Page 74 of Love Like This

And there it was.

Spencer didn’t finish the rest of her lunch. After that rattlingoffer, she couldn’t.

Two hours later, her mind still ran in spastic circles. Theexcitement, the terror, the downright confusion brought on by such anunexpected opportunity had left her in a hurricane she couldn’t see her way outof. Designing for Bertrand? She couldn’t in a million years have predicted achance like this would come her way. In design school, it would have been aCinderella story that professors wowed their incoming students with, danglingit in front of them like bait.

She’d made waves in the online retail space, big waves, but thiswas different. This was the big leagues. She paced her kitchen, picking upMinnie and setting her back down again only to repeat the process eight moretimes in anxious nonsensical patterns. Her cat must have thought she was crazy,and maybe she was, for not immediately jumping at the opportunity she’d beenpresented with. She was a nobody who was now the It girl, exploding onto thescene, and she had to choose which path would be best for her.

On one hand, how could she ever turn down Claudette and Paris andthe opportunity to design at the top level where she could learn from the best?She’d passed on an internship in Paris years ago and never stopped regrettingthat decision. On the other, she was actually doing quite well on her own,bolstering the Spencer Adair label right and left. Her life in LA wasblossoming both personally and professionally. But it was Hadley herself thathad changed everything in so many ways in just the couple of months she’d knownher. Spencer always thought they had so much more ahead of them. But if sheheaded off to Paris permanently? Where did that leave them?

She didn’t sleep that night, but then she didn’t exactly expectto. The next morning, she had to speak to Hadley and knew just where to findher.

The Cat’s Pajamas was virtually on fire with customers buzzing inand out of the shop on their way to a million different places. The long linestretched nearly to the door, full of suited-up business types and beach bums alike.It really had a whole separate vibe in the morning, embracing the hustlebustle. She easily located the table with Hadley, Gia, and Isabel just asAutumn sat down to join them with a tray of pastries. Their Breakfast Club wasjust getting started.

Gia was the first to spot her. “Well, well, well,” she said, asSpencer approached the table. “A designer in our midst.”

Everyone turned, and Hadley broke into a smile that communicatedboth excitement and curiosity. “Hi,” she said, gazing up at Spencer. “This is anice surprise. Want to sit?”

Spencer shook her head and opened her mouth.

“Spencer, I hear congratulations are in order,” Autumn said with agrin, halting her progress. “Your line on Rodeo Drive? I can’t even imagine.Amazing.”

“Thanks,” Spencer said, with a slight hesitation. Everything feltso up in the air that she wasn’t sure how to behave. “I couldn’t believe itmyself either.”

“You’re a champ,” Isabel said.

Gia, who wore surf trunks and a hoodie, raised her coffee. “Elleis over the moon. She feels she had some part in all of this.”

“Well, she did,” Hadley pointed out. “A big part.”

Gia pointed at her. “Which is why baked goods keep arriving on herdoorstep.”

“Among other reasons, but yes,” Hadley said, beaming. “I don’tanticipate that stopping, by the way. Every time I think of Spencer’s linecoming into Silhouette, I start a new batch of brownies for Elle like some kindof Pavlovian soldier.”

“If it makes her a little slower on her board, all the better forme,” Gia said with a competitive smirk. “Keep sending the brownies. I need hernumber one spot.”

“You’re awful,” Autumn said.

“Please.” Gia scoffed. “Guess who winds up eating most of them?Her name isn’t Elle.”

“So, are you pumped?” Isabel asked Spencer. “This is like thedesigner Olympics, right? Rodeo Drive, I mean. The Hunger Games of fashion.”

“It’s a fantastic opportunity. I’m lucky in a lot of differentways,” Spencer said, looking at Hadley, which pulled a collective “aww” fromthe group. She and Hadley exchanged a smile until something in Hadley’sexpression changed. She seemed to intuitively know that Spencer was out ofsorts and gave her a nod. She knew with just a look.

Hadley stood and addressed her friends. “On that happy note, Ibetter dash. Time to change for work. I’m opening today. Come with me, Spence?”

“Right behind you.” She waved at Hadley’s friends. “Sorry forcrashing.”

“You’re welcome at Breakfast Club anytime,” Autumn said.

They said their goodbyes and Spencer followed Hadley out of theshop and to the adjacent courtyard of the apartment complex.

“Hey,” Hadley said, holding tightly to her hand. “Are you okay?”

Spencer nodded. “I’m okay, but my head’s a mess with a meeting Ihad yesterday. I needed to talk to someone about it and honestly? There’s noone I really want to discuss these kinds of things with as much as you.”

“Okay,” Hadley said, concern creasing her features. “Want to talkto me while I get ready for work?”

Spencer nodded. But just seeing Hadley, being in her presence,reaching out and touching her, centered Spencer in unimaginable ways. TheHadley Effect, as she called it, was powerful.

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