ONCE MORE, WITH YOU

XI

Summer Preston

"I don't think my arms can hold any more bags!" Nolan groaned dramatically behind Adrianna and me, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"We only have a few more stores left to hit!" I replied cheerfully, brushing off his complaint as I stepped into Louis Vuitton.

"A few more?" he groaned. "Why do you guys need so many clothes anyway?"

I turned and gave him an incredulous look. "We're going to LA, Nolan. Obviously we need this many clothes. What do you expect us to do—pack light?"

Adrianna giggled beside me, her arms laden with shopping bags that Nolan had yet to take from her. Meanwhile, I was already eyeing the luggage display near the front of the store.

Currently, the three of us were deep into a shopping spree. Well, Adrianna and I were shopping. Nolan had been reduced to our unofficial bag carrier—and, judging by his dramatic sighs, he was taking his new role very seriously.

To be fair, we already had our premiere outfits picked out, but you can never be too prepared. We needed backup outfits, casual options, accessories—the works. What if something didn't fit quite right? Or worse, what if someone else wore the same thing? A nightmare like that could only be avoided with options.

"Which suitcase do you like better?" I asked Adrianna, holding up two options—a sleek pink hard-shell and a minimalist blue one.

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "The pink one, definitely. It's cute. You should get the matching duffle bag too."

"You read my mind," I said with a grin, scanning the store for Nolan. I spotted him lounging on one of the plush chairs in the corner, sipping a flute of their complimentary champagne.

"Maybe we should've brought the drivers inside to help him with the bags," I said, pointing toward him.

"He'll survive," Adrianna replied breezily, tossing another shopping bag in his direction. Nolan groaned as it landed on top of the pile already towering over him.

We wrapped up at Louis Vuitton and moved on to Chanel, Zara, and Cartier. By the time we finally left, it felt like we had purchased half of the inventory from every store on Rodeo Drive.

The premiere was just a week and a half away, and I wanted to make sure I had everything I could possibly need. Clothes, shoes, toiletries—you name it. Adrianna and Nolan had their teams to help them prep for the event, but I preferred to handle these details myself. If you want something done right, you do it yourself.

When we finally got home, I staggered through the door, balancing what felt like twenty shopping bags on each arm. Nolan trailed behind, looking like he might collapse at any moment. Adrianna was too busy texting to notice anything.

"Did I need most of this stuff?" I muttered to myself as I dumped the bags onto the floor. "Probably not. Did I want it? Absolutely."

After all, money does buy happiness. I don't care what anyone says.

I carried everything upstairs, one trip at a time, and began unpacking. I laid it all out on my bed: designer dresses, heels that sparkled in the light, skincare products with names I could barely pronounce, and, of course, my new pink suitcase and matching duffle. It was a sight to behold—like a mini department store had exploded in my room.

As I started packing, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. The premiere was so close, and this trip to LA was going to be everything. For now, though, I had one job: get organized. Or at least, pretend to.