Friendship on Fire (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 3) Contemporary Romance Read online

  He stretched his arms and legs, as he did every morning, then sank to the floor and began his somewhat impaired exercise regimen of eighty sit-ups and push-ups, working around his all-too-familiar, formidable morning erection. Josh had always had a healthy appetite for sex, even if he’d kept mum about the details to his overly curious brothers. But ever since he’d drawn a mental line in the sand between dating women he wanted to date and dating women he was supposed to date—and coming up short on the wanting to side—his body hadn’t failed to remind him that those needs were still alive and well. Once that settled down, he showered to further warm up his muscles and headed out for his three-mile morning run.

  He could navigate the streets of New York with his eyes closed. Every curve of the road, every lip in the sidewalk, every tree in Central Park had been ingrained in his memory from his daily runs. Whether it was raining, snowing, or hotter than hell, he was out pounding the pavement. He needed something to relieve the stress of his chosen career. He hadn’t expected to move so quickly up the ladder of fame. It seemed to happen almost overnight. One day he was showing his designs to his boss at an internship, and the next thing he knew, he was a full-time designer and his styles were gracing the red carpet on well-known, respected celebrities.

  Josh jogged past a brown-haired woman power walking through the park. As he passed, he thought it might be Riley. At second glance, he realized it wasn’t, but Riley remained on his mind. He’d wanted to help her feel at home in New York, and instead, he’d handed her over to Claudia, the wickedest woman in the business, and then later, he’d headed out for a meeting, which ended up being a big waste of time.

  He’d been home in Weston when he and Riley had reconnected, and it had been nice seeing her there, a smile always on her lips, her eyes dancing with enthusiasm about everything from his brother Rex’s relationship with her best friend, Jade, to the possibility of coming to New York. They’d hit it off right away, and now that she was here, he’d like to get to know her even better.

  He’d noticed a difference in her eyes before he left the office the prior evening. She’d looked tired, which was to be expected, but he’d seen something else, too. Disenchantment, maybe? Could Claudia have killed her spirit already? The thought angered him, and he picked up his pace. He didn’t think Claudia would be unnecessarily cruel, but she did have a strong reputation for being competitive, and for that reason, Josh had purposely refrained from showing her any of Riley’s designs. He’d have to keep his eyes open.

  An hour later, he walked through the front doors of JBD. Mia met him on his way in, dressed in her typical skinny jeans and blouse. She handed him a to-go cup.

  “Espresso. I’m calling in ten minutes. You’ve got two messages from Madeline Stein, so please call her back already.”

  Madeline Stein. She was the last person he wanted to talk to, his date from the evening before: a willowy model with even fewer brain cells than the hundred pounds she probably weighed. That was definitely the last time he’d agree to a date in order to help the modeling agencies gain the right exposure for their models by being seen draped on his arm.

  “Tell her I died,” he said.

  “No way. I’m not doing your dirty work,” Mia said as they entered his office. “I did that the last two times, and as I recall, a few times before that, too.”

  Josh sat behind his desk. “Isn’t that your job as my assistant? To fulfill my every whim?”

  Mia placed her hand on her hip. “Not when your every whim means telling women that you’re not interested in them. I don’t even know why you accept the dates if you don’t want to go out with them.”

  He thought of his older brothers Treat and Rex and how happy they’d been since they’d met the women they wanted to build their lives with, and he wondered if he’d be lucky enough to find that same type of connection. With each date he accepted, he looked for the qualities in a woman that he respected: intelligence, empathy, a sense of humor. He had yet to find a single one that he felt compatible with. Compatible in the way I was with Riley back in Weston. He pushed Riley from his mind and thought of an appropriate answer for Mia. Because it’s better than being lonely. Then again, maybe it’s not. “Because it’s part of my job. I’m a designer. Everyone wants to be seen on my arm. Who am I to turn them down?”

  Mia rolled her eyes. “Even I don’t believe you’re that generous.”

