Chapter 10

Frank heaved a deep sigh and answered, "Yes sir." "If it doesn t have those three things, then I am afraid you have failed, because those three words describe a woman and I want her to wear it, designed only by you," Sean smiled. "I will be honored, sir," Frank smiled, if care was not taking, his lips are going to stretch to his forehead at how hard he was smiling. "Great, that is settled then," Sean turned to Simon, "anything I can do for you?" Simon laughed, "I was only looking for you to introduce our newest designer to you and you have already given him and important task, what else can I want?" "Oh, that s nothing; I just love telling her how beautiful she looks by what she wears since she won t believe my words." Simon looked at Athena who still had her head down, "I m sure you have said it to her so much that she found it hard believing but she should really believe it, she really is beautiful." "Thank you, even Frank said she is," he looked at Frank who nodded with a smile on his face, "alright then, I will excuse us now, and send my regards to Leo, it s a shame he couldn t make it to the party." "Oh, he also wanted me to tell you how sorry he was…" Simon rushed to say. "Oh, don t worry, I spoke with him in Miami before flying in yesterday," Sean said. "Oh," the man was embarrassed; his boss didn t tell him anything but he always loved bragging that Leo Munroe, CEO of Fashionista always confides in him more than any of his workers. Everybody believed that, well, everybody except Sean, for he knew that Leo could go three months without even talking to the man, but that s okay, he is not going to tell anyone, just like he is not planning on saying the secrets of everyone in the room. He smiled to the man and with one more look at Frank, he excused himself and walked away with Athena. They didn t have the privacy he wanted because people kept walking up to them, each throwing one compliment or another at Athena. They all wanted to use the opportunity of flattering his date to speak with him. Sean hardly shows up with a date and whenever he does, the ladies were always praised, mostly because of the man that accompanied them and he knows that which was why he hardly has a date, and also the reason that most of the women loved being his date because the next day, they would be in papers as his date and if they were a celerity, their fame would skyrocket. They always use him to boost their fame and he hates that. After talking with almost everyone in the room and being introduced to top celebrities that she had only heard their names from Frank, Athena was glad when they were finally alone and also, she was dying to sit down, her ankle was aching badly and she fears she would get blisters by the end of the day. "Stop walking funny," Sean whispered as they made their way out to the balcony. Athena sighed and grabbed onto the handrails while raising her leg to rub her ankle, "you don t know how difficult it is walking around in these," she pouted. Sean smiled, "don t worry, you will get used to it soon." She sighed and glanced at him, "how do you know so much people?" Sean raised an eyebrow, "you think these are the only people I know? Sweetheart, these are just those that are available at the moment and besides, none of the people here are my friends. They are just…colleagues," he smiled, "one day, you will meet my friends." Athena shook her head, she looked back into the room full of people and heaved a deep breath, how life changes, a while ago she had entered that very room and every one stared at her in disgust and now everyone is laying praises on her, just like that? Without even knowing who she was, "it s strange how they were all complimenting me like they have known me from genesis." Sean chuckled, "that s the thing, Athena, majority of them didn t mean it," she glanced at him in shock, "which is why you must never blush or look bashful, even if you have to be, you have to pretend. A lot of the women who complimented you were insulting you in their minds." "Why?" "Well, mostly because you are with me and they are already thinking what it would have done to their fame tomorrow if they were the ones with me. Some of them would even release the news themselves and would sneakily take a picture of us and post in their Instagram feed or twitter," he rolled his eyes. "Why would they do that?" "Because they want fame, Athena, that is what I was trying to tell you that…" he paused, "I know we agreed not to ever speak of it but I need to make my point, so as I was saying, that is what I was telling you that night, at the club. You can t be here and be innocent, if you are, people would step on you and climb higher, and they would trample on your dignity and won t feel an ounce of sadness. Take your lover for example, an hour ago he was telling you that you are not his type of woman and that you don t belong here while