273 Emily - Side Trip with ?
A few hours earlier and on another side of town, a yellow beetle car sped through the road. Lauren sat behind the wheel. It had been a while since she drove. Colin liked to do the honors whenever he could.
A grinding sound rattled as she moved the gear shift. Lauren cursed. She really needed to get back to driving—especially when it came to a manual car. It had too many points to remember.
"Korean barbeque! Here I come!" Emily cheered from the passenger seat. The window was rolled down. Her platinum blonde hair fluttered behind her. A wide smile stretched her hot pink lips.
The air felt fresher than the city.
At least, even a little.
Lauren peeked to her right, shaking her head. "You are much easier to please than I thought."
"Remember this fact. Nothing can turn a person on like food."
"That is true." She snorted at the words. The beetle made a right turn. More food shops emerged in their sights. The smell came through the open windows. Chatter came from outdoor dining areas.
"Hey, what is that? Is that a museum?" Emily suddenly asked. She pulled up her legs until she stood on her knees. Her head popped up to get a better look of the infrastructure. It reminded her of Ancient Greek and Roman times. The roof peeked over the shops.
Lauren bowed her shoulders and glanced through the windshield. ���Uh, yeah. They decorated it for the event. Some big time fashion designer displayed a collection."
"Who?! Michael Kors? Victoria Beckham? Mak Tumang? Ow—" Emily gasped. Her head bumped against the rim of the window. She rubbed the sore spot as she fixed her sitting. "Can we drop by? Do you know when it will be?"
"I don't. Want to check out the schedule, at least?"
"Of course!"
Emily brimmed with energy. Even if the designer didn't turn out to be that famous, she'd still love to see the person's works. Any effort in the same field should be acknowledged. It was also fun learning from different designers, famous or not.
They always had something that made their works unique.
Lauren parked the beetle in an empty spot. Cars filled up the ones near the entrance. The girls had to walk. Pastel colored cloths layered over the front arch. They created waves that swayed with the wind. Vertical banner signs stood on both sides in the same color palette.
On them, cursive letters wrote the name, Luna Athon.
"LUNA ATHON!" Emily squealed. "I know her story! She started without almost nothing! But look at her now! One of the top brands out there!"
Article after article surfaced in her mind. She read so many of them. Not only did Luna start out for designer bags but she reinvented herself. She branched out to other items, studying and falling in love over a new passion.
Now, her company became one of the biggest luxury fashion brands.
"Do you see a schedule?" Lauren squinted. They still had a few meters to go but they could already see the banners. From what she recognized, it only had the name and the date. Nothing about the time.
"We'll have to check inside then!"
"Hey, wait for me!"
Emily bolted.
She didn't want to miss a thing! If they came too late, it would crush her. She wondered if they had a speaker. Or was it only a display of clothes? She commended Luna for hosting an event in a museum.
What could the collection be about? Something related to history? Science? Arts? The possibilities seemed endless! As long as inspiration was around, creations could come from anywhere.
Lauren shook her head. Her friend climbed up the stairs and ran through the crowd, easily disappearing from her sight. A sigh escaped her lips. She stopped walking and fished out her phone.
She dialed a familiar number. "Hey, Jae? Yeah, I got her here. She left me and went inside. Good luck on your impromptu date. I'm leaving."
Giggling to herself, the cheerleader spun on her heel. Her legs headed for the car. There was a spring to her steps. She had successfully done it even when she made a wrong turn. They were supposed to pass by the museum first before the food shops.
Fortunately, Emily saw the decorations.
Her work here was now over.
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Emily found herself in the middle of a lobby.
Although people flooded the place, the exhibition was on top of individual platforms. It allowed everyone to view them even from far away. It also prevented anyone from touching the evening gowns. Like the banners, they had pastel colors. The light shades brightened up the room.
It was perfect!
She planned to make her own gown for the Winter Ball.
