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“Don’t be afraid of an occasional print from someone unknown.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Trudy said, straightening, andglancing around as if she smelled something unpleasant. It’s what she did whenshe felt she was being challenged, and in a way, she was. Hadley believed inthis designer and was willing to push back. She was always one to pick herbattles with Trudy, and this was one she gladly selected. She narrowed herfocus and dug in.

“What can I do to change your mind?” Hadley asked.

“I’d be willing to take another look if she can get me revisedpieces in a month. That’s not a lot of time, so I doubt it’s even possible.”

Hadley doubted it, too, but it was worth a shot. “Let me talk toher.”

“Fine. But understand, it’s a stretch.”

Hadley nodded, but couldn’t resist. “A stretch you wanted.”

Trudy sighed, as if she’d been taxed so very much today already.“And maybe that was a mistake.”

“It wasn’t,” Hadley said. “Give her a month.”

With a curt nod, Trudy popped on her oversized Chanel sunglassesand strolled back to the front of the boutique. “Text me when the scarvesarrive.”

“Making a note right now,” Hadley said, touching her temple. “It’sdire.”

“I don’t like the gloves!” Trudy called without looking back.“Fire Daisy.”

“Not going to fire Daisy,” Hadley said calmly, as she strolledbehind the reception desk.

Trudy paused in the doorway, defeated. “Then maybe less beige onthe right side?”

“You got it.”

Once Trudy left, Hadley placed a hand on top of her head andsighed. Hurricane Trudy had struck once again, and she now had a lot of work todo. No day like today to get started.

* * *

“Minnie. We’ve talked about this. Leave those alone.” Spencerstared hard at her mischievous cat who batted two of her Prismacolor pencilsaround like she was a three-year-old in a ball pit. “Do you realize howexpensive those are, you maniac?” She snatched the stray pencils off thekitchen table and placed them back in the tin.

Minnie Mouse, her white cat with black ears, had pretty muchadopted Spencer two years earlier simply by following her everywhere she wentoutside and never leaving her doorstep once Spencer went into her apartment. Itwas one way to find a home. Demand it. Cite squatter’s rights. Refuse to leave.She admired the tenacity and had seen a little bit of herself in Minnie whenshe decided to invite her inside and make their arrangement a permanent one.

She turned back to her sketchpad and continued to add detail tothe blue skirt, inspiration firing. She liked where this was going, biting herlower lip as she sketched. Honestly? When she imagined the fabric, she wasthinking something sturdy, military inspired. Maybe with an accent of goldbuttons, a concept she could run with for her entire fall line. Minnie Mouseleapt for the pencil in her hand. Spencer dodged the move handily. “Nice try,ninja cat.” She reached for her phone, which had been buzzing incessantly forthe last few moments.

“This is Spencer,” she said, to the foreign number on her readout.

“Hi, Spencer! Hope your day is going well. It’s Hadley.”

Spencer sat up straighter, her senses on heightened alert. She’dbeen waiting for this call, for any sort of indication on whether she’d begetting an order from Silhouette. If so, there would be manufacturing detailsto hammer out, and money she’d have to front. Not that she hadn’t planned forit; she had. “Hi, Hadley. Just getting some sketching in. How are things onyour end?”

“I wondered if you had time to talk this afternoon?”

“Sure. I’m free right now. What would you like to discuss?” Sheheld her breath, waiting for the verdict. If there wassomethingto talkabout, then the deal wasn’t dead, right?

“I meant in person.”

“Oh.” A pause as she scrambled to decode what that could mean.

“I could come to you, or we could meet at the store, or somewherein between.”

Spencer surveyed her apartment?/?workshop?/?tornado central inhorror. Sketches and fabric and swatches everywhere. It looked like a properdesign studio had exploded. She pivoted. “Do you drink coffee?”

“Are you kidding?” Hadley practically shouted. “I know the perfectspot!”