LB’s life used to be all about fashion—until betrayal from the one man who should’ve been in her corner crushed her spirit. Now working behind the lens at Eastern Park Magazine, she’s trying to find her spark again. But a sizzling one-night encounter with a British stranger—and a surprise visit from someone linked to her painful past—threatens to unravel the walls she’s carefully rebuilt.
Working as a photographer for Eastern Park Magazine wasn’t LB’s dream job. She was a designer at heart. Just like her father.
Unfortunately, after their fallout, she was left jobless and without the motivation to design so much as a handbag.
Her entire life revolved around creating clothes, shoes, and perfumes— anything that would make a woman feel beautiful, so when the crash in her career came before she was able to build her own household name, she lost her vision entirely.
It was by pure chance she got the call from Janice Owens, the owner of Eastern Park, stating that she was in need of a photographer—someone with vision. But even that didn’t sit right with LB. She thought Janice was just being nice because of who her father was or using her as a pawn in hopes that Bellerose Sec would notice and put a few spreads in her magazine to boost its ratings.
When she got to work that morning, later than she normally would have, Janice was on set of a shoot as her stand in.
Janice had her own photography experience, but as the owner, she hated being so hands on. Her favorite place to be was in her office, calling the shots and nagging LB about new ideas to make their name POP.
“Overslept?” Janice asked as she removed the camera from her face to get a better look at LB’s tattered button-up and wrinkled slacks
“Something like that.” LB tossed her bag on a nearby table and went to Janice’s side. “What are we doing today?”
Janice noticed a different glow on her face right away. LB looked genuinely happy that morning. Nothing like when she was dressed in her normal high fashion, glam girl attire that made her appear to be happy.
“Have you finally found your spark again?” Janice gave her a playfully curious look. “You may look like a ragamuffin who just rolled in off streets, but there’s something in your eyes this morning.”
LB yanked the camera from Janice’s grip and quickly put it up to her eye to hide her blush. She hadn’t even been filled in on the look they were trying to capture for the shoot, but she let the camera stutter anyway.
“I guess today is just a good day,” she said. “Maybe I should dress like a ragamuffin more often.”
“Un huh,” Janice laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure out what’s got you smiling sooner or later.”
LB shook her head as Janice left the floor. She thought about her night with Orion and wanted to shout from the rooftops how great she felt afterwards. But working for a magazine like Eastern Park, she learned how important it was to keep her business to herself. Otherwise, she would have been a hot topic in their weekly gossip spread.
“Why does Janice insist on you ladies wearing so much beige? Yuck.”
The pantsuits the women wore for the photoshoot did not impress her. They looked bland and outdated. Very stylish and professional, but way too boring for the attention Janice so desperately wanted for Eastern Park.
“We try to tell her,” one of the models replied. “I think she’s going through a midlife crisis or something.”
“Something’s definitely going on,” LB chuckled as she made her way over to the ladies. “Alright, let’s try this: open the blouses a little. Bring your hips closer together, and one of you throw the jacket over your shoulder like a hipster. Let’s bring some youth to these outfits and frizzle your hair some. You know, Cameron Diaz style.”
Being born to two designers was an advantage for LB. She had such a natural eye for beauty that even the most hideous outfits were no match for her.
Somehow, she always found a way to turn them into something fabulous and sleek and although Janice didn’t always appreciate her approach, they made their relationship work for the greater good.
“Much better,” she smiled as she snapped photo after photo and called out poses. “That’s right! Perfect! Give me more flirting with the eyes.”
After getting all the shots she wanted, LB took the camera to her office to give them a look through. Most days, her shoots wrapped up fairly quickly. But finding the perfect finals sometimes took her entire shift, plus some.
She was a perfectionist when it came to looking good and giving results.
It was in her blood—she ate, slept, and breathed fashion.
With her headphones on and the soothing sound of Jhene Aiko’s voice tickling her eardrums, LB tuned out the world and got lost in her magic.
Oddly, even though the photos were right in front of her, she couldn’t see anything other than Orion’s face.
His green eyes and lips that were the perfect shade of pink.
She was a little upset with herself for leaving his suite without at least getting his phone number because the way he handled her with such care and finesse made her want it again midday.
She got so lost in her thoughts about their rendezvous the night before that she didn’t feel Janice’s presence standing over her or hear her shouting her name for the umpteenth time.
It wasn’t until she rested her head against the back of her chair that she looked up and saw her.
“Shit! Jesus, Janice! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
LB held her hand to her chest as she fought to catch her breath from the startle, while Janice stood in front of her desk, glaring at her with concern. She’d never seen LB so unfocused at work before and it worried her. She thought maybe she was going to quit.
“Is everything alright with you?” Janice asked. “You seem a little wacky today.”
