BLACK CRIMSON (Fairy Tale Quartet #4)

9. Camille-1

9

Camille

Ezra sent me a funny look, which told me I was laying my gratitude on a little bit too thick. So I laughed at myself and nudged his arm. “I felt like an i***t when I tried to stop by and say hi to her, only to realize the doors would be locked. I really hate feeling so foolish.”

Features relaxing as if my behavior was more explainable now, he nodded and unlocked the front door before gallantly holding it open for me to pass through. “Yeah, they can be a bit restrictive,” he allowed, trying to make me feel better. “Sorry about that.”

“But it’s completely necessary, I’m sure,” I told him with a grin as I paused after entering the shiny foyer so I could wait for him to lead the way.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he answered with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. “After all the media coverage we’ve had lately, all kinds of different people have tried to get in and disrupt the workflow.”

“Oh, I bet.” Keeping my tone commiserating, I winced at his back as he started forward, leading the way. “You all have definitely gotten popular around here.”

Pausing at the elevator, Ezra sent me a tired smile. “It’s both a blessing and a curse. More attention always means more business. But it would’ve been nice if the reasons for the added sales weren’t so...negative.”

“I can’t even imagine.” This time, I truly did feel sorry for him. There were a lot of opinions out there that JFI should’ve gone bankrupt after all the news came out, spilling so many of the shady deals Lana Judge has done within these walls. Some people didn’t think it fair that the business had “miraculously” changed hands to both Kaitlynn and the Nash family without any kind of financial repercussions.

But I knew Ezra and Kaitlynn were working their tails off to make sure everything was legitimate. “I have faith you guys will turn it all around, though,” I told him as I followed him into the elevator.

“We’re definitely trying to,” Ezra affirmed as the doors slid shut.

And from there, we kind of ran out of things to say to each other. Our one tie was Kaitlynn, and I knew I could say something about her to keep the conversation flowing, but I was too nervous about the confrontation I was about to have elsewhere that I merely sent the hunk beside me a tight smile as I set my hand on the file in my purse to make sure it was still tucked away and securely out of sight.

Next to me, Ezra cleared his throat and glanced up at the numbers above the door as they lit up one by one.

For a three-story building, their elevator was remarkably slow.

“That party last Saturday was nice,” I blurted as the two finally lit up. Geesh. Were we only now on the second floor? How long was this ride going to take?

“Yeah, yeah,” Ezra answered readily, his smile was uncomfortable as he glanced at me. “It went over well.”

“Kaitlynn sure did an amazing job setting it up,” I added.

And finally, he seemed to relax again. Expression softening with adoration, he murmured, “She definitely did.”

God, this man was so smitten for my friend. It was storybook adorable. I almost let out a dreamy sigh, thinking about the two of them falling in love, getting married someday, making beautiful babies together, and having an epic happily-ever-after, when the elevator finally landed on the third floor and dinged.

I think both Ezra and I exhaled a breath of relief because the awkward moment was finally over.

As he stepped out of the elevator, my eyes grew, eager to glance at the nameplates on every office door we passed. When I spotted the sign Hayden Carmichael, I sucked in a delighted breath, excited to see Gabby’s husband inside his office through the glass walls, seated at a desk and frowning as he studied the screen of his computer while simultaneously talking on his phone.

Thinking this had to mean his brother’s office couldn’t be too far away, I glanced around, twisting at the waist to search for Brick’s name when Ezra announced, “Here we go.”

I spun back to find him opening a set of double doors that led into about the only office here that I noticed did not have glass walls but a lovely stone with beveled designs in the surface.

Inside, I spotted Kaitlynn sitting behind one of two enormous desks that weren’t stationed very far apart, the other being Ezra’s, I had to assume.

“Morning,” he announced as he stepped inside and strode toward her.

Her face lit up when she lifted it from her work and focused on him. Not even noticing that I was loitering in the doorway, she rose to her feet and met him halfway so they could embrace and kiss.

He groaned when they pulled their lips apart but managed to keep her there by slipping his hands around her waist and pressing his forehead to hers. “I don’t know what to think about these early meetings you have now. Driving into work without you was miserable.”

With a laugh, she patted his cheek. “Well, it’s the last one this week, so you should have me back in your car tomorrow, complaining about that awful music you listen to all over again.”

“Thank God. I missed your complaining.” Nuzzling his nose into hers, he asked, “How’d the Italians take your proposal?”

Kaitlynn huffed out a breath and dropped her hands from his shoulders. “I don't know yet. They pushed the meeting back an hour, so it doesn’t technically start for another fifteen minutes.”

Ezra removed his grip from her waist and took a step back to toss out a disgusted snort. “Are you serious? You could’ve slept in with me, and we could’ve gone to work together after all? Those bastards.”

Kaitlynn laughed over his disgust and cupped his face to say, “Aww, don’t worry. You’ll have me all to yourself again tomorrow.”

Beginning to feel a bit like a voyeur, I creeped backward from the open doorway so I could escape out into the hall, hoping Ezra just...forgot about me.

