Chapter 308: La Madame Hathaway Exposé

The store representative glanced at the spot he pointed out. It was one of their premium designs—mostly reserved for VIP customers. She typed into her computer hidden underneath the counter, saying, 

"Avez-vous une réservation, monsieur?"

"Oui, sous Hathaway," Ambryan replied. He peeked at Eve over his shoulder. She stood by the entrance like a lost rabbit. Her brown eyes pleaded with him for help. He paused and enjoyed the moment for a bit—finding it cute while she deepened the scrunch of her eyebrows.

He turned back to the store representative. The latter had changed entirely in demeanor. Her smile had widened in the second he looked away. 

"Parlez-vous anglais, mademoiselle?"

"Bien sûr, monsieur Hathaway," she responded. Her eyes also landed in Eve's direction. "Est-ce pour madame?"

"Oui, s'il vous plaît. Nous vous en serons très reconnaissants." Ambryan gestured for Eve to come closer. She hastily walked towards him and realized how silly she must look. Squaring her shoulders, she smiled at the store representative.

"Good morning, madame Hathaway," she heard her say in a thick French accent. "Thank you for choosing our shop."

"Oh!" Eve gasped, feeling sheepish. "G-Good morning. Thank you for using English."

"No problem, madame. Please head this way. Your reservation is on the upper floor. Enjoy."

Ambryan held Eve by the hand and led her towards the elevator. The front of the shop was for aesthetic purposes. If they peeked further back, they'd find a modern setup common in other luxury boutiques.

The lift opened its doors once when they reached the correct floor. Eve jumped at the group of staff workers that waited for them. She clung to Ambryan's arm, fixing her expression upon noticing their warm smiles. 

"Madame and monsieur! Welcome, welcome!" One of them greeted. He wore a dark buttoned vest with gold embroidery patterns. His olive skin glowed like a new penny. Black twisted curls sat on top of his head that faded near his ears. 

He also had the same richness in his accent.

"I'm Luc and I'll be your host for today. Please follow me."

He strutted down the hallway. The rest stepped aside to let Ambryan and Eve walk ahead. As Eve looked around, she noticed the elaborate furniture that looked straight out of a Jane Austen novel. They had chosen a cool scheme with different shades of blues and greens along with white and gold.

"Ambryan, is this a cafe or a boutique?" She asked.

"You'll see." 

Soon, they entered a room hidden from the rest of the upper floor. 

Eve felt like they just time travelled to the past. The interior design had replicated a drawing room from the renaissance era. From the carvings on the ceiling to the matching drapes and cushions to the richly decorated cream furniture with carving, gilding, inlaid—it was all too much to take in.

Luc headed over to the sitting area, pointing towards the sofa. "Have a seat. Everything is prepared for you. Would you like to see the clothes first or browse the catalog for the unreleased designs?" 

While Ambryan led Eve to the couch, Luc shifted his attention to the other staff. "Servez le champagne s'il vous plaît."

Ambryan laced his fingers together and placed his arms on his thighs. "I believe we ordered some designs ahead of time. Please let madame Hathaway try them first while I check the exclusive catalog."

Eve snapped her gaze towards him. 

'Did I just hear what I think I heard?'

"Aha! I like how you think, monsieur Hathaway!" Luc clapped his hands and passed the instructions to the rest of the staff. They disappeared to another room while a bottle of champagne and a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries came on a cart.

He offered his hand to Eve and said, "Right this way, madame Hathaway."

"Um…" Despite her thoughts a second ago, she turned to Ambryan for answers. The current events had her overwhelmed. This wasn't a simple clothing store nor a tailor shop. It felt like a hybrid of both that she experienced only once before—which was when she and Cale shopped for her first date dress.

Except, this was a whole new level.

Ambryan merely smiled and nudged her side. "Go ahead."

Eve took a deep breath, accepting Luc's hand. He led her into a double doorway. The other side had to be the biggest closet she had encountered so far. Racks of clothes and shelves of shoes and accessories outlined the room. 

"Wow! That's a lot of clothes..." Eve remarked, looking in every direction at once.

Luc pulled her towards the clothes that made up one side of the room. Then, he let go of her hand. "Please take a look around, madame Hathaway. Choose which one you want to try first. All of them are catered to your measurements."

