Cyanica

LUST: 1

The dress was completed, finally meeting Ceruli's standards for a piece as important as this. The rhinestones were set, the seams were hidden, and the hems were tight. The shoes that went with the dress were about halfway done, and those were coming along a bit slower than the dress was. After all, Ceruli was a fashion designer, not a shoe maker. Regardless, the heels to accompany the gown were in the final stages of production. All she needed now was a bit of leather conditioner to make sure the white leather would stay white, and never tarnish or crack.

Before she could grab the leather conditioner from the other side of the room, a call on her cell phone grabbed her attention. The call was from a number that wasn't in her phone, but one she recognized. It was Giovanni's number. Why was Giovanni calling her at such a strange time, and how did he get her cellphone number?

"Hello?", she said as she picked up the phone.
"Good evening Ms. Taquo. The Mistress has a very important message to pass along", Giovanni replied.
"Alright, but make it quick. I'm about to finish the entire project", she said.
"Very well, then. There was a person who showed up at the gala last night who was not supposed to be there, calling themselves Cyanica. We believe they wish to cause harm to you, so this is to warn you to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity", he warned. His tone was very serious and very quiet, which was unusual and made Ceruli worry about the possibility that she could be in real danger.
"Thank you for looking out for me Giovanni. And make sure to let Amani know that the message has been passed along. I shall be on guard for any weird activities", she said as her breath began to quicken.
"Will do, Ms. Taquo", he replied. He felt like he had to do more to ensure the safety of Ceruli, so he bit the bullet and popped a question.
"And, Ceruli. Would it be alright if I kept you company for the night? Mistress Amani has already given me the green light, but that means nothing if you don't agree", he said, his voice gentle, and soothing over the phone.
Ceruli thought it over for a minute. It would be nice to have a second pair of hands around the studio, remembering that Ingrid was still out sick. And a night alone with Giovanni would make her feel a lot safer.
"I'll take you up on your offer, Giovanni. How soon can you be here, and do you have a form of entertainment to keep yourself busy?", she finally answered his question.
"Don't you worry about that Ms. Taquo. I can be there in a half an hour", he said before hastily hanging up the phone.
Ceruli was excited. She had originally wanted to go to the gala and take a private tour of the garden with Giovanni alone, but the project was a more pressing matter. That's the main reason she decided to decline the invitation.
Giovanni was excited as well. His loyalty was to Lady Marino, and that wasn't ever going to change. However, the budding feelings that he had for Ceruli were coming to a head, and he could not hold back any longer.

Half an hour later, and like clockwork, Giovanni was in the studio. Taking note of all of the unfinished pieces in this room, he figured these were the first draft pieces of the 2024 Winter Collection. A spectrum of blues, grays, her iconic black velvet trim, and stunning ivory whites lined the studio walls. The colors were all over the mannequins, on the tables, on everything.
The colors had even found their way into Ms. Taquo's office, as has Giovanni. Inside Ceruli's office, hanging on a mannequin that was custom made for Amani's measurements, was the gown commissioned only a week ago.
Taking inspiration from her debut piece and Amani's interior aesthetic, the dress was covered in golden flower lace patterns, rhinestones, organza all over the skirt to make it extra voluminous, and a textured slip of bright ivory to flatter Mistress Marino's figure. The heels were a simple, elegant white color, and conditioned to stand up to all weather conditions, perfect for a night out at the beach.

Giovanni was stunned at the sight of the finished product, and how fast it was produced. In one week, Ceruli had sketched a design, sewn the patterns together, joined all of the lacey pieces, fluffed up the skirt to give it a true ballgown feel, and designed a pair of matching heels to go with it. It was spectacular.
But that wasn't the only thing Giovanni had his eyes on.