Chapter 309: A Private Fashion Show

"I have two maternal figures with impeccable taste," Ambryan retorted, clicking his tongue—a habit he may or may not have picked up from Eve. He picked up his tea. "I would be considered a disappointment if I can't live up to it."

Eve merely shook her head. She did a little twirl. The way the flowers blended together mesmerized her. The staff watched from the open doors. They had seen couples visit the store before. Rarely did they see both engaged in shopping for clothes.

Ambryan smirked. "So you do like it?"

"I… love it," Eve gushed, brown eyes sparkling at him. "Can I wear it for the rest of the day?"

"You still have to try the rest."

She glanced over her shoulder. The staff averted their gazes and busied among themselves. Even from this viewpoint, the doorway barely revealed the amount of clothes inside the other room. Her head slowly turned back to Ambryan.

"I can't do that. I already have a closet of clothes," she reasoned. They were beyond anything she had imagined. Several of them had pushed her out of her comfort zone, discovering new styles to love.

Ambryan exhaled sharply through his nose. He had seen this coming. "But those are from brand deals. You never really got to choose what you want and that's what I want to give you. I already spoke to Cale about your closet. Anything you don't like can be returned. That way you have room for the ones you do like."

Eve made the mistake of looking into the dressing room once more. This time, the staff met her eyes with warm and encouraging smiles. Eagerness painted over their faces. She could almost hear their silent words of anticipation in her head.

"At least, try them all," she heard Ambryan say. "Don't think about it too much. Everyone in this room worked hard for this moment. You of all people should know the clothes should be given a chance." 

Then, she shifted her attention back towards him. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

Ambryan flashed her a wide smile and clapped his hands. "So put on a show."

"What?" Eve scoffed in disbelief, putting her hands on her hips. "You think you can just bring me here without any fair warning and fully expect that I'll just give you a whole private fashion show?"

And so a private fashion show did commence.

Eve and the staff agreed to categorize the outfits. They started with more casual dresses. Each one included a dramatic entrance. She used everything she learned so far from the modelling camp. 

Throughout the process, she added her own spin for the outfits she enjoyed and emphasized the clothing items she loved. From a pair of combat boots to a wool-tweed coat to a fully-buttoned black suit jacket with nothing but lingerie and mini shorts underneath—

"This gives me an idea," Eve said, tucking her hands inside the jacket's pockets. "If you have spare suits, I can have them altered to fit me like this one. I'd wear to an event and, if they asked me who I was wearing, I could say you—"

Ambryan spat on his third cup of tea. 

He cleaned himself up while a staff member took his cup away and replaced it with a new one. 

"—and completely mess with the public!" Eve continued. She remained in her own little bubble and missed his reaction. Then, she half-turned towards the dressing room, still babbling, "It's brilliant! I should have thought of it sooner!"

Meanwhile, Ambryan had gone completely red. He hid his face behind his hand. The neckline of the suit jacket extended to below the breast area. Never mind that his girlfriend just came out looking like a sexy fox but that she would recreate the look with his own clothes…

… the image had given him fantasies he never knew existed to him before.

"Madame Hathaway is quite bold, isn't she?" Luc commented while Ambryan recovered from the depths of his imagination. "Far from her demure appearance earlier."

Ambryan chose not to take the bait. "Put that suit jacket in the bottom of the pile."

"As you wish, monsieur Hathaway."

Eve found herself in a round of pants and tops ensemble. They ranged from patchwork wide-leg to wool black pants to even faux leather—which she didn't enjoy. Tops came in cream blouses in silk, a sheer black one with lace plastron, cotton poplin with a shirt tail and many more. 

This one tired Eve the most since they came in, at least, two pieces each time. 

They saved the evening gowns for last.

The first one reminded Eve of a movie scene where the main actress wore something similar. The emerald dress had a wide V-neck that thinned into strings over the shoulder for straps. The front draped over her torso similar to a nightgown. The skirt flowed down to the floor in a straight cut, flaring only near the hem like curtains.