Eve's ears perked up at his last statement. "My measurements?"

"Yes, madame Hathaway. See? Looks exactly like you, no?" He laughed. 

Brown eyes popped out of their sockets. While rolling another rack of clothes, the staff had also brought a couture dress worn by a mannequin with a red wig. Eve touched her own hair, playing with the tips while she connected the dots.

Then, she looked down at her bust and compared it to the mannequin. 

"Holy sh—"

"The dress is beautiful, don't you agree?" Luc interrupted her. He advised the staff to place the mannequin in front of them. "Would you like to try it first? Give monsieur Hathaway a shock." 

It was beautiful like he said. Strapless, it had a straight across neckline and cinched at the waist. The skirt flared down to the knees. The cut seemed simple enough but the design was intricate. Silk organza flowers covered the bodice and the skirt like a garden—pink, violet and blue colors popped out among the other daisies, daffodils and more.

Eve didn't notice she had attempted to touch the dress until she felt it under her fingertips.

"Is it for the spring collection?" She asked. From what she had learned, this was a certified couture dress. One that usually graced the runways during fashion week. Since spring season for the year had passed, it sounded more logical to think it would be for the following one.

"Why no, madame Hathaway. It's from the spring collection back in the 40s. Isn't it exquisite how some designs never lose their touch? Monsieur Hathaway insisted on having this remade even if it's not produced anymore. All done by hand," Luc explained. 

His words confirmed her thoughts about the dress. Nodding her head, frown lines creased between her eyebrows. "Ambryan requested for this?"

"He requested for everything you see in this room, madame. You may choose whichever design you please but this one dress is a must." 

Eve assessed the dress from head to toe. She had been in awe of it since it came in. It placed everything else to shame. This was a piece that she could confidently call as a work of art. The quality and the details proved that. 

Her hand brushed over the soft flowers. None of them overlapped. Their placements were precise like a puzzle—filling up spaces where they strategically belonged.

Luc watched her admire the dress. He tilted his head to one side and lowered his voice into a whisper. "If I may be so bold, madame Hathaway. Designers love nothing more but for their creations to be loved and worn. The passion for their craftsmanship is in every inch of their clothes." 

Eve remained silent. 

"Others might find it ridiculous to spend this much money on couture but the intricate work placed in the products and all the ones before them cannot be denied," he concluded. Everything had already been paid for since they had to be sewn to her specific measurements.

Thus, there was nothing else to do but wait.

"I would like to try it on," Eve said after a while.

Luc kept his soft tone and directed her to one corner. It had a small platform with drapes that hung on a circular metal pole. "There's a changing area right over there. The staff will assist you."

"Thank you, Luc."

Ambryan sipped on a cup of tea, reading the catalog like it was a newspaper. He had consulted several people before making the trip. Cale and his mother provided insights on what they thought looked best on Eve. Andie—and Rose—also gave opinions. Then, he asked the designer for suggestions, remembering the information he had gathered.

The double doors opened and he set his cup down. He crossed his arms over his chest and prepared for the reveal.

Heels clacked on the wooden floor, echoing in both rooms.

Time had slowed down and Eve emerged from the dressing room with her head bowed. But, at the same time, Ambryan saw her gaze up in half a second. Her red lips parted open upon eye contact.

A faux fur white shawl wrapped over and around her shoulders—with a silver brooch pinned on the middle. The clear crystals matched her teardrop earrings and the butterfly barrette on one side of her crimson hair. Together, they elevated the dress' already lavish aesthetic.

"What do you think?" Eve asked when Ambryan hadn't reacted. She even swayed her hip to the side, placed her lower arms up and shrugged her shoulders.

"You look beautiful," he said, perking up his lips with each syllable and smiling from ear to ear. 

Eve averted her gaze and hid her blushing cheeks. The way he said it made it seem like it included flying kisses. Either he meant it to do that way or her subconscious wanted him to.

Ambryan regarded her from head to toe, noticing the silver heels as well. "Do you like it?" 

"Well…" Eve paused. She followed his line of sight and placed her hands on her hips. Her feet rocked back and forth. "I heard from Madam Isabelle you used to like dresses and even wore them sometimes. Guess your taste never fully faded away, huh?"