Vogue looked thoughtful as she leafed through Sarah’s CV. She remembered the perky blonde-haired woman as being very ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious for the role Vogue was offering. She wanted a team player, whereas Sarah struck her as someone who would leave you hanging out to dry if a better opportunity arose. This was so against Vogue’s values as loyalty was a top priority. So it was with this in mind, Vogue shook her head and put her CV to the side.

  ‘I agree,’ Melissa said. ‘She looks the type that would sell her own mother if it meant getting ahead.’

  Vogue laughed. ‘My thoughts exactly.’

  ‘People like that scare me. Not that being ambitious isn’t a good thing but the fact that everything else falls by the wayside in order for them to reach a goal. That takes a different kind of person.’

  ‘Exactly and most definitely not the kind that would fit in here. The last thing I need is to keep looking over my shoulder.’

  ‘Yeah and to be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with her portfolio. Something about it was lacking,’ Melissa said.

  ‘Plus, her vision seems to be focused on being at the top, not how she’s going to get there.’

  ‘So she’s a no then,’ Melissa said with finality. ‘Okay, how about Trudy? I liked her.’

  ‘Me too,’ Vogue said in reference to the bespectacled, petite woman. She had impressed Vogue with her knowledge of the fashion industry. She knew every design house in London, the latest collections and who was in and who was out.

  ‘Her designs are refreshing and well thought-out. They’re not just about looking good, she also factors in the suitability of the garments. But do you think her style can ever reach the X factor?’ Melissa asked.

  ‘That, I don’t know. Let’s put her on the maybe pile.’

  Melissa nodded in agreement.

  ‘Right, next up, Jordan.’

  Melissa perked up at her name and Vogue could understand why. It seemed they both had been taken with her. In her early thirties, Jordan had walked into the interview with the confidence of Muhammad Ali in a boxing ring, and her talent backed her up. Elegant, sleek designs which would appeal to the woman that wanted that extra touch without looking ridiculous. Vogue had lost count of the amount of times she had been at a fashion show and the clothes the models had walked down the catwalk in had rendered her speechless. Until this day, she never knew where the women who bought the ridiculous outfits actually wore them. After a healthy dose of buyer’s remorse, they were probably shoved into the back of a wardrobe, never to be seen again.

  ‘I think it’s a given that she should come on-board,’ Melissa said. ‘I think she was the best out of all of them.’

  ‘I agree, next is….’

  Vogue pulled out another file and for the next couple of hours they debated the pros and cons of each applicant until they finally had the three they were looking for. Jordan, Trudy and Naomi, a woman straight out of University who had shown some talent already.

  ‘Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought,’ Vogue said, pushing herself to her feet. The relief was overwhelming that they could now move on with trying to save the company. Having been initially disappointed by the applications, Vogue had been pleasantly surprised by a few of the interviewees.

  ‘Nope. So, you got plans for tonight?’

  ‘Yes, a sleeping tablet and a good audiobook,’ Vogue said.

  ‘Good, you look like you need the rest,’ Melissa said, slipping into her jacket.

  ‘I’d normally take that as an insult, but I’ve seen myself in the mirror and I totally agree.’

  The women shared a brief smile then went their separate ways.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vogue arrived an hour earlier than she normally would, but it was the trainees’ first day and she wanted to make sure she was there on their arrival. Then they could get straight down to business. It would be the first time she’d seen Amelia again since the interview. During that time, she hadn’t been far from Vogue’s thoughts and now, even thinking her name unleashed a tremor of desire within.

  As much as Vogue tried to ignore the effect Amelia had on her, the feelings only intensified the more she tried to push them away. Somehow, for reasons totally unknown to her, Amelia had got under her skin, in a way no stranger ever had.

  Smiling as she read a funny meme on her phone Carol had sent her, Vogue didn’t realise anyone else was in the office until she looked up and came face-to-face with Amelia.