he does and an hour later, he was agreeing with me that you are a woman for the keeps. Athena, if you must remain in this circle, you must be tough, smart and you must throw away any ounce of compassion you have. You must be fierce, ready to backstab anybody to get what you want, you must be calculative and sociable, you must be intelligent and more important, as a woman, you have to have the air of gracefulness and be poise. Do you understand, Athena?" Athena stared at him with her eyes wild open, all these things he mentioned, does it mean that every woman in there has that? Can she be like that? No, definitely not. "But I don t want to be like that, I don t want to be classified like that." "Why? You loved the way Frank used you and dumped you when he doesn t need you anymore?" Athena felt hurt but his words and he saw it but he had come to understand he had to hurt her a little for her to get her head in the game, "you want another man to treat you like that? To spend time with you and then end it with you not being their type of woman? No don t let that waterworks out, it would ruin your make up," he was forced to add when her eyes crystallized. Seeing that she didn t listen to him and soon, tears were cascading down her cheeks, he sighed and closed his eyes, "I m sorry, I didn t mean to be that harsh." Athena sniffled and wiped her eyes, smudging her beautiful make up, "no, you are right, I am not worthy of any man and sooner than later, anyone I am with would say the same thing to me." Sean breathed out deeply and pulled her into his arms, then caressing her hair, he whispered, "I m sorry. I told you, Athena, being in my world would change you." They stayed silent and he waited till she stopped sobbing to speak again, "you know, Athena, you should develop yourself in such a way that no matter what a man says to you, rather than cry, you would laugh it out. You should never cry so loosely in public." "But crying is the only way to free up my heart." "You can do that in your closet. When you are outside, no matter how pushed to tears you are, try to hold it till you get home and try as much as you can to smile in the process." She looked up at him and he smiled, "fake lives," he grinned. "Come, you can t go back to the party looking like this." "Can I not go back?" "You are tired?" She nodded and he sighed, "fine then, let me show you to your room." "My room?" she asked, shocked. Sean grinned again, but rather than reply her, he led her down the stairs and into another secret door. No words were exchanged as Sean led Athena through another dark staircase and when they finally came out to a bright hallway, she was surprised, it wasn t the same hall that led to the dressing room, it was another one and this one looks more unique and beautiful. She looked at Sean, wanting to ask how many hallways the house have but decided against it, she didn t want to sound inquisitive. Sean stopped in front of a door and she bumped into him while looking at the beautiful red drapes that hung on the windows, "oh, sorry," she said. "Don t bother, here," he pushed open the double doors, "I hope you like blue," he murmured before entering and she wondered why he would say that but when she stepped in, she knew why. The room should be named the blue room because the bedspread, the headboard, the curtains, the walls, the drapes, the chairs, everything was blue. Athena gasped, she has never seen so much blue, "wow," she breathed. "If you don t like it, you can pick a color tomorrow and it would be changed," he said when he saw the look on her face. "No, I like it, it s just…I never knew so much blue could be beautiful," she said in awe. Sean smiled then, "well, Tobias always say that I m not good with designing, I hope he is here now to hear you say this," he grinned. Athena chuckled, hearing the name of the exquisite man; she realized that she would miss him when she leaves tomorrow. She didn t know what else to say and just stood, rubbing her arm. Sean looked around the room, "you will find everything you need here, hopefully," he shrugged, "I will have Tobias attend to you tomorrow, know the things that you are lacking and provide them immediately," he heaved a deep sigh, "well, that is that. See you tomorrow." "You re going somewhere?" She asked immediately and he raised an eyebrow with a smirk on his lips. "Is there somewhere you would want me to be?" Athena looked away shyly, "no I…um…I was just asking because, you know…" "I still have a party to attend, Athena, I am still the host after all," he smiled, deciding to stop teasing her. "Oh," she answered. Sean smiled, "sleep well," then he turned to leave. "S-Sean?" Athena called awkwardly. "Yes, Athena," he answered, not showing any reaction that it was the first name she was saying his name. "Em," she licked her lips unknowingly, "there is something I have been meaning to ask you," she gulped. Sean