Diary 21: Rival Hearts (GxG)
This is a GXG relationship, uninterested readers can avoid and jump to next Diary (Diary 22, chapter 108)
Chapter 102
Sienna’s eyes narrowed in fury as she read the headline: “Castillo’s ‘New Guard’ Fights for Top Spot as Fashion’s New It Girl.”
“What a load of shit,” she muttered, slapping the magazine against her desk and then shoving it away. She’d read it enough to get the gist of it. Eva Castillo was launching her own clothing brand, and apparently, it was going to be a game-changer.
Sienna smirked as she sat back in her chair. That would be the day. Eva had never been the creative type. Sienna had seen some of her designs before, and they’d been… interesting. Not bad, just not up to Sienna’s level. But they had a certain something. It was what had put Eva in the spotlight as a designer in the first place.
It was also why she’d had to be kept an eye on.
Sienna had spent years building up her brand. She had started with very little and fought her way to the top, and now that she was there, she was not going to let anyone take it from her.
She sat back up, turning her mind away from Eva and back to work. She had a collection to design, and it was not going to make itself.
Sienna had managed to block out any thoughts of the article until that evening, when she went home and found it open on the kitchen counter. Her roommate must have been reading it before she got home from work.
She picked up the magazine and threw it in the trash as she headed for her room. There was nothing in there that would change her mind about Eva. And honestly, she didn’t really care about anything Eva did anyway. She was just trying to stir up drama so Sienna would pay attention to her.
It wasn’t going to work. Sienna had more important things to focus on. She could spend all her time worrying about a rival, or she could focus on building up her brand and staying at the top. It was no contest.
The next morning, Sienna was getting ready for work when the article caught her attention again. She stood by the sink, staring into her mirror as she braided her hair, and suddenly her mind was filled with the memory of the magazine cover. It had been a photo of Eva standing in front of a white wall. She was looking right at the camera, and a black leather jacket had been slung over one shoulder. A black bra and pencil skirt were beneath it, along with thigh-high boots. Eva looked as confident and smug as Sienna felt she was, and Sienna couldn’t help but stare at the picture. She had no idea why. It wasn’t like there was anything in the photo that she could learn from.
Sienna didn’t want to think about the fact that maybe she was looking at it because she just enjoyed looking at Eva. The other woman was gorgeous, even if Sienna didn’t like her. Her dark hair curled around her face, and her dark eyes seemed to stare right at Sienna. Her lips were full and pink, and Sienna suddenly felt herself wondering if they were as soft and plump as they looked.
She quickly pushed the thought away. What was wrong with her? She was not thinking about Eva, especially not that way. She was a competitor, and that was all. Sienna would not be distracted by her. She wouldn’t be distracted by anyone.
She finished her hair and then pulled on a pair of high heels. She left the room and grabbed a coffee on her way out the door.
Eva had never been so nervous in her life.
This was it. This was the moment she had worked towards for years, and she was finally here. She stood at the back of the auditorium, peeking around the curtain to watch the crowd gather. There were people milling around, murmuring to each other, checking their programs. She couldn’t tell if they looked excited or not. There were no seats left, but they didn’t look like they were bored yet, so she took that as a good sign.
She couldn’t wait any longer, though. She couldn’t keep letting herself peek out and torture herself. She turned back to the people waiting for her signal. A dozen or so models stood behind her, dressed in her best designs. There were only a few weeks until her brand went on sale, but it would be months before the orders came in and she knew if this was going to pay off or not.
It wasn’t just about money. It was about proving herself as a designer. As much as she hated to admit it, she had always been in Sienna’s shadow. Sienna was older, more successful, more established. Eva wanted to prove to the world that she could be successful on her own, too. She wanted to stand on her own two feet and be known for who she was.
She nodded at her team. The music started, and one of the models stepped forward. Eva held her breath as the girl walked down the catwalk. The first model came back, and the second went out, and Eva let her breath out and smiled. The crowd was loving them. They were talking to each other and whispering, but she could tell they liked it. They looked impressed, and that made Eva feel better than anything had in months.
The last girl came back and gave Eva a smile and a thumbs up. Eva gave her a smile back and then nodded to the people behind the curtains. It was time.
The lights flickered back on, and Eva strode out onto the stage. Her heart was pounding, but she tried not to show it. She stood tall and proud and then bowed to the crowd.
The applause washed over her, and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She wanted this so bad. She wanted so much for this to work out for her. She gave them another bow and then stepped off stage.
Her heart stopped as Sienna Monroe stood up from her seat. Eva stared at her, surprised, and then Sienna started applauding as well. The rest of the crowd started standing up, and soon there were cheers ringing through the hall.
Eva felt dizzy. Sienna Monroe was here. And she’d applauded for her.