Date The CEO.com

Chapter 109: The Flowers and the Bee

"That's a wrap for this segment. Please be back in an hour for the next one." 

Eve sighed in relief. She could finally catch a break after rappelling on the other side of the wall—where she controlled her descent. It was a lot of fun when she got the hang of it but tiring all the same. 

Would her muscles still keep up until tomorrow?

"Come on, let's go to the tent." Cale handed her another bottle of water and her mobile phone. He led the way back to the tent. "You did so amazing! I strongly believe you exceeded everyone's expectations."

"Thank you for the praise, Cale," Eve told him after draining half the bottle. "I just hope they turned out well. I couldn't really see myself and my stolen pictures always looked weird."

He patted her back as they drew closer to the tent. "Just believe that they will. There's no need to worry. Besides, if they let you off, that means less work, doesn't it?"

Hushed whispers came from the tent.

Eve scrunched her eyebrows. An ominous feeling clouded over her head. Her ears picked up a few squeals into the mix. It did little to reassure her. Several scenarios played in her head. Was it something in the news? Was someone famous with them? What could trigger such reactions? 

Those squeals seemed suppressed.josei

"I think the other models are already there," Cale chuckled, reading her mind. "It's common for famous ones. Someday you'd get the same type of admiration."

"I don't know about that…" Eve mumbled. She cleared her throat and spoke clearer. "I'm not exactly sure I'd want that kind of influence."

The modelling frowned. He got her point. This gig was only a temporary arrangement for Eve. Soon, she'd get back to her normal as if none of these happened. Evangeline Reed would slowly fade away from the spotlight if not instantly. 

Still, he hoped she'd make a mark in the industry—no matter how short lived or how small.

"Oh, darling, you never know!" He laughed. He brushed her comment away with a hand. His lips showed a mischievous smile. "You already have a fan in me! And in Luna! And in Avery! Our tastes are not to be belittled."

Eve giggled, stepping inside the tent. Her face was turned towards him. "And I think that's more than enough. I'm already more than happy with all the moments we shared so far. Although, I would appreciate it if future ones required less workouts."

She may have acted on her own but those poses took a lot of willpower and endurance. Not to mention, the constant jumping. Her stomach had done a somersault from the repeating up and down motion. She almost thought that she wouldn't make it through the rapel. 

"More than enough?" Cale teased. He hid a smirk. "Aren't you forgetting one more fan?"

"Ms. Reed!" A crew member yelled, scaring Eve. "Um... um… um…"

"What is it? Is everything alright?" She responded. The crew member's body shook as she gazed up at Eve. The latter didn't take it as a good sign. Had there been an emergency? Did something to her sisters? 

No, Andie would have contacted Cale if that was the case....

… so what was the fuss about?

"Uh, yes! It's just…"

"Just what?"

The crew member pointed to Evangeline's designated dressing table. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "There's a delivery for you."

"A delivery?" Eve exclaimed, even more confused. "Who would even deliver something to me here? If it's anyone I know, it would have been to my home address."

Cale shrugged. He was the only one calm about the situation. "Maybe it's from a crazy fan."

Eve gave him a look. "Yeah… no, I don't think that's it."

"Just saying," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

Sighing, Eve scowled and followed the finger's direction. People passed by her line of sight like street traffic. None of them allowed her to catch a glimpse. Her neck craned for a better view. She stepped forward and slipped past them, taking every opening. 

The sooner she got to the bottom of this, the less confused she'd be.

Eve halted in her steps.

Pink.

That was the first thing she noticed.

On top of the table, they stood tall and proud. Their collective size almost blocked half of the mirror. Splashes of red mixed themselves in between the pinks. Peach-colored paper encircled them into one bundle. 

Lastly, a small envelope had Evangeline's name on it.

Rich red roses peeked among the light pink hydrangeas.

Eve could almost imagine her face had the same color pattern.

