Bonnie Dane.
"Miss Dane, what's the recent development on the media?" Mr Vuitton asks.
"So far, it's been progressive." I say looking at the chart on my tablet. "We have orders being placed at a high rate, more publicity and based on statistics, our chart has massively improved, compared to the last six months."
"That's good. Good work Miss Dane!" Mr Vuitton praises, and I find myself smiling to the fullest.
No doubt, all our efforts paid off. Before the commencement of the runway, which happened two weeks ago, everyone worked their assess off, by working late, calculating statistics and developing various brand ideas.
My team and I, took the most hit to it, due to fact that, we had to develop strategies better than we have done, produce productive measures to go higher, recommendation through the media, and mostly involving in each and every of the designers work. Finally, our efforts paid off, as Mr Vuitton has confessed.
Mr Vuitton stops walking, as I do the same. We are headed to Jean Basile, a head designer here at LV. We are preparing for a new launch of handbags, and even though we just presented some designs weeks back, we're still on our feet to keep on moving.
That's the beauty of fashion, you never slow down, because once you do, you get left behind. As in here, we are always trying to improve, and work harder, even after every success.
"Do you need anything Sir?" I ask him, seeing his confused expression for a bit.
"Not technically." He answers, giving me a look. "Miss Dane, what are your plans after seeing Jean?" Mr Vuitton asks.
"Well, I have a meeting with my team later on, but that could be postponed. Do you need me to run an errand?" I ask again, this time, tentatively.
"Something of such." He pauses. "I have an appointment with David crux, I'm sure you remember him?" He asks and I nod positively. "But, I have totally forgotten, Shawn crest mentioned he was coming in today, to pick out someone of our latest designs. I don't know why, but I suggested we had a bunch delivered to him, but he insisted on coming. Anyways, I won't be able to attend to him unfortunately, so you'll have to replace me." Mr Vuitton continues.
Shawn crest. When I heard that name again, tingles ran across my body and down my spine. I watched as Mr Vuitton talked and took note of every single detail he was saying, not like I didn't before, but this was more attentively, all because of an handsome, rich tycoon I met last two weeks.
Shawn crest.
Of course, I knew him even before I met him and if not for the privilege of working here, I never could have met someone like him. Meeting him was something unexpected honestly, and the reply I got from him didn't do justice to my already interest in him.
Interest?
Doesn't that sound a bit too escalated?
"I hope that wouldn't be a problem for you?" Mr Vuitton speaks, breaking me out of my rapid thoughts, of a multi billionaire.
"Not at all sir. When would he be arriving?" I question, placing the tab by my side.
"Probably later in the day, but make sure you're available." Mr Vuitton orders.
"Definitely sir." and with that we proceed.
-----------
The next two hours went by, and still no sign of Mr crest. I inhaled, tiredly waiting for him to show up, when I could have just had my meeting and ended it, if I knew he was going to come late, or not come at all.
I glance up at the time, seeing it's already past 2, whereas I have already dismissed my team, so any hope of the meeting even wanting to take place, is long gone.
Of course, he may not come. He's a freaking billionaire and a very busy man.
What did I expect?
Internally, I was drastically hoping he would show up, so I could see him again, because based on our last encounter, it got me feeling excited to see him again.
I don't know if I'm getting my hopes too high, at the thought of having a repeat, of our last theme of conversation.
Not only did I want to see him, but I had to see him. He is my ticket on getting out of work. I could have left earlier, because I definitely was not doing anything tangible, but based on the fact that i had assured Mr Vuitton that I would be here by any time he arrives, I'm practically glued inside this company.
So, even if he doesn't come till around 5, I still have to wait and keep on waiting, till we're reached closing time and then I can give Mr Vuitton a reasonable excuse, but as of now, I'm stucked.
I toss and turn on my table, changing head positions, bored and tired, without doing anything. Thankfully, I had eaten lunch a while ago, so that was out of my dilemma.
