A few hours earlier, Eve walked out of an optical shop. She carried a white paper bag in one hand. Her heart thundered in her chest. They had less than 24 hours before the site would be up. There were still things to be done.
Her profile needed a few finishing touches.
Avery matched her strides, staying beside her. She wore a pair of shades. The lens gleamed in gold under the sun. The back of the shop had little foot traffic. Bodyguards stood around and watched the area.
They headed for their cars.
"Just follow Miles and he'd lead you to the studio," Mrs. Hathaway instructed Eve, "I'll meet you there. We can't be too careful. My son has several eyes around the city. He can't know that you and your second persona are connected."
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "If he does, he'd pick you right away and use your job positions to make your business trips count as dates."
Eve thought about it for a while. It did sound like something her boss would do.
Avery opened her car door. She pulled down her sunglasses and looked at Eve straight in the eye. Her lips teased a smile. "Enjoy your last moments as Everlee Hart. Once you enter that studio, you'll be reborn as your other self."
"Drive safely, Mrs. Hathaway." Eve nodded.
The madam returned the well wishes and hopped onto the driver's seat.
Eve moved to her BMW. She placed the paper bag in the passenger's seat. Then, she turned on the engine. The alleyway laid out before her, her hands gripped the steering wheel. A black sedan soon appeared in her windshield.
She stepped on the gas pedal and followed it.
The drive went quietly.
The opposite happened inside Eve's mind.
As troubling as it seemed, she'd rather pose as someone else on that dating site. She found its advantages convenient. For instance, how awkward would it have been if Ambryan saw her? Her presence alone broke several rules. She could almost imagine the flow of the conversation.
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Yan: 'Eve, why are you here?'
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Eve: 'Good morning, boss. Lovely day, isn't it?'
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Yan: 'Please answer the question.'
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Eve: 'I was asked by your mother to join.'
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Yan: 'Why did you accept?'
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Eve's Option 1: 'She made a tempting offer.'
Eve's Option 2: 'I thought it seemed interesting.'
Eve's Option 3: 'I actually had hidden feelings for you. Sike! I'm here as a joke.'
.
No matter how many replies she could think of, none of them appealed to her. They all ended in disasters. She wouldn't be able to face him after that—if she didn't lose her job yet. If she did, the job interviews would be just as awkward.
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Question: 'Why did you lose your job?'
Eve: 'Oh, I joined this dating site that was created for my boss. He did not take it well.'
.
A shiver went down her spine.
Yes, she'd rather maintain their current relationship.
The sedan stopped in front of a small building. It rolled into a parking space near its front stairs. Eve positioned her car beside it. She grabbed the paper bag and stepped out. She admired the simple infrastructure. An employee entrance stood on top of the staircase.
There was no sign of Avery.
"This way, Ms. Hart," Miles said.
He led the way into a building, presenting a pass to the security guard. Eve did her best to follow. The inside exploded in color compared to its exterior. Photos of models filled up the hallway. Their outfits matched their abstract backdrops. No one executed the same pose twice.
Yet, they all held the same bag.
Miles opened a door and gestured towards it. "Please proceed here."
Eve took slow steps. Her thundering heart drummed loudly in her ears. She didn't know what to expect. She entered the threshold and her breathing hitched. Her brown eyes observed the new surroundings.
The large room had wooden floorboards and black curtains over wide windows. Her side had a vanity mirror and several racks of clothing. It resembled the dressing rooms she'd seen on TV.
At the opposite end, a studio occupied a wide space. It had a white backdrop ready, a few furniture, some umbrella lights and several tripods. Overhead spotlights dangled from its ceiling. A shelf displayed luxury bags next to it.
"Oh-ho!" A high-pitched voice exclaimed, "Is this her? Is this my new model? She's gorgeous!"
A man with gelled platinum blonde hair approached the doorway. He wore a floral royal blue suit over his white dress shirt. His silver tie displayed the same pattern. His tan Oxford shoes shined under the bright lights.
When he reached Eve, she noticed they had the same height.
