3 - The Different Shade of Blue (2)
Alice's pale blue one keeps glancing at the moon that is gradually covered by the grey cloud, avoiding Jack's black eyes checking on her from the rear-view mirror from time to time, wishing the journey will be longer because she still needs time to compose her cheerful persona before she meets her friends again. The trip to the bar was quiet, thanks to the bodyguard for not prying into the young designer's last interaction with a blonde journalist, but the bustling street outside the car matched Alice's thoughts. The questions from the interview kept replaying in her mind like a broken record.
With a blink, Alice can see the blinding light and the sound of the camera shutter in the meeting room again. Her sweet assistance's idea was to hold all the interviews in one big room than private like before.
"It will be simple, fast, and saves more time because you don't need to repeat answering the same questions for million times. It's a win-win, Alice!"
The young designer's private assistance was beaming to her boss with her brilliant idea last month, somehow Alice really looking forward to it too, but Bella isn't there to watch her plans got backfired and worst of it, it's triggered something in herself.
It all starts with that raised hand from the back row. All heads turn to look at the blonde who was stretching his lean body, trying to stand out among the crowd in the meeting room. Their blue eyes met from across the room and Alice wishes it's just a trick from her eyes because the man looks terrifyingly like the monster she wants to forget.
"Sorry this kind of out of topic but I'm curious, did you purposely increase the security for this show? Because I've never gone into the fashion show that needs to check all the blonde guests and reporters before."
His honey-golden lock bounces to the side while looking at some other blonde reporter nodding their head at the last statement. Alice stood frozen in her place and her eyes caught some reporter scribing their notepad before whispering to each other and makes the meeting room feels like a beehive with the all buzzing noise. Before others reporter can raising their hands, the blonde from the back speak again, but this time she catches his sharp look when his lips said the forbidden words to her.
"Do this policy exist because of your past relationship with James Hunter?".
The name that Alice swore she would never say again felt like a hard slap to her face but this time it felt many hundredth times worse when it was spoken by the monster's doppelganger. Like a spell, all of Alice's color faded away leaving only her lifeless empty body. The young designer couldn't remember when her personal bodyguard came in and surcease the inappropriate question she didn't catch. Between the chaos in the meeting room, she did remember the tiniest curl in the corner of a journalist's mouth before a familiar hand pushed her through the back door and she found herself in the secluded restroom alone.
Another blink and now she saw that her reflection was wet with small streaks of raindrops all over the car window. Lost in her own thoughts, the petite woman did not notice that the road had stopped moving. Even though her eyes had started to refocus on her surroundings, she didn't seem to want to move from this position.
Jack sighed when his eyes stared at her, hunched over with her head resting on the tinted glass, from the rear-view mirror.
"Mrs. Brandon, we are here."
There was no sound from the back seat other than raindrops hitting the car window.
"Mrs. Brandon?"
Still nothing.
"Mrs. Brandon?"
"Mrs. Bran-"
"Cut it out Jack, I heard you," says Alice while not breaking her eyes contact from the window hoping that if she was still staring at the road outside from the inside of the car, she could give herself the illusion that she wasn't there yet and she could still put off putting on her happy mask. But someone named Jack Alwock will never appreciate that kind of Alice's wishful thinking.
"Well if you hear me, maybe you want to get out from this car and walk to your party," Jack sighed as he folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes.
"You know, the door is right beside you, right? Please don't tell me you can use those tiny fingers to make a bunch of clothes but can't open the car door, shortie?" Jack opens his left eye to peak any reaction from her nickname that she hates but Alice doesn't move an inch and makes the almost forty years old man sigh again.
"If you worried about that blondie you flirt -Hey! Stop hitting me!"
The hard hit on his shoulder made him curl up to avoid the attack. On another side, "don't-ever-call-me-shortie" sounds stuttering with gritted teeth every time Alice swings her handbag. After four loud smacks and pleading from Jack's side, the bodyguard's hand grab the deadly weapon from the angry tiny designer who starts pouting like a child.
Alice's face felt hot as she shouted, oblivious to the burning feeling inside her when she was reminded of it. "That for calling me shortie and no, I don't flirt with anyone. You saw what really happens, Jack, or I can say that you're late to see what really happens."
Jack snorted before turning his head to look at her red and fuming face. "With your face marks on his shirt as evident, yeah, I really got the message, shortie."
Too irritated to dodge what Jack found funny, Alice turned her head and looked out the window again. She could see several vehicles filling the bar's parking lot, some of which belonged to her friends and colleagues who had arrived earlier, which was her favorite place to hang out. Its somewhat remote location, away from the bustle of the city, made Alice feel at ease, especially that this place belonged to her friend. A big man with a heart as big as himself.
Alice can't wait to attend the after-party dedicated to her hard work, to feel the alcohol in her system again, to dance with everyone she loves, to get back to being the 'Alice' she used to be, but that unfortunate incident at the fashion show building is still engraved in her mind. Alice couldn't accept Jack's usual jokes, because she knew it was Jack's unique way to lighten the mood, but if she still couldn't control her emotions she was afraid she would ruin the mood at the party. And now the young designer hopes to cover herself with a blanket and hopes that the tightness in her chest will disappear when the sunrises.
