Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 61

Cora's

POV

I wake up to a room full of people, all staring at me. I slowly sit up and see that I am on the sofa in the dressing area. Eric is sitting at the other end of the couch with my legs lying across his lap and watching me. Franco is sitting on the arm of the couch, next to Eric, also looking at me. Iris and Livi are both near me, Iris on the floor in front of me, and Livi on the arm of the couch nearest my head and she had been stroking my hair. I felt it when I woke up. Mateo was sitting in the chair across from me and holding Ella in his lap. No one was speaking. "Are you OK Cora? You scared us to death?" Livia told me.

"Yes, I almost passed out too when I went backstage and saw that you laid out in Eric's arms," Iris told me.

"Yes, thank God, Eric caught you when you fainted, on this cement floor, you could have gotten really hurt," Mateo told me.

"Yes, I am really glad Eric was right next to you, I was further back from you, and I could not have reached you in time. Are you OK baby girl?" Franco asked me.

I am fine, I just got overwhelmed. Why does Maddie hate me so much? She had really lost her mind. I have no idea why she would be so hateful to me. I have never done anything to her, ever, she has always been the aggressor, always". I told them and shook my head.

"It is because Collin cares about you baby girl. I don't know what was going on, but that was the face of a man that was being torn in half. He tried to come to you when you passed out, and Dalton and Nicolas had to hold him back. Maddie got even madder about that. I actually feel bad for Collin, she is probably still yelling at him right now", Eric tells me.

"Yes, he wanted to come to you, but the guys held him back and said something to him and he stopped fighting them, and then left with Maddie. Ava and Marlowe wanted to stay with you too, but Livi and I told them that we had you. Just in case we needed to take you to the hospital or something, but Eric knew to put your legs up. You have never fainted in your life, Cora, you need to take it easier, and to pay attention to the cues that your body is giving you." Iris told me and then leaned forward to hug me. "How long was I out?" I asked them. "About 3 to 4 minutes total," Eric told me.

"I will take it easier. I have been working on some hard cases, the ones where the investors need someone to think outside of the box for them, and I have actually been working some really long hours. I have them all done now and, thankfully, all of my clients are pleased with where they are. I will be getting regular cases from now on until they get another tough one that they will need me to handle. So, for the next little bit, I will have a lot easier time of it. I was just feeling pressure to show Jerry and Alderidge that I was worth the risk that they took on me, and to thank them for letting me work from home, so I could avoid Collin, and Maddie, at work. Mateo, seriously, if she is going to cause you problems, I would rather you make her the dress as she requested". I told Mateo. "No Cora, you are my friend, and I won't do anything to hurt you. Maddie has an inflated opinion of her value. She can't ruin me; she just thinks she is more important than she really is. Plus, I like to build for curves, and she has none. I have no interest at all in trying to make such an evil person look good", Mateo said to me.

"I agree she cannot really hurt Mateo. I don't know exactly what was going on, but something was clearly not right with what I just saw out there. Even Collin's, mom, and Ava were looking at him suspiciously and that is why they followed the group out. I know that Marlowe is going to be getting to the bottom of whatever it is because she just started watching Collin trying to get to you, and then over at Maddie, who was completely furious at him, for trying to get to you. It was clear to anyone present that he didn't care about Maddie or comforting her but was worried sick about you fainting. I have to admit, I am even confused as to what is going on with them. It doesn't even make sense", Livi tells me.

"I am done with them both. I won't allow myself to get tricked by them again. I am just going to work and keep my focus on work until I get past this. I got over Michael, and Michael was a sweetheart to me, so hopefully, I will be able to get past Collin too. I know that the people that I can depend on are basically all in this room, as well as my parents, Marlowe, Aldridge, Michael and Ava, Nicolas and Dalton, and Catherine. My group is small for the people I love", I told them and made a little whimper thinking of love and Collin, because I do love him, very much. I don't know what is going on either, but it doesn't matter, I can only take so much, so I need to guard my own heart. Second Saturday of December

Resort wear fashion show

I have spent the last month and a half working hard and spending time with my parents and getting some early Christmas shopping done with Iris and Livi. I have gotten several new accounts in this timeframe, and I am glad that they were all really happy with the work I did for them as well. Each one of my five new clients had referred me to their friends. I received five more bonus accounts very quickly after that. I also had two of the three difficult cases also refer clients to me as well, and I am now working on those new cases. I am super happy that they love how we have set up their investments for them and liked what I did enough that they are referring me to their friends as a trusted consultant. So, I have really been working hard, and with great results. I have been exhausted for the last month, but I am getting stuff done.

I am now heading to the warehouse as we are getting ready for the last show of the year. I saw the December copy of Vogue at the local drug store when I was picking up some antacids. I have been having really bad indigestion lately, and I needed to grab some more as it was getting worse, and not better. I checked out the magazine on the way to the show and I have to say that the photographer did an excellent job, and, of course, our dream team: Eric and Franco, always make us look stunning too. The spread looked great, and Mateo had his picture in the article as well, and the interviewer really showed us in a very favorable light. In fact, thirty extra chairs were added to this show to where they were also in front of the stage today. A raised area right in the middle, dead in front of the end of the runway, had been cleared for the photographers to use to take their pictures, as well as on both corners, at the front of the stage, had also been made with raised platforms for the photographers. It was the biggest show that Mateo had ever had, and there was excitement in the air. He and Ella had both been working hard on it and two more girls had been added. Mateo needed a size ten and a size fourteen for the show and Ava had mentioned Michael's girlfriend, Sadie was a size ten and she was interested in giving it a shot. She was a beautiful girl, and her parents were at home watching Reed, so Michael could come and watch Sadie walk the runway. Emily knew the other girl and her name was Olivia, and she was a stunner. She was 6' tall and was size fourteen, but she was really built well. She didn't look big, she just looked tall. We helped work with them the last two nights after work to show them how to walk the runway. They had both picked it up quickly and were both very excited about being on the runway with us. I popped an antacid and then hopped in Eric's chair for him to make me look beautiful.

"You feeling OK, beautiful?" Eric asked me.

"Yes, I have just been having some heartburn and indigestion lately, so I stopped on the way here and got some antacids. But I am fine and super excited about this show. It is the last one of the year, and I can't wait to see what I get to wear", I told him. "Yes, resort wear is always fun and different, as a lot of people take a vacation here soon and go to a tropical place and want fun and colorful pieces to wear," Eric tells me, and we talk while he gets my makeup done.

I head over to Franco, and he gets my hair done in beautiful large curls going down my back. Franco had flipped my hair over as he parted it on the side and not the middle like I usually do. It looks very full and the big curls are gorgeous. I think it is going to be a great show today and I headed over to go look at the clothes that I will be wearing today.