“Everything’s fine,” LB quickly replied. “I had a long night last night.”
“A good long night or a bad one?”
Janice took a seat and got really attentive. As a great friend of LB’s late mother, she cared for LB like she was her own daughter and though she had her own agenda when it came to her magazine, nothing came before making sure LB was alright.
“You can talk to me, you know? I might not be as young and hip as I once was, but I can still give good advice.”
“Everything’s fine, Janice.” LB assured. “I had a great night. I actually met a guy who was very nice. And attractive. You don’t usually get both in one man, so it was a good night. Just sucks I didn’t get his info, and he’s in town from London.”
Janice sat back in her chair with an all-knowing smirk resting on her mug. She knew she would get the truth out of LB at some point. She just didn’t think her dinginess that morning was about a man.
Because, as far as she knew, LB didn’t trust a man further than her eyes could see.
“Love at first sight kind of thing, huh?” Janice teased. “I’ve been there a time or two in my day and let me tell you, those British guys will sweep you off your feet every time. It’s probably a good thing you didn’t get his number, because you might be more smitten than you are right now.”
“I’m not smitten,” LB blushed.
“Yeah. Whatever you say. Anyway, I came to ask you about Lady Billionaire. I overheard a few of the girls talking and they said you’ve been thinking of working on a line of your own. Is that true?”
LB huffed and rolled her eyes because it never failed. The girls at Eastern Park were nosey and couldn’t keep their mouths shut if it meant saving their own lives.
But it was true. She had talked about creating a line of her own just to compete with her father. But it was only that—a thought.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “My friend Shanice came up with the name Lady Billionaire,” LB said. “I haven’t even sketched anything out yet and they’re already leaking information.”
“Well, honey, we are a magazine family,” Janice chuckled. “Nothing is a secret here. I think it’s a brilliant idea, by the way. I like the name too. Imagine yourself headlining Lady Billionaire. Matteo might drop dead wherever he stands.”
LB shared the laugh at her father’s expense.
Part of the reason she loved Janice as much as she did was because, even though Janice wanted a spread from Bellerose in her magazine, she hated Matteo just as much as LB.
“You really think it’s a good idea?” She asked for reassurance.
“I think it’s a great idea! It’s been so long since the world has seen any new designs from you. I hate that you let Matteo throw you off track. You and your mother were the best damn thing to ever happen to that company.”
A knock came at LB’s office door at the perfect time. She hated getting emotional. Especially about her career and her mother. Both were hard losses, so whenever either of them got mentioned, she wanted to cry.
“Sorry to bother you guys, but LB has a visitor.”
Amy, Eastern Park’s secretary, had gone all the way upstairs to deliver the message personally. She knew how much LB hated phone calls at the office because there was always someone listening in. So, she took the elevator ride to the top floor and added a few hundred steps to her Apple Watch during the process.
“A visitor?” LB frowned. “I wasn’t expecting anyone today.”
“It’s probably someone here for an interview or photos,” Janice shrugged. “You’ve been so off in your own world you probably forgot to look at your schedule.”
“He said he’s from Bellerose Sec,” Amy added. “He looks very important. And scrumptious.”
Janice and LB were both shocked because what were the odds that they were just having a conversation about her father and someone from his company showed up?
“Is this a joke?” LB asked. “Have you and my father been talking behind my back, too?”
“I swear we haven’t!” Janice held both her hands in the air. “I haven’t spoken to the devil since before your mother passed.”
With concern on her face and anger in her heart, LB headed down stairs with Janice directly on her heels.
She was eager to see who was waiting for her from Bellerose and even more annoyed that her father had the nerve to send anyone to hunt for her.
She hadn’t spoken to him since her mother’s funeral and vowed to never speak to him again. So someone from his company being there to see her was an uncanny surprise.
“Who do you think it is?” Janice asked.
“I have no idea,” LB replied. “Whoever it is must be someone who doesn’t know our relationship because they would have never come here.”
The elevator stopped and LB felt like her heart would stop, too. She dreaded stepping into the lobby and seeing her father standing there because there was no telling how she may have reacted if it were him.
After the way he treated her and her mother and pushed them out of Bellerose to claim everything for himself, she wanted to kill him herself.
“Moment of truth.” Janice took a deep breath.
The doors slid open, revealing a tall and nicely built man standing in front of Amy’s desk with his back turned. He wore a very elegant suit with shiny loafers and his cologne could be smelled from miles away. LB’s heart raced in her chest as she made her way over to greet him, and the closer she got, the faster it ran.
When she got to him, there was a subtle familiarity from behind.
She feared to speak at first. And she didn’t have to. The man felt her presence and turned to face her.
When he did, both of their eyes widened in disbelief.
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