Coolest Girl in Town (Elise and Alexander) novel Chapter 189

“I think that the fabric of the dress could be better since it’s weighing me down and extremely tight as well. I believe there may be ways to make it a lot more comfortable.” As soon as these words tumbled out of Elise’s mouth, Brendan’s smile faded. He was a fashion designer, after all, and as far as an artist’s ego was concerned, he couldn’t stand having others criticize his work, especially one which he held with esteem. However, given that the present critic was Elise herself, he suppressed his injured pride and asked with forced patience, “In that case, what fabric do you suggest we incorporate?” 

 

Although Brendan sounded casual enough, there was a trace of disdain in his tone that seemingly implied that she had no right to comment on the making of the dress, given that she was not an expert. Elise, on the other hand, did not bridle at the hostility underlying his question, and instead replied mildly, “I personally think that a fiber-based tulle would be a better choice and there should be some adjustments to the skirt to make it weigh less. It might help with the aesthetics, too.” At that moment, he was sure that the girl was besmirching his design.

While keeping his resentment at bay, he bit out, “Well then, since you’ve said so, I guess I’ll just try to tweak the dress.” With that, he gestured for his assistant to help her out of the dress. Upon sensing his disgruntlement, Elise quickly explained, “Don’t get me wrong; I love your design and how beautiful it is. Whatever I said earlier was merely a suggestion.” Brendan hummed curtly in response. “That’s fine. If you think the dress needs some tweaking, then I’ll just go along with it.” Not wanting to further prod the bruise on his artist’s esteem, she conceded and changed out of the dress, which was later taken away by his assistant.

Meanwhile, after having observed the slightly tense exchange, Alexander knew instantly that Brendan was very much offended by Elise’s remarks. Fashion design was not his forte, but he understood Brendan’s temperament and he was only too familiar with Brendan’s intolerance toward any criticism about his work. “Brendan, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to make a few slight adjustments, but if you don’t want to go along with it, why don’t you let Elise take charge instead?”

Alexander placated while delicately selecting his words. Upon hearing that, Brendan’s expression softened. He thought Elise was presumptuous to have nitpicked on his design when she wasn’t even a fellow designer, but Alexander’s words made sense. As such, he decided to allow her to tweak the dress as she saw fit. Let’s see if you can do what I do, Elise. Brendan wanted her to know that fashion designing was no walk in the park. A hint of contempt sneaked into his voice as he drawled, “You know what?

I think you’re right, Alexander. Elise, if you have better ideas for the dress, then you’re welcome to make all the adjustments as you please. There’s no harm in trying, right?” When she heard it, Elise paused in thought and finally agreed, “Alright then, I’ll give it a shot.” Her response was beyond what Brendan had expected of her. He thought that she might become flustered and turn down his offer, but exasperation seized him when he saw how confident she looked. How could a girl be so insubordinate and cocky at the same time? Let’s just see how she fares at the end! With a strained composure, he added, “Then, I’ll leave the dress to you, Elise. You can come to me if you need any help, or would you prefer I dispatch two assistants to lend you a helping hand?” A mild ‘hmm’ escaped her before she replied, “I think one assistant should suffice. I’ll drop by tomorrow and start on the tweaking if that’s alright with you.” There was no hesitation in her words and her gaze was steady as she waited for him to say something, but he did not.

When she and Alexander made their way out of Brendan’s office, they piled into the car. Alexander peered at her in the rearview mirror and pointed out, “You can do whatever you like with the dress and it won’t matter if you mess up. I’ll be there for you.” It was the first time she had heard anyone making such promises to her. The five syllables strung together into a simple assurance, but it made her tingle with warmth nonetheless. I’ll be there for you. As the words reverberated in her headspace, she smiled and responded, “You could have a little more faith in me, you know.

After all, I’d never do anything without first having the confidence that I could pull it off.” There was something magnetic about her when she behaved this way and it tugged at Alexander’s heartstrings. It was as if he had discovered the true reason behind his attraction for her; he could see the same stubbornness in her that he used to have back in the day. To that extent, they thrived in the same league. The next day, Elise showed up at the atelier alone. Unlike yesterday, everyone at the atelier was too preoccupied with their own work to notice her presence. She paid no mind to this and found her way to Brendan’s office, thereafter knocking cursorily on his door. “Come in.” After having heard his disembodied voice, she pushed open the door. “What is it?” Brendan asked impassively as he looked up and when he saw her, he stiffened. “Oh, you’re here.” She nodded before asking, “I can get started on the dress right away. Where is it?” He gaped at her in surprise; he hadn’t expected her to actually turn up, believing that she was nothing but a big talker at that time. Then again, he’d like to see how she was going to ruin the dress now that she was here.

When she arrived at Design Studio No.1 and caught sight of an average woman pawing around the dress that he had painstakingly made, Molly cried out, “Hey! What are you doing? You’re probably new around here, but I should warn you not to touch anything that Mr. Griffith has personally designed—like that dress!” Elise frowned at the intrusion, but a sudden thought flashed in her mind as she asked, “Are you the assistant Brendan mentioned?” Astonishment colored Molly’s face. Did she just call Mr. Griffith by his first name? Who is she to have such audacity?