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Chapter 8: Shopping

Listen to "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars for this chapter

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"Yes, Mr. Featherstone, the next fashion week will require a huge marketing base. And for that we'll have to expand our scopes and opportunities. Probably hire a few male models for the male line"

Hire a few male models, I shrugged.

Mr. Featherstone, a tall bald man in a suit, sat at the head of the table ,"Agreed. And when shall the new recruits come in?"

"We'll place an audition by next week" one of the women at the table spoke.

"That means, by next month we will have new male models." Another woman clad in red said.

"How many do we need for this exact purpose?" Mr. Featherstone asked

"About 20 new male models can be easily financed by the firm." James said, he sat next to me.

"Well, that's a fair deal" Mr. Featherstone nodded.

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

I played with the pencil in my hands. This meeting was being held for the umpteenth number of time. Previous meeting lacked one person or two. Today's meeting had the main person in charge. And yet I was not interested.

"Well, thank you so much everyone for joining this meeting" Mr. Featherstone said.

Everyone thanked everyone and then all of us stood up and left.

I reached my office and sunk into my chair. I fished my phone and saw 11 missed calls!

All from one person:

Vincent.

I rubbed my throbbing temples and wished to get some sleep when the phone rang again. It was him again.

"What?!" I asked half-groggily, rubbing my eyes

"When will you be back home today?"

"What's the time now?"

"6:00"

"7:00" I had instantly decided to leave early for my place. My work was all done anyway.

"Okay"

"Why?"

"You're coming with me for shopping"

"No I'm not!"

"I didn't ask you" I could feel him smirking.

"Oh come on Vincent!"

"what did I say?" He laughed

"Fine!" I scoffed

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"Why are we here again?" I asked him. I was the only person with him today because, Natalie had a meeting with her publishers and Jared was busy editing his latest youtube video.

He looked at me with his blue eyes,"I owe you a gift"

"For?"

"Everything you've done for me. Till today"

My heart started pumping faster. And my cheeks reddened. I chose not to say a word.

He took me by the arm and into a dress shop.

"choose?" He said

"seriously?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms.

He gave me a genuine smile,"I mean it"

I looked around the shop. Expensive looking fabrics hung all around us. A young looking woman walked up to us and said,"May I help you?"

The name plate on her right read 'Cheryl'.

I smiled at her politely and asked her to wait a second. Then I turned to Vincent ,"Are you sure?"

Vincent wrapped an arm around me and took me a little far away from Cheryl.

"I am sure" he said. His blue eyes made me feel giddy.

"Vincent, this is expensive" I tried reasoning with him.

He brought his face closer to mine, until my nose and his was inches apart. Him being taller than me, I had to look up at him. Then he looked into eyes, smiled and whispered,"It's the least I can do".

"You don't have t-" I began to say, but he placed his finger on my lip.

Baby Jesus, please don't let me feel those overwhelming tingles again.

"I do" he said. I frowned.

"Okay."

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I walked out of the dressing room. An emerald dress with golden glitter lining the sleeves clung to my curves. The dress had a slight cut in the neck region that peeked a bit into my cleavage, but not much. The cutting was perfect, so was the fabric.

As I walked out of the dressing room with the other yellow, silver and white fabric that I had been asked to change into, Cheryl grabbed hold of the other dresses, put them into a side box and asked me to turn around in a complete circle. I did so. And by the look of it, Cheryl was thoroughly impressed by her choice.

Vincent who was walking aimlessly in the shop caught a glimpse of me and stopped dead on his tracks. Then he walked up to me and for a split second said nothing. Then he broke into a mischievous smirk. The smirk that I ached to see every moment of my life, but would never accept or let him know.

Cheryl excused herself from us and went away on duty calls. Vincent found that as an opportunity to say something.

Still smirking he said,"You better take that dress off right now, I don't want people in LA thinking that they just saw another Angelina Jolie"

I couldn't control it. I started laughing at that.

"You are so bad at giving comments Vincent!"

But I knew that his comment had left me blushing hard and that he had seen that I was looking like a tomato.

Vincent grinned,"You're just the same Ashley".

After a moment of silence he let out a holding breath, then smiled and said ,"I'm buying this for you"

But before I could say 'no' because of the price he said,"and there is no way you are saying 'no'"

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Let the ride begin!

Thank you for reading it this far :) I promise not to disappoint ya'll! :)

Peace <3