If You Change Your Mind, Telling Your BFF Might Be The First Place To Start
Day 141 of The Andie Chronicles
There was no way I wanted GG to press the power button on her laptop, open up my design folder and watch my sketches projected against the entire meeting wall.
Despite what Sophia said the other day, I wasn’t convinced I had hit the nail on the head. Like at all.
It wasn’t that I hated what I came up with, or that the designs were bad. Yet, they weren’t what I had in mind when I wanted to start Highway.
At the same time, though, this wasn’t the Highway I wanted to start and develop. The conflict I felt was crippling, too much for a Monday.
Everyone stared at the designs. I scanned the room, and studied their faces, even Douglas', who I assumed would skip such an occasion. Approving fashion designs wasn't exactly his speed.
But this was the first time we were talking about the fashion itself, and he had to have a hand in everything, it would seem.
Did he not trust James in his Creative Director role to do this part on his own? Or was this another opportunity to meddle in my business?
Probably both.
I didn’t care about impressing Douglas, nor did I care about James’ opinion either. I wasn’t even sure if I cared about keeping myself happy. Another thing that felt wrong, like it wasn’t meant to be.
James was the first to speak. “Well, this is a good start, not a great start. Perhaps we need to go through our direction a little more." He paused, the same pause I had seen when he wanted to say something cutting but knew he shouldn't. "It has developed since we’ve come on board here.”
I stared at my best friend. It was like he had taken business jargon lessons, speaking a language far from his usual communication.
“Can you give me a thought about how this doesn't align with our direction? I’m a little unsure.” As much as I loathed James for speaking like that, it was fun to banter back, jargon style.
I looked over at Douglas who was shaking his head, writing notes on his iPad with great fury. When we dated, Douglas only said he liked what I was wearing or he wanted to rip it off me.
What he had to say now would be surprising, if at all helpful for the fashion side of things.
“I don’t get what you’ve done. Are these the men's or women’s designs?”
My lip began to twitch. “Highway is a unisex brand. There is no division of sexes.”
Douglas clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Since when did I approve that? James, this isn’t what we discussed.”
“No, not quite. Andie needs a briefing on how we’re doing the men's and women’s sections. I thought we would have more designers now, too, by the way.”
I felt the heat in my cheeks bubble to the surface. Every part of being was stopping me from taking to my legs and storming out of the office, and out of the building, never to return. What the fuck had James sold to Douglas?
What promises had he made behind my back?
My threshold for this situation, the lies, the twisting, was growing thin. For every minute this meeting continued, the vow to take back my business intensified.
I had to do this.
You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that, too.
Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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A little lost on what’s happening at 1 Lovelock Drive?
Well, you see, Andie’s break-up started back in February and so much has happened since then. These stories will help you catch right up! xx