For this one, Eve opened the doors herself and marched into the drawing room. The emerald skirt flared out from her catwalk and her swaying hips. She turned around to reveal the backless cut. The fabric wrapped around her lower back and hips, emphasizing her shape. 

She flipped her hair while her back was still turned and winked in Ambryan's direction.

"Hello, Mr. Hathaway," Eve spoke softly, resisting the fit of giggles that threatened to come out of her lips. "Can I please have the leading part in your next movie?"

Ambryan arched an eyebrow. "And why should I pick you among the rest?"

It was her turn to smirk. Her hands went to behind the sides of her waist and she pulled her shoulders back and accentuated the curve of her spine as well as her chest. "So you'll be able to take off this dress."

"If you want some privacy, we'll gladly get out of your way," Luc suggested. 

The other staff members snickered to themselves when they saw Ambryan blush red. Unlike his significant other, he needed to practice proper decorum to conserve his family name. Eve bit her tongue between her teeth and showed it to him.

It broke a bit of his resolve.

If she was having fun, two could play that game.

"Thank you for the thought, Luc," Ambryan began to say. "But we have no intention of breaking your furniture nor having you discover that the room isn't as soundproof as you think."

Eve widened her eyes at him while their audience covered their mouths, suppressing both their amusement and comments. She narrowed her gaze. This wasn't over yet. She had no doubts about the confidentiality agreement of the shop—especially when they were VIP guests.

Smiling sweetly at Luc, she said, "I'd like some private time with monsieur Hathaway please."

"Certainly, madame Hathaway."

Luc and the staff retreated to the dressing room. The double doors closed with a click. Eve opened it for a while and told them something before she locked the doors. Her brown eyes found her target once more. A mischievous grin slowly curled the corner of her lips upwards.

Ambryan stared at her with watchful eyes. "Pray tell me what you plan to do."

Eve reached the sofa and propped her hands on either side of his head, pressing them against the wall behind him. She leaned down until their noses were inches apart. "I don't plan to do anything, Mr. Hathaway. After all, it doesn't take long for you to get in the mood, does it?"

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"That has to be the most exhausting shopping spree I've ever been to," Eve declared as she exited the boutique. She waved her hands at the staff who escorted them to the main entrance. They returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm.

Ambryan came up behind her and pressed a hand on her lower back. "But you enjoyed it."

"I did and I enjoyed messing with you the most."

"I gathered as much."

Eve took his hand on her back, moving it to her shoulder and using his arm for warmth. She had changed back into the flower dress that she fell in love with. Pairing it with tights and heeled boots, she managed to keep herself warm along with a wool coat and the faux fur shawl.

But, a little extra body heat never hurt anyone.

The couple strolled down the sidewalk and enjoyed the scenery of Paris. They passed by cafes and shops. A mix of languages reached their ears, hinting on the amount of tourists. Eve peeked inside a cafe window. Another couple sat inside with their hands intertwined. The woman had a diamond ring on her finger.

Suddenly, memories of her and Andie talking about honeymoon fantasies came to her mind. Paris had always been among the choices. She had been here for weeks but only did she smell the City of Love in the air, squeezing the hand on her shoulder.

Ambryan gazed down at her. 

Then, he followed her line of sight. "Do you want to go inside?"

"Oh, no, it's okay," Eve corrected. She bowed her head as a flustered laugh flowed out of her lips. "I want to keep walking. We can go to a cafe later."

"Aren't you exhausted?" He frowned.

"Yes, but… I'm in a mood to explore. My legs can still hold up." Eve scrambled her mind for a topic she could use to change the subject. "Are you really not gonna tell me which clothes you pick until they're delivered to the hotel?"

"Yes, I really won't tell you." Ambryan chuckled, patting her head. Then, he tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "But I want to thank you for humoring my antics."

"You mean cornering me into accepting the gifts?"

He shrugged. "Well, it's a start since you'll be wearing a lot more clothes like this soon enough."

"What?" Eve froze. She pulled their walk into a halt. What was he trying to say? 

Ambryan gave her a confused look. "You are aiming to be part of fashion week someday, right?"

"Ah, yeah." Eve cleared her throat and pushed her thoughts aside. "I am."