Push to the Limit (the sixth book in the Glee series)

Chapter 12: Make It or Break It

"Chop, chop, people!" Kurt exclaimed as he stood in Adonis watching the runway being set up on the stage for the models to walk through during their fashion show. It was the day of the show but they still had a few hours to get everything together. Unfortunately, Bree was too pregnant to focus and was sitting down just a few feet down doing nothing, leaving all the remaining work to him. 

As Kurt hurried the set up crew, Ryder passed by carrying things upstairs, so Bree followed him carefully, saying, "Hey thanks again so much for letting us use this place for our show. It's such a relief knowing we don't have to make sure the venue keeps it together because you always keep it together."

Ryder placed the items he was holding up on a shelf in a small storage closet at the top of the stairs. Then he turned to Bree and said, "Actually, you've got Harmony to thank for tonight. She's the one who'll be coordinating the place tonight."

Bree gasped. "What?"

"Yeah, I let Kurt know a few days ago. Didn't he tell you?"

Bree looked down at the first floor, where Kurt was chasing after an assistant who was placing the wrong centerpiece decorations on the tables. "No," she said. "He didn't tell me. I am going to kill him."

"It'll be fine," Ryder assured her. "Harmony has been working really hard the last two weeks to make this a good show."

"Why won't you be able to do it, though?" Bree asked. "It's your place."

"I have something else going on tonight."

Bree glared at him. "You have something else going on tonight, on the night that I am debuting my new lines in front of a hundred of the most important people in the fashion industry here in your venue? What could possibly be more important?"

"I'm going on a date," he said with a nervous smile.

Bree gasped. "What? A date? Wait, with that doctor Marley's been telling me about?" She slapped his arm and said, "When did this happen?"

"I called on Tuesday," he explained, "since it had been the appropriate week after we met and then I said I'd love to take her out sometime and she's pretty busy. Tonight was her only available night for a while so I wouldn't be missing your show otherwise."

"Oh no, don't worry about it," Bree assured him. "I am so happy that you are going out on a date. Just one question though... Does she know you're dating again?"

"Julie, you can say her name in front of me," he forced a smile. "And no, I haven't told her I'm dating again. I haven't talked to her at all, actually."

"That makes two of us," Bree sighed, wondering what on earth had been keeping her supposed best friend so busy the last couple of weeks that she couldn't even be bothered with a call.

***

"Juliet!"

"Juliet over here!"

"Turn on your side, Juliet!"

Julie turned to give the cameramen her profile and after they snapped a few photographs, she began walking away towards her car, which was waiting for her. When she got in, Nick was waiting inside. 

"You have to get out through back doors to avoid those people," he said.

She sighed and removed her hat. "Yeah, I know. I saw a cute puppy outside, stopped to pet him, and next thing I know I'm surrounded by paparazzi."

Nick laughed. "Well, I can't blame you for the puppy but you should've guessed it was a trap. So are you joining us at the after party tonight?"

Julie shook her head. "Sorry. My grandmother found out I was in the area and I haven't stopped by to visit every other time I've been in New York so tonight is the night."