  Her smile faltered as she came to an abrupt standstill. Powerless to move. Incapable of uttering a single syllable, Vogue’s world tilted on its axis. All she could do was stare at her. Vogue could only imagine the impression she was giving.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,’ Amelia said, breaking the silence.

  I’m giving the impression of being startled apparently. She’d go with that. As long as it wasn’t that of a lovesick teenager.

  ‘I was miles away.’ Vogue finally found her voice.

  Amelia’s lips curved in amusement. ‘I could tell.’

  Vogue’s stomach constricted. Coming in early was a terrible mistake. She should have made sure Melissa was there as back up, just in case. Being one-to-one with Amelia was not something she had expected, nor felt she could cope with at this moment in time.

  Amelia still held her gaze. Was she challenging her? Did she know her presence was holding her heart captive?

  Get a grip! You’re in charge. Say something. Do something.

  Vogue’s emotions were holding her hostage. She prayed for divine intervention. That someone would come in, even if it was a cleaner, but it was to no avail. Nobody was coming to rescue her.

  The awkwardness of the moment now filled the room and even Amelia looked a little unsettled at Vogue’s lack of interaction.

  ‘So have I got a desk?’ Amelia said, gesturing to the four desks adjacent to each other.

  Vogue followed her gaze, thankful for the distraction. It was all she needed to get back in control of her faculties.

  ‘Yes,’ Vogue said, swallowing the lump in her throat. ‘But I’ll let you into a secret. The one at the end’s better. You’ll get a great view of the park from there.’

  Amelia smiled sending her heart racing, all the while standing there looking as cool as a cucumber. Either Amelia couldn’t feel the chemistry in the air, or she was a very good actor. She’d make a great poker player either way.

  Running her finger along the top of the desk, Amelia said, ‘I really appreciate being given the opportunity to work here you know.’

  Vogue was entranced with the way Amelia’s finger glided gracefully along the desktop, momentarily wondering what it would feel like running over her own naked skin.

  ‘I’m glad to have you on-board,’ Vogue said, her voice unintentionally dropping an octave, making it sound husky and seductive.

  Amelia raised her eyebrows and Vogue forced herself to hold her gaze, despite the playful twinkle in her eyes. Vogue couldn’t afford to let Amelia get to her like this. She had to stamp her authority on the situation before it got out of hand.

  Vogue tightly clasped her fingers together. Partly because they were actually trembling and partly because she didn’t know what to do with them.

  ‘Well, get yourself settled. The kitchen’s just over there if you need anything. I’ll get Melissa to come in and give you all a briefing. I’ve got to get ready for a meeting,’ Vogue said, not quite understanding why she felt the need to explain herself.

  As Vogue made her way to her office, the sensation in her chest made her feel like cupid’s arrow had landed right bang in the middle of her heart.

  ***

  Whoa that was tense! Vogue had looked as shocked as Amelia felt when she walked in unexpectedly. Amelia had arrived early to familiarise herself with her workspace. She hated having to ask busy people for help as a newbie, so to take the sting out of the first day, whenever she started anywhere new, she would find out where everything was. If Amelia would have known Vogue was going to be there, she wasn’t sure she’d have been so fast. Despite the loudness of her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she was mightily pleased with herself for doing such a good job at keeping her emotions under control.

  Amelia managed to keep her voice neutral which was odd as that was normally the first tell-tale sign of her nervousness. She had also managed to maintain eye contact with Vogue which had been the most difficult. Sultry came to mind when she racked her brain for a description of Vogue’s eyes. Amelia hadn’t failed to notice her cleavage either, though she’d tried her hardest to keep her eyes directly above Vogue’s chin. Anywhere else would have proved very dangerous.

  Amelia exhaled a long breath as she put her bag on her desk and turned to look out of the window at the view Vogue mentioned. She was right. Opposite was a park with large oak trees and a medium-sized lake. Mothers with their children were standing at the edge, throwing food to the many ducks that lined up in front of them.

