CHAPTER 4
1844 Words
“MISS TORRES! SHE’S COMING BACK!”
I almost dropped the fabric I was inspecting as Gwen came running into the workshop, her voice about three decibels louder than what my ears could handle this early in the morning. She was holding a clipboard—no, clutching it like it contained national secrets—and her cheeks were flushed from excitement.
“Who’s coming back? Calm down, Gwen, you sound like we just won the lottery.”
“Better than the lottery!” she exclaimed, skidding to a stop beside me. “Lexi Bellington called! She said she’ll be coming back for another consultation soon. As in very soon. As in maybe today or tomorrow or—AHHH!”
She jumped up and down, her ponytail swinging wildly like it had its own life. I had to put the fabric down before she accidentally knocked it over.
“Okay, breathe,” I said, placing my hands on her shoulders before she launched into orbit. “What exactly did she say?”
“She said”—Gwen straightened her back and cleared her throat dramatically—“‘I want to see the progress again. Tell Miss Torres I’ll be there soon.’”
I raised an eyebrow. “She called you personally?”
“Yes! Me! Gwen! Her personal favorite secretary of her favorite designer!” Gwen clasped her hands to her chest and sighed dreamily. “Do you think she likes me? Like, maybe she noticed how I held the door for her last time? Or the way I complimented her?”
I fought the urge to laugh. “Gwen, I love you, but she probably doesn’t even remember your name.”
Gwen gasped like I had just insulted her ancestors. “Don’t ruin my fantasy, Miss Torres.”
I shook my head, smiling despite myself. “Well, that’s good news. If Lexi’s coming back, that means she’s really interested in the gown.”
“Interested? Miss Torres, she’s invested! You’re gonna be famous after this. Like, people-will-line-up-outside famous.” Gwen dramatically twirled around before immediately tripping over a stray measuring tape on the floor.
“Gwen!” I caught her arm just in time before she face-planted onto the table. “For the love of silk, can you watch where you’re going?”
“It’s not my fault!” she groaned, glaring at the measuring tape as if it had betrayed her. “This workshop is like an obstacle course.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Well, careful next time. Lexi Bellington won’t be impressed if you break your nose in front of her.”
Gwen stuck her tongue out but nodded. “Fine. But seriously, aren’t you excited? This is, like, the moment we’ve been waiting for!”
I smiled, but the excitement didn’t feel as strong as it should have. My mind was elsewhere—specifically, on a certain message that had haunted me since last night.
"Can’t stop thinking about last night. When can we see each other again?”
No matter how hard I tried to focus on work, my thoughts kept drifting back to it. Troy’s shrugging indifference when I left, the way he didn’t even bother to explain—it all felt too wrong to ignore.
“Miss Torres?” Gwen tilted her head, her excitement faltering as she studied my face. “Are you okay? You look… I dunno, kind of serious. Which is weird because you just got the best news of your life.”
I snapped out of my thoughts, forcing a smile. “I’m fine. Just… tired, I guess.”
Gwen squinted suspiciously. “Hmm. Tired or thinking-about-someone tired?”
I gave her a look. “Don’t start, Gwen.”
“Ooooh, I knew it!” She gasped, covering her mouth dramatically. “Is it about Troy? Did you two fight? Oh my gosh, you did, didn’t you? Tell me everything—”
Before I could answer, the soft chime of the boutique’s front door rang. Gwen and I froze, glancing at each other.
“Lexi?” Gwen whispered, her eyes wide.
“She wasn’t supposed to come this early,” I whispered back.
Gwen quickly grabbed a nearby mirror and started checking her hair, muttering, “Oh no, oh no, I’m not ready, I look like I just fought with the mannequins—”
“Relax,” I hissed, straightening my jacket. “Let’s just greet her properly—”
But the person who stepped through the door wasn’t Lexi Bellington.
It was Troy.
My heart dropped to my stomach.
He stood there in his usual crisp shirt and that confident smile he wore when he wanted to charm people. Gwen blinked at him, then at me, then back at him, her mouth slowly forming an O.
“Uhh…” Gwen whispered, clearly torn between leaving us alone and staying to witness the drama.
I was too stunned to move, gripping the edge of the table for balance.
Troy walked further inside, hands in his pockets, looking at me like nothing was wrong. “Hey, Callie.”
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Troy.”
Gwen looked between us like she was watching a live soap opera.
Troy tilted his head slightly, his smile softening as his eyes met mine. “Why are you looking at me like that? Are you… surprised to see me?”
