Something Else

Some days later, I was in the back of an Uber car, on my way to Manhattan and on my way to Steven. I’d grown impatient being without him and I was just dying to pounce on him and kiss him a million times. The last few days had been really good; taking care of things at the shop, bringing my dad his famous Panera lunch that he was obsessed with, and flashing my pink diamond ring off any chance I got. Nicole had Cam and a couple of our shop’s new hires, Dana and Jasmine, to help out while I was gone. This was kind of the first real test for them since Nicole knew that as the days went on, were days closer to me moving to New York.
My love affair for the city intensified more and more each time I came here. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was; the rush of the people, the fashion, the passion of the city, it could’ve been anything. Sometimes it was the simple fact that it wasn’t California. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and grew accustomed to the life it brought me. New York was a change. And, I was yearning for that oh so desperately.

The driver stopped in front of Steven’s building, helping me out and giving me my bags before taking the tip I had for him and driving off. I buzzed at the front door and he responded a moment later with a simple greeting, “Guess who?” I said with a smile in my voice, hearing excitement in his as he quickly buzzed me in and told me to hurry up. I went up the elevator and it seemed like I ran to his front door, knocking repeatedly.

A moment later, Steven opened the door and rushed to pick me up into his arms, kissing my face, my beck, and shoulders. It’d been too long, it seemed. Once he let me down, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him gently on his lips. “Baby, I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Bonnie. Jesus Christ,” He paused momentarily and took a step back, looking at me, physically unable to stop smiling. “You are a knockout.” He went to me again and kissed me passionately. “Here, let me get your bags.” He had my hand and never let go as he grabbed my bag with his empty hand. He was eager to get me inside so we could just live with one another for at least a week, that’s all the both of us wanted.

Once I unpacked and settled in a little bit, Steven and I were laying on the couch, my legs on his lap and us just catching up with one another. It’s just not the same telling stories over FaceTime or on a phone call on lunch breaks and the time zones completely suck, too. I missed him, I missed him a lot. I missed his presence, his scent, the light gravel in his voice, how sleepy he got on long work days. I missed his smile, those eyes of the bluest skies that he’s got, his touch. More than anything, I was completely drawn to him and it became apparent to me that nothing, no matter the circumstance, could stand in the way of that.

Steven cooked me a wonderful dinner that night. It made me happy seeing him work hard in the kitchen and carry on never-ending conversations with me about work, the shop, how much he loved me. We were getting into the right swing of things here in the city, together. It was beginning to feel like a whole new life for us. He was running a firm here, on his own, and I, well, I was visiting for a week. But god, I really felt like being here and having this life mapped out with him. The thought alone made my heart skip beats, the thought alone felt right.

After dinner, we were on the roof-top patio, underneath swell lighting, chatting some more over wine. He was studying me as I flipped through the latest issue of the Bible — also known as Vogue to us fashion girls. Like usual, I had a black inked pen in my hand and I was circling items and fashion moments that caught my eye, that made me swoon. He knew, as did most people in my life, that this was my process. It’s just what I’ve always done.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you in person who I met about a week and a half ago…” Steven trailed off, earning my attention immediately and in addition to a cocked brow.

I took a sip of my sweet white wine, “Who?” I kept wondering if it were the President on the street, or a celebrity to even, Rachel McAdams, because he was obsessed with her and always had been.

“Someone you might know of named Tonne Goodman.”

My mouth dropped and my eyes widened, my arm reached out and squeezed his shoulder and I was in shock. “Tonne Goodman? Tonne Goodman, the fashion director of Vogue!” I exclaimed, holding up the issue of the very magazine of the person he had met in front of his face. He nodded simply, a smirk tugging on his lips as he sipped on his wine. “How?!” I questioned, starstruck by my boyfriend that he met someone who was so engulfed in the very world I had dreamt of being part of my entire life. She was a major key player in Anna Wintour’s camp, and also to the magazine. I mean, come on, she says what fashion goes into that magazine. She was practically a Duchess since Anna was the Queen.

