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?”

but Alexander’s words made sense. As such, he decided to allow her to tweak the dress as she saw fit. Let’s see if you can do what I do, Elise. Brendan wanted

have better ideas for the dress, then you’re welcome to make all the adjustments as 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

dispatch two assistants to lend you a helping hand?” A mild ‘hmm’ escaped her before she replied, “I think one assistant should suffice. I’ll drop by tomorrow and start

out of Brendan’s office, they piled into the car. Alexander peered at her in the rearview mirror 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 assurance, but it made her tingle with warmth nonetheless. I’ll be there for you. As the words reverberated in her headspace,

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.

you’re here.” She nodded before asking, “I can get started

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 frame. As she walked toward it, she appraised the dress from all angles and began to sketch something on a piece of paper. Meanwhile, Brendan was cooped up in his office when