  As Amelia sat down at her desk, she couldn’t help but wonder what it was going to be like working for Vogue. How would she cope seeing her every day with a mammoth crush on her? Amelia only hoped it wouldn’t interfere with her concentration. It was bad enough already trying to go five minutes without Vogue’s face popping up in her mind’s eye.

  All Amelia had to do was keep reminding herself that Vogue was a guilty pleasure and what went on in her mind, stayed in her mind.

  That wouldn’t be so hard to do, would it?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Vogue sat at her desk, head back, eyes closed, when she heard Melissa’s voice.

  ‘You still having problems sleeping?’

  Vogue opened her eyes.

  ‘Yeah, some nights are better than others.’

  Truth was, it was more than just a problem with sleeping, the past week had been one of such stress, Vogue had no idea how she was still functioning. When she wasn’t thinking about Amelia, she was trying to conjure up plans to put her business back together. Her success rate so far seemed to be stuck on zero.

  ‘So, are you ready?’ Melissa asked as she flicked through a file she had brought in with her.

  ‘For the meeting with the bank?’ Vogue asked.

  Melissa nodded. ‘D’you want me to come with you?’

  ‘Yes.’ Vogue picked up a pencil and tapped it repeatedly against the edge of her desk, her emotions still feeling out of sync. ‘I still can’t believe I got us into this mess.’

  ‘You’ve got to stop blaming yourself,’ Melissa said, snapping her files shut.

  ‘Who else is there to blame?’

  ‘How about the actual person that’s responsible.’

  ‘I’m in charge, Mel, me, not anyone else. I should’ve noticed something was amiss but was too busy. I took my eye off the ball—’

  ‘Vogue, you’re being way too hard on yourself. You had a lot to deal with. To be honest, I don’t know where you got the strength from. If it was me, I would’ve buckled under the weight of it all.’

  ‘It’s irrelevant now. It is what it is. The company needs money and I’ve got to somehow come up with it.’

  It was hard to believe that barely a year ago, Vogue had the world at her feet.

  The rich and famous were clamouring at her door to be the first one to be dressed by Styles for an award ceremony. She was the cream of the crop. Each day was a challenge. Exciting, exhilarating, as Vogue and her team fought to keep their competitors at bay by creating stylish fashionwear that could make anybody look a million dollars. They were riding a crest, one they thought would keep going until one day it didn’t.

  Her mother found a lump in her breast.

  Six months later, Vogue stood by her coffin.

  A month later, she had been told the devastating news that Bev’s secret was going to be exposed. Not only had she lost her mother, but after the pay-out, most of her money was gone.

  Completely lost, Vogue had hit rock bottom and did something she’d never done before.

  She buried her head in the sand. Refused to acknowledge the reality of what her life had become.

  Eventually, it was the wisdom of a simple sentence that finally brought her back from the edge. That gave her the courage to fight on, ‘Though one chapter is finished, it doesn’t mean your story is over.’

  If it wasn’t for that, there would have been no reason for Vogue to go on. To fight for the company she had built from scratch. To fight for her life.

  Once she was back on her feet, even Bev’s betrayal was not enough to stop her momentum from trying to get back on top.

  A knock at the door caused Vogue and Melissa to look in its direction.

  ‘Come in,’ Vogue called out.

  The door slowly opened, then Amelia’s head appeared through the crack, a nervous smile on her lips as she walked into the room, arms clasped behind her back.

  Vogue straightened in her seat, the very sight of Amelia flustering her.

  ‘Am I interrupting anything?’

  ‘No, of course not, come, sit down,’ Vogue said, her voice cautiously calm despite the eruption going on inside.

  Amelia brought her hands around to her front and it was then Vogue saw the folder she held in her hand. Vogue couldn’t take her eyes off Amelia as she made her way across the room and took a seat, giving Melissa a nod of acknowledgement in the process.

