Because of Joe

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey Sebastian." I called him up again.

"Oh hey do you need directions to get to my studio?" he says.

"Yea I forgot to ask." I said and he chuckles.

"No worries I'll text them to you." he says.

"Thanks. I'll see you." and by that he hangs up. I received a text of the directions.

Sebastian's apartment/studio was obviously luxurious. He was standing right outside in a grey sweater with blue dress shirt underneath, some trousers, and shiny oxfords. His hair was gelled so it looked shiny.

"Lovely seeing you again Anne." he smiles. It didn't affect me so much as before because now Joe's smile always made me mushy inside.

"Great to see you." I said and he opened the door for me. "So what made you call me today?" He grinned.

"Well I finished a few designs and I wanted to show you them and see if you like it." he pushed the button of the elevator.

"Oh ok. I can tell they're already amazing." I smiled. He looked at me in a daze look and shook his head when the elevator stopped. Down the hall and we turned to the left and then a right was his apartment/studio. A few guys walked down the hall carrying bags from Whole Foods.

"Sorry it will be a mess right now." he says and opened the door. I gasped at the sight of his apartment. Everything was modern looking and the light poured in through the floor to ceiling windows. There was a spiraling staircase going to the second floor. There was shelves filled with books about fashion. A glass chandelier hanging above black dinning table and a glass divider filled with bamboo and round rocks. The living room was all in white with the white sofas, armchairs, poufs, and in the center was a dark cherry wood coffee table.

"This is a mess?" I asked looking around. He chuckles and led me to the staircase.

"No my studio is a bit messy is what I meant." he goes up the stairs. I held on the cold metal railing of the staircase and looked up. It went on and on in a circle and I could see a circular window at the top that let the light in to the staircase. He picked a up a book and held it in his big hands.

"Didn't want you to trip." he smiles and hands me the book so I could look at it. It was about architecture and I flipped it open.

"Some inspiration for the new desgins?" I closed it as I could see the first landing.

"Yes some dresses." he stops.

"Dresses? You mean you made some for women this time. I was actually thinking of starting a new line for men." I looked at the second floor and it was just a lounging area with a terrace. The curtains were drawn at the balcony doors but i could see the tables outside.

"The bedrooms are here but my studio is all the way upstairs." he rubs the back of his neck and I see him look at me. "I look back at the next set of the spiraling staircase. It had some elaborate designs on the dark metal and he led the way up again. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I look at the text that showed up on the front screen. "What kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?" I smiled because it was Joe. I answered with everything. He gave me a smiley face wink and Sebastian looks down at me.

"Someone special?" he looks back up the stairs.

"It's just Joe. I guess you heard already." I nervously laughed. His shoulders looked tense and straight.

"Yes. Your relationship is really...cute as what I have been reading." his fingers gripped the railing.

"The people are getting used to it I guess." I put my phone away. We got up to the third floor and I was blown away. His studio was nothing compared to mine. There was the floor to ceiling windows again letting the light pour in. There was racks of finished pieces. Two sewing machines and a big table in the center with dark fabrics measuring tape scissors and pins. All lined up on the walls were male mannequins dressed the garments he has made himself. At the end of the room was shelves pilled with folded fabric and rolls of them leaning against the wall.

"Wow this is beautiful." I looked around.

"It's a mess." he ran his hand over his hair making sure it was still in it's styled shape. I walked around and he opened two doors. It led to another room. There was mannequins dressed in an elegant look dress the color of champagne and a black one with the back covered in black delicate lace.

"Is this your new collection for women?" I ran my fingers over the silky feel of the champgne colored dress.

"Yes I was going to partner it up with my men's collection." he had his hands in his pocket. "Do you mind if you try them on?"

"Yea sure." he got them off the mannequin carefully and hand it to me.

"Let me just get the screen." he pulled out a dark blue divider in between us and he went to the other room. I changed into the champagne colored dress first. My phone start ringing while I zipped the side of the dress.

"Hello?" I held it I between my shoulder and ear.

"Anne! Hey where are you?" Ilani asked.

"Um...I am at Sebastian's studio." I bit my lip and looked to see if he came back yet.

"Oooh double date I see." she teased me.

"He was just showing me a preview of his new collection." I said pulling into a messy bun.

"Oh I think there's something going in here." she whispers.

"Stop it you. Sebastian is only a friend." I whispered back.

"Well if your coming home before you go over to Joe's make sure Jojo gets dinner ready by the time I come home. It's his turn to cook." she changed the subject finally.

"Yea I'll tell him." I say goodbye after and hung up. I hear Sebastian's shoes on the floorboards coming into the room.

"Sebastian." I moved aside from the divider. He looked at me and I could tell in his eyes that he was stunned. "I love this dress it's really beautiful."

"Y-yes it is. You look lovely in it." he smiles and he looks down at his shoes.

"I'll try on the other one." I went back behind the divider and he cleared hi throat and went of to the side to busy himself. I changed and I hear him whistling.

"So it is a perfect fit." he says and I moved away from the divider. He looked at me and he skims over me before returning it to my eyes. "Just beautiful." I laughed and turned around in my outfit.

"Not only are you a great designer but maybe you can be a model." he smiles when he says it and I went to go change. I was going to meet up with Joe in an our and I needed to go. After I changed I handed Sebastian back the dresses.

"Sebastian it's really nice of you to show me your new pieces." I said and he puts them back on the mannequin. "I have to get going."

"Your welcome and yea sure I'll lead you back down." he lets me out first and we went down the stairs.

He opens the door for me and and he follows behind me. My phone began ringing. I answered it and I hear Joe shouting for some pizza sauce. "Hey love." he says into the phone.

"Hey." I smiled and Sebastian opened the door.

"Making the pizzas." he sounds out of breath. I covered the phone.

"Thanks Sebastian for inviting me over." I said and he nods giving me a small smile. "I'll see you soon." I hear Joe saying my name and I put it back on my ear.

"Sorry I had to do something for a sec." I waved back to Sebastian who was standing inside the building staring at me. "I am coming over now so you better have those pizzas ready."

"Of course. They'll be ready for you." I can hear him smile.

"I'll be there soon k." I put on my gloves.

"Ok baby." he hangs up and I smile hearing him say that.