SERENA
"Are you okay?"
Serena snapped out of her trance, spotting Misty looking at her worriedly. They were in the middle of the photoshoot that the honey blonde had promised to do for Misty's upcoming underwater ballet show.
Or more like, Gary had persuaded her into doing it.
"I-I am sorry" Serena stammered, embarrassed. "What were you saying?"
But Misty's worried gaze hovered over her. "Are you not feeling well, Serena? Should we postpone -"
"I am really fine" The sapphire-eyed woman reassured her. "I don't want to hold you guys up any more too. You don't have to worry about me."
"If you say so" Misty gave in reluctantly. Then a big smile lit up her face as she clapped her hands, getting the attention of everyone.
"Everyone! We are starting in ten! Take your positions!" She ordered. The photographer and models nodded, the make-up artists and stylists rushing to help the latter.
A nervous feeling knotted itself at the bottom of Serena's stomach as she glanced around. A part of her felt scared. What if she ended up making a fool out of herself in front of all these people and Misty?
Another part of her felt that the money for the risk was promising. She had offered to do it without thinking of money but Misty had insisted that she will be paid like everyone else.
Serena couldn't say no. She had a handful of things she needed to do and for them, she needed cash.
"I will be right back, k?" Misty said, stroding off to her dressing room. Serena watched her go and plopped on a portable chair, her hands cupping her cheeks.
She sighed. A lot of things changed since she came back from Hawaii. But nothing had changed more than her relationship with Ash. Ash, the biggest problem.
She always thought herself to be a bit more perceptive than others but Ash was awfully divulging the impression that he was avoiding her.
He would greet her awkwardly when they would run into each other and would always be out of his office, so much so that the honey blonde had spent a week without doing anything.
It irked her but she kept telling herself to be patient. After all, she was the one who had messed up - what was supposed to be a very sorted confrontation - and now the timing was off.
She had texted Calem a couple of days ago, starting with a friendly hi and
It's Serena. I have something important to tell you text. He had left her on read and Serena wasn't sure what to make out of it.
Instead she decided to sit on it for a few more days before she would attempt to call him.
"How do I look?"
Serena looked on as Misty glided gracefully in front of her, donning a gorgeous silky red dress with high slits on both sides and a Queen Anne neckline. For a moment Serena forgot about everything bothering her for the past week.
"Wow, it is so beautiful" Her blue eyes sparkled in bewitchment. The dress complimented Misty's perfect physique, her fiery crimson hair and her emerald eyes.
"This is my second best piece" Misty grinned, twirling.
"Which is the first then?" Serena asked, curious to the kind of dress that could be better than the one Misty wore.
"Come with me" Misty winked, taking her hand and pulling her to the dressing room. Serena sidestepped the many cloth-claded mannequins as she tailed the other woman.
"Here" Misty grinned, triumphantly as she pointed to a dress that was donned by a mannequin in the center.
Serena's jaw dropped as she took in the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. The double shaded halter neck dress glimmered; the silky royal blue fading into a mystical baby blue.
"What are those?" Serena asked, breathlessly as she ran a cautious hand over the smooth fabric.
"Those are crushed blue seashells" Misty replied, sauntering over to her. "Dawn collected them and glued them at perfect angles, so that they reflect the light at the right angles during the underwater photoshoot."
"Dawn made this?" Serena snapped her head towards the emerald-eyed woman.
"All by herself" Misty grinned. "She is not just the best for no reason. She does everything to make sure that the finished product is absolutely flawless."
"She must be so passionate about it" The honey blonde mumbled, feeling the silk. An unsettling feeling weighed at her. What about her? Surely being Ash's personal assistant or working as a waitress in a café was not her passion.
"Madam, we are starting" An assistant popped her head through the door, looking at them with furrowed brows.
"Um, I still haven't been told which dress I am supposed to wear" Serena piqued nervously, looking back and forth between Misty and the assistant.
"What do you mean?" Misty shot her a puzzled look. "Of course you are going to wear this one."
Serena gaped at her. She was joking right? When the redhead didn't budge, the honey blonde realised that she was dead serious.
"B-But this is so beautiful" She stuttered. "H-how c-can I -"
"And so you are" Misty replied in a matter-of-fact tone. A pretty smile graced her lips. "I am sure you will put even Aphrodite to shame."
"Misty" Serena said as a last attempt to reason. Not only was she inexperienced but there were plenty of other gorgeous models. She would rather play an insignificant role so that even if she messes up, it wouldn't matter much.
Misty turned her back and waved at her as she exited the room, leaving the honey blonde with no choice.
She sighed before she carefully removed the dress she was going to wear from the mannequin.
SERENA
"Room no. 234" Serena tapped her knuckles on the table as the receptionist made a call. She looked up and nodded, gesturing at the elevator that would take her to the third floor of the hotel.
Serena mumbled a quick 'thanks' and rushed to find the elevator closing. She groaned and instead took up on the flight of stairs.
"Made it" She huffed after she climbed at least two hundred stairs. She checked for the chocolates in her bag and a bunch of souvenirs she had bought from Hawaii.