  He lifted his brows and frowned.

  “Really? The pouty face? No way. I’m not making the call.” She looked at her watch. “You have seven minutes before the conference call. Why don’t you just pick up the phone and give her the big letdown?”

  “Seven?” He wanted to talk to Claudia about Riley’s desk situation. The file clerk’s cubicle was unacceptable. “Give me ten.” He pushed from his chair and flew out the door, Mia’s voice trailing after him.

  “Seven!”

  HE FOUND CLAUDIA bent over Riley’s desk.

  “Claudia, I’m glad I found you.”

  “I came in early to go over a few things for the new line. I lost a few hours yesterday helping Riley.” She wore a perfectly fitted Chanel suit, and her hair was pulled back in a smooth bun. Claudia looked every inch the designer, but Josh saw through that manicured exterior, and he’d picked up on the annoyed tone in her voice when she’d said Riley’s name—a tone that anyone else might have missed.

  Claudia had never really done anything egregious to any employees, and why she seemed to take issue with Riley was beyond his understanding, but he wouldn’t allow it to continue. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Why is Riley in the cubicle?” He felt his chest tighten when he said her name. He slipped his hands into his pockets, hoping to come across more casual and less personally interested.

  “The desks in the pit were taken.” She touched his arm and spoke in an alluring—and he was sure practiced—bedroom voice. “I’ll move her out this week. Don’t worry.”

  He had minutes before his conference call and no time for her games. “See that you do. Today,” he said, and walked away. He’d have to keep a better eye on her manipulations. He turned and glanced at her one last time. She stood with her arms crossed, staring at Riley’s desk.

  “Was there something you were looking for?” Josh asked.

  She spun around. “Not at all. Just thinking.” She stalked away.

  It must suck to be that competitive and insecure. If she’d been anyone else, he’d have felt sorry for her, but if she wanted to become a designer, she needed to spend more time honing her design skills and less time worrying about who else might pass her along the way.

  Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him into a conference room. “I have Peter on line three. They’re talking the Bliss line. Ready?”

  Bliss. His favorite new clothing line. He nodded, plastered a smile on his face, and went to work selling his line to Peter Stafford, the head of one of the first modeling agencies to have taken a chance on dressing his models in Josh’s clothes years earlier. Peter had helped Josh’s name reach the status he now enjoyed, and because of that, he’d hired his niece Claudia. He didn’t know then what type of person Claudia was, and now he was too trapped by loyalty to let her go.

  Chapter Five

  RILEY FOLLOWED CLAUDIA to her new desk in the design studio, set among the other employees’ desks and in full view of a wall of windows. Riley breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know what miracle had occurred overnight, but she was thankful—and now even more inspired to do a good job and make her mark in the industry. She hadn’t liked the feeling of oppression she’d slept with last night, and she’d awoken determined to change things before they had a chance to get any worse. She’d decided to try to become friends with Claudia. No matter how much Claudia might fight her efforts, Riley had to try.

  “Clay, this is Riley Banks, our new design assistant.” Claudia introduced Riley with what looked like a genuine smile.

  Riley wondered if emotions were like hair color—after they�
��d been faked for too long, could a person forget what real emotions were?

  “I heard you were starting this week. A pleasure,” he said with a nod. Clay was a tall, gangly man, about Riley’s age, with a flat top and pasty white skin.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Riley said, just as Claudia rudely dragged her away, leading her to a group of people hovering around a clothing rack. They were discussing the merits of A-line skirts versus flared skirts, and Riley wanted to jump in and give her two cents. Depending on the material you used, a flared skirt can easily be made more formal, giving a woman more options for going from daywear to eveningwear, whereas an A-line is usually more casual. But an A-line can make the right figure pop.

  Claudia cleared her throat.

  A woman and a man spun around, their faces pinched. “What?” they said in unison.

  Riley noticed the blond woman remained facing the rack, a skirt in each hand. Her head moved back and forth from one to the other, as if she were watching a tennis match.