“Well, I was at the office, getting ready for this meeting since we were basically getting interviewed by this one company, I didn’t know who until she said her name, to represent them in case any legal issues pop up in their future. So, I’m at my desk and then our assistant comes in and knocks on the door, saying that they are here. So, Tonne walks in with some important people from Vogue’s camp, whom I found out are the assistants to Anna and also the senior business directors, Christine Guercio and Meridith Haines, and we introduce ourselves. They mention that they are from Vogue and it’s going incredibly well, laughing and getting along, me understanding exactly what we’re there to do if the time ever comes for legal battles. So then, she notices this photo of you and I on my desk — the one from the company Christmas party last year where you were wearing that —“

“—Gold sequined Badgley Mischka gown, yes.” I interrupted him, begging him to continue on with this incredible story.

“So, she asks who that, and I quote, ‘Gorgeous girl in the Mischka gown is’. I laugh a little and say, ‘Oh, that’s my girlfriend, Bonnie. She sure looked beautiful that night,’ and so on and so forth. She looks around and then sees all these other pictures of you and I and she said that you have quite the eye for fashion. I happen to mention that fashion is basically the only reason you wake up in the morning and that you and your best friend just opened up this vintage shop in LA and that you two run a fashion blog and everything. Bonnie, she asked me to pull the blog up on my computer.”

My eyes could have popped out and fell down to the concrete on the streets of New York, I was internally screaming. “What?!”

“Yes!” He nodded. “So of course, I have the goddamn fashion director of Vogue sitting in my chair and Anna Wintour’s assistants there as well, what am I going to do, just ignore that? Absolutely not. So, I show her the site and she’s obsessed with it, baby. She absolutely loved it. And she thinks you and Nicole are the cutest ever. She’s a fan, baby. So, she subscribes to the blog — she did it right in front of me — and she’s going on and on about wanting to meet the two of you…” He paused, wondering if I was going to say anything in response, but I couldn’t.

“How fast can Nicole get out here and the four of us go to lunch?”

———
After a red eye flight and what seemed like twelve buzzes coming from the door, Steven opened his door and in ran Nicole with a suitcase and Cam rolling in after her. Her eyes were wide and she kept going on and on about Vogue and that she brought so many clothes because she had to look amazing and if she could use my curling iron — she was going a mile a minute. Cam shot Steven and I a look that she’d been talking nonstop since I had originally called her so I took it as my cue to step in and calm her down. This was huge, but essentially, this meeting didn’t mean anything. She was just someone who liked our blog and our ideas — she could just be a fan, as delusional as that sounds. But nonetheless, this was fucking Vogue we were talking about. They could hand us a sticker that says Vogue on it and I’d die happily.

“Nic, hey, hey.” I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her from pacing a hole in Steven’s hardwood floors. I giggled, “Calm down. Relax.” I shot Steven a look and he was already on the move to pouring a glass of wine for her to relax her. “We have to go into this cool and collected, Nicole. And also, to not get our hopes up. We don’t know what this means, so we just have to take it in strides and enjoy the moment. Also, Vogue is Steven’s client now. So, business as usual. But, our version of business. The fun business.” I winked and she nodded, laughing.

“Yeah, be yourselves. It’s gotten you two this far.” Steven added, handed the both of us glasses of wine and giving us reassuring smiles to help ease the nerves that were internally present, but not being shown.

We both nodded and sipped on the beverage, taking it all in. We were just meeting Tonne, nothing more. Maybe we’d become good friends with her and then meet the Queen herself, Anna Wintour, and go to fashion shows all the time or something? You never know.

Notes

Oh hiiiii, I'm back with a small little filler. Currently writing the next one.

What do y'all think about the little bits on information in this chapter? Could new opportunities arise for Nicole and Bonnie? Also, it seems as if she Bonnie's emotions for Steven are getting intensified as they are apart. They do they absence makes the heart grow fonder.

As always, leave your questions, comments, and concerns below!

Thank you for reading :)

XO,
Amber