Beautiful People | wlw

Eighteen: Chiffon

"I was hoping you'd say this was the one. Carmen just told me she wants you out of the hotel by the end of the month."

"End of the-- That's next week." A scowl knotting her brow, Vera tugged at her earlobe. "I haven't seen a livable apartment yet. I mean, I could take this one, but it's not ideal."

"I know." Sharise hesitated. "If you need to, you could move in temporarily."

Vera tried to swallow her sudden excitement. "Temporarily?"

"Until you're in a more stable position, I would be okay to have you live with me."

A huge smile broke across her face. "Really? Are you sure? I would honestly love that."

"As roommates," Sharise added sternly. "I'd want you to take the other bedroom. I really appreciate your help with Ellie. It meant a lot to me. But I haven't changed my mind about taking this slow. I'm not ready to move in officially."

"Absolutely. No problem. I'll need that whole closet anyway." Vera chuckled. "You're seriously the best, babe."

Sharise let out a small laugh in return. "Babe? Really?"

Lips still caught in a silly grin, Vera leaned her head against the window and watched the hazy horizon. Talking to Sharise always turned her bad mood into a good one as easily as flipping a piece of fabric over from the wrong side to the right. "No babe? Was sweetheart better?"

"I'm not some trophy wife barefoot in the kitchen."

Vera could picture Sharise flashing a hint of very white teeth along with that dust-dry tone, but wife unsettled something in her stomach. She couldn't help thinking about Ellie smirking at her, Ellie saying Sharise had at one point agreed to marry her.

"Okay," she said, closing her eyes and thinking about holding Sharise so close their hearts beat in each other's throats. "No sweetheart and no babe. I'll find something you like eventually."

"I can't wait," Sharise said, this low note in her voice that made Vera go a little warm.

She reminded herself that it didn't matter that Ellie had a perfect face, and a drool-worthy body, and an international profile whose shadow Vera would kill to touch. Ellie was in the past. Vera was the one that Sharise was inviting to move in.

The driver dropped her off outside Bea's studio. Gathering her purse close, she hurried inside the high-ceilinged space with exposed brick walls hinting at its origins as an alley between two buildings. Dusty skylights lit the narrow room where Bea met clients, and where she did her writing, away from her partner and dogs. Enormous photos of Bea's clients lined the walls; Marina Taylor in a classic black ball gown with sweetheart neckline and white gloves was the most striking.

"You're early," Bea said, leaning back in her computer chair. "Feeling eager?"

"This is my one chance to prove myself to Marina fucking Taylor," Vera said. "I'm not gonna fuck this up."

"I saw your portfolio. You're gonna be just fine." Bea smiled and pointed at two wheeled racks flowing with a dozen designer dresses. "The last of the dresses arrived last night."

"Oh, thank God. I was getting worried."

Nerves rippling to life in her chest, Vera shed her purse onto a hook, then began liberating the luxurious gowns from their protective layers of plastic and cloth. White silk, peach tulle, hand-embroidered roses. She was styling Marina for a gig as a presenter at an actor's guild event. If she could nail this look, it would cement her position with Marina, and impressing Marina could mean referrals and even more clients. Carmen might have come to love her work, but Marina had more friends in the industry because, unlike Carmen, she was willing to shut up and play by the rules.