Avery Kane Deveraux stood in the middle of her walk-in closet, clothes scattered across the floor and hangers dangling precariously from the racks. She rummaged through her collection of designer dresses, her frustration mounting.
“Agatha!” she called, her voice echoing through the sprawling space.
“Yes, Miss Deveraux?” Agatha, her loyal housekeeper, appeared in the doorway, her expression one of mild alarm.
“Where are my black heels? The ones with the ankle strap?” Avery asked, holding up a sleek red dress against herself.
“I believe they’re in the guest room,” Agatha replied, already darting off to retrieve them.
Avery turned back to her closet, muttering to herself. “Why is it so hard to find something to wear? It’s just dinner. Casual dinner. Not a date… definitely not a date.”
“What the hell is going on here?”
Avery spun around, startled to see Janice standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and an amused smirk on her face.
“Janice!” Avery exclaimed, clutching the red dress to her chest. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Janice said, stepping into the chaos. She gestured at the piles of discarded clothes on the floor. “Did a hurricane hit your closet, or are you just trying to make a statement?”
Avery rolled her eyes and turned back to the rack. “I have dinner plans, and I can’t find anything to wear.”
Janice raised an eyebrow. “Dinner plans, huh? With who?”
“Ryan,” Avery replied shortly, focusing intently on a sleek black jumpsuit she had just pulled out.
“Ryan?” Janice repeated, her voice rising with disbelief. “As in Ryan Hayes? The guy who bullied you in high school?”
Avery sighed, hanging the jumpsuit back up. “Yes, Janice. That Ryan.”