  “This is Riley Banks. Riley, this is Simone, and K.T.”

  Riley swallowed the embarrassment of Claudia having interrupted their discussion to introduce her. Her smile felt shaky.

  “Great to have you on board,” Simone said, wrapping Riley in a hug.

  “Nice to meet you, too, and thank you,” Riley said.

  Simone looked like…a Simone. She wore a colorful scarf around her slim shoulders, and her black hair was cropped in a severe blunt cut just below her ears. Her round, wire-rimmed glasses were perched high on the bridge of her upturned nose, and when she flashed a Julia Roberts smile, it softened her angular face.

  Riley beamed. Between the overcrowded street, scary sardine-style subway that she couldn’t even think about riding on, and Claudia’s cold personality, Riley had begun to wonder if she’d ever fit in. Simone’s friendly embrace and warm smile offered a thread of hope for Riley to hold on to.

  “This is Chantal,” Simone said, nodding toward the blonde who had her back turned to the group. She turned around, and when their eyes met, Chantal flashed a radiant smile. She was nearly six feet tall, and up close, her green eyes seemed even greener than they had when they’d first met.

  “We met yesterday morning. Hi, Riley. I can’t wait to get to know you better.” Chantal air-kissed both of Riley’s cheeks.

  “How did you know my name yesterday?” Riley asked.

  “Oh.” She swatted the air with her hand. “Mr. B. told me, since I fill in at the front desk. It’s always nice to be greeted personally, don’t you think?” She didn’t wait for Riley to answer. “I hear you’re new to New York.”

  “Yes, I moved from Colorado.” Riley barely got the words out before noticing that K.T., a twenty-something African American man, was sizing her up. He stood with his arms crossed, one hip jutted out and his foot resting on its heel. She bristled.

  “Mm-mm-mmm. What do we have here? A bit of Juicy Couture?” He touched the sleeve of her dress. “And a girl who’s not afraid to eat. I like that.”

  Riley stiffened. Did you just call me fat?

  Claudia snickered, and Riley wished she could shrivel up and disappear.

  He must have read her mind. “Girl, I want to go to lunch with you. Eating with these waifs is like, Just wave the food in front of them and they survive on the fumes.”

  Simone swatted his arm. “Ignore him. He hasn’t had his meds yet this morning. It’s really great to meet you. If you need any help, just let us know.”

  Even with the food comment, Riley was relieved. She could see herself working with them. They teased, they hugged, and they were nice. It seemed Claudia was an anomaly—one Riley had to deal with. I can do this.

  Claudia sighed. “Okay, now that that’s over with, today you’ll be going over all the line sheets for the Bliss line. I want you to ensure that all details and changes for the past two days have been made and sent to the corresponding staff. Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Like what?” Riley checked her emotions. She wasn’t feeling anything negative at the moment. She had no idea what Claudia was referring to.

  “Like you’re too good for line sheets. These are critical. If one style number, price, color, or size is wrong, it can wreak havoc with the line. Updates need to be sent daily, but since you just began yesterday, we’re a day behind.” Claudia walked quickly toward Riley’s new desk. “We’ll be attending a trade show in two weeks, and we have a lot to go over, so let’s get to work. Be sure the sketches are up-to-date, and remember, accuracy is everything. Match all changes to the line sheets. Double-check your work. Oh, and there was a photo shoot yesterday morning. When the trunk arrives, go through it and make sure we got all of our samples back. If anything’s missing, call over to Phil and track the samples. Make sure those greedy models didn’t walk off with our stuff.”

  “Phil?” Riley asked.

  Claudia pointed to Riley’s computer. “Phil Lancorn. Look him up in your company address book.”

  Finally, some real work. It might not be designing, but at least she’d get her hands on fabric. It was a step in the right direction.

  “Okay, got it,” she said.

  “Good.”

  Riley watched Claudia walk away with her nose in the air. She mentally ticked off what was expected of her: Line sheets, trade show prep, sample inventory, and then she got to work.

