"What do you mean, 'he's in trouble'?" Kiara frowned. "Rich folks don't even have that word in their dictionary."
"Whoa! Guess there's more you don't know about rich folks. Trust me, they've got more problems than us poor folks—but that's not the point." JoJo chuckled. "He messed up an order, and I told him about this beautiful young lady who's very good with clothes."
Kiara groaned. "Ugh, seriously? I just met the guy yesterday, and now I have to meet him again?"
Cassandra's eyes went wide, practically sparkling. "What? Why do you sound like you don't want to? You always said you wanted to handle the big clients. Now you're acting bored?"
Kiara sighed. "Sorry, JoJo. And thank you. Love you."
"You'd better. Love you back." JoJo hung up.
"Please tell me we're going to meet Jordan Powell. Please," Cass begged, nearly bouncing.
"Yes," Kiara muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Yes!" Cass squealed, flicking her hair dramatically.
---
At Jordan's Office
Kiara was irritated to find herself in Jordan's office again. Not because she disliked him—if anything, the opposite—but because she had sworn off rich, spoiled playboys. Jordan was exactly the type she avoided.
Except… why was she thinking about him at all?
She cut the thought short and glanced at Cass, who was trying to suppress a grin. Excitement still radiated from her like perfume.
The office door opened, and Jordan walked in. Surprise flickered across his face before he masked it with a slow, crooked smile. His gaze swept over Kiara, lingering a moment too long on her purple skirt suit. Heat crept up her neck. Was it his stare—or her guilty conscience for noticing him so quickly?
He turned to Cass with equal charm, and Kiara felt a twinge of something sharp in her chest. Jealousy. Ridiculous, she told herself.
"Good morning, Mr. Powell. I'm Cassandra—and a really big fan," Cass said, shaking his hand eagerly.
"Really?" Jordan's gaze flicked back to Kiara, his lips curving in a knowing smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine. I love your fashion sense… and your looks," Cass blurted.
Kiara wanted to strangle her.
"Thank you," Jordan said smoothly, his voice low. "You look beautiful yourself."
Cass flushed. "Oh please, sir, don't flatter me."
"I'm not flattering you—it's the truth. We should have dinner sometime."
Kiara nearly snorted. Dinner? With her PA? In front of her? What a shameless flirt.
Cass hesitated, then caught herself. "I'm not sure my boss would allow that. We don't usually attend dinners with business associates." Her tone shifted back to professional.
Perfect answer, Kiara thought with satisfaction.
Jordan's eyes slid back to her, weighing, calculating. Kiara smirked, unbothered.
Cass excused herself politely, leaving Kiara alone with him.
She sat in the same chair as yesterday. "I guess I'm lucky to meet a celebrity twice in two days. I'm sure you have more important things to do." Her professional smile was firmly in place.
He caught the sarcasm but ignored it. "Yes, actually, I do."
"JoJo told me you needed help," Kiara said briskly.
His eyes lit up. "You also call her JoJo? I thought I was the only one with that nickname."
Kiara's smile didn't waver. For all she knew, she was the one who coined it in the first place.
"Anyway, yes. Do you remember me telling you we dressed Vera Griffin?"
"If I said no, wouldn't that make me terrible at my job?" Kiara replied lightly.
Jordan chuckled. "Fair point. Well, we had a problem with the design Vera gave us. She wants another dress, and we don't have time. She also claims the color clashes with her skin. The irony? She picked it herself."
Kiara thought of the mayor's wife. "Celebs can be like that. So—what was the issue with the design?"
Jordan sighed. "It's complex. It wasn't ours; another company drew it. We only made the dress. Vera's impossible."
"Can I see it?"
He handed her an iPad. Kiara studied the design, then the finished dress. She whistled softly.
"That bad, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said. "The design's too technical for anyone but the original company. And Vera's right—the color clashes with her skin tone. But… I have to commend you for asking for help. Not many companies would risk their pride on a contract this big."
"Maybe. But better to ask for help than lose the deal altogether."
That, Kiara noted, said a lot about him.
She looked back at the design, her mind already spinning with solutions. "It'll be difficult to complete such a complex piece in this short time—but not impossible. I can make this work."