Coolest Girl in Town

Although Brendan sounded casual enough, there was a trace of disdain in his tone that seemingly implied that she had no right to comment on the making of the dress, given that she was not an expert. Elise, on the other hand, did not bridle at the hostility underlying his question, and instead replied mildly, “I personally think that a fiber-based tulle would be a better choice and there should be some adjustments to the skirt to make it weigh less. It might help with the aesthetics, too.” At that moment, he was sure that the girl was besmirching his design.

While keeping his resentment at bay, he bit out, “Well then, since you’ve said so, I guess I’ll just try to tweak the dress.” With that, he gestured for his assistant to help her out of the dress. Upon sensing his disgruntlement, Elise quickly explained, “Don’t get me wrong; I love your design and how beautiful it is. Whatever I said earlier was merely a suggestion.” Brendan hummed curtly in response. “That’s fine. If you think the dress needs some tweaking, then I’ll just go along with it.” Not wanting to further prod the bruise on his artist’s esteem, she conceded and changed out of the dress, which was later taken away by his assistant.

Meanwhile, after having observed the slightly tense exchange, Alexander knew instantly that Brendan was very much offended by Elise’s remarks. Fashion design was not his forte, but he understood Brendan’s temperament and he was only too familiar with Brendan’s intolerance toward any criticism about his work. “Brendan, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to make a few slight adjustments, but if you don’t want to go along with it, why don’t you let Elise take charge instead?”

while delicately selecting his words. Upon hearing that, Brendan’s expression softened. He thought Elise was presumptuous to have nitpicked on his design when she wasn’t even a fellow designer, but Alexander’s words made sense. As such, he decided to allow her to tweak the dress as she saw fit. Let’s see

you please. There’s no harm in trying, right?” When she heard it, Elise paused in thought and finally agreed, “Alright then, I’ll give it a shot.” Her response

so insubordinate and cocky at the same time? Let’s just see how she fares at the end! With a strained composure, he added, “Then, I’ll leave the dress to you, Elise. You can come to me if you need any help, or would you prefer I dispatch two assistants to lend you a helping hand?” A mild ‘hmm’ escaped her before she replied, “I think

and pointed out, “You can do whatever you like with the dress and it won’t matter if you mess up. I’ll be there for you.” It was the first time she had heard anyone making such promises to her. The five syllables strung together into a simple

There was something magnetic about her when she behaved this way and it tugged at Alexander’s heartstrings. It was as if he had discovered the true reason behind his attraction for her; he could see the same stubbornness in her that he used to have back in the day. To that extent, they thrived in the same league. The next day, Elise showed up at the atelier alone. Unlike yesterday, everyone at the atelier was too preoccupied with their own

her way to Brendan’s office, thereafter knocking cursorily on his door. “Come in.” After having heard his disembodied voice, she pushed open the door. “What is it?” Brendan asked impassively as he looked up and when he saw her, he stiffened. “Oh, you’re here.” She nodded before asking, “I can get started on the dress right away. Where is it?” He gaped at her in surprise; he hadn’t expected her to actually turn up, believing that she was nothing but a big talker at that time. Then again, he’d like to see how she was going to ruin the dress now that she was

he said as he rose from his seat. He led her down the hallway and when they came to a stop at the end, he declared, “You can work on the dress here. All the tools are in there and I’ll have my assistant, Molly, lend you a hand.” Elise thanked him and went through the door. She was immediately greeted by the sight of the dress, which hung on the mannequin’s