Page 322 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

the sins of his soul shadowing him.

He disgusts me.

“You’re a real asshole.”

A smug, dead-eyed grin splits his face. “Ayuh. A copper-plated, grade-A bastard,” he grumbles, rolling the chair back under his desk, “spendin’ my mornin’ cleanin’ up another one of your messes before I gotta prepare for the label’s Christmas party tonight.”

He glances up at me and taps his finger against the desk. “Speakin’ of, wear the red dress for me?”

“Fuck you.”

He returns to his screen. “I’ll bring the car around at eight. Be ready. There’s a special Christmas gift I have planned.”

A short breath leaves me,

half of a laugh born from his audacity.

“Can’t wait. I’ll see you at the event.

“With my date.”

The blue light from his screen bounces off his amused expression. “Boys ain’t dates, baby. They’re props.”

I smile. “Not this one.”

His eyes shift fast,

his smirk wiped clean in a heartbeat.

I stand to leave.

“It’s gonna be a magical fuckin’ night.”

// 12:02 AM - VALENCE MODELS - NOMAD, NYC //

At Valence Models, silver garland wraps every railing and fake snow’s sprayed across black marble floors.

An intern with an empty gaze is hot-gluing rhinestones onto a six-foot nutcracker, humming while Mariah Carey’s whistle notes ring throughout the hollow building for the millionth time.

I’m elbow-deep in a rack of men’s shirts, lost in thought, wondering if inviting Andrew tonight is my worst idea yet (coming from the girl who literally modified AI Brooke’s voice to sound like Mom’s—a hack so successful I can’t talk to her without crying, so we ain’t talking at all now.)

Celie follows behind me, catching every hanger I toss over my head into her arm. “Nah. What’s wrong with this one?” she says, trying to hold up the navy shirt against her chest.

I squint. “It’s too boxy.”

I grab another shirt.

Too short.

Andrew’s not bulky, not a gym-bro inflated steroid balloon animal. He’s lean muscle stretched tight over bone.

Built for fucking.

For throwing punches.

For ruining my standards.

About the same size as half the models in here, but somehow I’m striking out.