and can never drop the bullshit act.”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “Well, he is the only child to one of the biggest oil tycoons of this century sweetie. He was practically born in a boardroom. Schmoozing is like breathing for him. But we both know this isn’t because of his personality. You have always found something wrong with every guy your dad has tried to set you up with. You never give anyone a fair chance, always keeping your heart tucked away.”

“It’s safer that way,” I shrug.

She was right though. Ever since Luca I never opened up like that again. When he walked away from me it shattered me, I couldn’t function normally for months. I was so broken and lost. My dad has since tried several times to introduce me, more like force me, to meet niceappropriateyoung men. They are one boring resume after the next. Even if he introduced me to one that wasn’t completely terrible, I know that I still wouldn’t be interested. I will never give myself away willingly like that ever again.

“It’s also the quickest way to end up as a lonely cat lady,” she says empathetically covering my hand with hers.

“I won’t be lonely. I have you, work and my two favorite men, Ben & Jerry.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “Okay crazy, well I will leave you to it. We still on for drinks tonight after work?”

“God yes, I wouldn’t miss happy hour at SJ’s for the world.”

“Great! Love ya!” She calls out over her shoulder as she strides out the door.

-

I work for a few more hours before I decide to call it a day. I pack up my supplies and drop the sample off on my desk before I grab my purse and heat out the door.

I meet Kiki in the lobby downstairs and loop my arm with hers as we head out to SJ’s, the bar across the street. They have the best happy hour drinks around and are a local hot spot for people looking to unwind after work. When we get inside, we slide into our typical booth and order a couple of the daily special drinks. Something fruity and filled with alcohol, perfect.

I am sitting there telling Kiki about the latest bullshit Camila has been pulling on me when I realize she is not even pretending to listen to me anymore. Instead, she is eye fucking some sandy brown-haired guy in his early 20’s across the bar. I turn around to see he is giving it right back to her.

“Kiki, are you even listening to me?” I ask slightly agitated.

She doesn’t even respond, just smiles seductively and licks her lips at the man. Surprise, surprise, the guy struts across the room with a darker haired friend in tow who seems to have his eyes set on me. I swear we can’t go anywhere without Kiki attracting male attention.

“Was your mother a beaver? Cause damn,” he purrs at Kiki and winks like he actually thinks that that was a good pickup line. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t.

Kiki, however, fakes a laugh and bats her eyelashes. The girl has no shame, and apparently no standards tonight. Both of the guys slide into our booth and Kiki practically crawls on top of her guy’s lap while I scoot as far away from his friend as possible. He seems okay but anyone that hangs out with a guy like that can’t be too fantastic.

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