Page 9 of Make The Cut

It was an easy choice between my parents until I realized the too-easy choices my father had made. After finding out, I haven’t set foot in Japan, except for touring since I was a kid.

“I’ll get past the past whenever I want.” My thumb hovers over the red END CALL button. “Bye,Dad.”

The beep cuts him off before he can finish his sentence. I throw a T-shirt over my head and try not to wonder what kind of news he has. When I told him I wanted to go into music, one of our last productive conversations, he told me not to. He told me I wouldn’t be able to handle the pressures of fame; that I’d do something I would regret. I retorted that just because he was too weak to stay loyal to his wife and child without making excuses about fame didn’t mean I would suffer the same fate.

But now and then, I wonder if he was right.

Maybe that’s why I’ve never fallen in love.

Having changed into jeans and a t-shirt, I’m leaving my dressing room just as I bump into my assistant, Mitchell, a gangly college dropout who left his engineering degree because he wanted to become asoundengineer. His parents weren’t too happy about that one, and he’s been at my beck and call since.

“What’s up?”

“Rebecca is going on maternity leave,” he mumbles, staring down at my battered Converses. Mitchell has never been able to look me in the eye.

“Yeah, I know.” My stylist, Rebecca, is only in her first trimester of pregnancy. I had planned to give her the last trimester off and start looking for a replacement then.

“No, I mean, she has pre-eclampsia and she found out she’s having twins. She’ll have to be on bed rest for the next six months,” he says. “And who knows how long after that.”

I don’t swear much, but the string of profanity I let loose doesn’t seem to bother Mitchell. Then again, he is a gamer.

“Do you want me to start looking for a replacement? I can hit up Indeed or LinkedIn—“

“No, no, that won’t be necessary.” A puzzle piece clicks inside my mind. “I know just the woman for the job.”

Chapter Four: Poppy Black

“So, I said,how dareyou cut me off in traffic, and then I—Poppy, are you even listening to me?” Skye pauses in the middle of her tale of road rage on the PCH and looks at me. “You seem kind of… spacey.”

I smile briefly, forcing my facial muscles to work again. Since I lost my job, I’ve been grim-faced, doing nothing but hunching over my laptop and applying for every job related to my field. I got a few callbacks, but the second they found out I wasthatPoppy Black, they all hung up.

I guess Cynthia was right when she said I’d never work in fashion again.

“I’m just worried about my job,” I say, picking at my eggs Benedict.

“Aw, I’m sorry. I’ve been blabbering about my little problems while you, well…” Skye shakes her head, giving me a sympathetic look that would be patronizing from anyone else. We know each other well enough to know what she means, though.

We’re having our monthly brunch, a tradition we formed since we were still working as assistants—me atLa Mode, her at Wong & Winston publicity. The last time we went to Red Bird, Skye was in the middle of a break with her now-husband, Leo, and I was comforting her over her romantic woes. Now, she’s got her dream job in architectureandis married to the love of her life, Leo Perez. I’m happy for my best friend. She has a husband and her dream job and a family who loves her.

I’m content with the path my life has taken. At least, I’d rather die than try to date someone after what happened with Dean. Heisat least partially responsible for the absolute mess I’m in right now, and I don’t want to date another guy only for him to finish the ruining-my-life project that Dean started.

Besides, even if Dean hadn’t betrayed me the way he did… I shudder at the mere idea of going on a date with a pompous entrepreneur who’s had less career success than I have—and that’s saying something—or a pretty boy who thinks he’s going to make it in Hollywood but can’t act for beans. No, I’ve contented myself with the fact that boys are just a distraction from my goals of a fashion career. Even if the said career is currently going up in flames.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to ask Leo for help? He could probably pull some strings…” She butters an English muffin, concern creasing her brown eyes.

“I’m going to be okay.” At least, I hope so. I would rather work in a dry cleaner’s or hem clothing than accept that I can never work in the fashion industry again. “I should find something soon.”

“I hope so.” Skye’s frown eases slightly. I don’t like having my best friend pity me, even if she does care about me. Something about her sympathy makes me feel like I don’t deserve it. After all, I did bring this situation upon myself. “Have you heard from Ryder recently?”

“No, why?” Why is everyone in my life who I counted on to hate him, suddenly bringing him up? First Naoya, now Skye… He and my best friend had such a messy breakup that I had to choose sides, and I chose her. “What did he do?”

“Um, surprisingly, he showed up on my and Leo’s doorstep with seven hundred in cash.” She sips her mimosa.

“What?” I lower my fork with a clatter.

“Yeah, he was paying me back for the guitar. It was so long ago that I had just let the whole thing go since I didn’t think he’d ever repay his debt, but it was nice of him.”

Then again, I was mildly curious when he asked me for Skye’s new address after she moved in with Leo… even if I wasn’t curious enough to ask him why he needed it. “I’m glad to hear it.”

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