Page 24 of Softest Touch

“I see...” I glance at my watch. “We'd better go, or we'll be late for the meeting.” I grab my jacket and walk toward the door, opening it for her.

“I'm happy for you.” Her mischievous smile says it all.

Cocking an eyebrow at her, I ask, “For what?”

“Even if you don't admit it, you already know the answer to the question you asked me.”

Busted! “Maybe...” I wink at her as I see Melinda storm down the hallway, upset and eyes glued to her iPad.

I step in front of her and grab her shoulders to prevent her from falling. “Mel, are you alright?”

She shakes her head, “We have a problem in Seattle, and they want you.”

“Come on! Now what?” I growl in frustration. It seems like this week will be the death of me. There's always something to fix or solve. Is it too much to ask for a little respite?

She leans her forehead on my chest, taking a deep breath. “They're waiting for you tomorrow to discuss some topics in person. They didn't even want to listen to me.”

Damn it. It was hard enough to celebrate Christmas and New Year's. I wanted to plan a week off for us, and now this will ruin everything. “Okay, we'll go together. I won't leave you alone.”

She looks up at me, “No, Derek, I have to stay here. We have meetings, and the new suppliers will be here. We have the parade in less than two months, and we're behind schedule because of me.”

“It's not your fault, honey.” I gently peck her lips. “There have been so many changes at WC, and now we're ready to roll, but you can't feel guilty about it.”

“Yes, but…”

“No buts. Now we'll go to the meeting. I promised you everything will be okay, and so it will be.”

“I love you,” she mouths. I find it so endearing when she does this. It's no secret that we're a couple and she's mine, but she still wants to keep things professional at work.

I don't.

I mean, why should I? If someone has something to say, then I can hold the door open for them. This is my company, and I don't want to hide.

“Okay,” she pivots and reaches her hand out as Lizzie, our personal assistant, waves a folder. “I'll wait for you in the meeting room.”

“We're coming,” I call out while turning to look at Sienna. “I'll need your help.”

Curiosity appears on her face. “Okay…”

I explain what I have in mind, and she agrees to help me. Even if I'll be in Seattle, I want to make sure the surprise I've planned for Melinda won't be ruined.

During the meeting, I watch Melinda expertly explain the graphics and engage with the teams. I am incredibly proud of her for overcoming her fears and flourishing in her new role. I still remember when she returned to work a few months ago, initially apprehensive about my offer to work alongside me, not as my assistant but as a stylist and partner. Her innovative and out-of-the-box ideas are extraordinary, as are our collaborative sketches. Together, we have doubled the output of the autumn collection for July.

Despite the additional workload, Melinda insists on taking care of everything, allowing me the time to focus on my creative process. She constantly pushes me to improve and expand my creative horizons, even encouraging me to design for a broader range of sizes. Her influence on our marketing and design teams is unmistakable, and I genuinely enjoy witnessing her assertive attitude in action.

Seeing Melinda happy and finally pursuing her passion inspires me even more. It's as if she has discovered my hidden creative switch and turned it on.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MELINDA

I could have resolved the Seattle issue myself without any problem, but I needed to find a way to distract Derek. He had been by my side during the worst period of my life, and I wanted to do something special for him. However, having him with me every day limited my planning abilities, and I was running out of excuses for being late or missing meetings.

Knocking on James's office door, he gestures for me to enter. As he finishes his phone call, I glance at some pictures on the wall.

“Here I am.” James stands up. “It's strange to see you in my office.”

“Right? You're too far away from us.” I smile while sitting on the sofa. “So, without beating around the bush, I'm here because I need your help.”