Page 28 of Hate To Be Mine

There was a pause. I could practically hear Briggs choosing his words carefully. “Okay. So she has bad people skills. But, Sebastian, she might have just prevented a serious accident. On day one. That’s exactly what she’s there to do, man.”

“So what, I’m just supposed to let her veto everything I want to do?”

“You’re supposed to work with her, not against her. Listen to her concerns. Find compromises. That’s what leadership is.”

“Leadership is also being able to make creative decisions without someone constantly second-guessing you.”

“And liability is what happens when those creative decisions put people in danger.” He sighed. “Look, I’ll be there in a week with Adrian and Dash. We can help straighten things out then.”

“I don’t need you to straighten things out.” Defensiveness flared hot in my chest. “I can handle this on my own. I only called to get your opinion. I should have known you would take her side.”

“There’s one side,” Briggs said. “So work with her. Get it done, keep everyone safe, and prevent Blackwell Couture from incurring any legal or financial liability. And we’re all here as backup if you need it.”

“I don’t need backup. I need that insurance company to send someone who isn’t actively trying to sabotage me. Do we get a payout if the insurance rep is the reason nothing gets done?”

“No,” Briggs said flatly. “If we’re not abiding by the terms of the policy, they’ll just cancel it altogether. And Sebastian? We can’t go forward without insurance. If something happens and we’re not covered? That could bankrupt the company. Literally bankrupt us.”

The words hit like cold water. “Shit.”

“Yeah. So as annoying as she is, as much as she might be making your life difficult, you need her. More importantly, you need to work with her. Figure out how to communicate. Find a way to collaborate instead of fighting. Maybe get her on board with the shots you want instead of trying to bulldoze over her.”

“She’s the one fighting me!”

“Then be the bigger person. You want to prove you can run this production? Prove you can handle difficult personalities. Prove you can adapt when things don’t go your way.” His voice softened slightly. “If you want easy, go back to being a model. Show up, look pretty, go home. But you want to run things? You’ve got to roll with the punches.”

I stood there, phone pressed to my ear, watching the waves crash against the rocks. “When did you get so wise?”

“Law school.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You’ve got this, Sebastian. Just try talking to her instead of declaring war.”

“No promises.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

He hung up, and I stood there for another minute, finishing the second bag of trail mix without really tasting it. Briggs was right. Of course he was right. He was always right, which was infuriating.

But I wasn’t ready to be the bigger person yet.

I walked back to the shoot location, where I could see the crew milling around, unsure what to do. Clarissa was still in the model tent, probably getting her makeup fixed. The photographers were checking their equipment. Everyone looked uncertain, waiting for direction.

My direction.

I spotted Bernadette standing off to the side, looking miserable and alone. Good.

I walked past her without making eye contact and headed straight for the model tent. “Clarissa? Can I talk to you for a second?”

She emerged with her makeup repaired and looking as beautiful as ever. “I don’t want to go near that cliff.”

“You don’t have to. I promise. You won’t be in any danger. We’re changing the shot completely. I just need you to trust me, okay?”

She sighed. “Okay.”

I turned to the crew, raising my voice so everyone could hear. “Alright, everyone! We’re changing the setup. I need all the lights and cameras moved to that clearing over there, under those trees. Different backdrop, different vibe, but it’ll be great.”

A collective groan rose from the lighting crew. Moving all that equipment was a pain in the ass.

“None of us like it,” I said loudly, making sure Bernadette could hear, “but God forbid we upset Ms. Simmons from the insurance company.”

I saw the crew members glance at Bernadette, their expressions shifting from uncertainty to irritation. A few gave her outright dirty looks. The stink eye, weaponized.