"So-sorry, can you please re-repeat that?" Phoebe stuttered while trying to regain her composure.
The rejection had caught her off guard. Even with her jitters, she knew she had done very well. Immediately she entered her confidence surged. So why was Loukas Hamilton refusing her?
"I said, I cannot accept you into my clothing brand. You aren't what I was and still am looking for. I need something different.
"Maybe the next person would provide that. So can you please excuse us? See yourself out." He pointed towards the door.
How could she have liked him? Phoebe didn't believe that the man she had crushed on all these while was a jerk in person.
How could someone contrast their public figure? He was known to be kind. Was there a mix-up? Was this really Loukas?
"No! You can't do this to me! I am a fan of yours. A big fan at that! How can you do this to me? I prepared well for this and even had to borrow money so I could make it and you are rejecting me?" She lashed out at him while he adjusted in his chair to regard her fully.
Loukas wondered who this lady was. Did someone dare shout at him like this public? It surprised him. No one had ever dared try it.
This was the first time such had happened. It thrilled him. She looked beautiful even in her fury. Loukas couldn't resist the urge to taunt her.
"So are you saying I should accept your low performance because you are my fan? So everyone who tags himself my fan should get the audition?"He rephrased what she had just said, using her words against her.
"If that's what you are saying then you wouldn't even get the chance because this place wouldn't be enough to contain us all. I'm sure you know that by now. I have plenty of big fans." he winked at her to her astonishment.
Phoebe looked shocked that he had taken it the wrong way. That wasn't what she had meant at all.
The words he spoke irked her.
"What!? I never did say that! All I said was…" she paused when she noticed a smug look on his face.
He knew what he was doing, Phoebe realised. He had baited her using her words! Now it would look like she wanted him to be biased in his judgment whereas she thought that since she was his fan, she would know more of his moves.
"I worked so hard for this, please. I like all of your designs. They are so beautiful. My wish has always been to be the face of your brand. Please." Phoebe's resolve was melting.
"How many of my designers have you bought?" Loukas asked her sarcastically. Some of the judges chuckled at this turn of events.
"Or let me better rephrase that for your caliber How many of my designers can you afford?" He stared intently at her.
Phoebe was stunned. She couldn't speak. She had saved for that last year when he released one of his new imprints.
That was when she was working two jobs but her father had called her that her mother had fainted as a result of her sickness.
She had to use the money to take care of her mother but who was Loukas Hamilton to care about her?
"You just said it yourself that you like all my designers. I was wondering how many you had. Seeing that you love them so much." Loukas added to her infuriation.
"Really? I…" Phoebe was about to respond when Loukas signaled for her to keep quiet with his hands.
"If I had to base this audition on models who had gotten at least one of my designs, would you meet the pass mark or fall far below it?" Loukas had stood up by this time.
Phoebe realized that he was very tall.
What is she still doing there? Is everything alright? Morgan had been waiting for over fifteen minutes now.
He had expected her to come out after five minutes at most. Yet, the door remained closed. Phoebe didn't come out.
"I have my answer already." Loukas said, without waiting for an answer from Phoebe's gaping mouth.
"Since you can't afford one, look around.' Loukas motioned to everyone in the room.
To her surprise, she found herself obeying him.
"What did you notice?" He turned back to ask her.
Phoebe was pale. He was throwing an open challenge at her. What did he expect her to see? She looked around agitatedly. Phoebe didn't notice anything.
She badly wanted to get the answer but nothing occurred to her.
"You can't even take a common guess." he pressured her as he tilted his head sideways.
After some seconds, Loukas spoke.
"Since you couldn't get that, I would gladly give you the answer on a silver platter. One thing is common in this room. If you had taken a careful look at us, you would have discovered that everyone here is wearing my design." he said pompously.
Phoebe had now realized what he wanted her to see.
"Well, everyone here except you!" He sneered at her.
"You call yourself my fan yet you are the odd one out. Everyone here including the guy who opened the door for you is wearing my design. Do you see how wrong it is for you to call yourself my big fan?"
"Maybe if you had gotten that, I might have given you a free pass into my clothing brand." he winked at her once more glad that he had won this round.
Then he turned back to his seat, proud of himself. No one has dared talk like that to him since he became famous. Since she had thrown the gauntlet, he had no choice but to ridicule her.
"You conceited selfish jerk!" Phoebe couldn't help but cuss at him outwardly.
The judges who had been watching her launch her tirade at her gasped at her brazenness.