Feeling guilty for her words, Alice tilted her head, trying to see the figure of the bodyguard who had guarded her and helped her in her most difficult moments. Alice knew that Esme would be looking for a bodyguard when she realized how bad things were in last year, Alice was very against this at first because she didn't want to burden Esme, but when Jack first introduced himself, Alice could see - or feels something in her gut- that they will be good friends.
Their eyes catch each other reflection from the mirror. Alice feels she need to apologize to him but nothing came from her mouth, so she holds their gaze and lets him talk first.
"Look, I know what you felt right now and I really sorry to act too long at the interview. What I want to say is I personally checked all the guests, especially all the reporters and journalists that attend the interview, and no one has any connection with 'the monster', okay?" Jack made a quotation mark sign with his two fingers for the nickname he had made some time ago after he noticed Alice's discomfort when his name was spoken.
Even though he was still trying to ease the young designer's feelings, Jack's eyes always looked sad whenever this topic came up and Alice knew how much her bodyguards cared for her safety. With a reluctant sigh, Alice nodded her head with a tight smile.
"Good, now prepare yourself, kid, the crazy assistance are walking here."
The two black-haired passengers turned their heads to see a slim figure walking with a huge umbrella towards them, the high heels she was still wearing slightly splashing the puddles as she passed. Alice chuckled lightly when she heard a whisper from Jack who wanted to bet that Bella would fall before reaching the car door.
Bella was still standing tall and proud when her hand opened the car door with too much force and made the young designer jump slightly. "Want to explain why I can't reach all of your phones?" The personal assistance gaze caught the pair of pale blue colors she was looking for. "Especially you, Mrs. Brandon. What's your excuse now?"
"Sheesh, the hen is angry." Jack's joke dies after Bella glare at him.
"The show already finishes, Bella, how about you drop that formality. I even didn't marry yet and you use that title like I have married my own father." Alice shudders at her own words and Bella can't hold her 'work mode' face any longer if Jack keeps laughing like the goose hissing sound.
Pushing Bella out of the way, Alice let herself out of the car and stood in a puddle in front of her personal assistant. "And stop annoyed you? Hmm, why should I, Mrs. Brandon?"
Rolling her eyes again, Alice gives a sly smile to her personal assistant. "Maybe change those heels and save yourself before a certain bronze-hair man from the Midnight Sun magazine came." Bella's cheek turns pink and for a second she looks like forget how to balance herself in heels. Tilting her face, Alice gives a snickering nod to Jack's mischief face before he opens his door.
"Bronze? I thought it was brown?" Jack's voice booming when he rounded the car to check the trunk. "Oh no, Jack, someone said to me that the man in question has this shiny reflection when the sun hits his hair and if he smiles the shine goes two times brighter. So yes, his hair is bronze, right Isabella?"
"Ugh, okay, you win, Alice." Letting a gruff noise, Bella looks at the smiling designer. "Why I even try to bet with you."
Another sound of a door closing was heard before a tall figure approached them and made the biggest umbrella Bella found in the bar look cramped. "Please, don't look at me, I'm not interested in any deals you guys made." Shoving a paper bag containing Bella's sneaker, Jack winked at Alice who holding back her laughter.
…oOo…
"We thought you will never come to your own party, Alice!"
Several familiar faces that Alice knew immediately rushed at her the moment her feet landed on the floor of the private side of the bar that lay on the second floor. Several models, workers, and close friends seemed excited to welcome the young designer with their partners.
"Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I have to make myself look good, you know." Alice chuckled while trying to greet everyone nearby. Her body stopped when two big arms hugged her tightly and made her laugh after she was released from her friend's arms trap.
"With all of this," Emmett, the bar owner who was also the biggest man in the room, look at Alice from head to toe before displayed a mischievous smile to her, "you can beat Rosie if you wear 10-inch heels." All the guests laughed and before Alice could reply, her bodyguard beats her.
"Please stop it, Em, we know she needs more than that to be that tall." The laughter doubled, Jack and Emmett high-fived each other before they were hit by Bella and Rosalie, Emmett's fiancé, to stop them.
"Shush, guys! She is the star for tonight!" Bella grabbed Alice's arm and tried to make her way out of the crowd of guests to the center of the bar, "come, you need to make a toast."
After a short speech that Alice delivered without rehearsal and full of jokes, everyone applause and raised their glasses of bubbly drink over their heads and gave the young designer a cheer before the clinking of glasses could be heard throughout the room.
"To The Seer Collection!"
"To our sweet designer!"
"To the shortie we love!"
"To ALICE!"
Alice busied herself greeting all the guests, discussing fashion shows or other random things before her pale blue eyes caught a mop of dirty blonde hair sitting beside Esme. The woman caught Alice's gaze and motioned for her to come over to her booth.
"Alice, please meet Carlisle Cullen," Esme's sweet voice became sweeter when she introduces the man beside her, "he is the HR Marketing at my new boutique in London."
