The exquisite gown was sure to catch everyone's attention. Cassandra was as calm as ever, looking at the mirror. Her beauty was breathtaking.
She politely nodded her head to the designer.
"Michelle, thank you so much. May I get my tailored dress?"
Michelle nodded in acknowledgment. She pointed to one of the inner rooms proudly.
"It's there in that room. Try it out and see."
Then she looked at Cloris, mildly curious.
"You are... ?"
Cassandra was about to introduce her sister to Michelle, but before she had a chance, Cloris extended her hand and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you, Michelle. My name is Cloris. I am the younger sister of Cassandra!"
To her surprise, Michelle didn't shake her hand. She just nodded, acknowledging Cloris in a half-hearted manner.
Cloris pulled her hand back in embarrassment. She was dreaming of connecting with this famous designer but got a flat-out rejection. She couldn't believe it, having been the center of attention all her life.
Cassandra had heard about how proud Michelle was. Now she had witnessed it in person. This side of Michelle was really unique from other people.
'If Rufus hadn't asked the favor from Michelle to customize my dress, I might have not even been able to see her.
But... How did Rufus get to know about Michelle?' Cassandra wondered.
Pulling herself back from the reverie, she spoke to break the awkward silence, "Cloris had heard about you a long time ago. She is an admirer of you! I have brought her to ask a favor from you. Could you help her select a gown to the wine party next week?"
Cassandra glanced at the luxuriant dresses hanging in the room, beaming with adoration.
"It is an honor to have the opportunity to wear a dress designed by you," she added.
Michelle looked at Cassandra from head to toe, then at Cloris, paused for a short while, and turned to retrieve a dress.
"If you are asking for a tailored one, it would take at least one month. It's impossible to make it this soon. So I will select one from my collection. This one should suit her style," Michelle explained, unemotionally.
The dress was full of Chinese symbols, with lace strips decorating the waist and the chest. It was both tidy and solemn.
Michelle gestured towards the fitting room and told Cloris, "Try it out first. I will see if I need to adjust anything."
Cloris happily took the gown and dashed to the fitting room.
Cassandra was now in a conundrum. 'If customizing a dress takes one month, does that mean the dress specially tailored for me was ordered at least a month before?'
Rufus had thought about it in advance for her. Cassandra couldn't help feeling moved.
Michelle pointed at the room she first gestured to Cassandra. With anticipation in her eyes, she said, "Try your dress as well. Rufus gave me your measurements. Let's see if it fits."
Cassandra blushed. 'Did Rufus give Michelle my measurements? How could he reveal such private information to another person?'
Then she thought of his big hands which knew every part of her body. 'Could he measure out my sizes with bare hands?' Suddenly she went red at the thought. 'Gosh, how could I think of such a thing?' She blamed herself for the shameless thoughts.
When Cassandra finally changed into the gown, Cloris had already finished dressing and was checking how the dress fit on her.
As Cassandra appeared, Cloris could hardly believe her eyes.
The gown was deep blue like the ocean. It was covered with a thin voile, as if it was surrounded by a mist.
The hemline was scattered with shiny diamonds that looked like pearls floating on the ocean. a sight that only could be found in a dream.
Her hair was resting smoothly on her fair shoulders, covered under a voile. The translucency of the voile added to her charm and allure.
Apparently, Michelle was happy with her own design. As an experienced designer, all she needed was just one glance to judge the fitness of the dress. She commented, "It fits you well. I don't need to make any adjustments."
At first, Cloris was quite happy with her dress, thinking that she had a perfect piece. However, when she saw how beautiful her older sister looked, her confidence vanished, and envy took its place.
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