Page 12 of Confused AF
I had arrived at the Spellbound Expo with cautious optimism and humble expectations. Even booking one consultation would have been a huge win, but this? I never could have imagined this level of success in my wildest dreams.
At the same time, I didn’t have any delusions that one convention would change my life, or even the trajectory of my career. It did open the door, though—for exposure, future opportunities, and new possibilities that hadn’t been available to me before.
And I couldn’t have done any of it without Vaden.
He took care of the bookings and kept me on schedule, making sure I had plenty of breaks throughout the day so I didn’t exhaust myself. He answered basic questions about pricing, what a consultation involved, and about how long a session would last.
When the business cards ran out, he refilled the rack. If I forgot to eat, he was right there with a snack and a latte.
Most importantly, Vaden kept me sane.
He didn’t judge me for my meltdowns, nor did he try to change me. He just met me in that messy space with calm assertiveness and made things suck a little less.
I still struggled, resistant to give up control, but he didn’t let my stubbornness deter him. Oddly, it never came across as uncomfortable or overbearing when he stepped in and took over. It never felt like he had overstepped a boundary or taken my choices from me.
Rather, it felt…nice. Safe. And as the week progressed, I found myself relying on him more often and giving in more readily.
Of course, I tried to keep things professional, but the more time we spent together, the harder it was to remember why crossing that line would be a bad idea. I also couldn’t help but wonder how things might have been if we had met under different circumstances.
Sometimes, I thought he might feel the same way. He seemed far more invested in my personal well-being than a typical assistant, and every now and then, I would catch him staring atme when he thought I wasn’t looking. The way he touched me didn’t feel practiced either, or even casual, for that matter.
He honestly just seemed to like touching me, and I got the impression that he didn’t always realize when he did it. More instinct than intention, I guess, which made those soft brushes and gentle caresses even more special.
Like now.
His hand rested on the back of my neck, his thumb idly moving up and down the side of my throat. His attention, however, remained fixed on the tablet in his other hand.
“That was the last appointment for the day.”
“What? Why?” The clock in the corner of the screen showed just after three o’clock, and we still had hours before the convention center closed the doors for the day.
“You have that tutorial in thirty minutes,” he explained. “The one about the wings.”
I turned my head to hide my grin. The man was absolutely hopeless, but he tried, and instead of annoying me now, I found it kind of cute.
“It’s a winged eyeliner tutorial for beginners,” I clarified.
“That’s what I said.”
“Of course,” I agreed easily as I shifted a little closer. “What else?”
“Then you have the interview with that influencer at five.”
My eyebrows drew together as I tried to recall the information, but I found nothing in my memory banks. “I have an interview?”
“I told you about it yesterday.”
“No, you didn’t. Which influencer?”
He dragged his thumb up the edge of the screen to scroll to the time slot on the schedule. “Chloe Rae.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I practically shouted, jerking around to face him. “Are you serious right now?”
“Otto.” Dropping his hand from my neck, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I told you about this yesterday. You agreed.”
“No, you really didn’t. I think I would remember this.”
As one of the OG beauty influencers, Chloe Rae had the reach, the brand deals, and the undying loyalty of her nearly fifteen million followers. Actual celebrities had appeared on her channel, including some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