But, dammit, he seemed to remember me at that moment. Snapping his fingers, he turned. “Oh, that reminds me. You have company.”

“Company?” Kaitlynn furrowed her brow and glanced over, only to pull up short and blink. “Camille?”

Okay, now I felt even stupider than I had at the entrance. We really weren’t close enough yet for me to just pop by her workplace unannounced.

Clutching my purse to my chest, I cringed out a guilty smile and said, “Surprise.”

“Oh my goodness.” Finally smiling in welcome, she rushed toward me, her arms open for a hug. “How awesome and unexpected. What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, you know,” I mumbled, still trying to think up a reason for visiting as she hugged me. “I was just driving by and decided to pop in and say hi, see how you were liking your new position and, you know, stuff like that.”

Dear Lord, could I sound any lamer?

But Kaitlynn merely laughed as she pulled back to clasp her hands to her chest. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Spreading her arms to encompass the enormous and posh office, she shook her head and heaved out a breath. “Hard to imagine I was working in the dingy basement of this place only a few months ago, huh?”

I nodded, my lips parting with awe. “You’ve definitely come up in the world, that’s for sure.” Rubbing my hands together, I turned to her and lifted my brows. “So do I get a tour of your kingdom?”

That way she could inadvertently direct me straight to Brick’s office.

But her expression immediately fell with disappointment. “Oh, man. I wish I could. But I have an online conference in just a few minutes.”

Crap. That was right; I’d just heard her say as much. Oh well, I could work with this. “No worries,” I told her, smiling to assure her it was no big deal. “Maybe some other time.”

She brightened. “Definitely. I haven’t gotten to show off everything to anyone who hasn’t seen the place before. It’ll be fun. And then we can go out to lunch together. My treat.”

“You’re on,” I told her, pointing in agreement—and always game for a free meal. “Until then, I can show myself out. Good luck on your meeting, boss lady.”

She flushed happily over the term and then hugged me one last time. “Thanks for stopping by, Camy. It’s so nice to have a friend now.”

I bit the inside of my lip guiltily because I hadn’t exactly stopped by to see her, but she was right. It was nice to have friends now.

“Anytime,” I told her, pulling away and backing toward the exit. “Just let me know which day is best for you.”

“Will do.” She and Ezra both waved me off, and as soon as I was out of the doorway, I exhaled in a rush, pressing a hand to my heart and feeling like the fox who’d just slipped her way into the hen house.

Heart pounding a little harder and kind of expecting some kind of security guard to spot me and escort me out, I strolled down the hall I’d just followed Ezra through from the elevator, and I made sure to turn my face the other way, as not to make eye contact with Hayden when I passed his office. But he seemed very much still engrossed in his phone call, so I moseyed along, reading names on doors again.

When I hadn’t found Brick’s office by the time I made my way back to the elevator, I kind of just kept on going, walking right past it as if I were meant to be there. And everyone else pretty much ignored me, not questioning my presence.

For a design company, I was kind of disappointed. I was expecting more mannequins that were being decorated with rare bolts of cloth, people walking around with measuring tapes looped around their necks, easels full of hand-drawn fashion ideas. And while I did spot one mannequin torso and a few papers piled here and there with designs on them, the place seemed more like a regular office full of clerical workers to me.

Then again, this was the administration level. Maybe the second floor held more of the traditional fashion-design look.

I was just starting to wonder if Brick’s office was on the third floor at all when I noticed the name Broderick Carmichael written in a thick, white Futura font on one of the doors. Screeching to a halt, I turned to gape through the glass walls into the darkened room.

Dammit. He hadn’t even arrived for the day yet. I should’ve known he wasn’t the early-bird type

Now, what did I do?

Biting my lip, I glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to me, then I turned back and reached for the door handle. When I found it unlocked, I released a shaky breath and let myself inside.

Acting as if I belonged so that anyone through the glass wall who looked in wouldn’t get suspicious, I flipped on the light and tossed my purse into the chair that faced the bigger desk in the room, since there were two. One was fancier and nicer, obviously the boss’s desk, full of papers and Post-it notes along with a couple of empty to-go coffee cups. It was messy and homey but not quite slob-zone. The small desk looked absolutely barren, containing nothing but a computer on it. So either the man didn’t have an assistant, or this person was an uber minimalist.

The walls were what drew me the most, though.

“Wow. There are a lot of purses in here,” I murmured, unable to stop staring.

Like a department store, the walls were full of shelves and hooks to hold the assortment of prototype handbags that were being designed or maybe had been designed by JFI.

Remembering that Brick had told me he headed the purse department, I wandered closer, trying to decide which one was my favorite.

Handbags were totally my vice. The back of every closet in my apartment was stuffed full with them. I usually switched them out every couple of months. In fact, it was probably time to get a new one. But I was pretty partial to my wicker purse. It was just so cute. And useful.

Except these beauties were definitely tempting me. I could drool over their craftsmanship, their hidden pockets, and shapes and sizes, and—ooh—their different smells and textures for hours.