Chapter 190,Coolest Girl in Town
With that, Molly instantly snapped out of her daze and she was abruptly reminded of what Brendan had told her earlier. As she nodded profusely, she answered, “No, nothing at all! I’ll get the fabric right away!” With that, she scurried out of the design studio. Now that the dress no longer had its former silhouette, Elise moved to the frontal section of its bodice and began to tweak it with needles and threads. By the time Molly returned with the roll of fabric, Elise was already done with the neckline of the dress. She took in the aftermath and was surprised to see that the dress looked better than it originally had.
“Miss Sinclair, I have the gambiered silk gauze you asked for,” she announced tentatively. “Leave it aside for now,” Elise responded as she kept the needles and threads before she reached for the scissors once more. After grabbing one section of the skirt in one hand, she swiftly cut it off. There was a finesse in her movements that Molly found mesmerizing and she did not dare to blink for fear that she would miss out on the slightest of details. “Can I have the ivory thread no.2 please?” Elise asked, breaking the silence that was otherwise filled by the sound of scissors on fabric. Molly quickly shook herself out of her reverie and passed the thread to Elise, who took it. Then, after she mapped out the lines, Elise started to sew.
Throughout the whole process, she hardly spoke a word, but she moved with a fluidity that seemed second nature to her. Molly had to take a break in between, but while she was in the lounge to get a glass of water, Brendan abruptly materialized next to her and asked, “How’s it going in there?” His voice caused her to jump and she nearly choked on her water as she hurried to answer, “Everything’s going pretty well. There’s been no mishap whatsoever.” However, he probed, “Do you think I’d ask you about the process? I’m asking about the dress! How is it?
Has it been destroyed beyond repair?” Molly couldn’t understand why he would ask something as pointed as that. If she had to be honest, she had a distinct feeling that the dress would turn out better than it had been once Elise was done with the adjustments. Moreover, Elise had a unique way of sewing that belied the attention-to-detail she had for every stitch she made. Although Molly had been in this industry for a long time, she hadn’t even encountered someone whose stitchwork could be compared to Elise. In fact, she was under the impression that Elise was a top fashion designer whom Brendan had hired, which was why she asked earnestly, “Where did you find Miss Sinclair, Mr. Griffith?”
Molly was only curious, but Brendan thought she was intimidated by Elise. As a result, he withheld the truth as he dismissed, “Oh, she’s… just a friend. It doesn’t matter; she’s not a professional, so it won’t be surprising if she ruined the dress.” Affrontation registered on Molly’s expression. If Elise is doing so well without being a professional fashion designer, then where do I stand in this industry? “Mr. Griffith, you might as well just stab me through the heart!” she exclaimed, looking wounded. He blinked at her in confusion. “Stab you through the heart? What are you talking about?”
She thought he was feigning innocence and drawled sourly, “Wow, Mr. Griffith, despite all my years of working as a fashion designer, I just realized that I can’t even compete with a non-professional. I need a moment to calm down; excuse me while I nurse my injured pride to health.” With that, she turned on her heels and marched out of the lounge, leaving Brendan shouting after her in bewilderment, “Hey, don’t just walk off without explaining yourself!”
Alas, silence was all he received in return. He had a sudden realization that something was off and wondered whether Elise really had a skill or two up her sleeve. So what if she does? Fashion design isn’t like other fields; it takes time before one can fully perfect his or her techniques. What does Elise have that sets her apart? At the thought of this, Brendan visibly brightened up. He didn’t need to dwell on whether she had the skills or raw talent—at least not until she was done tweaking his original design for the dress. Meanwhile, Molly had returned to the design studio just as the silhouette of the dress was coming together under Elise’s delicate handiwork.
When the dress was finally done, Molly gaped at ot. Elise’s design seemed to breathe new life into the dress; its refinement was as good as, if not, better than Brendan’s craftsmanship. “Are you sure you’re not a professional, Miss Sinclair?” Molly asked as her eyes widened. Elise pursed her lips thoughtfully before replying, “I guess you could say I’m an outsider to this industry.” Molly was torn between laughing hysterically and breaking down in tears. If an outsider like Elise could have such a Midas touch, what hope is there left for those in the industry like me?
“Miss Sinclair, your talent in this is incredible,” she praised with genuine awe. After another glance at the dress, Elise added, “I’m almost done with the silhouette of the dress, but there’s one last detail I need to add. Will you help me?” Upon hearing this, Molly nodded keenly and the both of them started on the last bit of sewing and tweaking on the dress. Where Elise was working on the stitches, Molly helped her to press the fabric on the mannequin and their team spirit was evident.
It wasn’t until after the last stitch had been sewn into the dress that Elise rubbed her aching arm and announced, “We’re finally done.” Molly stretched luxuriously as well and quipped, “You really know your stuff, Miss Sinclair. I can’t believe you managed to do all the adjustments in a day!” Elise straightened her posture and massaged her numb legs before she looked at the wall clock to see that it was close to 10:00PM. “Have we been here this long?
I didn’t know it was already so late at night.” She had only just said this when her stomach grumbled in protest, as though reminding her pointedly that she had skipped dinner. “It is getting rather late, Miss Sinclair. We can skedaddle now that we’re done with the dress.” Elise hummed in response. “Well then, should we grab a bite before we each head home?” Molly wanted to turn her down at first, but she didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to hang out with a top-notch designer. As such, she accepted the invitation with haste and said, “That’s a great idea. I happen to know a nearby place that has recently opened and the food is decent. Let’s go.” With plans for supper in mind, both women draped a tarp over the finished dress and locked up the studio before they left.
They arrived at a nearby barbecue joint and as soon as they staked out a table, Molly ordered a few of her favorite dishes. “You can get whatever you like, Miss Sinclair. Dinner’s on me tonight,” she declared proudly, not wanting to come off as a Scrooge in front of Elise. Elise beamed at her. “In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer.” She took the menu and proceeded to order a couple of her own favorite dishes. Then, she handed the order chit to the owner of the barbecue joint.
“Do you drink, Miss Sinclair? Can’t spell barbecue without beer, you know.” She did miss the refreshing taste of beer and the enthusiasm that came with the idea of drinking a pint or two immediately seized her. “Sure, I’ll have a bottle.” Molly grinned and turned to inform the owner, “Hey, can we get two bottles of snow beer over here?” Upon seeing how at home Molly felt at the establishment, Elise couldn’t help asking, “Are you a regular here?”
“Not really,” Molly began. “I’ve been here a couple times with my colleagues, though. The owner here cooks up a tasty barbecue. You’ll know what I mean after you take a bite later.” “Well, I guess I’ll find out for sure when the food comes.” As soon as Elise said this, her phone rang in her pocket. She fished it out to see Alexander’s name flashing on her screen and she quickly answered the call. “Where are you? You should be home by now.” His distinct and pleasant voice spoke on the other line, and upon hearing it, she replied, “I’m at a barbecue joint. Would you like to come over?”