Hours went by the more, and I find myself still sitting at the same position, 3 hours ago. Now it's 5:42.
"Bonnie are you still waiting here? go home, I doubt he's going to come anymore." Grace comes in again, meeting me the same way she did earlier.
She had come earlier and asked why I was still at work, when I was evidenty not doing anything, and I explained to her.
"You think I should? I don't want Mr Vuitton to feel I went back on my words, if he eventually comes." I expanciate.
"Don't worry about that. I'm still here, I'll cover for you, and if eventually he comes, I'll give you the full update to report back to Mr Vuitton. Alright?"
"You would do that?" I ask unbelievably.
"Of course, and look I'm still here and not closing yet, so you have nothing to worry about." Grace assures me the more.
"Thank you so much grace, you're a life saver." I get up from my desk beaming with happiness.
So much for seeing Mr crest huh?
"Anytime dear" she says and leaves. I pack my things, hanging my bag over my shoulder, as I proceed out of my office.
"See you tomorrow grace." I yell over, so she can hear me.
"See you tomorrow Bonnie." I hear her say and i smile. I walk straight to the exit, sliding in my phone into my bag, as I walk. On raising my head to walk out into the busy street, I'm met face to face with the one I've been waiting for, for hours.
"Mr crest!" I voice as I stare at him in surprise.
"Good evening, Bonnie," he replies, with a smile on his face.
Damn, that voice.
"I mean.... Sorry.... Good evening to you too. I wasn't expecting you were still coming." I stated, more like a question. He walks in meetly, as he was one foot in and one foot out, while I take steps back.
"Bonnie, go home, I told you, I'll take care of it,when Mr crest gets here!" Grace says while coming out of a corner, definitely not seeing that Mr crest has arrived. "Oh Mr crest, Good evening, it's good to have you here again." Grace acknowledges, finally seeing him.
"Good evening to you too." Mr crest looks at grace and back to me.
"Thank you Grace. There's no need for that anymore, I'll take it from here." I tell her and she nods leaving.
"Did I keep you waiting?" Mr crest asks as soon as grace leaves.
"That's not a problem, it's my job." I shrug it off politely, before I continue. "Unfortunately, Mr Vuitton couldn't be here to meet you as he had some business to attend to, so he issued me to you, to extend to any of your needs." I explain sagging slightly on my bag.
"And you've been waiting ever since?" he asks and I keep silent. I can't practically tell him he's at fault for making me wait, because honestly, it's my job and I knew what I was signing up for, when I applied here.
"It's really isn't any problem, Mr crest." I insist, looking straight at him to assure him that it's the truth. Even if slightly, I was uncomfortable, which I can not tell him that, it is still my duty.
"To me it is and I'm sorry for that. I had an urgent issue to attend to, as of my late coming. So please accept my apologies and let me make it up to you, as I have misused your time," he talks and i stare at him unbelievable.
"No, no you don't have to do that Mr crest, it's perfectly fine." I say sincerely, motioning my body with my words, as I try to evade his incoming suggestion.
"To you, it may be. But I would feel better if you would accept my offer?" he talks confidently, staring at me and not once faltering at his words.
He seems to be adamant on what he wants.
Hmm, Bonnie.
My lips keep shut for a while, considering his offer as I look at him and back to the floor. I look back at him, seeing a smirk on his face as he realizes, I'm intently thinking about it.
His smirk, making his cheekbones appear more prominent, along with his tanned skin. His thick eyebrows curved in a soft manner, as his hands slides into his pocket. His defining body, showcasing their masculinity, through his body hug long sleeves, and Jean.
"Have dinner with me and let me drop you home. Nothing else, just dinner as p*****t to keeping you waiting" He says again, gaining my full attention, in a swift mode.
Dinner?
"You don't owe me, Mr crest. As I have said, I was just doing my job, you don't have to." I resist again, trying to lure him my way.
Yes, a part of me, is very discretely excited about his offer, and the other part is finding ways to eject me from such thoughts.