  BY TWO O’CLOCK, when the trunk of clothing showed up, Riley had finished all of the line sheets, confirmed receipt with the corresponding team members, and was famished. No wonder everyone’s so skinny. There’s no time for lunch.

  Mia rifled through the trunk. “I need the fuchsia pencil skirt from his spring line.”

  “I haven’t inventoried the samples yet,” Riley said, flipping through her checklist of clothing that had gone out to the shoot.

  Simone breezed into the room. “We’ve got Carlisle coming over at four. Where’s the scarf that goes with the Bliss jumpsuit?” She flung clothes from the trunk onto the couch in the corner of the room.

  “I swear, every time there’s a shoot, something goes missing,” Mia said.

  Riley grabbed the garments as they were tossed about and tried to match them up with the inventory as quickly as she could. Claudia walked into the room just as Riley snagged a belt from Simone. “Let me just mark it off. Then you can whisk it away. I promise.”

  Claudia snapped the belt from Riley’s hands. “Josh comes first. He needs this stuff now, not later.” She snapped her fingers.

  “How can I inventory if I don’t have the items? It will only take a minute to go through these as they take them away.” Riley watched Simone stand with a stack of clothes in her arms and head for the door.

  “Wait! Please. Just tell me what you have and I’ll write it down. Rattle it off as fast as you can,” she pleaded, then immediately cringed. Simone and Mia froze. Shit. Did I step out of line?

  “I like her,” Simone said to Claudia.

  Thank you, Lord. She snuck a sideways glance at Claudia and held her breath.

  Claudia narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

  Shitshitshit.

  “Okay, here goes.” Simone listed all of the clothes she had in her arms, and once satisfied that she hadn’t missed an item, Riley followed Mia to Josh’s office, taking copious notes on the pieces she’d taken as well.

  “Thanks, Mia. I appreciate your help. We’ll have to figure out a better system for this.” Riley had her nose in her notebook and bumped into Josh’s chest as she turned to leave. His hands caught her forearms. “Oh, sorry. I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “Not a problem. Slow down. What’s the rush?” Josh didn’t let go of her arms.

  “I’ve got to inventory the samples from yesterday’s shoot before everyone takes them away.” She blinked several times, trying to break the energy that ran from his hands through her arms and made her heart beat triple time. When that didn’t work, she shifted her body as if to leave t
he room, breaking contact with him altogether.

  “Did you have lunch?” he asked.

  “No time,” she said, trying to think past her desire to say, No. Let’s go grab something.

  “I haven’t given you a proper welcome to New York. Why don’t we have dinner tonight?”

  When Josh and Riley were back in Colorado, Josh had a way of looking at her that wasn’t lustful or platonic. Something hard to interpret hung in the darkening of his eyes and the lifting of the right side of his mouth, and every time he had looked at her with that butterfly-inducing gaze, she’d wanted to kiss him and run away at the same time. Now she stood frozen beside him, trying to interpret that exact look as he cast it in her direction. Only this time there were spectators—and she was his employee—and what made her stomach ache and shivers run through her body was that she couldn’t decide if what she saw was an implication, a stifled desire, or if she was a crazy employee slash friend wanting more than he had to offer.

  Dinner? Like a date? No, he doesn’t mean a date. He means a work thing. He’s being polite.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Mia asked.

  Claudia entered the room behind Josh. “Riley, the trunk is emptying,” she said in a singsong voice.

  Josh arched a brow at Mia.

  “Your dinner with Peter Stafford?” Mia said.

  “Right. Come with me,” he said to Riley.

  “To your dinner with Mr. Stafford? I couldn’t—”

  “You can, and I’d be honored if you’d join me. It would be a great chance for you to see how the industry works.” He searched her eyes.

  “She’s got to prepare for the trade show,” Claudia said sternly.

  “Yeah, and—” Dinner with Josh and Peter Stafford?