Page 66 of Ruthless Vengeance
The woman nods, and I swear I almost faint on the spot.
Another panelist, a man with salt-and-pepper hair, tilts his head as he stands in front of the mannequin to critique my second look, the one I spent the entire night constructing from scratch.
“How much time did you have to put this piece together?”
I hesitate for half a second before deciding to answer honestly. “Twelve hours from coming up with a concept to finish.”
There’s a beat of silence, and I wonder if he’s about to berate me for doing such sloppy work. But then his lips curve into something that looks a lot like admiration.
“Twelve hours?” His fingers smoothing over the stitching. “And you pulled this off?”
I nod, my pulse hammering. “I didn’t have a choice. I only found out about the interview yesterday afternoon, so I worked with what I had.”
The redheaded panelist smiles. “A designer who can think fast and execute under pressure. That’s rare.”
There’s a murmur of agreement from the rest of the panel, and my throat thickens with emotion.
They truly like my work. Even if it’s not enough to get in, their approval still means the world. It has given me the confidence boost I needed to keep pushing forward.
They ask me a few more questions about my inspirations behind the pieces, and I let Rosa chime in to help explain how her dress came to life.
I talk through my process as well as how I see my work evolving over time.
When it’s over, the panelists thank me for my time, and I bag up my second dress and leave the room with Rosa tailing behind me, feeling lighter than I have in years.
The moment the doors close behind us, Rosa grabs my hands and squeals so loudly I think my eardrums might burst.
“Holy shit, Clara, that was amazing! They were eating out of the palm of your hand.”
“Shh!” I glance anxiously back at the door, but Rosa only laughs.
“That was incredible.”
“It did feel good, didn’t it?” A rush of adrenaline courses through me.
“It felt better than good!” Rosa throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “There is no way in hell you’re not getting into this course. You aced it.”
I shake my head, biting back a disbelieving smile.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but for the first time since I walked in here, I allow myself to hope.
Even if I don’t get in, there are more schools. And after their feedback, I’m definitely going to enroll in fashion school.
“Come on, let’s go and celebrate.” I link arms with Rosa, heading back outside into the warm summer day. “Where do you want to go?—”
My gaze locks onto something across the street. Or rather,someone.
Marco.
He’s leaning against his car with one hand in his pocket, looking sexy as hell.
The sharp cut of his black pants, the way his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows to expose his muscular forearms, the way his lips lift at the corners the moment we lock eyes.
Even after all this time, he still has the power to steal my breath away.
I think I might be more obsessed with him now than I was when we first met.
He stalks toward me, his lips pulling up into a wide smile. “I assume it went well?”