"I know I don't, but I want to. Just dinner and if you say no, I'll totally understand." he speaks again.
So confident and alluring.
Just what I like.
Dinner right? After all, it's free food.
But, I know it is far from being free food. I wanted and want to have dinner with Mr crest. I just didn't want it to look obvious.
Because honestly, look at him. Who wouldn't?
I exhale delicately, thinking it through again. No doubt I find him charming, and his manner of persistence is convincing, and since he says its just dinner, there's nothing wrong in that right?
"Okay, fine. Just dinner."
---------------
The drive to dinner, as Mr crest would put it, to which I don't know where, surrounds by an awkward and maybe, a comfortable silence.
An awkward silence, in sense that, we are both quiet, and I have this issue where, once it's becomes quiet between someone and I, I start to feel weird. But at this case, I want to try and lessen the awkwardness, but I sincerely, do not know what to say or how to start the conversation.
And, possibly to Mr crest, it may be all normal and chill with him. While I'm here battling my brain off as to come up with something to say.
"Do you have any place in mind that we're going to....oh no sorry... I mean.... Of course you'll have a place in mind.... What I mean is that, I think I should know where we're going....no actually, I'm supposed to know where we're going because it's being safe and I..." I mentally slap myself at my trial to finally start a conversation, but my blabbering mouth, just had to mess it up.
God! Why am I even stressing? He's the guy right? He's supposed to look for something to say right? He's the one taking me to dinner.
Isn't that right?
"What I mean is, I would like to know where we're going." I eventually say, turning to face Mr crest only to find him smiling, almost as if he's preventing himself from chuckling.
Well damn!
He finally let's it out, as he chuckles softly. "Forgive me, my bad." He chuckles again and I stare at him dumbfounded. "It's just you're so funny," He says.
"Ohh." I prolong my statement.
"No, like funny in a cute manner. That's what I mean." He corrects and I find myself holding back a smile. I didn't know what to say after that so I just keep shut and play with my fingers.
"My apologies Bonnie, I didn't mean for you to feel offended, because I called you funny, I actually mean it as a compliment." he says looking concerned and slowing down the speed.
Wait what?
"Oh, no no no. Mr crest, I'm not offended at all. I... I just didn't know what to say, because no one has ever called me that, so it was kind of new." I explain trying to smooth it off.
"Well that explains it. But honestly, you are and I like that about you." He says again.
Oh my goodness! How can someone be so forward.
Wait, like?
My palms starts to get sweaty at just the hearing of his words. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but we're headed to 'la soiuee'. You know of the place?" Mr crest asks, turning swift gaze to me, then back at the road.
"I've heard of the place, but I've never been there." I reply honestly.
"It's really wonderful. You'll get to see it," He talks.
"Thank you, even if you didn't have to." I say.
"I'm a man of my word, and it'd be extremely wrong to have kept you waiting, without any form of repayment" He replies and I nod acceptably.
One thing bothered me, is Mr crest usually like this, I mean this nice or is it just me. Because if I am honest, at some point, he acts as though he's trying to woo me, and the other, being friendly.
But that's the thing with men, and which I've vowed never to stress myself on again. If he is willing, he will make the move, I won't force anything and act desperate.
By the time I will check my watch, it is already, past 7. Time seemed to move faster than I will acknowledge. After our last conversation, Mr crest didn't utter a word anymore, except when a call came through and he picked. He's tone changing from the different pattern we had minutes ago, to something much more professional and fearful.
He's not the only one I have noticed with such behavior. Mr Vuitton is also like that atimes. When talking with his family, he is calm and saturated, but then at some employees, he's extra professional.
Were they all like that?
After the call, nothing else came in and we drive in silence, till we finally come to a stop at a voluminous, engaging building, with its name written boldly at the centre of the height.
Mr crest gets down from that car and so do i, as he leads the way, all while walking side by side, till we get inside the building and not without security checks.
"Welcome to 'la soiuee', Bonnie."