Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(12)
“Don’t worry.” I grabbed the file as I stood. “Three weeks in Vegas to work at a male strip club? Honestly, Mich, it could be worse.”
She laughed. “I’m a little jealous, not gonna lie.”
“I’ll send you pictures. Say it’s important, as you’re brainstorming with me and you need to know what I’m working with.”
“Working with, indeed.” Her eyes glittered. “Go on, doll. Go get yourself ready.”
I’d spent the last thirty minutes convincing Allie I wouldn’t miss the wedding or the rehearsal dinner. The closer the date got, the more Bridezilla she got. It was the strangest thing because Allie was one of the most laid-back people I’d ever known. When most people tore their hair out over moving house, she whipped around like the f*cking Flash and had everything packed in a matter of days.
I had known there was a little freak inside her, waiting to come out.
Shame it had to come out on me.
Regardless, she was calm.
“And we have the—oh my god, Mia!” she shrieked, cutting herself off midsentence. “The dress fitting! The final dress fittings are in a week and you’re in Vegas!”
Oh, f*ck me sideways on a pier. I’d forgotten about that. “I’ll come back. It’s fine! It’s not that far. I can fly down and back in the same day.”
“What if there are delays? Oh god. Can you get here by ten a.m.? Are you sure? I can probably make it later. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, but this has been set for months. Oh my god, I’m having a heart attack.”
“You’re not having a heart attack,” I managed to say through the guilt slowly snaking its way through my body. I wasn’t a mean person, but I’d honestly forgotten about the dress fitting. “Sorry, Al. I didn’t mean to forget. This was a last-minute job.” For me, anyway.
“I know, I know.” Her voice was small, and I felt even worse. “You’re meeting these guys tomorrow, right?”
“Just Mr. Rykman. His partner is out of town for a family event, but yeah. Since they’ve only spoken with Michelle, I have to meet with him tomorrow and pitch my basic ideas.”
“Do you think you can ask about the fitting? I mean... Is that forward?”
Maybe a little, but I had taken this job on unexpectedly and my previous schedule had been worked around wedding obligations. Surely Mr. Rykman had to understand that.
“I can ask. I’m sure it won’t be a problem, given the circumstances.”
“Thanks, Mi. You’re the best.”
If that were true, I’d have remembered the dress fitting. Ah... Who wanted to remember a scenario that might tell them they’ve gained five pounds anyway? Even if it was for my best friend. She knew how forgetful I was.
“You’re welcome. I’ll call you when I know, okay?”
“Okay. I’m working all day, so text me if I don’t answer.”
“You got it. Now, go hang out with Joe before he thinks I’m stealing you from hundreds of miles away.”
“He’s playing the PlayStation.”
I could imagine her wrinkling her nose.
“The man’s twenty-seven,” she said. “Shouldn’t he be giving it up?”
“I don’t think they ever do.” That probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but oh well. “Did he at least load the dishwasher?”
She paused. “Yes. Oh, I guess he can have ten minutes. I have my Kindle, after all. I’m going to take a bath.”
“Atta girl.” I grinned even though she couldn’t see me. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Al. I’m gonna see if I can do some more work here before my meeting.”
“Okay. Love you. Thank you. Sorry for freaking out.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll fix it. Love you, Bridezilla.” I hang up, laughing, but not before she yelled, “Bitch!” down the line. It made me laugh harder as I put my phone on the sofa next to me and reached for my laptop.
As it loaded, I pulled out my plans for the strip club, Rock Solid. I had a handful of ideas that would provide a good basis for conversation. I was sure Michelle had drawn up her own plan, but those ideas were hers, not mine, and she was adamant that we all proposed our ideas.
Despite being business-savvy, she was creative, and she was certain the two mixed. She always told us that you could be the smartest, most driven businessperson in the world, but if you weren’t creative, you’d fail at some point, because creativity takes many forms. Paintings, writing, singing, acting—they were all creative acts, and just because you were creative didn’t mean you weren’t business-savvy.
I hoped that she’d given me this job because she thought I was both of those things. If not, I had to prove it. This job was important to me because I was still the baby of the company, and if I got it right, I felt like I’d prove I had it in me to do this.
I loved my job. I loved marketing—from the branding to the statistics to the plans to get your name out there. I loved helping people realize their potential, maybe because every time I did, a part of me realized my own.
Maybe, if I got through this job and the stops for the wedding, I’d convince myself I was worthy of the opportunity I’d been given four years ago at long last.