Chapter 103
Eva walked through the crowd backstage, shaking hands and smiling as people congratulated her on a job well done. She smiled back at them and told them thank you. It was going well so far. The buzz on her phone let her know that reporters were already looking to do interviews with her, and there were already people lining up outside of her store, eager to be the first ones in when it opened in the morning.
She almost tripped as she saw Sienna step into view. Eva hadn’t expected it to actually happen. Sienna wasn’t the type of person to admit when she was wrong or offer praise to someone she considered a rival.
But maybe she was changing.
“Congratulations,” Sienna said, striding up to Eva. “You did a great job tonight.”
Eva nodded at her. “Thank you,” she replied. She didn’t know what else to say. What were you supposed to say when someone you hated complimented you?
Sienna smirked at her. “I see you took some advice from my latest collection,” she said. “That was a cute way to pay homage to it.”
Eva narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
Sienna gestured to one of the dresses hanging on a rack near them. It was a deep red dress, with long sleeves that ended in lace. The bottom was full and flared out, and the top was tight, with a high neckline and no back.
“That dress,” Sienna said. “I had one in my collection last month that was very similar to it.”
“And?” Eva asked, feeling her temper simmering.
“And I hope you don’t get in trouble for copying me,” Sienna replied.
Eva laughed. She had not copied Sienna, and even if she had, Sienna would have had no grounds to complain. The dress was inspired by an old Versace design, and there was no way Sienna could claim ownership over it.
But Eva couldn’t help the flash of anger that went through her. It always did this to her, being around Sienna. The other woman just rubbed her the wrong way, made her blood boil and her temper flare up. But she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of making her angry right now, not after tonight. She wasn’t going to let Sienna get in her head and spoil her win.
“You’re such a bitch,” Eva said. She didn’t need to say more than that.
Sienna smirked and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Should I have come here and pretended to be your friend? To pretend that we’ve been friends for a long time, and I’m here to celebrate you?”
“You should have not come here at all,” Eva said.
Sienna shrugged at her and then turned to leave. “Well, congratulations again,” she said over her shoulder. “Enjoy your moment in the spotlight.”
She walked away, and Eva felt like she could breathe again. She stared at the empty space where Sienna had stood, and then shook herself. It didn’t matter if Sienna liked her or not. Eva’s store would open tomorrow, and people would come to visit it because they liked what they saw tonight. They liked her designs, and that was what mattered. It was not Sienna’s opinion, but hers. She wasn’t in competition with Sienna at all. She was in competition with herself. She was competing to be the best version of Eva she could be. And right now, she was winning.
The night was filled with flashes of light and the sounds of clicking cameras. Eva smiled for the cameras and waved to her fans as she left the auditorium. She ignored the reporters and made her way to her limousine, sliding inside and then letting out a deep breath.
She was exhausted. This had been an eventful day, but it had also been worth it. She’d gotten a lot of publicity for her store, and for once in a very long time, she felt good about herself and her designs. She felt like maybe she could actually make it in this world.
She looked out the window as the car pulled away from the curb, watching the bright lights of the city speed by outside the window. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, relaxing for the first time in weeks.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice when the limo stopped at a red light and someone got into the seat next to her. She was startled when fingers slid into her hair, pulling on it roughly.
Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped, looking next to her to see Sienna staring back at her. Eva was too shocked to say anything as Sienna leaned forward and pressed her lips against Eva’s.
Eva gasped again, her body frozen as Sienna’s tongue pushed into her mouth. She wanted to protest, to push Sienna away and tell her to leave her alone, but she couldn’t. Her body was frozen, unable to move or do anything as Sienna kissed her.
The kiss deepened, and Eva heard a moan escape her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she felt herself melting into Sienna’s embrace. She wanted this. She had wanted this for a very long time, although she had never admitted it to herself.
It had been so long since Eva had been with someone that she felt like she couldn’t get enough of the feel of Sienna’s body against hers. The taste of her mouth, the feel of her hands slipping up her thighs. Eva wanted more. She wanted Sienna to never stop.
A horn honked behind them, startling them back to reality. Sienna pulled back from the kiss, and Eva watched her as the other woman tugged her jacket off and tossed it into the backseat. She was wearing a long black skirt and a silk blouse beneath it, and Eva felt her mouth go dry as she stared at Sienna.
Eva’s eyes flickered up to her face as Sienna smirked down at her. Then Sienna dropped to her knees in front of Eva, and Eva moaned, reaching down to wrap her hands in Sienna’s hair. Sienna yanked Eva’s panties down, and Eva lifted her hips to help.