Layla

I changed my shirt as quickly as possible and tossed my shirt on the coat hanger next to the door. Luckily, dad was skinny, and his shirt fit perfectly.

I ran out and made my way toward the conference room. My blood boiled when I saw Sasha sitting on the seat next to Daniel. "If she thought she'd step in and take my man, she has another thing coming!" I thought as I gritted my teeth.

Wait... Wow, Layla. Where the hell did that come from? Relax girl. This is not even a real marriage, remember?

I closed my eyes and sighed, gripping the door handle and pulling it open. Daniel was talking and paused when I entered the room. "Oh, good. Layla, sit over here, please. Guys, scooch down one seat, please. You too, Sasha." she looks at him as if she has just been offended but still gets up and sits one chair down.

I slowly walk past everyone, tucking a loose strand behind my ear. Daniel stands, pulling the chair out for me and sitting after I take a seat.

"Now, where was I? Oh, right. The only thing I ask of you guys is that you are patient. Everyone will have a chance to participate in the upcoming events, but if by chance there are insufficient tickets, please... Please, don't get mad because all of your family members can not attend like it's been done in the past." I guess I walked in on them discussing the next event, which was the runway.

"In my opinion, I rather not attend," I whispered a little too loud, making my sister and Stephanie giggle. Sasha rolls her eyes, and Danny sighs. "Well, unfortunately for you, sweetheart, you'll have to be there," he says, lifting my chin with his finger and making me blush. "To EVERY EVENT," he adds, making me grunt.

"Anyway. If there are no more questions, I will let Hugo have a word," he says, gesturing to Hugo. He stands, clearing his throat and fixing his blazer. "Hello, ladies," he says, looking between us with a huge smile. "As you know, the next season is nearing. This next runway, as Daniel explained, will be one of our best. But- as of today, I will need every one of you to work double. I will be selecting three to five designs from each of you for the upcoming seasons. And each one of you will be modeling your best piece in front of our staff for evaluation. On top of that, your name will be featured under mine when the line gets released."

"Really? Yes!" Stephanie chirps, giving Ingrid a high five. He went on to discuss the details, to which I was attentive for the most part, other than when Sasha would give me the evil eye from the corner of her eyes and roll her eyes when Danny would whisper with a smile in my ear.

"So, if there is anything else, I think we can call this meeting to an end," Dad adds, standing up.

"Actually, there is one more thing," Sasha says, sitting straight and pushing her seat forward.

"As you guys know, Felix asked me to."

"Mr. Garcia, Sasha. He's still your boss, don't forget that." my sister adds, making her give her an annoyed look. "Whatever," she replies, making my sister become irritated.

"Anyway. As I was saying before, I was rudely interrupted. I was asked to attend an event in New York because Miss Karla had her birthday. And I met Sebastian; he's an investor here in California and is thinking of hosting an event at his little sister's school."

"Get to the chase, Sasha." my sister adds, making her throw daggers at her with her eyes. Dad gave her a warning look, but Ingrid couldn't help but giggle quietly. "Sebastian is looking for someone to help him host all the planned events for the next two months, which include luncheons, a gala, an evening with the Los Angeles orchestra, dinner parties, and more. Now, I know this is not the type of work we do, but-" she says enthusiastically.

I remember a Sebastian in my high school. He was the biggest goofball, always making me laugh. I dated him for a few months until he had to move away. He was the best, but... Not everything is meant to last.

"He has other offers already. He's willing to pay for the photographer's time, hairdressers, make-up, everything." my dad looked amazed, but Danny looked concerned. With our upcoming runway, more work would mount to all the pressure, and what if the events collided with ours? This could ultimately be a good idea, especially if this guy is willing to pay well. If we did get this gig, I hope things don't get out of hand.

"When can you contact him to arrange a meeting to negotiate the details?" dad asks, making her smile brighter. She can't help but look at Danny, who is too busy writing down his notes. "I can call him right now; he gave me his card," she says, taking a shiny business card from her shorts pocket.

"Excellent. See if you can invite him for lunch today. The sooner, the better." the meeting is then called to an end, and she stays outside the meeting room to make the call, talking and giggling sarcastically. "I'll see you in Hugo's office, Layla." my sister says as they walk away together. "Don't be late, my little angel," Hugo adds, pinching my cheek and kissing my hand. "I won't," I say, looking at them walk away.

"I guess it's time to get working. I'll see you after work," I say, standing before Daniel. He wraps his hand around my waist and pulls me closer to him. "After work? What do you mean, after work? We're eating lunch together, aren't we? Besides, after you talk to Hugo, you have to come back. Your office is next to mine, did you forget?" I close my eyes in realization. This whole day has been exhausting, and we just got it started. "That's true. I'll be back soon then. See you later?" I say, kissing his lips and pulling away.

