Once again, Brooklyn was at the table eating breakfast when Addy came out of her room. “Didn’t you go to bed last night?” she asked, shaking her head as she went to the cupboard to take a bowl from the shelf. “Not much,” Brooklyn told her, taking a sip of her coffee. “I was too pumped up about the article and what happened.” A As Addy brought her breakfast to the table, she asked, “Have you seen Shea yet?” Brooklyn looked at her friend and shook her head. “She hasn’t come out of her room yet, but she usually sleeps in on weekends, so I’m not too surprised she’s not out yet,” Brooklyn said. “Plus, I’m sure she’s upset over what happened last night.” Just then, the door to Shea’s room opened, and she came out, fully dressed. “Hey, girls!” she said as she saw her friends staring at her from the table. “What’s on the agenda for today?” Brooklyn and Addy looked at one another, then back at Shea, before Brooklyn said, “Uh, I’m working on my article today.” “And I’m goi
“Well, you look lower than low,” a voice said, snapping Brooklyn out of her reverie. “Everything okay?” She’d been leaning forward on the counter, propping her chin upon her fist, as she thought about the drama of the last couple of days. Deep in thought as she stared at the wall in front of her, not seeing anything. She didn’t see anyone step in front of her, blocking her gaze until the figure spoke. Straightening, she gave a sheepish grin to the dark-haired woman with pale skin and brown eyes standing in front of her. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she wore a pair of denim shorts and a white t-shirt with a gaming logo on it. Multicolored tennis shoes completed her outfit, and she looked at Brooklyn with concern on her face. “Sorry about that,” she told the woman, smoothing down her apron and shaking her head. “I was, I mean, I had, I mean, what can I get for you today?” The woman grinned at her and said, “I’ll take a chamomile tea with honey. I’ve had a rough tim
Addy was already in the kitchen when Brooklyn walked out of her room. “What are you doing up so early?” Brooklyn asked, stopping in place when she saw her roommate. Addy turned around so fast her elbow hit the cereal box next to her. She knocked it over, scattering the contents over the floor. “Oh, man! Look what I did!” she said, getting on her hands and knees to clean up the mess. Brooklyn hurried forward, getting down on the floor to help her. “You must be nervous,” she said, sweeping the pieces of cereal toward her in a pile. “You aren’t this clumsy unless you are.” Sighing, Addy stopped cleaning up the spill and sat back on her heels. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I am nervous. This job could be my big break, you know? What if I mess it up?” Brooklyn sat back as well, leaving the cereal on the floor. Reaching out to put her hand on Addy’s, she said, “You won’t. I know you, and I’ve seen your work. You’re going to do fine. I have a good feeling about this,
Addy arrived at the atelier before her start time. Thankfully she’d been so nervous that she had left earlier than she would have on any other day since those cute guys had blocked the stairway. She stood outside of the building for a moment, staring at the door and taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. “You’ve got this,” she murmured, smoothing down her skirt and adjusting her top. She checked out her reflection on the glass door before reaching out for the handle. “Are you going to stand there all day, admiring yourself, or are you going inside?” She jumped and whirled around to see an older woman with short blonde hair and bright red pursed lips standing behind her on the sidewalk. Tapping her toes against the cement, she stared at Addy with an annoyed look as she waited. Addy’s face turned pink as she muttered, “Sorry.” She opened the door and held it for the woman, smiling apologetically at her. The woman walked through with a sniff, ignoring Addy. Addy grimace
“It’s about time you got home,” Shea told Addy when she walked through the front door. “Get changed, get your bathing suit, and let’s go.” Addy stopped in place and looked at her roommates. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Where are we going?” Brooklyn and Shea both wore denim shorts and tank tops with sandals, and they packed the cooler and picnic basket. Brooklyn turned to look at Addy, saying, “We’re heading up to the roof for a welcome to the building pool party. Go get changed.” “Yeah, we’re throwing the new people in the building a party to get to know them better,” Shea said, stuffing a towel into her beach bag. “You mean the two guys who blocked my way this morning and the new girl who helped to unblock it?” Addy asked. Brooklyn and Shea stopped their packing and looked at Addy. “So, you’ve met them?” Brooklyn asked, grinning. “Yeah, I ran into them when they were bringing their couch up the stairs and blocking my way,” Addy told them with one eyebrow raise
“Uh, I’m not sure I’m ready to cast anyone new to my film,” Lewis told Shea. “I’m almost done with the shooting.” Shea pouted, sticking her lip out and crossing her arms over her chest. Lewis looked around at everyone with a panicked look on his face and said, “But I can let you know when I’m starting my next movie.” Shea’s face instantly lit up, and she threw her arms around his neck, causing the water to slosh over the side of the spa. “Hey!” Kendall cried out, shielding her face from the water. “Watch it!” “Sorry,” Shea said, untangling herself from Lewis. “I got a little excited.” “A little?” Addy asked wryly, wiping the moisture from her face. Shea grinned at her roommate and stuck her tongue out at her. “Oooh! Look at the sunset!” Brooklyn said, pointing toward the horizon. Everyone turned to look. “It’s pretty tonight,” Addy said. “Yeah, all the pollution in the area really makes for a beautiful sunset,” Lewis said, frowning. Troy shot him an annoyed look. “W
“I’m a fashion designer,” she told him. “Or at least, studying to be. I just got a job working with Barto Luciani. Have you heard of him?” Troy’s face darkened at the mention of Barto. Nodding, he said with anger in his voice, “Yeah, I’ve heard of the man.” A confused look crossed Addy’s face, and she asked, “What have you heard?” He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he told her. “Nothing will ever happen to him. He’s too rich and powerful.” Addy frowned and looked at Brooklyn and Shea, who had worried looks on their faces as they shook their heads. “What do you mean?” Addy asked, leaning forward. Lewis shook his head and said, “I’d rather not talk about it right now if you don’t mind. I don’t want to bring down the vibe of the party.” Addy nodded with an uncertain look on her face. After a tense moment, Troy asked, “So, do you think you make outfits for everyone for the film festival?” Her eyebrows raised, she looked at him
“I got an email from my boss at the paper.” Brooklyn said, sitting at the table, munching on a bagel when Addy and Shea came out of their rooms in the morning. “Was it good?” Addy asked, going to the cupboard to take down a cereal box. Shea walked straight to the coffeepot and grabbed her mug. After filling it and getting it fixed to her liking, she leaned against the counter and took the first sip. “What’s the email about?” she asked. Smiling at her and shaking her head, Brooklyn said, “It’s an invitation to the new club that’s opening next weekend.” Shea’s eyes grew wide, and she set her mug down. “You don’t mean O’Sullivan’s, do you?” she asked in a breathless voice. Nodding, Brooklyn smiled at her with a smug look on her face. “The paper wants me to write a review of the place,” she said. “And I can bring friends.” Addy set down the cereal box and grabbed Shea’s arms. The two of them jumped up and down, letting out cries of excitement while Brooklyn la