"Your name is Eve, right? I'm Cale." He took her hand and shook it. His aqua blue eyes crinkled in delight. "You are prettier than your photos. Ah! I can't wait to see you transform! I bet you can stun any camera."
Eve attempted a smile. The bubbling energy overwhelmed her for a bit.
"Don't scare her, Cale," a newcomer warned from the door.
"Avery! My darling!" Cale exclaimed. He strolled over to his friend and hugged her tight. Then, he air-kissed her cheek. "How are you?"
"Thank you so much for doing this. How was Milan?" Avery said, returning the hug.
Cale took a step back. He clapped his hands together. His gaze flickered between the two women. "Wonderful. My vacation was amazing. I relaxed. I did yoga. I had my spa treatments. I am ready to get back to business! Are we ready to see a Sailor Soldier emerge or what?"
Avery laughed at his words. She patted his back and proceeded with the introductions, "Eve, this is Cale. He is a model manager. He is quite eccentric and loves to bring new models in. The agency is now used to him. It won't be the first time he recruited a model on a whim."
"That's because no one can trick these eyes." Cale cackled, pointing at them with his finger. "I know a gem when I see one and Eve is definitely one."
Eve felt her cheeks blush. She ignored it by smiling. "You're very kind, Cale."
Cale snapped his fingers towards her. "Humble. I love it. We need more of you around here."
"You'll do her makeup, right?" Avery asked, stirring the conversation. They only had a few hours of the day left. The earlier they get started, the earlier they'd finish.
"Of course! I have everything planned. Luna is also on her way. Let's give her a surprise when she gets here." Cale held Eve's wrist and led her to the chair. Lightbulbs framed the vanity mirror. An open cosmetic bag covered the table.
"Luna?" Eve couldn't help but ask. She pulled off her glasses and hid them in her bag.
"Why Luna Athon!" Cale widened his eyes. He grabbed a cotton pad and dampened it with micellar water. He gently wiped off the dirt from her face. "She's the owner of Athon Corporation. It is one of the highest grossing fashion houses and luxury retail companies. You'll be modelling for one of their boutiques in the city."
He threw away the used pad, grabbing a thin brush. "It's a big brand but a small scale project. We figured that it's perfect for what you need."
"Are you wearing a brow tint?" His thumb caressed her eyebrows. They felt rough to the touch. He picked up another cotton pad and removed the residue.
"I am," Eve admitted. "I have natural red hair but since it's black right now, I use the tint to hide any roots from my eyebrows."
"A red head!" Cale gasped. He tossed the pad, dipping his brush in a gel cream pot. "That's so cool because I picked out a red wig for you! This is fate telling us that this really needs to happen. I bet you miss your old hair."
He noticed that she had uneven brows. They were well-groomed but it had an almost invisible arch and tail because of sparse strands. Only the head had full hair. He followed her natural shape with the eyebrow cream. The brush filled in the gaps and evened out the thickness.
"I do." Eve sighed. She loved her hair. She had inherited it from her mother. "Wouldn't my boss still recognize me? How different would I look with makeup on?"
She rarely used cosmetics. For her job, she only wore a brow tint and a mascara. She only did so to hide her red hair. She added some lipstick whenever she attended a special occasion. It made her seem more put together.
At least, she thought it did.
"We won't do magic here and paint on a new face," Cale explained. He moved to the next brow and did the same tricks. "Since you have fair skin, you lack a bit of shadowing. We'll add those in to show off your bone structure. We'll also do some cateye to elongate your eyes."
He took a step back, assessing his work.
"Your lashes are long but they're not naturally curled. We'll fix it and add some false ones. You also just bought new contact lenses. Those would change your eye color." He hummed for a bit and checked out her other features. His brush pointed to her lips.
"Your lips are thin and quite pale but they are plump. We'll add some lipstick and some gloss. They'd stand out more after that. You'd be surprised at how different you'd look from the simplest changes." He chuckled, shaking his head.
Eve pressed her lips together. They slid across each other because of her lip balm. She did know about their lack of color. Andie often joked that she looked like a hospital patient.
Cale grabbed a blending brush and tapped it on a brown eyeshadow. "Just sit back and relax. Let me be your fairy godmother for today."