Friendship on Fire (13 page)

JOSH WAS STANDING in Mia’s office when the call from Peter came in.

Mia arched a brow. “Peter Stafford is asking for Riley Banks.”

The call didn’t come as a surprise. Peter had asked if he could see Riley’s portfolio, but it still sent a wave of discomfort through Josh’s gut. He contemplated bringing up his issues with Claudia to Peter, but then he realized that if he did so on the heels of Peter’s conversation with Riley, he might look more like a jealous boyfriend than an employer dealing with a problematic employee.

“Put him through to her,” he said with what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug.

“I swear, between you walking around with that contented look on your face all the time, Claudia running hot and cold, and now this? I feel like I’m suddenly working in the Twilight Zone,” Mia sad.

“What contented look?” Josh asked.

Mia rolled her eyes.

On his way back to his office, he swung by the design studio, where Claudia was busy hovering over a design table. He leaned over her shoulder and was surprised by the impressive design she was sketching.

“That’s really interesting, the way you mixed the empire waist with the shoulder cutouts.” He remembered the dress Riley wore out to dinner, and the similarities were striking. “How did you come up with this?”

Claudia leaned back and flashed a smile. “You told me to come up with fresh ideas, things that aren’t redesigns of old trends. It took some soul-searching, but this is what came to mind.” She touched his hand and he pulled it away.

“Claudia,” he said in a stern voice. “I told you no more of those games, and I meant it.”

“My apologies,” she said, turning back to her drawings. “Old habits die hard.”

“Hard or soft, as long as they die. Immediately.”

He heard Riley on the phone and headed in her direction, feeling the heat of Claudia’s eyes on his back.

“Yes, sir,” Riley said into the phone.

The curiosity was killing him. Peter ran a modeling agency. He wasn’t in the design business, which made Josh wonder if Peter had something more intimate in mind after all. He overheard Riley wrapping up the call. She spoke professionally to Peter. Josh thought of the deep, sensual tone she used with him in the privacy of each other’s arms.

“Yes, I’ll send them over, but again, I’m not looking to leave JBD. I’m quite happy here. Oh yes, I see. Thank you. That’s very kind of you. Yes, sir. Goodbye.”  Riley pushed a stack of drawings into a pile and placed them on the corner of her desk before backing out her chair. When she turned and saw Josh, relief swept through her eyes. “I was just coming to see you,” she said, reaching for him, then pulling her hand back and shooting a glance at the other employees.

He’d sensed a change in Riley that morning in the shower, but they’d hardly had time to get ready before leaving for work, and talking had been the furthest thing from his mind.

“That was Mr. Stafford,” she said.

“Yes, I know.” He wished they were somewhere private, where he could put his arm around her and feel her against him while she spoke, for no other reason than to calm that nervous look in her eyes.

“He wants me to send my portfolio over, but I don’t understand why. He knows I’m happy working here. Should I be concerned or flattered?” She crossed and uncrossed her arms.

“Flattered, I think,” Josh said, trying to keep his tone professional. “Would you like me to call him and see what he has on his mind?”

She shook her head. “Good God, no. Thank you, but no.”  She took a step closer to him just as Claudia stood and walked toward them.

Josh saw Riley’s shoulders tense.

“How’s the booth design coming along?” Claudia asked.

“Perfect. I’m about as ready as I can be,” Riley answered.

Claudia nodded. “Super,” she said in a friendly tone, and continued walking past them.

Riley let out a breath.

“You know you can ask me anything you need to about the trade show. I do know a little about this stuff,” Josh offered.

“I know. I want to succeed on my own, and I will. I really am ready. I came up with a great design for the build out, too. We’re one of a handful of designers who get to do a real build out, so I’ve designed it like a showroom. Claudia gave me all the materials I’d need the other day, and I am fairly good at putting outfits together.”

He leaned in close and whispered, “And taking them off.” Then he walked away, hoping she’d think of him for the rest of the afternoon.

“RILEY, COME HERE.” Simone waved her over.

K.T. held up two slightly different white wool skirts. “Which of these would you pair with an aqua-blue satin blouse?”

