Esmeralda frowned, annoyance flickering across her face, but she had no choice but to turn around.
Lucy was already hurrying toward her. "There you are! Come in, it''s cold outside."
"No, I can''t. I have something I need to do."
She tried to leave, but Lucy just smiled, catching her by surprise. "Isn''t that ''something'' talking to me about your wedding dress? I figured you''d want to discuss your ideas."
Esmeralda stopped in her tracks, startled. “Excuse me?"
Lucy let out a small, carefulugh, her eyes unreadable, lips forcing a polite curve. "You didn''t know? I''m going to be the one designing your dress and my brother''s suit. Since I''m a bridal designer, your mother thought I''d be perfect for it. She''s already put me in charge.”
The absurdity struck Esmeralda all at once.
Her rival was going to design her wedding dress?
Was this supposed to pierce her heart even deeper?
"No." Her voice was firm. She turned away, wanting to get as much distance as possible.
But Fleming was suddenly there, cutting off her escape. "Your mom talked to me today. The dress has to be settled, and the task is already Lucy''s."
Esmeralda looked at him, her jaw clenched. "Are you worried Lucy will be overworked?"
Or did he just think Lucy was being mistreated by all this?
Fleming caught the sharp edge in her question-an edge left over from the fight they''d had the night before, clearly still unresolved.
He met her stare without flinching. "If you didn''t want to bother her, then maybe you shouldn''t have told your mother Lucy was a bridal designer."
After all, only Esmeralda knew about Lucy''s job her mother didn''t have a clue. If Esmeralda had kept quiet, there wouldn''t be this mess right now.
Esmeralda could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Me?"
Did Fleming really think she''d set this up-to make things difficult for Lucy? Was that why Lucy looked so ufortable just now?
Lucy hurried to break the tension. "Don''t worry, it''s my profession. Esmeralda,e inside. Let me take your measurements. You can tell me all the things you like- make sure you get a dress you love."
She reached out, touching Fleming''s arm lightly—a casual gesture, but it felt deeply intimate to Esmeralda.
Esmeralda saw it, felt the sting of their closeness. So now, their disagreements needed Lucy to step in as the mediator? And Fleming..... he was willing to ept her.
Fleming just watched Esmeralda in silence. In his mind, Esmeralda was beingpletely unreasonable.
Lucy had neverpeted with her for anything, and he had never once said the wedding was off. But the way Esmeralda kept going behind his back meeting with his father, making a fuss over the dress it was just too much.
Esmeralda clenched her fists, wordless for a long moment. Then, abruptly, she lifted her gaze to Lucy. "Fine. If I''m the one who asked you to design the dress, then I guess you''d better make it perfect."
The verdict was in. If that''s what Fleming wanted to believe, then fighting, crying, or exining herself would only make her look worse.
Why give them more fuel? If Lucy wanted to design the dress, she could have at it.
Lucy clearly hadn''t expected this sort of reply from Esmeralda, who had always been so brash and outspoken. She paused, taking her in for a second or two before nodding. "Alright."
Esmeralda turned her eyes on Fleming. The unfairness of it all overwhelmed her; she wanted to upend the entire scene right in front
of him to take aim at the one person who actually cared. "Since you''re both here and this is all about wedding attire anyway-there are so many suits in the showroom. Why don''t you join me and try a few on?”
Lucy faltered, hesitating ever so slightly at the invitation.
Esmeralda kept her gaze fixed on Fleming, daring him to respond. Lucy, clearly not wanting to get caught in the middle, quietly turned away, ready to leave them alone.
Fleming kept his eyes locked on Esmeralda. Suddenly, he understood—she was acting out. His tone was cold as he shot back, “Didn''t you wanted to call off the arrangement?"