"I will do it"
The most beautiful lady I have ever met walks into my office,wearing a blue mini gown hugging her curves,with a v-neck line that showed a decent amount of cleavage.
She paired it with a pair of gold drop earrings and a gold necklace...
"Leon, this branch will be shut down till further notice," I said as I slid into the back seat. "Call HR and start the staffing process immediately. And get PR on the phone—I want the right statement out."
He nodded, already typing furiously on his phone.
"Oh, and let head of HR know I need new managers."
"Managers?" he repeated, pausing mid-text. Even Kathani turned to look at me.
"Yes. Managers," I said calmly.
Leon hesitated, then sighed. "Miss Kohen, I know I've failed you badly. I'm disappointed in myself, truly. And I know you have no reason to trust me but—"
"Leon," I cut in, laughing softly. "Relax. I'm not firing you."
The relief on his face was instant.
"All of this just made me realize something," I continued. "Your workload is insane. You can't realistically oversee everything alone. So we'll appoint regional managers—people who report directly to you. It adds a layer, sure, but it also keeps things from slipping through the cracks."
He nodded slowly, understanding settling in.
"Can we go now?" I asked Kathani.
She nodded, and Leon shut the door behind me.
Back at the hotel, I changed quickly, trading the stiffness of the day for something lighter. I didn't want to think about the store anymore. I had interviews to get through, and pretending everything was fine was practically second nature at this point.
Vogue was fun—surprisingly so. Matthew and I took a lie detector test that had everyone laughing, and Never Have I Ever turned mildly chaotic very quickly. IMDb followed, and before I knew it, we were back at the hotel preparing for The Tonight Show.
By the time we arrived, I felt that familiar switch flip inside me—the one that knew exactly when to smile, when to speak, when to lean in and when to pull back.
Jimmy introduced us one by one, and of course, I ended up first.
"Why does it always have to be me?" I groaned dramatically, earning laughter from everyone on stage.
He asked about working with the cast, and for once, the answer came easily. It really had been a good set. Safe. Supportive. Rare.
When he asked about my favorite scenes, I didn't hesitate.
"All my scenes with Ethan," I said, pulling Jaxon into a hug. "He was absolutely adorable, and honestly, pivotal to the entire story."
"And your worst?" Jimmy pressed.
"All my scenes with Bradon Collins," I shot back, and the room erupted.
"Because Jake Miller played him?" Jimmy teased.
"No," I said immediately. "Not Jake. The character."
The laughter softened when I mentioned the assault scene. Even now, thinking about it made my chest tighten.
"It felt real," I admitted. "And that's what made it hard. Not because I've experienced anything like that, but because women do—every day. And Lynnette never really recovers from it, because in real life... you don't."
The room went quiet for a moment, heavy but respectful.
The interview wrapped up soon after, and by the time I got back to the hotel, exhaustion settled deep into my bones.
The next day came faster than I wanted.
I flew back to LA and headed straight to the office instead of Malibu. Work didn't pause just because I was tired.
Kathani waited outside my room, already on her phone as usual. Leon handled the logistics while we made our way out, and by midday, I was sitting through meetings, reviewing designs, discussing launches, and catching up on everything I'd missed while I was in Rome.
By the time I finally left, it was well past nine.
At home, I ordered food because the idea of cooking felt impossible. I ate on the couch, half-watching TV, half-staring into space. Eventually, even that felt like too much.
Upstairs, I showered, changed into my pajamas, and opened my laptop, determined to go through my emails.
I didn't get far.
The words blurred together, and my body gave up before my mind could. I shut the laptop, turned off the lights, and let sleep take me—knowing tomorrow would demand just as much.
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