Page 3 of Hooked
Tayla was a yoga enthusiast andlovedto dance. Hiking and fishing? Not her scene. So much dirt. So many bugs. She loved her bike, but she wasn’t crazy enough to take it down mountains. She liked nature… through the pristine window of a well-furnished hotel.
Jeremy was also loyal, family-oriented, and had “long-term romantic partner” written all over his gorgeous face.
Tayla wasn’t interested in long-term anything. She liked variety. In fashion, in work, and in men. Who could handle one person for the rest of their life? She’d be bored to tears.
And yet…
Even walking by his shop gave her goose bumps.
So. Inconvenient.
Tayla glanced at Jeremy’s store and kept walking. She had a lot to do that day. The last thing she should be thinking about was a man who shouldn’t move past the flirting stage.
Tayla McKinnon had a life and a plan. Jeremy Allen wasn’t part of it.
She was snackingon a handful of honey-roasted almonds from Frannie’s Nut Shack when an email alert popped up in the corner of her screen. Seeing the name, she clicked on it. Tobin Carter was one of the few people at her old job she still kept in touch with because of their shared interest in side-eyeing celebrities on social media.
“Saw this,” Tobin’s email said. “Thought of you.”
Tayla clicked on the link and was immediately taken to a blog post on SOKA, an emerging online marketplace for world fashion. She scrolled through the post announcing the launch of SOKA’s new app, which would expand on their website, adding new social features and buy links for harder-to-find small designers around the world. Tayla’s eyes locked on the bottom paragraph, which was underlined and highlighted in green.
Trendsetters, influencers, and fashion professionals interested in advancement opportunities on an exciting and diverse team are needed at all levels for SOKA’s expansion.
Hmmmm.
Tayla clicked on the link and a form popped up asking for professional details. Education. Experience. Interests. Social media links. A few of the more unusual questions intrigued her. Dream travel destination. Favorite food. Most recent read. And the most intriguing:Why is fashion important? Personally? Culturally? Globally?
Glancing at Frannie, who was helping a customer while Tayla waited to go over year-to-date expenses, she started to fill out the form.
Why not? SOKA was gaining a ton of low-key attention, and they’d probably never read her entry anyway, so Tayla decided to go for it. She included all the professional details they asked for and opened up on the unusual asks.
Dream travel destination?A beach resort in Zanzibar, preferably with many handsome men, a good DJ, and a limitless phone battery.
Favorite food?Tofu khao soi. It’s a crispy curry noodle dish I can only get one place in the city, and it is amazing.
Most recent read: The Wedding Date. If you’re judgy about romance novels, I have nothing to say to you. Get thee away and read some Nora.
Why is fashion important?
Tayla minimized the window and decided to think about that one because it felt like too personal a question to answer between coffee and honey-roasted almonds at the Nut Shack.
Frannie walked back to the table just as Tayla brought her spreadsheet back up on the screen. “You ready?” She was carrying two cups of coffee. “I made a fresh pot.”
Bless small-town manners. “You’re awesome, Frannie.”
The silver-haired woman settled next to Tayla and put on her reading glasses. “Okay. Let’s try to make sense of all this.”
“You can do it.” Tayla highlighted the columns she needed to explain. “If you can run a successful business for thirty years, Miss Frannie, understanding all this stuff will be a snap.”
Tayla was still mullingover the questions on the SOKA form at the Ice House that night. Emmie and Ox were closing up the shop and planning to join her shortly. It was open mic night, which was surprisingly good instead of cringeworthy. So far some students from the music school had performed, two country-and-western acts, a jazz singer, and a folk harpist.
You couldn’t say Metlin wasn’t eclectic. A tad boring at times? Yes. But surprising too.
Why is fashion important?
Shallow.
Airhead.