It didn't take her long to find the room she was looking for and she knocked on it.
"Yes?" A voice came from the other side of the door. Serena smiled.
"It's Serena, May" She said and the door flung open almost immediately. The brunette flung herself on the sapphire-eyed woman in a bear-hug.
"Oh my god, Serena. I missed you so much" May cried exaggeratedly, almost crushing her. She had to be pried off by the honey blonde.
"I missed you too" Serena grinned as both shut the door behind them. "You look so much better, May."
Her brown hair were pulled in a high ponytail and her cheeks were fuller, their orginal rosiness back on them. Even her eyes seemed to be full of life.
May giggled in response.
The brunette tossed the empty tube of Pringles on the floor and stacked the comic books away. Serena sat on the edge infront of May who had crossed her legs.
"I was disappointed that you didn't come to see me sooner" May confessed. "I expected you meet me, I don't know, in an hour after you landed?"
"Something held me up" Serena replied, not divulging the details. She looked at the books and food packets. "You seemed to be occupied with things."
"Ash is a gentleman" May gave a Chesire grin. "So is Drew. They both made sure that I was comfortable in this lavishly extravagant hotel. See that TV? You can watch anything on it. Netflix, I think."
"You are enjoying this" Serena nudged her playfully. May laughed.
Suddenly Serena's eyes fell on something that was tucked away between the comic books. She squinted her eyes. "Wait - is that a rose?"
"Wha -?! Where?!" May jumped up, startled. Her face flushed a deep scarlet.
"Who gave it you, huh?" Serena sauntered over and plucked it out of the books. May buried her face in her hands, her ears turning red.
"I can't lie?" May groaned. Serena shook her head and made a wild guess.
"Is it Drew?" She asked, plopping beside her childhood friend. The brunette slowly nodded, taking the rose from her hand.
"He is so nice" May sighed. "I don't really know what he is thinking but I want to believe him. His sweet little gestures of keeping me company, bringing me roses and choco chip cookies, and damn - laughing at my jokes that aren't even funny."
A smile quirked up on Serena's lips. "Is my May in love?"
"Maybe" May shook her head, sliding under the cover of the duvets until only her eyes were visible. "I don't know about him though."
"Why not ask him directly?" Serena suggested sympathetically after the brunette had sighed. "Better to not make things more complicated."
"What if he says otherwise?" May mumbled. "I don't want to be rejected."
"If you get rejected" Serena said firmly. "Then you move on, without hesitation. You are enough for yourself and I want you to know that. No matter what happens, you are not gonna wait for someone who is not going to reciprocate your feelings."
"I guess you are right" May breathed out after a pause. "I don't even know why I was scared. It doesn't matter if I get rejected; it is better to be sure now than be sorry later."
Serena offered her a smile and pulled out the box of chocolates, lavender tea and Honolulu cookies. "I got you some gifts - as promised."
"Really?" May ecstatically went through the gifts. "Thankyou so much, Sere."
Then a shadow crossed over her face. "Is - is this very expensive?"
"The whole of my paycheck covers it" Serena hummed thoughtfully. May gasped as the honey blonde laughed. " I am just kidding!"
"Don't kid with me" May punched her arm lightly. "But seriously, you didn't spend too much on these right? We need to save money for renting and moving into an apartment."
Serena's laugh died down immediately. A sinking feeling washed over her. She had forgotten about it; May was all well now. Which meant that they had no reason to live on Ash's goodwill any longer.
Move. The word didn't felt right, especially with the way the things were in the present. If they had to be on their own ways, shouldn't they atleast be on good terms?
"I don't love he. I don't love Lillie Aether. Tell me, should I still go ahead and marry her?" His sharp words rang in her ears. And then there was that look.
Broken and dejected.
Serena knew that a rejection would have been less painful to him. And yet she couldn't reject him. She didn't know what she had hoped for by explaining to him the practicality of everything.
Maybe she wanted him to be the one to back out. Yes, that was it. She wanted him to do what she was too scared to do. She wanted him to be the villain in their story.
Her stomach dropped as such thoughts flooded her mind. When did she become so twisted, so vivacious?
"Serena" May shook her, snapping her out of her daze. The thoughts dispersed but the feeling continued to linger.
"I - I have to go, May" Serena said, abruptly standing up. May's face morphed into one of confusion as she reached out her hand to grab the other woman's.
"Sere, what's wrong? You can tell" She coaxed her in a soothing voice. But the honey blonde shook her head stubbornly.
"I will tell you later, May. I have to do something and it's urgent."
May fell silent for a second before she nodded. "Okay. Okay, if you say so."
Serena mustered up a smile. "I will come again soon, promise."
"I know you will" May smiled back.
SERENA
Serena stepped out of the hotel, feeling the warmth of the sun on her body.
Ash was purposefully ignoring her but not anymore. She was going to talk with him and they were going to sort everything out. This time she wasn't going to mess up.
She pulled out her phone to call Mr. David when suddenly her phone beeped. She was about to swipe away the message until her eyes fell on the person whose text she had been waiting for a long time.
Calem
Meet me at Méricourt café, Town Square tom. 10 am.