But, my stomach grumbles, making Danny chuckle. "I told you to eat this morning. Now I'm definitely going to have to take you for a nice quiet lunch," he says, making me bite my bottom lip. "Really? What kind of food were you... Thinking of, Mr. Halloway?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Someone clears their throat, making us turn, and my eyes widen. My sister stands beside us, and Stacy, my ex-best friend, stands behind her.

"What are you doing here, Stacy?" I groan, unwrapping my hands from Danny. "Layla, please. I need five minutes, that's all!" she pleads, looking between Danny and me. Danny looks at me concerned but purses his lips and nods. Maybe it's time I talk to her and get this over with.

"Fine, let's go," I say, looking at her, clenching my jaw. "I'll let Hugo know you're up here. I'll see you later, sis."I'll see you for lunch." Danny says, squeezing my hands and kissing my jaw.

I make my way to a sitting area, and I can't help but feel bothered as I see my dad and Sasha walk together toward Danny's office.

"You have five minutes, Stace," I say, tapping my foot and crossing ky hands over my chest.

"Layla, I know what I did was wrong. So wrong. And believe me, there is not a day I don't regret it."

"Oh, really!?" I ask sarcastically. She looks down; a sad look is embedded on her face. "I mean it, Layla. I regret what I did. You were my best friend, and I betrayed you. I'm sorry. I know that you will never forgive me, and I don't blame you for it. You're in your full right to hate me. I uh... I came to say goodbye and that I'm sorry for everything, Layla. Trust me, you're better off without him, though. He's not the guy we thought he was, Lay." I get that she's sorry. She didn't have to come all the way here to say it, but why was she saying goodbye?

"Dad is sick, so I'm going home to take care of him," she says, making me worried. Stacy is the primary provider of her family. Her parents had her at an older age, and when I say older, I mean her parents were in their mid-fifties, which placed her at a high risk of pregnancy when she was pregnant with Stacy. She was not an only child, but her siblings couldn't care about their parents.

Since they were all married, with kids, and had a life of their own, they gave Stacy full responsibility for her parents. To make matters worse, her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago, so she had to put her in a home to give her the proper care.

"What do you mean Petey is sick?" I asked, concerned with her dad's health.

"He had a nasty fall a few weeks ago. He broke his hip and refused treatment from the nurse they hired for him. She told me he's losing weight and doesn't want to follow therapy anymore. I quit my job, Layla. Dad needs me. But I couldn't go back to Oklahoma without coming to see you first." I felt awful for her.

"What? But why would you do that? How will you survive without that job? What about when you run out of money?" I say, sitting down and pulling her into the seat next to mine.

"Layla, it's ok. I will be fine," she says through tears in her eyes. "I have enough saved for now. Plus, I will be paid to care for him as his nurse. Doctor Shelley wrote a letter of recommendation for me, and I got accepted into the hospital in our town, so they hired me to take care of him. Doctor Shelley was a fantastic doctor, not to confuse her with Sherley, another doctor who was much younger than Shelley.

"Stace, please take care. And don't hesitate to call me if you need help. Please take care of Petey, and tell him to keep fighting. He's strong, and I know he'll get better. Especially now that you'll be taking care of him." I say, getting teary-eyed.

I wasn't fully forgiving Stacy for what she did, but knowing Trevor's true nature, I can't entirely blame her. Indeed he had to sweet-talk her into sleeping with him just like he did many others. "So, Danny, huh?" she says after we had been talking for a while.

I blushed, biting my bottom lip. "Are the tabloids real? Did you really marry him?" she asked, wide-eyed with a huge smile. "I did. It's... Complicated, but-"

"Complicated? Layla, he's your first love! You never forget your first love! Besides, everyone knows you never really got over him. I'm happy for you. You..." she says, looking at me with a smile. "You look happy. I'm so happy for you, Layla. I really am."

I look at my watch, and it's already eleven twenty. I need to get to Hugo's. Stacy and I part ways, but my heart feels a little less burdened and less heavy toward her. I need to set up a trip to Oklahoma to see her dad soon.

I make my way to Hugo's desk, where the girls and him str giggling and talking. "Layla, sweety, come in. Here, I wanted to give you a warm welcome back gift, so I bought you these!" Hugo says as he gives me a bag full of top-brand pencils and utensils that I will need to design.

My mouth gawks open as I see how beautiful and vibrant the colors are. "Hugo!? You didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to. We missed you around here, sweety! Welcome home." he says, making my eyes water. I hug him, letting a tear fall.

💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