7

Lend-A-Hand

I called Marco to come over so we can speak, so now I was in the living room with Amber, Sofia, and Brian—who was barely around because he was the one who managed the fabric—waiting for him to come.

"This is going to be the most glamorous fashion show to ever exist," Amber says before she sips her coffee.

And it's true, after a few months of planning the fashion show with my team, I was confident this would be the most amazing one yet. This year we were partnering with Vogue since we were featured in their magazine. Attendees from Paris and from Korea who are invested in Fasho's and Vogue's upcoming collection are making an appearance as well.

"I'm glad we got Brittney Escovedo's event production agency, Beyond 8, to work with our team," Sofia says. "They sure know how to plan a fashion show the way we ask them to."

"I can't wait to see Jacob Elordi at the show, I love every other celebrity, but I love him," Amber says with dreamy eyes.

Some celebrities will attend, and their seating arrangements have already been placed beforehand. In the fashion world, New York is one of the big four that get the most attention as well as big crowds, so we need to get everything down to perfection. Everything was planned down to who our models will be, our model agents Amelia and Gwen have recruited them. Since it was fashion week our models have to travel from place to place, so that nothing falls out of place and causes chaos for the shows scheduled afterward, they were under a strict schedule to make it on time.

Our event coordinators hired servers to serve cocktails before the show, as well as coordinated permits and lighting and hired dressers. Our beauty department will offer some makeup samples as well as hair products to give the attendees the right vibe before the show begins. As the director of Fasho, I worked with my designers: Amber, Sofia, Yufei, and Kevin to put together an amazing show, pick the music, and logistics.

"Did you get an outfit?" Sofia asks me. I shook my head.

"Why not?" Amber asks me now.

"I was planning to just put on a decent dress and stay backstage working with our team to make sure everything stays in place."

The girls look at each other, Brian just shrugs and scrolls through his phone. Amber looks at me. "You have to look glamorous, for your speech after the show."

I mean she's right about that, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was just anxious about the whole event. We couldn't be late, it had to be under the perfect time. We were on a tight schedule. One wrong move and we'll ruin it for the other designers in Los Angles.

"How about you buy me a dress," I say. "And I'll wear it for the show." They looked at me like I was reasonable.

"Sounds good," Sofia says and the two girls stand up. "We're going to make you look like the most gorgeous director ever."

They walk away and I look at Brian. "Can you do me a favor?" He looks up and nods. Brian was like a bear, buff, but kind and very soft-hearted.

"Can you email Amelia and Gwen to expect an email from me tonight?" He nods and goes back to his phone to email them. "Thanks, I'll be in my office if you need me."

He glances up with a small smile, and I make my way to my home office to email them.

My job as the director of Fasho was to leave everyone with a good impression. They'll look forward to the next fashion show, for our next collection, and the events we have shortly. This is why I'm ending the event with small gift bags.

It's been a while but I'm sure that my brother is probably close by. The other day when we were going to the Prada fashion show I felt it was the virtuous thing to talk to him, his sudden visits seem extraneous. I had to make sure he was alright and in the right headspace. He seemed rather dissimilar.

When he came, his friend wasn't with him, which was probably a good thing. Marco walks into my office, closes the door behind him, and sits down with a playful smile on his face. Everything was all jokes and humor for him nowadays. Before he used to be so mature and serious, now he's free and loose. The two things I'm not sure I am myself.

I guess New York's ambiance soaked into him and now he's a true new yorker. Everyone here had a free spirit, they ran through street lights, they made noise, and they spoke their heart out. No one cared about what others had to presume about them. I was fascinated and yet surprised by all of it.

They were all diehard livers, no one had time to just exist.

"So what's up?" He says and sits with his legs hanging over the arm of the chair. I looked at him like our mother looked at him, like he was a child and he was about to get lectured.

"What's going on?"

He snorts and then settles with an amused smile to show that what I just asked was preposterous. It wasn't, I was honestly curious as to what made his reality shift. I knew there was something different in the air whenever he came around. He stunk up the place with his problems following him behind as he walked.

"Nothing." He continues humorously.

I roll my chair closer to my desk and rest my elbows on it. I look at him with a flat expression, showing him that I wasn't in any mood to kid around. He looks at me and swings his legs off the arm of the chair to face me. His face got serious. By and by, he was getting the message.

"It's nothing to worry about, you know how Padre can be." So this was about Javier. I'm not surprised, there was always something going on with those two.

"What happened?"

"He doesn't approve of my soccer dreams," he starts. "I was planning on starting my soccer team, with Alexander, but he says that it's a waste of time and I just don't know how to do it if he starts cutting me off." And then he adds in an angered Italian rush, "Modo di essere solidale con tuo figlio, tss."

Alexander, was that his friend's name?

"Cutting you off, like financially?" He nods. "But don't you make enough money from your company?"

He nods again. "I do, but once I started thinking of my soccer team I had to use some of the money to build a place with a soccer field," he says. "I could wait to build the same amount again, but that'll take a while and I don't want to hold back on my plans anymore."

"Some, how much is some?"

He rubs his hand over his face. "Like half, or half of half of half."

"What?"

"A lot."

"Alright," I nod slowly in thought. "Look, don't worry about our father, I can help you out. Just give me until after the fashion show, okay?"

He looks at me in surprise, like I wasn't capable of being helpful. "What?"

He blinks and shakes his head. "You would do that?"

I nod. "Yeah, why wouldn't I? As your older sister, I brought you to New York, and I'm here for you no matter what. And as far as I know, I make my own money, I don't rely on our parents, even though if they insist."

"Wow, thanks, I appreciate it," he says and pauses. "But just know, I wasn't going to ask you for help."

I tilt my head. "Then why do you keep coming over? Not that I don't like you around, but you could be immature."

He smirks and gives me a knowing look. "Well, Alexander has a thing for you, and I want to see you more. We're family in the same city and we never talk. That's sad, don't you think?"

I shrug. "It is, but I thought you were as busy as me."

So his name was Alexander, huh? No, no, don't consume your mind with his name.

"So you're aware that he walked into my room when I was in a towel?"

He raptures in a fit of laughter, and I blush just thinking about the memory. The way Alexander touched me, took my breath away. How did he do that? When Liam touched me, which wasn't much, I only felt small sensations.

"No, but I could already imagine you reacting dramatically." He puts his hands up in a feminine way. "Oh my gosh, get out, what are you doing, I'm in a towel you creep. I'll call my bulter on you."

I roll my eyes and lean back. "I don't have a bulter, George acts like one at times, but no, I don't have one," I say then a thought came to mind. "Why don't you come to our fashion show?"

He nods. "Yeah why not, I like seeing how your work comes out. I'm honestly proud of you, Sorella."

I offer him a small smile. "Thanks, the fashion industry is hard, but it's one I'm in love with. I know our mother is somewhat offended I refused to take her spot in her company, but we had different kinds of ideas."

He nods, it was clear he understood where I was coming from. Javier always told him that though his company is doing good, he preferred him working with him. But Marco and I have our own visions. We weren't meant to follow people, we were meant to lead and change our family's history.

Our parents don't understand that.

"Thanks, again for the offer," Marco says as he stands up. I stand up with him and make my way over to him. He lifts his arms offering me a hug. I hugged him, and then I showed him to the elevator.

"Do you need a ride?" He shakes his head.

"I have a car, you know I'm a boss too." I roll my eyes. What does being a boss have to do with having a ride? The elevator dings and he gets in when the doors glide open.

"Addio Fratello," I say with a wave.

"Addio Sorella."