Page 87 of The Boss I Can't Stand
“Maybe because itwassomething real,” Mom said.
Maybe it was, at least for me. Somewhere in that mess, I’d started to love Finn.
“You know,” Mom said gently. “I think we can love a lot of people, Sierra. They come and go from our lives—and they’re important to us while they’re there, but when they leave, we’re able to move on. But I think, maybe, we fallin loveonce. And that love is harder to recover from. At least, that’s the way it feels with Larry. I’m not saying Finn is that person for you…”
But what if he was?I thought miserably. What if he was the one and only man I got to fallin lovewith, and I’d lost him? I cleared my throat. “I think I’m gonna go, Mom. Are you gonna be okay?”
“Yeah,” Mom said, sounding surprisingly calm. “I’m good. I love you, okay? Don’t forget that. And don’t forget that we’re both going to be okay. Us Banks women are mighty. I’ll call you later, sweetheart.”
I hung up. I didn’t feel very mighty as I fired off an apology text to Brenna and Jillian and made my way to the costume shop, taking one last look at the place that had brought me so much joy these past months. I’d miss the shop and the team and creating together.
I walked into my office, sitting down behind the desk to collect the last of my things, stuffing draft costume sketches and my favorite pair of fabric scissors into my bag. I glanced over at Merle, standing in the corner with that can of RevX still taped to his hand. I’d eaten the almonds one late night. I wished there was a way to stuff him into my purse, too.
“Knock, knock,” I heard, whirling around to find Paisley, Trin, Brenna, Shaw, and Ro at the office door.
“I just sent you a text,” I said, frowning as I caught Brenna’s eye.
“Oh, I know,” she said. “And I get it. There’s only so many interviews a person can handle, and let’s face it, being here can’t be easy for you.”
I gave her a slow blink. What was with the one-eighty from how she’d been all week?
“Honestly,” she said, walking into the room, “I was getting sick of trying to be professional. For days now, all I’ve wanted to do is tell you how much this all sucks. And I’m sorry.”
She crossed the office and wrapped her arms around me. It took me a moment to settle into the hug. Paisley walked through the door too, throwing herself down in the armchair in the corner. Trin, Shaw, and Ro took the couch.
Brenna pulled away, and I swallowed hard. I’d barely gotten my tears under control, and I struggled to blink away a new wave.
“You don’t have to stay strong for us, girl,” Trin said. “We all know how hard you worked to help Finn make this movie all it could be. And the way he treated you at the screening was really shitty.”
I managed a watery smile. I’d already heard all this from Ro, who tilted her head as if to saySee, I’m not the only one who agrees. “Thank you,” I said softly. “I appreciate the support. But what are you all doing here?”
“It’s yourofficiallast day ofEvery Dayduties,” Ro said. “So Brenna invited us all down to say goodbye. Well, I’m going home with you, but you know what I mean.”
“I thought someone should celebrate with you,” Brenna said. “And acknowledge all the hard work you did.”
“And I brought this!” Shaw added, producing a very large bottle of champagne from her purse.
“How the hell did you fit that in there?” Trin asked, gaping at her bag.
“If I pack this thing right, I can literally use it as a carry-on,” Shaw said, smirking. “Anyway, I was gifted this bottle on the first day of filming, and I’ve been saving it for the right occasion. This feels right.”
“That’s so sweet of you all. Though I can’t say I really feel like celebrating.” I wanted to go home, finish the family-size tub of ice cream I’d been working through these past two weeks, and watch reality TV with Ro.
“But you’ve accomplished so much here,” Brenna said, “and that’s worth at least one drink.”
Paisley reached for the bottle in Shaw’s hand and popped the cork with a thud, pouring out champagne into little plastic Dixie cups Shaw also produced from her purse.
“Seriously, is this like a Mary Poppins bag or what?” Trin asked. The group chuckled in response.
Paisley got to her feet, lifting her Dixie cup and clearing her throat. “Okay, I just wanted to say that I’ve worked for a lot of costume designers in this business, and Sierra is hands down my favorite. And I’m not just saying that because we’re friends or because I hope she’ll hire me again on her next project.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I mean it. I’ve learned so much from you on every job we’ve worked together, not just about putting together costumes but about being the kind of person everyone wants to work with, and that’s meant the world to me. So, here’s to you.”
She thrust her cup in my direction. “For helping us and inspiring us and reminding us that what really matters in life is having a good pair of fabric scissors.”
I laughed, getting up to knock my cup against hers. “I’m not sure I’ve really taught you much of anything this time, but I’ll take it.”
“Well, I learned that Kaiden is a horrible kisser,” Shaw said, her eyes widening as if she’d only just realized she said that out loud.