turned fully to her, "shoot." Athena looked up at him, "I…I just want to ask, why me? Why are you helping me?" Sean was silent for a while, "hmm," he pouted, "honestly, let me answer that question some other time." "Why?" "Because I don t know the answer yet," he smiled, "but I will figure it out along the line and then I will give it to you." Athena nodded, "okay but um, I have another question." "Take the floor," he folded his arms on his chest. Athena bit her lower lip, "why did you tell Frank to design a dress for me?" Sean grinned, "now that I can answer now. No reason, I just love the idea of keeping him awake all night, keeping him busy by day in trying to find the design that best suits the woman he had claimed not to be his type and doesn t belong together with him." Athena stared at him with her mouth open, "just that?" Sean furrowed his brows, "you sound as if it s not something important." "Because it isn t, I mean I don t see the need for it," she heaved a sigh, "he wants me to get out of his life, making him design a dress for me is keeping me there and if I am being honest, it would make me feel like there is still something between us or would be again," she whispered the last part. Sean stared at her, his mind was running some calculations but at the end, he didn t make a comment on that, "go to sleep, Athena. I will see you in the morning," he offered her a faint smile and left the room before she could ask him another question. Athena sighed when the doors closed, she looked around the room and her mind went through everything that happened in the night. First, the sneak in and then the final break up with Frank and then meeting Sean and having TB work on her. Meeting the same guests who had looked at her in disgust to all fawn on her and now about to sleep in the most beautiful blue room, she heaved another sigh, it has been a really eventful night, she concluded before undoing her zip and stepping out of her gown. She picked it up and went into the bathroom with it. Maybe when she wake up tomorrow, she would discover everything to just be a dream. *** "Rise and shine sleeping beauty, the sun has been up for hours," a musical voice rang in the room and even in her dream; Athena knew who it belongs to. She snappily opened her eyes to see the man standing with his weight on one foot and hanging his hand in that beautiful manner of his, "breakfast is not gonna serve itself here, you know." Athena smiled and sat up on the bed, she had had the best night ever, when was the last time she slept on a bed so soft? She knew when, she just doesn t want to think about it, "good morning, TB." "Good morning, goddess Athena, I m pretty sure that s how they greeted her back then in Greek," he giggled and popped the gum he was chewing. Today, he was dressed in shorts with a sleeveless top, his hair in green shade unlike last night that it was blonde. Athena chuckled, "well, I don t know, I haven t studied anything about Greek mythology," she shrugged. "Yeah girl, it s not necessary," he rolled his eyes, obviously, he didn t like the topic as well, "alright, get up. Sean is waiting downstairs, he wants to have breakfast with you and he sent me to come fetch you. I never thought that I would turn into a handmaid sometime in my life." Athena smiled at the sarcasm in his voice, "don t worry, it would be just for today." "Yeah, tell that to Sean," he popped his gum, "you are more conversing this morning than last night, I like that." Athena smiled, "I didn t see you when we got down." "Oh girl, don t mind me, immediately I went down, it turned out my baby has been waiting for me for us to ditch the party and you should know me, I will never say no to him," he walked to the wardrobe and opened it, "hmm, you need clothes, and creams and soaps," he was nodding to himself as he list out the things she needs. Athena climbed down from the bed and saw the dress that was on the chair, that wasn t there last night, she thought to herself and figured TB might have come with it. "Okay, that s all for now, so go take a shower, Sean aren t gonna wait for forever. I need to dress you up." "Dress me up? But it s just for breakfast, shouldn t my nightwear be enough?" Athena asked perplexed. TB looked at her unbelievably and looked down at her nightgown when she mentioned it, "Where did you get that?" "Em, I found it in the wardrobe." "Oh, I guess I forgot to remove it after she left," he murmured to himself and then shook his head, "okay, here is the thing, never ever wear a nightgown to breakfast, lunch or dinner with Sean, he doesn t like it. Secondly, always try to look good and dress well, apply make-up and flaunt your skin…oh my God," he slapped his forehead, "I m treating you like my models," he rolled his eyes and sighed, "okay, you get the picture, never leave the room without being dressed or looking good, okay? Now go take a shower."