JEmily - The Upper Floors

Emily elbowed his ribs. "Whether you look forward to it or not, I am designing my own dress."

She started it even before her mother became engaged. When Joey came to their lives, wedding bells clanged in her head. She went to work and drew several possible designs. Since it would be her mother's wedding, she set out to design the bride's gown as well.

A lot of weeks were spent in her studio.

The inspiration and motivation fuelled her.

Jae leaned down. His lips hovered near her ear. "Will you tell me so we can match?"

"Not in your life." Emily snorted. She moved on to the other dress. The hand on her back followed. The chiffon yellow had a sweetheart neckline and off shoulder cut. Its A-line skirt overlapped in the middle, pinned at the waist. The silhouette seemed similar to the bridesmaid's gown design she wanted.

Stepping closer, she studied the beaded pattern of the bodice. Polished stones of diamonds lined up in curves and in waves. She considered doing the same.

Jae hung his head, glancing at the upper floors. The museum closed them off for the exhibit. Black metal fence outlined the second floor. It had several archways that led to different displays. In one, he spotted renaissance paintings.

Then, he gazed down at his companion.

How would he convince her to go there?

"I heard there is a private collection on the second floor," Jae attempted. "It's not open for the public but I know the security guard around there."

He figured since she came for the dresses. Another exhibit of them would entice her. It was a weak shot at being subtle. She probably read through him right away.

Not that he minded.

Emily clicked her tongue. She tilted her head to one side and squinted. "So you just happen to know about the collection and happen to know the security guard?"

He shrugged, hiding a smirk. "Would you refuse to go if I say that I did?"

He watched her think about it for a moment. She pursed her lips. Her eyebrows scrunched at the ceiling. A low hum rang through gritted teeth.

Then, she flickered her gaze back at him. "What if there's no collection?'

"There is." Jae snorted.

"What if there isn't? What do I get as compensation?" Emily insisted. Real or not, she wanted some compensation. She was already tricked into relying on him since Lauren left with the car. There had to be some justice in the world.

She must grab every chance possible!

"Fine," he sighed. A mental list of her favorites scrolled in his head. It came from extensive research with reliable sources. "If it doesn't pass or surpass your expectations, I will… let you drive my car on our way back."

"DEAL!"

Jae shook his head. He held his breath in order not to laugh. It seemed like Elena hadn't lied about Emily's desire to drive. Since the latter was close to turning 16, she felt impatient about a license. It became a good inspiration for little blackmails.

"Alright, let's go." He removed his hand on her back and held onto her wrist instead.

Using his tall built, Jae navigated through the crowd. Others moved out of the way when he drew near. He kept one eye over his shoulder and always checked on Emily. She didn't resist his touch, letting him lead her. She stuck close by to avoid bumping into others.

It was a peaceful change.

The security guard unhooked a velvet rope when he spotted the two.

Emily raised her eyebrows. It seemed that he didn't joke about that part. Frown lines creased between her brows after walking a few paces. Something about the guard seemed suspicious. It was at the tip of her tongue.

But, she couldn't put her finger on it.

Jae made a left turn. It guided them to the renaissance paintings. At the end of the hallway, a large oak door stood. Its width had the size of two arm spans while its height towered at 7 ft. A sign hung on its surface.

``Authorized Personnel Only``

The knob turned easily.

The nagging suspicion rose at Emily's mind. Was it just her? Or was this all planned? So far, everything was convenient. One look and the guard knew to let them in. Now, they faced an inaccessible door but it opened?

What the F—

"Jae!" A sharp female voice yelled inside the room. "What took you so long?!"

The woman's dark brown hair framed an oval-shaped face. Obsidian dark eyes glared underneath fleek eyebrows. She wore a pastel pink blazer over a white camisole. Her high-waisted pencil skirt matched her top.

To finish off the outfit, she wore rose gold stilettos.

"OHMYGODS!" Emily exclaimed. Her body froze after one step through the door. She covered her mouth with two hands, her cobalt eyes bulging out of their sockets. "YOU'RE LUNA ATHON!"

Luna stood up from the stool and approached the pair. Her gaze studied the teenage girl. A soft smile stretched across her lips. "You must be Emily."

"You know me?" Emily blinked. Well, if Luna mentioned she knew the Greenwood Family, Emily would believe it. But, her? Her specifically? She hadn't even debuted formally in society. Not to mention, Luna Athon travelled a lot.

It would be next to impossible for the designer to know her.

Luna chuckled. She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "Well, that guy wouldn't shut up about you. The only way I could get him to stop was to visit. I didn't really have a plan to be here."

"Which is why you're the best non-biological aunt in the world," Jae praised.

She chuckled. "If you weren't your mother's son, I might have turned down an urgent favor."

Jae shrugged, not denying her claim. Luna was a friend of his mother's. They lost contact many times but whenever they found each other again, it was as if time never passed. He remembered all the gifts Luna would bring when he and Logan were kids. She would be back from an overseas trip.

Back then, Logan thought she was a real life version of Santa Claus.

Luna turned her head back to the main star of the day. She wondered what kind of girl Jae fell for to ask such a request. "Anyway, Emily. How did you like the exhibit?"

"It's great! The different colors reminded me of your Rainbow Collection." Emily gushed. The dresses surfaced in her mind vividly. "I'm like thinking if I should redo my designs. Something more simple but still has the flair I wanted. "

Her mind flipped the pages of her sketchbook. She had a few and categorized them accordingly. The one she looked at now had her evening gown illustrations. She remembered every detail, from the drawing to the fabric and to the stitching she would use.

The page beside a design contained ideas to consider. Her mind had them memorized as well. She also knew where to put the notes she created from the exhibit.

Pure passion fueled her every being. Once her mouth talked about the book, everything came out. It was hard to stop unless someone forced her to.

Emily lifted one hand and counted with her fingers. Her speech increased in speed. "Honestly, I have too many sketches but too little time. The ball, the pageant, the wedding… I also want to do my own dress for grandmother's birthday next year. And then—"

"Wo-Woah," Luna gripped the teenager's upper arms. "No need to worry about them all right now. Start with the most urgent one. What is it?"

Emily bit her inner cheek. Her eyes landed on Jae. She widened them and nudged her head to the door. No way would she share them with him around. She could already hear all of his comments.

The dress shopping from before already proved it.

Luna followed her line of sight and chuckled. "Alright. Out with you. This is a Girls Only Talk."

The teenage girl beamed at her. "You heard her, big oaf. Get lost."

Jae crossed his arms over his chest. The corner of his lip tugged down. His eyes darted between the two. "This meeting wouldn't have even happened without me. Now, you're kicking me out? This is injustice."

"Aw, come on, Jae," Luna cooed, "Emily probably just wants to surprise you. The dress won't have the same impact if you already know what to expect. If you leave now, I'll make sure that it'll blow you away."

Emily snapped her head towards the famous designer. "But that's not—"

"Now, that makes sense. Okay. I'll go."

Jae headed for the door. He took one last look and pressed a finger to his lips. His eyes relished in Emily's shocked face. He couldn't help but tease from the sight of it. His mind raced to think of the best way to provoke her.

A smirk replaced his frown.

"Behave, ladies. If I see one plunging neckline, I will hunt down the person to blame. Reserve that for when I'll be able to take it off."