Riley studied the two skirts, noting the higher waist on one skirt and the barely noticeable embroidered edging on the other. “I wouldn’t pair either of them with it. True aqua is too harsh, I think. How about something softer? A tame honeydew, or blue violet, or light cyan maybe? What’s the event?”

“Tame honeydew?” K.T. said. “Isn’t she clever?” He set the skirts down and headed down the hall for the closet.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked.

“We’re having a fashion war.” Simone laughed. “A potential buyer is coming in a few days, and K.T. refuses to let me put the pieces together alone. He swears I’m missing a certain something every time I put something together.”

“Yikes, that sounds uncomfortable.”
Competition never ends
.

Simone waved her hand, then pushed her round red frames to the bridge of her nose. Riley had learned that Simone chose her eyeglass frames to match her outfits, and today, with her maroon-and-black plaid skirt and bright white top, the red added a nice shock of color.

“He’s just like a little kid. He wants his two cents heard. Even if I don’t use his ideas, he likes knowing he shared them. No discomfort here.” She looked down the hall at Claudia, leaning against a doorframe down the hall. “Except for her, of course. Have you noticed how hot and cold she’s been lately?”

Riley wasn’t going to get caught in that tangled web. “She’s just overloaded,” she said, and headed back to her desk thinking about Josh. After the uncomfortable dinner they’d shared with Peter, she didn’t want Josh to worry over him.
We have enough real worries to think about
. She pulled out her phone and texted Josh.

Sorry about Peter.

Her phone vibrated a few seconds later.
No need to be. I’m a big boy.

She mulled over a response and decided on being a little playful.
Yes, I’ve experienced that big boy and wish I could—

“Texting during work hours?”

Claudia
. Riley flipped her phone over and turned around, feeling the blush of heat on her cheeks. “Sorry. My best friend back home. I miss her.”

“I’m sure you do. Listen, I’m working on some things for Josh. Could you run over to Phil’s office? He said he had a few things from the shoot to send over.”

Riley shot a look at the clock. Damn. There went her extra five minutes to draw. “But I inventoried them all and everything was returned,” she said.

Claudia shrugged. “Something must have slipped through. It’s only noon. You’ll have plenty of time to finish your work.” She flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she said and walked off.

Riley sighed. She’d been working on some design ideas for Jade’s Christmas outfit, and she was on a roll. She needed only a few more minutes to get her thoughts down on paper. She shoved the drawings in her drawer before grabbing her purse and heading out of the office.

She flagged down a cab, and no longer feeling playful or flirty, deleted the message to Josh.

Fifteen minutes later, she was standing before a baffled and balding Phil Lancorn.

“I have no idea what Claudia’s talking about. We have no more items, and frankly, I’m getting tired of her accusatory ways.”

Crap
. “Maybe I misunderstood her. I’m so sorry. She must have said someone else’s name. My apologies.”

Phil breathed a frustrated sigh. “It’s okay. We expect these things with newbies.”

We expect these things?
Riley was not the type of person to make mistakes that were
expected
of her. She knew Claudia’s good mood had a hidden agenda. She was trying to make her look bad. She wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She headed back to the office with a plan.

Mia was more than happy to help Riley find the yellow scarf she’d seen Claudia carrying the day before. Mia rifled through the accessories in the closet.

“What do you need this for?” she asked.

Riley bit her lip. She didn’t want to involve Mia any more than she had to. “I’m looking at a few outfits for the trade show, and I want to see if it’ll go well enough with the brighter shades of the Bliss line.”

“Love that,” Mia said with a wide smile. She snagged the canary yellow scarf and handed it to Riley. “Just put it back when you’re done.”

“Sure. No problem.”

Mia stroked her chin, studying Riley’s pantsuit. “That’s a really great outfit on you.”

Riley sensed sincerity in Mia’s voice. Her eyes were bright and her smile genuine. Josh’s faith in Mia reassured her, and Riley sensed that she could let her guard down with her. “Thanks, Mia. I don’t have the money to wear all designer clothes yet, and back home dressing up meant wearing your best cowgirl boots and denim skirt.” She laughed.

“Been there, done that,” she said.

“Where are you from?”