"What did I say?" Cale squealed behind her. He grabbed her shoulder and shook it. "Check the envelope and see who it's from. I bet it's the person I am thinking of."

Shaking, Eve walked the rest of the way. The tremors reached her fingertips. Elegant handwriting had scrawled over the fancy paper—a style she found familiar. It had been so long since she saw this scribble design. 

The opportunity to do so only came a few times every year.

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Sometime five years ago:

"Oh, the card has no name yet," Eve muttered.

Not thinking twice, she knocked on the door and stepped inside. Ambryan continued his work on the computer. His form was perfectly straight. They keyboard played a melody from his nonstop typing. 

"Yes?" He asked without looking.

"I just realized this birthday card still hasn't anything on it."

His permanent scowl deepened. "And?"

"It's almost time to leave and you're scheduled to be at Mrs. Hathaway's birthday party," Eve explained. She would have used 'your mother' but thought better of it. He might have taken it the wrong way. 

She placed the card on his table. "Please sign it so I can tie it to the gift before you leave."

Ambryan's typing increased in speed and force. "I don't want to break my momentum right now. The deleted files are taking much longer than I thought to recover. There's still so much to replicate before the deadline comes. Just print out a greeting and use my nickname. Next time, you can buy a ready-made one from the store."

Eve flinched, taking the card. She stared at the blank space. Print out a greeting? This was his mother's birthday. Surely, the madam deserved something better. "Are you sure, Sir Hathaway? Wouldn't Mrs. Hathaway love it if you wrote it yourself?"

Ambryan only gave her one-fourth of his attention. He shook his head. "It's a trivial matter. I got her the latest jewelry set from Fattiny's. She'll appreciate it just the same."

"I may be old-fashioned but… I don't think that's a good idea," Eve protested, quivering. She pressed her lips together as she realized that she spoke out of turn. But what good would this awareness do now? 

She had already run her mouth.

Ambryan stopped typing. His sharp gaze snapped towards her. Annoyance written across his face. "How so? The card would still say the same message whether I hand wrote it or not. The thought behind the gift would also remain the same. It's only a matter of efficiency."

Eve's temple throbbed from his words. She stepped up and put the piece of paper down. Her skin smacked against the wooden surface. "I acknowledge your point, Sir Hathaway, but I still disagree with this idea."

"Why?"

"Presents for your female companions are usually jewelry from Fattiny's. The cards are also printed out as instructed for them to be…" she stated, unblinking. "I only have one question before I follow your orders."

Ambryan leaned back on his chair. His violet eyes squinted at her dead stare. He interlocked his fingers and said, "What is it?"

Eve tilted her head to one side. "Do you care about your mother in the same way that you care about your ex-lovers? Because you seem to treat them the similarly in this manner."

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Back in the present, Eve had opened the envelope. 

``This is an example of what should be defined as 'cute' - Ambee``

Heads turned as a loud boisterous laugh resounded across the tent. Eve clutched her stomach, sensing pain. Her cackle had quieted down until it produced no sound. But, her chest and throat remained constricted. She struggled for air as another wave of laughter took her over.

"Is she going to be okay?" The crew member from earlier whispered to Cale.

The modelling manager patted her shoulder. "She'll be just fine. I think she needs some privacy though. Come on, her makeup artist is still not here. Let's look for her."

"Oh, okay."

Eve grabbed the chair and supported her weight. Her mouth panted for breath. She didn't know what was funnier: the idea behind the gift or the image of Ambryan writing on the card. She could almost see his serious face. 

Was that how he took her comment?

That she used the word inappropriately?

"Oh, Ambee…" she breathed out. A few chuckles escaped her lips. She pushed herself up and looked at the card. "How is your confusion not cuter than these flowers?"

Her stomach clinched from her fit of giggles. She took a photo of the card in front of the flowers and sent it through the DTC app. A mischievous smile bloomed on her lips. ``Seems like this message is pointing at your name though.``