Chapter 251: Night One: Sun Among Stars

"This… has to be… the heaviest thing I've worn my whole life."

Eve sucked in her stomach and squared her shoulders. She stared at her reflection in the floor-length mirror, changing angles to see how the dress shaped her figure. The top had a lace cloth that made it seem like the embroidery was a part of her skin.

Cale squatted behind her and helped fix the folds of the ballgown. The hoop skirt for this one had a wider range to fully flare out the skirt. Eve had expected the added weight it carried, what she wasn't prepared for was the gown's details on design.

Not only did the sequins on the skirt glinted beautifully but the crystal beading on the bodice did as well. Unfortunately, the latter weighed a ton. The former also made the skirt heavier but it seemed manageable enough.

But someone just had to take it to another level.

"Now, aren't you glad you were able to wear that Latin-dress in room 9?" Cale replied, straightening his legs. "That mini ruffle skirt had to be the heaviest part of it and I doubt it weighed more than a few hundred grams."

"It was still a little weird. I had only seen that type of clothing in ballroom competitions not for parties," Eve recalled. The dress had done a great job at accentuating her figure but the fabric stopped below her buttocks. Each time she moved her legs, the ruffles emphasized the sway of her hips.

It felt more exposing than a pair of leotards.

"So it surprised me to see that I had to wear one," she concluded. A clothing made for performing felt weird without an audience present.

Cale walked around the skirt and dusted off his hands. "Well, the point was to showcase different events that they could use the rooms for. A ballroom competition could be one of them. They had added a platform specifically for dancing in that one."

"I didn't even have a partner though," Eve whined, ignoring his point. She stepped from side to side and tested if the skirt would hold its folded shape. "So it felt out of place. I strongly believe most of my weak shots were in that room. At least, with gowns like this, I could make something out of the skirt so it would add something to the shot."

Brushing her complaints off with the wave of his hand, Cale headed for the mannequin that previously wore the ballgown "I'm sure many people would say that your exposed long legs aren't to be demoted like that though."

"..." Eve heard the Spanish music replay in her head. 

And it seemed like it was determined to stay that way. She had to dance during that session to make the scene authentic. Just the memory of it sent shivers down her spine. She really didn't want to see any of her photos from there.

"Alright. Time for the cape."

Eve whirled her head over her shoulder. "Cape?! More jewel beading?!" 

Cale and the stylist carried the cape over to her. Like Eve guessed, it had the same beadings but on a mesh fabric. Her heart pounded while they pinned it around her neck. One wrong move and the cape could rip apart since the cloth was woven loosely. It cascaded down her back and ended above the hem of her gown.

She gulped.

"They sparkle rather nicely. Don't you think so?" Cale beamed. He stepped back until he stood a meter behind the floor-length mirror. The dress was beautiful. Under the lights, the sequins gleamed like white-silver while the main fabric had a creamish champagne color.

A separate stylist polished her hairstyle with hairspray. Both sides of her hair had been braided towards the base of her head where it nestled into a messy bun. A small gold tiara sat on her scalp like a headband.

Eve took a deep breath. "I'm starting to see why there aren't other models."

"What do you mean?" Her modelling manager asked, walking back to her side.

"The clothes are... luxurious," she began to say, her eyebrows shooting up and her eyes widening like saucers. "I don't think I can even guess which outfit has the lowest value. That Latin-dress had less fabric but the details on it weren't cheap."

"Ah, yes. It's definitely not the cheapest."

"..." Eve opened her mouth then closed it again. Did she really want to know its price? "Anyway, the point is they decided to save on budget by hiring only one model to wear them all."

Cale's lips curled up on one corner. "Aren't you a lucky lady then?"

She sighed at that. It had to be the truest words she heard all day. "Well…, yeah. I mean I only got this gig because of Ambryan in the first place. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

"Nonsense!" Cale practically screamed in her ear, causing her to flinch. He glared openly at the mirror. "Yes, Ambryan had the connections but the client was impressed with your work. That's not something that he created. A place as big and as grand as this doesn't need anything from Eros Productions that they couldn't possibly find in another company."

