Page 5 of Love Like This

“This drink is ready for you! This drink is ready for you! Thisdrink is ready, dear Spencer A. Your cucumber cooler loves you, too.” Sheblinked, doing her best to put up with his ridiculous song. She’d never reallybeen into ridiculous, being a more serious-minded individual. She smiledanyway.

“Thanks.”

“Come back again,” he sang, with jazz hands, to the tune of “Andmany more.” She nodded in his direction and wondered who’d hurt him.

The cooler was a refreshing cap off to the afternoon, but herevening would be spent in the trenches, packing boxes, filling orders, sendingconfirmations, and making sure her social media ads were running on schedule.Oh! And she needed to post her latest giveaway. Contests always seemed togarner attention, and more attention meant more page views, and more word ofmouth, and more orders, and more money. Her work was never done and she lovedevery second of it.

At midnight, she surveyed her apartment. With several toweringstacks of boxes by her door ready for shipment, and fabrics of all colors laidacross her couch, dining room table, and floor along with tape measures, scalerulers, scissors, and sketches, the place looked nothing like a residence andmore like a workshop populated by elves. Spencer wore it like a badge of honor.

She gave her neck a soothing roll from side to side. Tomorrowthere was lots of work to continue, meaning she better steal what sleep shecould. She picked up her cat, Minnie Mouse, and gave her a smacking kiss.“That’s because you were a thoughtful and quiet assistant tonight.”

She trudged sleepily to her room, cat in hand. The fashion worldwaited for no one. As she lay in bed that night, she replayed her meeting withHadley once, twice, and a third time for good measure. She fell asleep with ahopeful smile on her face, understanding that she had come to a unique place inher life, a crossroads of her own making. Having options was an excitingreward, and the prospect of moving beyond the empire she’d established tosomething even bigger triggered a shiver. The really, really good kind.

Chapter Two

“So, how’d the thing go with the lady-lady?” Isabel Chase asked,two days later at Breakfast Club. Though Hadley and her best friends livedwildly different lives during the day, they did their best to meet each morningat the Cat’s Pajamas for coffee, baked goods, and gossip. It kept themcentered, in touch, and ready to blast off to their different professions eachmorning. In Isabel’s case, to Paramount Studios, where she wrote and producedone of the hottest shows on television,TheSubdivision.

Hadley studied her patiently. “What lady-lady about what thing?You’re speaking early morning Isabel again.”

Isabel’s eyes got wide. “The lady about the thing, and the newdesigner with the good clothes and promise. You were nervous, then excited. Itwas a whole deal,” she said, around a mouthful of blueberry muffin. “Anyway,how’d it go?”

Hadley smiled, translating the nonsensical version of Isabel, whowas often useless until caffeine took hold. Right on cue, Steve, Autumn’snumber two guy and the assistant manager at Pajamas, delivered Izzy’s latte,along with Hadley’s sugary caramel mocha. “Thanks, Steve!” Hadley saidbrightly, perfectly capable of mustering the cheer before the coffee. Life wastoo short to be anything less than friendly and warm, principles her fathersraised her on. She turned back to Isabel. “I believe you’re referencing thatnew designer Elle recommended.”

Isabel sipped her coffee and closed her eyes, allowing it to washover her. “And there it is.” She opened them again. “Yes, that one.”

“What about me?” Elle asked, approaching their table with Gia.They were both in shorts and hoodies, which meant they had swimsuits onunderneath and would be heading to the beach for training after breakfast. Astwo of the top surfers in the world, and competitors themselves, they rarelytook days off.

“I met with your friend Spencer Adair earlier this week,” Hadleytold Elle. “She’s an amazing find and I owe you everything for the tip. I’mgoing to make you cookies by way of thanks. Chocolate chip ones!”

“Yay!” Elle said, fist in the air. “I love it when you bake methings.”

“I’m presenting her stuff to Trudy today. Fingers crossed for me.”

Elle tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear and lit up.“Spence is gonna be thrilled if this goes through.”

“And how do you guys know each other?” Isabel asked Elle.

“Oh, Spencer and I went to high school together. She’s one ofthose people you can lose touch with but pick right back up again like no timehas gone by at all. She’s good people, but she doesn’t mess around. She’s gotgoals and charts and plans.”

Hadley nodded. “She’s clearly driven, and not at all afraid tospeak her mind.”

Elle grinned. “Sounds like Spencer. She’s always had a firm headon her shoulders. Knew she was gay by the time we hit tenth grade. If only I’dhad her self-awareness.”

“Then you might not have been single and fallen for me,” Gia said,in uncharacteristic meekness.

Almost as if she couldn’t resist, Elle leaned over and kissed her.“It wouldn’t have mattered when I realized it, I definitely would have foundyou. No matter what it took or where you were.”

Hadley covered her swelling heart. Romance in all forms was hercomplete and utter undoing, and seeing Gia so happy these days with Elle hadthe thing ready to burst. Then there was Autumn, who’d been so happily marriedto Kate for almost a year now as they waited on their twins to be born. And ofcourse, before that, Isabel had fallen madly in love with her boss, televisionproducer extraordinaire Taylor Andrews. The two were practically inseparable.Yet here Hadley sat, alone, cheering everyone else on from the sidelines ofsingledom. Not that she minded. One day her person would come along. Noquestion about it. She just wondered why it seemed to be taking them so long.

Two arms snaked around her neck from behind. She knew that hug andleaned into it. “Hi,” she said, looking up at Autumn, around her stomach. “Howare you feeling, Mom-to-be?”

“Like I’m ready for this all to be over and for these giant, unrulykids to be here so I can kiss their cheeks and love them. It’s impossible toget comfortable. I’m about to abandon the concept of shoes altogether. Youmight find me lying in the courtyard like a beached whale. Call me Willy. I’llanswer.”

“Sit down, Willy,” Isabel said, jumping up and ushering Autumn toher customary chair at their table. “We can all imagine you already hugged us.The hugging credit is there. No reason to remain on your feet longer thannecessary.”

“Good to know.” Autumn sat down with a weary sigh. It was likelyshe’d come in before six a.m. to open the place, which was insane, given howfar along she was. “I think it might be time to hand the store off to Steveuntil delivery.”

“You think that might be a good idea?” Isabel said with a laugh.She’d been pushing Autumn to go on maternity leave for a while now.

---