Bet On It | H. Styles

xix

"But. . . are you in fashion week?" Sarah quizzed following hot on my trail.

"They said they needed to talk about it with Noémie first and then they would get back to me. Within the week," I huffed.

"You're going to Malibu on Friday though."

"Right, so that's why I need you here everyday manning my phone in case they call me here and not on my cell. I'm telling you now- and you know how important this is to me- that if you screw this up, expect yourself out of a job," I asserted, seeing her face pale almost immediately.

"I- I won't. I promise!"

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Sweets."

I know I was being hard, but something like this wouldn't be the first time Sarah would screw things over. She was only nineteen, still learning the ways of the world, but that doesn't justify her not being responsible. I'm surprised she hasn't quit on me yet, but she claims that I inspire her for her future in fashion. But I think it's because I pay her well.

"I'll be here from dusk till dawn if I have to! I won't let you down, Wendy," Sarah continued to speak on the elevator ride down to the lobby. I just simply nodded my head in agreement, not really caring for her unending promises anymore. I just wanted to get into my bath already.

"Have a good evening, Sarah," I bid my goodbye, opening my umbrella as soon as I step outside into the gloomy New York weather.

I waved down a taxi, telling the driver where my apartment was. I was salivating at just the idea of drinking my wine while relaxing in a hot bubble bath. I felt like an older woman in the body of a twenty-four year old.

Paying the driver, I hurried into the lobby of my building, my hair just the slightest damp from the downpour outside.

"Miss. Kane," Bill, the doorman greeted.

"Bill, you know you can call me, Wendy."

"Whatever you say, Miss. Kane," Bill winked, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Miss. Kane," now the security guards, Dave and Janet, greeted.

"Guys," I groaned, knowing they were just doing this on purpose to get a rile out of me. For the six years I've lived in this building I'd expect the formalities to be long gone.

The journey to the fourth floor seemed to take an eternity with all of the people hopping in and out of the elevator. Would've been quicker to take the stairs probably, but my knee would not have at all allowed me to walk four flights of stairs especially in heels. Finally approaching my floor, I inserted my key to my apartment, basking in the faint smell of vanilla from the candle I light every day when I get home from work. Speaking of, I grab my matchbook in the draw of the table by the door and immediately light my favorite candle from Bath & Body Works.

I drop my purse on the coffee table in my living room, making my way to the bathroom to get my bath started. Letting the water run, I walk over to my kitchen and unscrew the cork to one of my unopened bottles of wine. I bring the bottle and a glass to the bathroom setting it down besides the tub. Mixing the bubble bath with the water, I begin to strip of my clothes when I hear the shrill of my phone in the room over. Letting out a whine, I hurry over to my phone, seeing Patty's name light up the screen.

"Hello, hello," I say, stepping out of my underwear and finally sitting in my warm bath.

"Wendy! Love of my life! How'd your big meeting go?" Patty questioned on the other side of the line, sounding a little tipsy.

"It went alright. I get the news if I made it sometime within the week. Are you drunk?"

"But, we'll be in Malibu! What're you going to do? And no, in fact, I'm not."

"I have it under control no need to worry about me, Patty. And yes, you are."

"I'll always worry about you. And no, I'm not. Yes, I've might've had a few drinks, but I'm most certainly not drunk."

"Jeez, Patty. It's just past six on a Wednesday, what's the occasion?"

"A few college friends are in town so we went out for some dinner and a few drinks. This is why I called, actually. Well, besides to ask about your meeting. Why don't you come meet us? It's just downtown and you only have to stay for a little while." I could tell Patty was pouting her lips and giving her best puppy eyes even through the phone to try and convince me to go out.

"Thanks, for the offer, but I just got in a nice bath, and I have a whole bottle of wine right beside me all to myself. Plus, I have work in the morning, I can't really go out," I responded, putting Patty on speaker as I poured my first glass.

"Wendy, you do realize you're your own boss right? That you have the power to decide when you can and can't go to work?"

"Mhm."

"So, you realize you can get to work a little later because you're in charge?"

"Yup."

There was a pause as Patty figured out what to say next to try and make sense of Wendy's unending stubbornness. "But you'd rather be a working woman that doesn't know how to have fun anymore at the young age of twenty-four?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"I. . . really don't know what to do with you."

"Listen, Patty, I have fashion week to worry about, plus, I have the grand opening of my line and store to focus on. I agreed to do very minimal work for the week in Malibu, so, please, let me take my bath in peace and I promise I'll let loose next week," I bargained, hearing her sigh on the other end.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. You better let loose, I swear. You need it and I'm not about you being a downer all week," she chided and then hung up the phone on me.

Pushing Patty's nagging voice to the back of my head, I sunk down a little bit in the tub, resting my head on the edge and closed my eyes.

God, this felt good.

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well, this could've gone a lot better but i suck lol also idk anything about how the fashion world works but just work with me okay it's just a story :)

idk why but for some reason im experiencing difficulty in how imma go about the rest of the story,, but dont worry i'll figure myself out

please do VOTE and COMMENT and yknow spread some love today <3

stay rad xo
-g