Page 21 of Twisted Lies 4
I sighed heavily, wavering between the daunting tasks of creating one-of-a-kind pieces for my private clients and finishing my collection.
I was grateful Cisco had given me the opportunity to sell my clothing in his boutique. It allowed me to cultivate my cult following of rich women who had everything—including catwalk queens and Jade, my in-house muse, all of whom thought nothing of splurging on my edgy clothing. My clients kept me well paid and living comfortably, but my unfinished collection was one step closer to my dream. And my dream was so close I could taste it.
“And it has nothing to do with the fact that you get a hefty commission from every new client, huh?” I knew I sounded grumpy, but I couldn’t keep up with the rampant pace of new clients and complete my collection at the same time. Something had to give. “Cancel all the appointments, and don’t book any clients until I tell you.”
“Come on, Sin,” he whined. “I need more pieces. I can’t keep your clothing on my racks.” He huffed. “Besides, you have to come in. Cate wants to discuss some design changes to her wedding gown.”
I rolled my eyes. “Again?”
Agreeing to create a wedding gown for Cate, Jade’s aunt, had been a big damn mistake, but I’d decided to do it because of my friendship with Jade.
“Cisco, I can’t do it. I have to get my collection done.”
“You know her. What Cate wants, Cate gets,” Cisco responded dryly.
Sadly, it was the truth. Cate Bellisario was the most powerful member of the Bellisario family. She was beautiful, rich, conniving, and bored. She was currently using her status among the New York elite to get her fiancé—Bigsby Calhoune, a wealthy shipping mogul—elected as the next New York City mayor.
When Cate had revealed she wanted to walk down the aisle in a Sin Michaels creation, it hadn’t exactly been a jumping-up-and-down moment for me. Every week, like clockwork, Cate would show up, unannounced, at my house to discuss her gown. Over time, those visits had turned into her giving me unsolicited business advice, even recommending I talk to Bigsby about investing in my “little fashion” business. I politely declined. Her slick-looking fiancé made me very uncomfortable, to say the least.
“Cisco, just cancel the appointment.” My doorbell rang. “Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
I padded over to the door, knowing exactly who it was. Flinging the door open, I saw Jade bouncing up and down as she excitedly waved the newspaper like a flag.
“My Sin is in the newspaper,” she squealed, pulling me in for a tight hug.
I stepped back with a wobbly smile as we dashed away the tears of joy. “Oh, don’t get all emotional on me, actress extraordinaire.”
Jade pouted playfully. “I can’t help it. My best friend is on the front page of a major New York City newspaper.”
“Yes, it’s a change from seeing your gorgeous face staring up from the entertainment section.”
It had been quite a year for Jade. She was on fire and was now starring in a smoking-hot television series. Not to mention, she’d been cast in three lead movie roles this year. I was so proud of her.
I pulled her in before closing the door behind her. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d still be shooting that difficult scene you had so much angst about last night.”
She smiled. “Nope. I dazzled them as usual, and we wrapped up early.”
I walked over to the kitchen counter, picked up my cup, and took a sip of coffee. “Never the modest one,” I responded, smirking.
Jade playfully batted her eyes. “What? I’m the star of that damn show, and I’ll never let them forget it.”
“Uh-huh.” I took another sip of coffee. “Help yourself to some.”
She shook her head. “No coffee. You and I are going out to celebrate tonight. First, we’ll have dinner, and then we’ll hit the hookah bar.”
I gestured to the mess of fabric scattered around my house that also doubled as my workspace. “I can’t. I have to work.”
Jade scrunched her nose. “Too much work—that’s all you do now. I’m worried about you. You need to rest.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “There’s no rest for the wicked.”
Jade frowned. “I’m not joking, Sin. You’re headed for a major burnout.”
I lifted my hands in surrender. “Okay. As soon as I launch my collection, I’ll take a break. I promise.”
“Bullshit. You’re obsessed with impressing that pretentious bitch, Tabitha, and she’s fixated on outshining you, her protégée.” Jade jammed her hands on her hips. “I don’t like or trust her.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ve made that abundantly clear from day one.” Leaning over the counter, I pressed my forehead against the cool granite, feeling the migraine approaching.