"Not only that but I'm certain Ambryan wouldn't have endorsed you if you aren't doing brilliantly. He knew that you'd fit into the campaign and suggested you." He huffed and placed his hands on his hips, exposing the purple belt under his blue suit jacket. "Ambryan isn't the type to make things easy for you, is he?"

"No…" Eve responded meekly. She suddenly felt small. "I remember how much I needed to improve myself when I started working for him. He always emphasized the need for individual strength. I couldn't go to him unless I had no other choice."

"See? So stop bringing yourself down like that!"

She offered her manager a smile. "Thank you... but I have a long way to go."

None of this was enough. It might have been months ago but things had changed since then. If she was going to pour herself into this, she had to deliver excellence. The way to do it was to gain more experience and to train. The question left was how to make it happen faster.

Cale shuffled his feet until his front angled towards her. His aqua blue eyes studied her face. "Will you never go back to your secretary job? Or in the business industry? That's what your degree was for."

"I—" Eve stopped short, staring at the floor. She had placed emphasis on that before. What use would her degree be if she didn't acquire a job that pertained to it? Her gaze flickered back to the mirror. 

If it wasn't for this job, she wouldn't have seen herself in many different ways. From a Roman toga to neon clothing to leotards plus gigantic wings and to gowns she could only see in films—which were now in one room dedicated for her to wear. 

A soft whisper flowed out of her lips.

"I'm not sure. Something about modelling feels nostalgic to me. The freedom of creativity is…" she trailed off. Her faded words were replaced by a tight smile.

Cale stepped closer in her direction until he could give her a one-arm hug behind the shoulders. He shared the same expression on her face.  "You were always an artist and a performer at that. If you suddenly decide to go back to ballet and put this as a side job again, I'd fully support you."

'Ballet…' a world Eve hadn't seen in years. One cue, her feet shifted her weight onto her toes. She didn't fully let it happen or it could break the straps of the heels she wore. Her muscle memory still remembered the pointe technique. It would probably hurt now though.

She leaned into the side-hug, savoring this last moment of peace. "I just quit my full-time job. I'm not about to make another life-changing decision so soon."

"Besides," Eve added and shrugged her shoulders. "I would start from scratch where I wouldn't be able to earn anything since I can't perform yet. That's not something I'd risk right now."

Cale nodded his head in understanding. "I can't really say that's too bad when I love having you as my model. You will do great in anything that you do. Just know that I will fully support whichever path you choose."

"Thank you."

.

.

.

.

.

Up on the second floor, Eve waited by the end of the hallway. 

It opened into a curving marble staircase after a few steps. She could see the other hallway in front of her where it also had a similar staircase but it bent in the opposite direction. With this, both sets of steps created the shape of a laurel wreath.

She played with her hands while listening intently for the signal. Every ballroom had a video-recording advertisement apart from photos. The final product would serve as her first commercial. 

She wouldn't be able to thank Ambryan enough for this. 

"Action!" The director yelled.

Piano music flowed out of the speakers. The gentle keys played a melody as if they were clouds on air. The chandelier lights shone from above and illuminated the whole room in a soft golden hue. Yet, her presence would overshadow them all—as expected of the beadings and sequins.

Eve exited the hallway, following the beat. She was the sun in this sea of bright stars. Her body felt light almost floating—a sensation far from her earlier grumbles. She placed her gloved hand on the banister and continued her approach. 

Violins joined the score when she reached the top of the stairs.

She paused and waited for the next cue in the tune of the waltz. 

Then, she began her descent with her head held high. 

Eve smiled halfway down the steps. Cale watched along with the crew. The scene was perfect like a fairy tale brought to life. Another nostalgic feeling swelled in her chest. Tears started to pool behind her eyes.

Movement at the end of the stairway caught her attention.

And Ambryan returned her smile with his own.