ONCE MORE, WITH YOU

XXII

Summer Preston

"I think Solené won me over after hearing that!" Adrianna said, making me chuckle.

"I agree. That was the cutest way to ask someone out," Nolan added, munching on Doritos.

"I wasn't expecting it at all," I admitted. "Mostly because I overthink everything. But part of me felt like it was too soon somehow."

Adrianna shook her head. "You forget how much history you two have. Love doesn't wait for anyone. If you're in love after two weeks, your feelings are still valid. Honestly, I think even when you two were apart, you were still in love. That's what makes it so special."

"Wow, bro's being inspirational. This is new," Nolan said with a smirk, making me laugh.

"Right! First time I've heard you talk like that. Everything okay, Adri?" I teased, raising a playful eyebrow.

"I hate both of you," she said, rolling her eyes and sipping her iced coffee. "I'm never giving advice again."

"Don't be such a Debbie Downer!" Nolan joked, ruffling her hair.

Adrianna grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him, knocking the Doritos out of his hand. The chips spilled all over the floor.

"Sorry, Summer!" they said in unison, staring at the mess covering my rug.

"You two are like children," I muttered, shaking my head. I grabbed the broom, dustpan, and vacuum cleaner, then handed them over.

"Not my mess, so make sure my rug's spotless," I said, patting their shoulders.

I walked away before they could protest, listening to their bickering as I headed upstairs. Once in my room, I flopped onto my bed and started scrolling through apps. After a few minutes, I called Solené.

The phone rang a few times before she answered. "This is Solené. Who's calling?"

I frowned. "Your girlfriend?"

"Oh, sorry, baby. I didn't check who it was."

"It's okay. Are you busy right now?"

"I'm never busy for you. Give me a second to step out."

"It's fine. We can talk later—"

"Summer, I'm never too busy for you," she said firmly. I heard her yell for her team to take a ten-minute break.

"I'm back," she said with a sigh.

"Hi, pretty. Are you okay? You sound stressed," I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

"I'm okay. It's just... nothing's going as planned today. Everything's a mess, and you know how I am about sticking to schedules."

"I do. What's going on?"

"One of the new hires didn't split the potential models into age groups. The younger girls are intimidated by the older ones, and I can tell it's affecting their confidence. On top of that, no one on my team handled the interviews, which is crucial. I need to see their passion for modeling before we sign anyone."

"I'm sorry you're dealing with all this."

"I feel like I've taken on too much. I clearly need a more competent team."

"Are the girls still there?"

"Yes, I sent them on a lunch break so I could figure this out."

"I can come help."

"Thank you, but I couldn't ask that of you."

"You're not asking—I'm offering."

"I know, but you've got your own projects. You mentioned thinking about directing another movie, and I don't want to—"