A rose gold off-shoulder caught her eye. It hugged from chest down to the hips, highlighting the mannequin's shape. The elegance and simplicity captured her. If she squinted, she found tiny rhinestones stitched into the dress.
From far away, their shine resembled the sea—as if the light reflected on one surface instead of individual pieces.
'It must be hand-stitched…' Emily thought, rubbing her chin. If she had to do that, she won't have enough time to finish. She already started on something but she still had so many to go.
Her feet moved to the next gown, walking for another few meters.
It also had a light carnation pink with a scoop neckline and no sleeves. The skirt flared over a thin petticoat. The emphasis was in the height rather than the width. Anyone who'd wear the gown would seem taller.
She especially liked that detail.
Another thing she noted was the pattern. A strip of applique floral laces covered the shoulder and curved at the waist before it went completely diagonal at the skirt. The other shoulder also had the same design. Both were in the same darker shade of pink.
What she loved about it is the emphasis on the waist. The pattern cinched it even, creating a silhouette that the wearer had curves. The diagonal part of the strip also added to the height factor of the skirt's cut.
Emily pressed her lips together. Her main design popped up in her thoughts. She wondered if she could still revise the progress. She'd love to add more cuts and designs that boosted height illusion.
"Boo." A voice whispered in her ear.
"AH!"
Jae covered her mouth, capturing her waist. He watched as blue flames ignited inside cobalt blue eyes. Fleek eyebrows scowled in his direction. A smug grin stretched his lips. He'd never seen something more cute.
Emily pulled his wrist, freeing her mouth.
Now, she only needed to worry about getting away from the embrace. Jae's height towered over her for about a foot long. She felt his warmth on her back. Hell, she even felt it behind her head. This guy was just too tall!
"Who—What—Lauren!" She yelled, turning towards the entrance. Her gaze only met the crowd of people. Then, she shielded her eyes with a hand. "She's gone, isn't she?"
"Yep but you can still have your Korean barbeque."
"It is not the same." Emily frowned, dropping her hand.
"It's still free."
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"Maybe later. I still want to see the other gowns," she worded carefully. Free food was free food but she wouldn't give in so easily. Her decision would be based on their time in the museum.
If she stalled long enough, would he leave?
Emily considered possibility.
Jae released his hold on her but placed a hand on her upper back. When she glared, he merely winked. "It's a big crowd. I wouldn't want to lose you."
"How can you?" She replied with an eye roll. "You're a giant. You'd be able to find me."
"Ah, so you trust that I can find you?"
Emily's face dropped to a deadpan expression. She was far from amused. "You find a way to use anything as a flirt, do you?"
"I think you confuse me with Max." Jae chuckled. He led her to the next gown.
Unlike the first two, this had the shape of a ballgown. Petticoats ballooned the cream chiffon skirt. The top had the same cut as the second one except this time, it had more detailed designs. Pastel red rose appliques covered every inch of the bodice. Dark lace vines had been slithered in between, flowing down to the skirt.
Those vine tails made Emily's heart fluttered.
She knew they weren't random. Each curve and angle were thought out carefully. The golden leaves also accented the sharp points.
"That probably looks so good if you look at it overhead," Emily remarked out loud. "I'd usually create patterns like those vines by drawing it from that point of view. It just makes it more beautiful in my opinion."
Jae titled his head to one side. "I don't think I am liking the color combinations though."
"Red, black, gold and white?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, the first three are bold colors even if the red is a pastel shade. The point is to make them stand out against the white chiffon. If the model had a white wall behind her, it would like she blended into it. It's good for photography."
"And that rose gold one looks like a bride's maid kind of gown," Jae continued. He twisted his neck to check out the dress one more time, nodding his head. "Yep, definitely a bride's maid."
Emily laughed. She could see his point. "It does but if you're gonna be a bride's maid, you'd want a gown like that. Ugh, I've seen so many hideous ones."
Jae smirked at her disgusted look. "Then, should I look forward to yours for your mother's wedding?"