Alice's eyes widened when she saw Esme's dreamy face. Feeling that she had the right to test every man who wants to be close to her guardian, Alice looked at Carlisle, who was probably not far from Esme's age, who had a handsome face and dimpled cheeks as he smiled at her, and stretch out one's hands to him.
"Nice to finally meet the reason Esme extend her stay in London."
"Nice to finally meet the girl Esme adores."
"Alice… Carlisle…" Ignoring Esme's gaze, Alice let herself sit in front of Carlisle, one of her hands bent on the table to support her chin as she stared at Carlisle's pale blue eyes that look similar to her.
"You know, a woman who has a boutique in almost all the corner of the US and now trying to spread her wings on Europe is really hard to catch, right? So, what did you do to charm her, Mr. Cullen?"
"Alice, stop it," Carlisle chuckled while patting Esme's hand.
"Please call me Carlisle, and no I don't charm her, I can never make her. Actually, she's the one who took my breath away when we first meet at the virtual meeting."
"I don't know someone can fall in love with Zoom as the wing-men, I thought it was another app purpose."
Esme hides her face who starts to blush madly on Carlisle's shoulder to avoid their banter that is now centered on her when Alice keeps chanting with the first-ever man Esme brought that she likes. It's rare to find an older man that can match Alice's energy while keeping their wisdom aura in check. They keep talking about ridiculous things and avoid any work topic -Alice already loves this man- before Carlisle went to the restroom.
"Now we are alone, start your explanation, Dear. You know I've been dying to see her in heels but after knowing her for years, she does it in your command, how?" Alice chuckled seeing Esme who quickly changed their topic.
"I don't force her, Esme, we just make a deal," sipping her third glass this evening, Alice's eyes fell a little before look at Esme's brown one. "This fashion show is not only my first but hers too. I know she has worked with you before she works with me but only at the boutique, not as 'designer personal assistance' so she got anxious and keeps calling me with my surname -you know, I really hate that name- then I just got an idea to let her call me that until the show finish but she needs to wear heels in exchange."
"And she accepts that?" Esme raises her eyebrow, looking skeptical.
"Well, she inherits her brother's brain I think."
"Who? Seth? The Clearwater boy is too sweet to be like her," they chuckled, remembering the face of Seth Clearwater, Bella's half-brother after her father remarried. Seth is too cute to be able to influence Bella who used to be known as a rebel girl in her youth.
"No, I was thinking of Jacob," a tall man with dark olive skin and long black hair appeared in Alice's mind, the man was Bella's best friend but their closeness was more like brother and sister, "but I think a little bit of both and Emmett too if you can add him. God knows what have they done to our Bella."
"Bless Rosalie to handle that man." They smiled at each other before sipping their drink again. Alice's pale blue eyes caught the couple at the bar, Emmett gave Rosalie her drink, then her gaze shifted to Bella who was leaning next to them.
"Bella is so focused on her work that she doesn't even remember wearing heels. I don't know why she still hates to wear heels when she looks fine with them and it's amazing she didn't fall off once."
Esme shook her head while looking at the designer's personal assistance. "No, I've seen her fall in the refreshment room, and I guess you already know the reason behind it."
Instantly a familiar figure approached Bella who was now stiffly silent. The man who Bella thought had bronze hair smiled at her and Alice quickly got up from her chair when Carlisle came back with a drink in both hands.
"Time to save my assistance from her own clumsiness."
…oOo…
"Relax Bella, she just drunk not die." Alice giggles with closed eyes when Jack supports her while walking towards the parking lot.
"B-but it the first time I saw her like this after… you know." Holding the door with her body to keep it open for her two colleagues, Bella clenched Alice's and herself's bag tightly. Jack gave her an understanding look because he knew how bad it felt to see the young designer like this again.
"Keep your lecture later, now help me get her things to her car trunk then you can leave your car keys to Emmett. I know he won't mind taking care of it for tonight."
Bella quickly followed the orders that Jack gave. After tidying all the things into the trunk, the personal assistant ran into the already deserted bar, trying to find the big man who owned the bar. Feeling calm after leaving the car, she stepped out again at the same time as a slender man in a thick coat wearing a bowler hat and bump each other shoulders.
"S-sorry."
The man only nodded curtly before walking past her as if he didn't hear her apology. Still a little shocked, Bella regained her sense of purpose then she quickly ran to the yellow car that stood out the most in the parking lot and then positioned herself as a lap pillow for the sleeping young designer.
The personal designer's assistance and the designer's bodyguards keep their fuss in a whisper argument contest, sometimes Alice would silence them with a giggle, comparing themselves to the fact that one of the two people who were important to Alice knew better about the young designer. They were so eager to blame each other or themselves that they didn't notice that a black truck was following them behind.
…oOo…
Author's Note: Sorry for the late update but I can assure you now that I am free from college drama for a month before the next semester starts and beat me up again (sad noise). I thought I would be more productive because I was on a break but burn out just joined the group chat so, yeah... (another sad noise)
After being modified for God knows how many times, this chapter gets longer every time I write and it gives me a little anxiety if I mess up the storyline. Anyway, I hope this slightly rushed introduction of Alice's friends gives you some ideas for their future roles.