“Southern Virginia. My father ran a dairy farm.” She shrugged. “I think that’s why I always wear jeans. It reminds me of home.”

“You can get away with skinny jeans. You’re about as big around as a string bean, besides, with your heels and your taste in blouses, you always look stunning.”

“Thanks. It’s all about comfort for me, and Josh doesn’t seem to mind, so...” She shrugged.

Josh doesn’t seem to mind much of anything, other than Claudia’s attempts to seduce him
. Riley smiled to herself.

“Mia, can you give me the name and number of the company courier?”

“Sure. I can have something couriered if you need me to,” Mia offered.

“Really? Peter Stafford asked to see my portfolio. Josh knows. It’s not for another job or anything like that. I was in the meeting with him and Josh the other night about the Bliss line, and he asked then, as well as when he called earlier today.”

“Sure. Wow, that’s big. Peter is known for turning down ideas, not asking for more.”

“Really? Hm.” She had no idea why Peter had requested her work, but she’d been up-front with Josh, and being open with the company and working through the JBD courier would send a clear and professional message to Peter. “Thank you. Oh, and I don’t know why, but I have a feeling this is best done without Claudia knowing about it. She might think I’m doing something inappropriate.”

“She’d be jealous as hell. How are things going with Cruella?”

Riley froze. Had she heard her use that name? She ran through her calls to Jade and couldn’t remember calling her from the office.

“Relax. We all call her that.”

She let out a relieved breath. “Oh my God. I thought you read my mind.”

“Nope. Is she making your life hell?”

Riley leaned against a shelf. “Only a little. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“She has a thing for Josh, so she puts all attractive new employees through hell.”

“Really?”
Attractive?
The compliment made her day.

“Haven’t you noticed the way she stalks him, showing up whenever you and Josh are near each other? I swear that woman’s got him on a homing device.”

Riley hated herself for what she was about to ask, but it didn’t stop the words from tumbling from her lips. “Do you think they’ve ever…you know?”

Mia let out a loud, “Ha! Josh? No way. He doesn’t even like dating the gorgeous women he’s set up with. I can’t figure him out. He’s got women at his fingertips, and it’s like he’s waiting for Ms. Right. I have no idea what he thinks he’ll find in a woman, but he doesn’t like the typical snooty women he’s introduced to. I just hope that when she shows up, she’s as kind as he is, because the wrong woman could ruin that wonderful man.”

I’m a kind woman
. “You’re so right. I hope so, too.”

Mia looked at her then with narrowing eyes, and Riley thought she saw a secret lingering behind her gaze.
There’s no way she could possibly know about us
. She thanked her for the help and went back to her desk.

Her phone vibrated as she sat down. She pulled it out and was surprised to see a text from Max.

Hi, it’s Max. Jade gave me ur number. I hear ur with Josh!

Before texting back, she took a deep breath. She’d met Max at Josh’s father’s ranch when she was there for lunch right after Josh had offered her a job, and she had warmed to Max right away. Why did it feel like she was exposing their relationship publicly by confirming what Max already knew? And why did it feel so freaking good? She texted back.

Yup! Pls don’t tell anyone. Ur coming over 2night 4 dinner?

She tucked her phone under her leg and tapped her foot, waiting for the return text, renewed excitement rushing through her. After they’d been intimate that morning, she’d decided that she no longer wanted to hide their relationship, but she hadn’t had the courage to tell Josh. She knew that once she did, there was no turning back. He was chomping at the bit to get things out in the open, and when she was at work, she wasn’t quite as sure of her decision.
I wish I could decide once and for all.
She stared at the phone sticking out from under her leg.
Tell. Don’t tell. Ugh! I can’t decide!
Her phone vibrated again.

I never would. Promise. Yes. Can’t wait 2 see U.

U 2,
she responded, then tucked her phone into her purse and put them both in the drawer on top of her stack of drawings. She picked up the scarf and went in search of Claudia.

Claudia turned from what she’d been working on as Riley approached.

 “Found it.” Riley held up the scarf. “Phil said he was so glad you remembered.”

Claudia’s jaw dropped.

“I’ll just go put it in the closet.” Riley walked away with a smirk on her face.
Two can play at this game
.