Page 75 of Bound By Crimson
She stood there for a second, holding the phone against her chest.
Then she turned back inside.
Callie was rolling a bolt of deep crimson silk, her sleeves pushed to her elbows, hair pinned in a lazy twist.
“That was Kai,” Lyric said. “He’s sending Thomas to take me somewhere. He said it’s a surprise.”
Callie arched a brow. “A good surprise or a Kai surprise?”
Lyric laughed. “I guess I’ll find out.”
She gathered her things and paused by the door. “Thank you. For today.”
Callie smiled, genuine and warm. “You’re going to kill it, Lyric. Go see what your prince has planned.”
---
The car pulled up in front of a corner building wrapped in scaffolding and heavy tarps. Dust floated in the air like confetti. A construction crew was moving equipment inside. The sidewalk was cordoned off with neon tape.
Lyric stepped out of the car slowly, shielding her eyes from the sun.
Thomas gestured toward the door. “Go on. She’s waiting inside.”
“She?”
“The interior designer.”
Lyric stepped through the makeshift entryway—and stopped.
The space was raw. Open beams. Concrete floor. Sawdust and sunlight. But the bones were beautiful. Huge windows flooded the room with golden light. High ceilings. Exposed brick in the back. She could already picture it—mirrors, sleek racks, a bold white counter with her name on it.
She walked slowly across the room, heart pounding.
“Lyric?” a voice called out.
She turned.
And saw her.
Tall. Blonde. Flawless. Sculpted like she’d stepped out of a runway show. Her black jumpsuit fit like it had been sewn directly onto her body, sleek and perfect in a way Lyric wasn’t sure she could ever pull off. She carried a leather folio tucked neatly under one arm, walking with the easy confidence of someone who belonged anywhere.
For a split second, Lyric faltered.
The woman smiled and approached with a firm handshake. “I’m Cameron. Kai’s interior designer. You must be the woman of the hour.”
Lyric shook her hand, her confidence wobbling. “That’s me.”
She wasn't quite as friendly as Callie. She was all business.
Cameron walked her through the space, pointing out architectural renderings and where the dressing rooms would go, where the lighting rigs would hang, where the signage would be mounted.
Kai had already paid for all of it. All she had to do... was make it hers.
She tried to focus.
She felt insecure compared to these tall modelesque women that Kai had hired.
She forced those thoughts away.
