Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“No worries,” Jessica assured Maddie, keeping her tone low and sweet since there were customers in the store.
Avery, meanwhile, looked ready to charge into the back room, guns blazing on her behalf. As much as she appreciated her friend’s support, Jessica knew that wouldn’t go over well. Besides, she wasn’t afraid to deal with Claire on her own.
She smiled at Avery, keeping up the everything’s fine pretense. “Why don’t you help Maddie with these women, and I’ll go see what Claire wants.”
Avery’s brows furrowed into a frown. “Are you sure?”
Jessica nodded, her earlier good mood already evaporating. “I’ll be fine.”
Exhaling a deep breath, Jessica headed to the back of the store, then through the curtained doorway that led to a large, open room sectioned off with various areas. Jessica had her office, a store room, a lounge with a sofa, a small table to eat a meal, and a work area—where Claire was currently looking through the dozens of photo proofs that Jessica had been sorting through earlier that morning from the previous week’s lingerie shoot.
She’d already selected the best shots for the catalog for the launch party and sent them off for final editing and retouching where needed. But the fact that Claire had invaded her private space and was going through the photos as if she had every right enraged Jessica.
Claire was so engrossed in the display of snapshots that she hadn’t heard Jessica enter, but as soon as she picked up one of the pictures, Jessica saw red and snapped.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Startled, Claire jumped, dropped the photo, and spun around, her hand grasping the small Chanel cross-body purse at her hip. She knew she’d been caught snooping, but her surprised expression quickly schooled into a cool, composed look.
“I hope you’re not planning on using any of these pictures for anything important. I’ve heard talk and speculation in the fashion industry Belle Demoiselle is interested in your line of lingerie for chubby girls, and these photos aren’t very flattering.”
Jessica’s jaw clenched. She knew Claire wasn’t referring to smoothing skin tones or adjusting the lighting on the shots, but rather she believed the curvy, voluptuous women themselves weren’t beautiful. The bitch.
“There’s no good reason I can think of for you to be in my store, so what do you want?” Jessica asked again.
“You’re right about that. Nothing here appeals to me.” Claire glanced at the rack of fashionable fall separates that were tagged and ready to go onto the floor and wrinkled her nose. “I just stopped by to tell you that I know you were at Club Ten29 with Derek on Saturday, grinding all over him on the dance floor.”
Jessica rolled her eyes, not at all surprised that her minions, Peyton and Tiffany, had relayed that information. “Seriously, that’s what you came here to say?”
“I also heard that you’re going as Derek’s guest to his father’s fundraising event.” Claire’s lips pursed in annoyance.
“And?” Jessica prompted impatiently.
“Look, you paid for a weekend with him and had your fun.” Claire’s chin lifted haughtily. “Now, I just wanted to tell you in person that you really ought to end things with him before things end badly for you.”
“Excuse me?” Jessica’s tone rose a few octaves. “Is that a threat?”
A fake smile touched the corners of Claire’s lips. “It’s just a friendly warning, because I really don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Jessica huffed out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, I’m going to have to call bullshit on that one.”
Anger flashed in Claire’s eyes at Jessica’s repeated ability to control the narrative of the conversation. “He’ll get bored and realize that what we have together is much stronger than whatever he could possibly have with you.”
“What you had together,” Jessica corrected her, her emphasis on the past tense of the word stated very clearly.
“Oh, he’ll come around,” Claire shot back. “And at the very least, he’s not going to stay satisfied with someone like you for very long. He’s probably just extending things with you so you feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth.”
Despite her outward show of bravado, Claire’s taunt hit a sore spot and Jessica sucked in a pained breath. The dig was intentional and cruel, though not a surprise coming from someone who’d made bullying an art form. Some very choice, unladylike words jumped to the tip of Jessica’s tongue, but she kept her composure, refusing to stoop to Claire’s level or justify her relationship with Derek when the other woman was deliberately provoking her just to get a reaction. One Jessica refused to give her.
She maintained her poise, but this time she had no comeback to offer. There was no denying that Claire’s cruel words burrowed deep, poking at the last stubborn dregs of childhood insecurities—of not being good enough. Not for her mother or someone like Derek. Ironically it wasn’t that she believed he’d ever go back to Claire, nor was it her voluptuous body that made her feel less than, something that would probably shock the mean woman standing in front of her.