Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Gennie.
I hit Accept immediately, smiling instantly when the grid populates familiar faces. Gennie’s bright eyes dominate the center square while Romy, Mischa, Seraphina, and Cory pop up one by one in their boxes.
“Where’s Jett?” Cory asks immediately, propping her phone up.
“Sleeping,” Gennie explains, waving a hand. “She worked a shoot all night. Some model showed up late and delayed the process even more than it already was due to the shoot location. I called an emergency meeting, because I have a crisis, a massive, huge, I-don’t-know-where-to-begin crisis!”
“What kind are we talking about, because two back-to-back meeting of the minds and I might have to look for a different job,” Mischa says, adjusting her wired headphones.
“Okay, so, as you all know, a family friend is hosting their annual charity gala this Saturday.” Gennie takes a dramatic breath, which is definitely not like her. This is really bugging her. “It’s a cause that’s extremely near and dear to me: childhood cancer. You know my friend passed away from leukemia when we were fourteen, and I’ll do anything to help raise funds. Which, by the way, I need to make a stop at Sterling today to pick up the checks Rafe, Dom, and Vik wrote. Alex, can you work on your husband for me?” I let out a huff of laughter. I’m still not quite sure how to feel about being married to a billionaire or how any of it will play out.
“I’ll get right on that.” My hand wraps around a pen and pulls my notepad toward me.
Reminder: Talk to Dante about Gennie’s fundraiser.
“We know, sweetie,” Seraphina says gently. “We’re all so excited to be there.”
“Right, well, as part of the fundraising drive, I volunteered to auction off a date with yours truly.” Gennie stands up and starts to pace. “Which is fine, great even! The problem is... I have absolutely no idea what to wear. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.” A collective murmur of understanding echoes through the call. I still haven’t decided on a dress myself. Then again, I’m not standing in for an auction, either.
“Gennie, you have a closet the size of a small studio apartment,” Romy points out.
“Yes, filled with books and clothes that are not black tie appropriate.” Gennie groans, throwing her hands up. “Look, you guys know me. I’m not a fashionista. I wear clothes for comfort, not for style. And I know I tend to go for things that are a little too loose, a little too hidden, and clothes that are, well, not stylish. And I’ve been fine with that, because I’ve never felt the need to showcase myself or stand out in the crowd.”
A quiet beat settles over the call. We all know the real reason behind Gennie’s lingering self-doubt, even if she barely brings it up. Her ex-boyfriend was not the right fit for her. He had a toxic masculinity that was not cute. And she stayed with him for over a year. He made backhanded comments about her “lack of effort,” criticizing her wardrobe choices, subtly chipping away at her confidence until she convinced herself that this was normal behavior. Before the douche nugget, she still wore clothes that weren’t always flattering to her curvy figure, but when he came around, it seemed to manifest even worse.
I hated him from the very first moment I met him, but when a friend is sucked into a relationship like that, you can only speak your mind so many times before you realize nagging won’t change their mind. All you can do is wait for them to see the truth and be there to pick up the pieces when they finally kick the shit for brains to the curb.
And Gennie did kick his ass to the curb. Three months ago. Thank god. And now it’s our job as her girls to make her feel and believe she’s an incredible and stunning woman.
“Okay, first of all,” I speak up, setting my pen down and leaning into my screen, “that jerk is completely out of the picture now, Gennie. You are dropping his ghost from your closet today.”
“Alex is right,” Mischa agrees. “Your body is tea, you have gorgeous legs and a heart of gold. It’s time we put you in something that reflects who you are.”
“I just get, well, nervous,” Gennie admits softly, biting her lip as she looks down at the floor. “I’m so used to wearing baggy clothes that what if I try to wear something bold and look like I’m trying too hard?”
“You could never look like you’re trying too hard,” Seraphina insists softly. “You’re going to be standing on a stage raising money for a foundation that honors your best friend’s memory. You deserve to feel like a queen while doing so.”
“Exactly. This isn’t about him or what he made you feel. This is about you shining for a cause that matters to you. And honestly? The person who wins you as a date will lose their mind the moment you walk out on the stage,” Cory chimes in.