Chapter 17 An Invitation To A Big Party On Saturday
Winter let out a series of sighs as she shifted on the couch. Her brother had been preoccupied ever since she walked into his office. She placed her phone down and faced Ezra. "I thought this would be fun.”
Ezra set his pen aside and focused on her. "You’ve only been here for less than half an hour. You need to chill."
Winter stood up and walked over to Ezra. She took a seat in the chair that was pulled out in front of him. "These past thirty minutes have been the dullest of my life. Am I really going to see her?"
Ezra lifted his gaze and sighed. "You must really think a lot of her, huh?"
Winter nodded slowly. "I might not have talked to her yet, but I know she has a cool vibe. And you know who else could use someone cool in their life?" She leaned in closer, resting her elbow on the table. "You."
"It won’t work if you try to set me up with her."
"Why not? She’s amazing."
"You don’t even know her."
"Ezra. You’ve been single for way too long. Sometimes I wonder how you manage to stay out of the news while fooling around with different girls. Maybe Daddy will push you towards an arranged marriage."
Ezra narrowed his eyes. “And why are you so interested in my relationships? Let me guess—the fact that you are my sister?” When Winter nodded, Ezra sighed. “Sometimes, wanting to know everything or pressuring someone to do anything isn’t nice. You can just take a walk if you find sitting here on that couch boring,” he replied, turning back to his paperwork.
Winter slowly rose from her chair and made her way to the door. As she opened it, Milan entered and approached Ezra. Winter waited. The message Milan had brought interested her.
An envelope was slid onto the table. “That is what you requested, sir. Miss Facer can attend the party.”
Milan knew Emma was the one he wanted the invite for when he didn’t bother to explain anything after telling her to get an invite. Whenever it came to her, he always avoided certain conversations.
“You may leave.” Ezra smiled at her then she turned to walk away. He took the invitation and placed it in his drawer.
“Wow. You really did what I asked for.”
“Of course, Winter.” He grinned and said, “I'll do anything to make you happy. You should leave now. You’re welcome to speak with Miss Facer about your dress after I have spoken with her.”
“Thank you. Thank you, brother,” She said, smiling broadly as she headed for the door.
Ezra couldn't resist smiling. He loved to see his sister happy, even when she could be unpredictable at times. He was happy if she was happy. He reached for the office phone. “Call Miss Facer in.”
Ezra entwined his fingers and waited for Emma to walk into his office.
He was mulling over various scenarios while he waited. He got up and acted out how he would present her the invitation, switching between firm and gentle tones. He didn’t want her to think he was inviting her to the party just because he wanted her there. He would mention that his sister wanted it, since she loved her designs.
Ezra shook his head, contemplating whether to tell her that. As he picked up the envelope from the table and aimed it at the imaginary person he was conversing with, he heard a knock on the door. He quickly adjusted his outfit and sat back down in his chair.
Clearing his throat, he tucked the invitation back into the drawer. "Come on in," he called out.
He kept his eyes on the door and saw Emma open it. She walked into his office, and shut the door behind her. Then she walked over to him. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes," he said quietly. Later, he realized that wasn’t the tone he meant. What the heck? he thought. Using his normal voice this time, he said again, “Yes. Are you feeling okay now?"
"Yes, sir. I am," Emma answered, hoping her voice sounded genuine. She truly wished that the damaged clothing wasn’t the reason he wanted to talk to her.
"What do you think your Saturday will look like? Any plans for that day?" Ezra asked.
Emma felt puzzled. Why was he asking about her weekends? She thought that day was meant to be her day off. She had planned to decorate her new home for Zoella's visit.
"No... I mean, I really have no clue how my Saturday will go." She paused, questioning where that thought came from. Was she coming off as needy? Could he sense her desperation from her response? If he wanted to hang out on Saturday, it could be a great opportunity to bond. "But why are you asking, sir?"
Ezra opened his drawer and pulled an envelope out. He set it on the table "What would you say if you got an invite to the party at the Empire this Saturday?"
Emma gasped. That meant attending the big people's party. She knew about the Empire. The Jones family owned that massive hotel, often used by the rich for events. That was all she knew.
"Miss Facer?"
"Huh?" She looked at him.
"What’s your answer?"
"I would be thankful. I’ve heard so much about that place, and..." She trailed off. She had been there once—the day she was supposed to meet Scott but ended up with Ezra three years ago.
"I’d see that as a privilege, sir."
"Great." Ezra took the envelope and passed it to her. Emma felt a surge of happiness as she grasped it. Since she had never heard of a level one designer getting an invite to this event, she was curious about why he picked her.
The people who often got invited were typically level six, and they were always there to work. She decided to keep her curiosity to herself.
"You might bump into a young brunette on your way out. Don’t take it personally if she seems a bit strange around you. She’s my little sister and has a kind of obsession towards you.”
Emma laughed. "Really?"
"You got invited to this party because of her. She insisted I make sure you came. If she mentions what kind of outfit she likes, please don’t disappoint her. She’s a huge fan of your designs."
Emma’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Understood." Even though she was confused, she opted to leave his office instead of seeking more details. As she made her way to the elevator, she peeked into the envelope. Inside was a card—a VIP card with her name on it. Miss Emmaline Facer. She hopped into the elevator, filled with excitement.
Back in her office, Emma noticed her desk wasn’t empty as she left him. A girl was seated there, busy on her phone. Emma turned the chair around and Winter met her eye and she gasped.
"I’ll call you back,” she said to her friend and cut the call. She stood up. "It’s so nice to finally meet you. Ever since I found out about you and saw your résumé, I’ve been waiting for this moment. You’re my idol." She cleared her throat and adjusted herself to look more professional. "I’m Winter Queen, the CEO's sister. I don’t mean to brag, but being the CEO's sister is a pretty big deal." She stood proudly in front of Emma.
"It’s great to meet you too! Your sibling—well, my boss—mentioned I’d run into you, but I didn’t think I’d find you in my chair." Emma took a seat and looked at Winter. "Could you pull that chair a bit closer, please?" Winter chose an empty chair and sat across from Emma. "I heard about what you did for me. Thanks for that!"
"All I want is to be your friend. My brother told me you’re really talented at your job."
"He did?"
Winter nodded. "And I saw your resume. He also said you’re absolutely gorgeous. Now I can see he wasn’t exaggerating."
Emma laughed. "I’m speechless. You’re so sweet," she replied. "Wait—what if we start putting your ideas into action right now?"
Winter gasped. "Aren’t you busy?"
"You got me an invite to this party, so taking some time to focus on you is totally worth it." She placed her design book in front of her. Emma flipped it open. "What kind of clothes do you enjoy wearing? Hmm, from what I can see, you definitely love to stand out."
"How could you tell?"
"The message on your sweatshirt says, ‘Fashion is the key to everything, and women are the most important thing.’ Wow. Who made that print?" It was a flat statement.
"I’m out of ideas right now. Would you be willing to help me with my dresses? I’m open to whatever you think. You’re a style icon." That compliment made Emma beam. She had never been called that before. Maybe being friends with Winter Queen wouldn't be such a bad idea.
"Okay. I’ll show you some of my designs. You can choose any one you like, and I’ll start taking your measurements right away."