  The three women sat in an uncomfortable silence. Vogue’s brain was vacant. She simply couldn’t piece a sentence together. Instead, she just sat there praying Melissa would take the initiative and speak. But she didn’t which left it down to Amelia.

  ‘I wanted to show you something, if that’s okay.’

  Vogue nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She cursed her body’s response as butterflies swarmed aimlessly around and around in her stomach.

  As unbelievable as it sounded, Vogue had never experienced anything like this before. She would have laughed had it not been such an inappropriate moment.

  ‘I apologise in advance if I’m getting ahead of myself, but since you liked the designs I showed you before, I thought you might be interested in ones that are in the same vein.’

  That’s what I call initiative. Now Amelia had her full attention and it was no longer an attraction. It was pure business.

  It had been a long time since someone had walked into Vogue’s office and impressed her with their attitude.

  ‘I’d be very interested,’ Vogue said, barely able to hide the excitement in her voice.

  If Amelia was as good as she thought, Vogue knew they were onto a winner.

  One by one, Amelia brought out A3 sheets of paper. With each design, Vogue’s mouth opened just that little bit wider as she studied them in depth. The craftsmanship of the jackets and coats were a combination of modern and traditional styles. A balance of both style and functionality.

  The woman had talent. Pizazz. Amelia had… IT! That special something that made a design stand out from the rest, and thankfully, she was on Vogue’s team.

  After a long moment of stunned silence, Vogue finally found her voice.

  ‘Do you have any idea about the materials—’

  Amelia nodded. ‘All sustainable. I thought it might be a good idea to do an eco-friendly collection. It seems to be the in thing nowadays.’

  Vogue looked up, straight into Amelia’s eyes and hoped she would be able to read the gratitude in her expression.

  Amelia turned to Melissa. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘It’s not Melissa you need to impress,’ Vogue said before Melissa had a chance to speak.

  As much as she respected Melissa as her PA, this was her call.

  Vogue didn’t fail to notice a look of disappointment in Amelia’s eyes. Was it because she thought Vogue wasn’t a team player? That, of course, was the furthest thing from the truth. Normally, she thrived on her colleagues’ input. Normally. But now wasn’t the time to open up the forum for others’ opinions. She needed to make the right choice. It was up to her to save the company. Her and her alone.

  Vogue glanced down at the sketches again.

  And maybe Amelia.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A third wheel. That was the only description Melissa could use to explain how she’d felt during the meeting that had just taken place. A third wheel that had absolutely no use. Vogue had totally undermined her position in front of a complete stranger, and it was downright embarrassing. ‘Melissa’s not the one that needs impressing,’ she mimicked.

  Melissa exhaled a pent-up breath in a long sigh. So it was perfectly okay for Vogue to rely on her opinion for almost everything, except when it came to having her say on a collection design? If that was the case, why had Melissa even bothered to be present at the interviews if she wasn’t the one that had to be impressed?

  What the hell was Vogue thinking?

  That’s just it. She obviously wasn’t thinking. No, that was a lie, she was thinking but just about someone else.

  Melissa could tell a mile off, from Vogue’s body language, she had the hots for Amelia – bad. But this was the first time she had seen Vogue visibly fight against her emotions. Melissa had known her long enough to be able to read the signs.

  She’d been tense, as if she was afraid. But afraid of what? Her feelings… for Amelia? No way!

  As attractive and talented as Amelia was, she just couldn’t see Vogue falling hard for someone with her temperament. Sleep with her, yes. A long term prospect? She didn’t think so. Vogue liked a woman that challenged her in every sense. Someone elusive, who played hard to get. She also liked successful women. No disrespect to Amelia, but she was just starting out and the two women were leagues apart. The balance of power heavily weighted in Vogue’s favour. For now anyway…. Right, time for me to focus.

  Melissa had to start the ball rolling on her plan to bring down Styles once and for all, and it wasn’t going to get done anytime soon if she sat there daydreaming about Amelia and Vogue. That situation would work itself out once the doors to Styles were finally closed.