Page 120 of Torrid Passion
CHAPTER 22
Kyla
Fridays are usually crazy at Red Carpet Ready, but today was particularly insane. I honestly never thought I’d survive this day. The same goes for my cousins. Our reward is to be able to enjoy a relaxing evening together.
“I can’t believe we wolfed down all that food,” Stella says in amazement.
“I was famished,” Hayden says.
“I survived on protein bars and caffeine,” I complain.
“We’ve been going non-stop since seven this morning,” Hayden reminds us.
“Without any breaks,” I stress.
“Thank God it’s over,” Stella says. “Don’t get me wrong, the new shipment of party dresses is amazing––and just in time for the upcoming Emmys next month––but twelve hours later we were still knee-deep in clothing.”
“The only thing that kept me going was that each design came out better than expected,” Hayden says. “We have a homerun on our hands!”
“You meanseveralhomeruns!” Stella corrects.
“I have to agree,” I say. “I can already see you selling out of at least half a dozen designs before the end of August.”
Stella, Hayden and I spent the entire day at their warehouse managing staff as they handled hundreds of boxes. By seven o’clock at night, we were so exhausted, we couldn’t see straight.
“Here’s to an evening with my two favorite girls, the best barbecue meal in LA, a couple bottles of Cali whites and a spectacular view of Venice!” Stella says lifting her glass.
“Amen to that!” I cheer.
“I second that!” it’s Hayden’s turn to cheer.
At the end of our taxing day, we hopped in Stella’s Range Rover and made a detour to Hank’s Famous BBQ for takeout. The lineup was insane, but the second we caught the tangy smell of barbecued meat, there was no going back. We left there with two roasted chickens, ribs, sausages, grilled corn on the cob and a heaping serving of some of the best fries in Venice. We added a side order of kale salad just to be good. Even after making a nice dent in all the food we bought, we’ll have leftovers for the next couple of days.
“Who’s ready for dessert?” I ask.
“I’m dying for Wanderlust ice cream, but I think I need one more minute—or twenty,” Hayden says, rubbing her tummy. “I think I ate too fast.”
“We all ate too fast,” Stella says, rubbing hers.
“More wine?” I ask.
“Absolutely!” they both say in unison.
A quick trip to the kitchen and I’m back.
“How was your event last night?” I ask Stella, filling her glass.
“Can you imagine? It was so crazy today we didn’t even have time to catch-up on last night’s events,” Hayden points out.
“I’m telling you, I barely had time to breathe. Catching up was way low on the list,” Stella says.
I’ve been dying to over share all day, but held back. This kind of conversation should only happen in private.
“To answer your question, two words,” Stella says lifting her fingers. “Stuffy. Bankers. Need I say more?”
“Yikes. That bad?” I ask.
“It was dreadful,” Stella rolls her eyes. “After dinner, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I told my parents I had to cut it short because I had an early day today. From Mom’s text, my parents didn’t stay long after I left.”
