Friday night came, and Shea rushed around the apartment, getting ready for her date with Bradford. “Girl, slow down!” Brooklyn told her from the couch, glancing up from the book she was reading. “You’re getting me exhausted just looking at you.” Shea stopped in the middle of the room and threw her hands up. “I can’t find my brown purse,” Shea said. “Have you seen it around?” Brooklyn tapped her lips as she thought, then asked, “Didn’t Addy borrow it the other day? She said it went with the boots she was wearing that day.” Shea snapped her fingers and said, “That’s right!” Rushing toward Addy’s door, she pounded on it, yelling, “Open up, Addy! It’s an emergency!” A few seconds went by before Addy yanked her door open. “What’s going on?” she asked, taking the pins out of her mouth. “My brown purse,” Shea said, her eyes wide. “Do you still have it?” Confused, Addy nodded and pointed over her shoulder, saying, “It’s on my dresser. Let me get it.” Shea waited, shifting from

A few days after Addy decided to contact various stores to see if they would sell her designs, Brooklyn headed for the library. She needed to research her latest article and also wanted to check out the latest books. Since it was one of those rare warm fall days where the sun was shining, she wore a plaid skirt, sleeveless top, and a sweater over top of it. She felt like a student as she walked into the library and giggled at the thought. Heading toward the upper floor where the research materials were located, she noticed the library was nearly empty. “One of the perks of coming early in the morning,” she whispered while waiting for the elevator. The doors opened, and she stepped inside, pushing the button for the top floor. She turned around and looked out of the glass as the elevator ascended. Her eyes narrowed as she thought she saw a familiar figure, but her view was blocked as the elevator rose higher. “No, it couldn’t be,” she whispered, shaking her head. The do

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Brooklyn asked in a worried voice. Cort shook his head and said, “No, it’s time I faced her head-on.” “Do you think she’s dangerous?” Brooklyn asked, chewing on her lower lip. Shrugging, Cort said, “I can handle her.” He turned toward her and grinned, adding, “Besides, I’ll have you there as backup.” Brooklyn’s eyes widened, and she asked, “You don’t think she’ll come after me, do you?” “Don’t worry,” he said, putting his finger under her chin, so she would look up at him. “If she does, I’ll be here to protect you.” She looked at him before smiling and saying, “My knight in shining armor?” “If that’s what you want to think of me, then sure,” he said, staring down into her eyes. They stayed like that for a few moments, then Brooklyn’s phone buzzed, causing her to jump back from him. Scrambling for her phone, she looked at it, then frowned. “Bad news?” he asked. “Just my editor, asking about my article,” she said. “Am I k

Once they had discussed the costume ideas, Lewis cleared his throat and said, “I also wanted to ask your opinion on something.” Addy tucked her sketchpad into her purse and turned back to him, clasping her hands in front of her. “What’s up?” she asked. He cleared his throat and glanced around the room before speaking. “I want to do something special for Kendall at the festival, but I don’t know what to do,” he said sheepishly. She smiled at him and said, “That sounds wonderful! I bet she’d love that!” Smiling at her, he said, “I sure hope so. I want to show everyone how special she is, but I haven’t got the foggiest idea on how to do it.” Addy thought for a moment, tapping her lips as she thought. “Do you do anything before they show your film?” she asked. He nodded and said, “The filmmakers usually give a short speech.” Addy’s face lit up, and she said, “How about adding something about her in your speech?” Lewis’s face lit up at the suggestion. “That’s a

“Hey, Kendall! Wait up!” Kendall slid to a stop and looked around. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Addy hurrying toward her, waving her arm. “What’s up?” she asked in an even voice. Addy didn’t notice as she said, “I saw you skating by and wanted to tell you the good news.” “What good news?” Kendall asked, frowning. “Have you talked to Lewis lately?” she asked, grinning. Kendall shook her head, feeling a stab of pain in her chest at the mention of her boyfriend. “He asked me to design the costumes for his next movie!” Addy said, clapping her hands and jumping up and down. Kendall shook her head, confused. “He did what?” she asked, blinking. “He knew that I was doing all our outfits for the film festival, and he asked if I would meet up with him to discuss doing the costumes for his next movie,” Addy said, still grinning. Kendall’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “Is that why you two went to lunch?” she asked after swallowing. Addy nodded and