“Nah,” Gwen answered for me, her voice a little too cheerful for the tension in the room. She stepped forward, still clutching her clipboard like a shield. “We’re just talking about Lexi Bellington. You know, the Lexi Bellington. The wedding gown project? The one that could basically put Magic Fashion on the map?”
Troy’s smile faltered for just a second before he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. “Right. The gown.”
“Yup!” Gwen chirped, clearly oblivious to the way Troy’s jaw tightened. “Miss Torres is gonna make the most amazing dress in the city. No—scratch that—the world. Lexi Bellington won’t know what hit her!”
I gave Gwen a look, silently begging her to stop before she made this even more awkward. She smiled innocently at me, clearly not getting the hint.
Troy stepped closer, his eyes landing on my sketchbook lying open on the table. “You’re still working on it?”
“Of course,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “Lexi might be coming back for a second consultation soon, so I want everything ready.”
Troy frowned slightly, leaning against the counter. “Don’t you think you’re… overdoing it? It’s just another client, Callie.”
That made me stop mid-step. I turned to him, eyebrows raised. “Just another client? Troy, this isn’t just anyone. This is Lexi Bellington—the owner of the biggest hotel chain in Linus City. This is the kind of project designers wait their whole lives for.”
He shrugged, unfazed. “You already own a boutique. You’re doing well. Why push yourself this hard for one person’s approval?”
I felt my chest tighten, frustration bubbling inside me. “Because this isn’t just about approval. This is about my dream, Troy. This could open doors—real doors—not just in Linus, but everywhere.”
He let out a slow sigh, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just saying… don’t burn yourself out over it. You’re already enough without chasing all this.”
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “Your career doesn’t depend on convincing the city’s most influential people to trust you.”
His gaze hardened slightly. “And what if you fail? What if all this stress, all these late nights… don’t even matter in the end?”
That stung. I stared at him, trying to decide if he even realized how his words sounded—like he didn’t believe in me at all.
Before I could reply, Gwen, bless her clumsy but loyal heart, spoke up.
“Excuse me,” she said, stepping forward with a frown I rarely saw on her. “But Miss Torres isn’t gonna fail. She’s the best designer in Linus City, and Lexi Bellington herself knows it. So maybe you should be a little more supportive instead of acting like this is nothing.”
Troy blinked, clearly surprised at Gwen’s sudden defense.
I sighed, placing a hand on Gwen’s arm. “It’s fine, Gwen.”
“But, Miss Torres—”
“Really. It’s fine.” I forced a smile, though it felt strained. “Troy’s just… worried about me. Right?”
Troy looked at me for a moment, then nodded, though his expression didn’t soften. “Yeah. Worried. That’s all.”
The silence that followed felt heavy. Gwen glanced between us, biting her lip, then awkwardly excused herself.
“I’m, uh… gonna go double-check the fabric inventory,” she mumbled, shuffling toward the back room. On her way, she tripped over the same measuring tape from earlier, yelping as she stumbled forward.
“Gwen!” I called, rushing to help, but she waved me off.
“I’m fine! Totally fine! Just… you know, practicing my balance for the fashion show runway,” she said, her face red as she disappeared into the back.
I couldn’t help a small laugh, but it faded quickly when I turned back to Troy.
He was watching me, arms crossed now, his expression unreadable.
“Callie,” he said finally, “I just don’t want you to forget about the important things while you’re chasing… this.”
I tilted my head, my patience running thin. “And what exactly are the ‘important things,’ Troy?”
He hesitated, his lips parting as if to say something, but then he shook his head. “Forget it.”
I sighed, picking up my sketchbook and flipping it open again. “I can’t afford to forget this, Troy. Not now. This is my life. My dream. If you can’t understand that…” I trailed off, biting back the rest of my words.
I sat back down, pretending to focus on the sketches, even though my hands trembled slightly.
Troy stayed quiet for a moment, then finally stepped back toward the door. “Fine. Do what you need to do. I’ll… see you later.”
I didn’t look up, just nodded. “Yeah. Later.”
The bell chimed softly as he left, and the boutique felt strangely quieter than before.
I stared at my sketches, trying to force my mind back into work mode, but Troy’s words lingered like a shadow.
"What if you fail?"
I pushed the thought away, shaking my head. No. I wasn’t going to fail. Not for Lexi Bellington. Not for anyone.
But as I traced the lines of the gown with my pencil, the image of that suspicious message on his phone flashed in my mind again.
And for the first time, I wondered if I was chasing the wrong thing entirely.
- Writer
