Chapter 189,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?”
Alexander placated 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 if you can do what I do, Elise. Brendan wanted her to know that fashion designing was no walk in the park. A hint of contempt sneaked into his voice as he drawled, “You know what?
I think you’re right, Alexander. Elise, if you 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 it a shot.” Her response was beyond what Brendan had expected of her. He thought that she might become flustered and turn down his offer, but exasperation seized him when he saw how confident she looked.
How could a girl be 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 one assistant should suffice. I’ll drop by tomorrow and start on the tweaking if that’s alright with you.” There was no hesitation in her words and her gaze was steady as she waited for him to say something, but he did not.
When she and Alexander made their way 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, she smiled and responded, “You could have a little more faith in me, you know.
After all, I’d never do anything without first having the confidence that I could pull it off.” 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 work to notice her presence.
She paid no mind to this and found 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 here.
“Come with me,” 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 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 Molly entered.
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Griffith?” He gave a flippant wave of his hand and replied, “I need you to head over to Design Studio No.1 to assist with some adjustments. You can get whatever is needed from storage.” She nodded. “Got it, Mr. Griffith.” However, just as she was about to leave, he stopped her in her tracks. “Hold on. Make sure you watch every single tweak that girl makes to the dress, and let me know as soon as you spot a problem.” “Yes. Mr. Griffith,” she replied. “I’ll get going now.” In truth, Molly was a little taken aback by how eager Brendan seemed and she wondered what the big deal was.
When she arrived at Design Studio No.1 and caught sight of an average woman pawing around the dress that he had painstakingly made, Molly cried out, “Hey! What are you doing? You’re probably new around here, but I should warn you not to touch anything that Mr. Griffith has personally designed—like that dress!” Elise frowned at the intrusion, but a sudden thought flashed in her mind as she asked, “Are you the assistant Brendan mentioned?” Astonishment colored Molly’s face. Did she just call Mr. Griffith by his first name? Who is she to have such audacity?
Instantly, she understood that regardless of who the girl might be, the girl was not one to be trifled with. While Molly nodded, she answered hastily, “Yes, Mr. Griffith sent me over to assist you.” “Oh,” Elise responded. “Could you pass me the scissors, please?” In a show of obedience, Molly turned to grab the scissors before she handed it over to Elise without further delay.
“Here you go.” After she took the sharp tool, Elise swept her gaze over the dress and there was not even a flicker of doubt that crossed her expression as she snipped away the inseam of the dress. Molly’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she gasped and stammered, “W-What in the world are you doing?”
