Chapter 4

 

“Fuck, you look so hot,” Melissa says, as she pulls Lexi into a hug. “I don’t want to stand beside you.”

 

It’s the last runway show – a perfect end to fashion week. In trend with the year’s theme of luxurious modernism, Lexi dons a very simple sheath skirt and a sleeveless satin top with a subtle color palette of nudes and grays. The pointed toe gray ankle boots complete the ensemble, and she’s noticed a number of paparazzi take snapshots of her look.

 

“And look who’s talking,” replies Lexi, raising an eyebrow up at her new friend. “You’re flawless in that silk maxi dress!”

 

“Come on! I want you all to myself for a short while,” Mel then says, hooking her arm around Lexi’s and leading her to their front row seats. “Before Adam wants you back.”

 

They watch the full length of the runway show with Adam sitting at the other side. He’s with a couple of business partners, and they’re on work mode. As a new initiative for the season, Adam’s looking to partner up with both upcoming and established designers. It’s one way to reach a wider market since the number of consumers opting for high-end products is continuously increasing. Lexi is more than happy to spend the time with Melissa. There’s the after-party which Adam and she will be attending together anyway.

 

Lexi takes a few mental snapshots of some of her favorite looks. She’s never been a spendthrift, and only purchases items out of necessity. Of all the items she wants from the looks tonight, she knows she’ll only end up buying a single one. Sometimes, Lexi feels she’s too much of a miser, but having come from a poor household, it’s better to be a cheapskate than otherwise.

 

The models then walk the whole length of the runway and stop to pose in a single line. A round of applause ensues when the designer walks out from backstage and waves to the crowd. The standing ovation is almost deafening, and Lexi feels like she’s clapping too eagerly like a sea lion.

 

When the show ends, Adam and his business partners head backstage for a quick chat with the designer, and when that’s done and over with, Adam and Lexi head to the after-party which most of their friends are attending as well. The function is located in one of the highest rooftop bars in the city, and most of fashion’s who’s who is in attendance. It’s paradise for anyone part of the industry.

 

“Look who’s here,” says someone in a thick French accent. It’s a good thing Adam has his arm wrapped around Lexi’s waist else she would’ve have already buckled her knees and fallen to the floor. There’s just something about accents. “Long time no see.”

 

Lexi feels Adam’s arm stiffen behind her, and she instantly knows this stranger is bad news.

 

“Philippe?” Adam says, tone incredulous and wary. His eyes glance over the man’s face before they move and land on the woman beside him. “Yvonne?”

 

There’s no missing the smirk on Philippe’s face. “I see you’ve met my girlfriend.”

 

Lexi’s eyes then fly up to the woman’s face before they move down to her tattoos. There’s one on her inner wrist – a single word Lexi can’t read from afar – and another one on the side of her foot. In a sudden rush, pictures of Adam looking intimate with this same woman flood Lexi’s memory. She’s the woman in his Facebook pictures; she’s Adam’s ex-girlfriend.

 

“You two are dating?!” Adam asks, his voice rising. “You can do better than him, Eve.”

 

The woman, Yvonne or Eve, furrows her eyebrows together while Philippine tips the edge of his lips up into a sinister smirk. Lexi doesn’t like how the situation looks; Adam’s tight and tense against her, and she’s clueless and has no idea what to say and do.

 

Philippe’s eyes scan Lexi from head to toe. He looks displeased. “I don’t think you’re a credible source for relationship advice.”

 

Lexi feels gutted in an instant; she knows what he means by that statement. I’m not going to take advice from someone dating his assistant. Lexi looks to the side; she’s trying to keep her emotions and the tears in check. Thankfully, Adam cuts the conversation short.

 

“Let’s not waste each other’s time,” he says before he turns around and walks away.

 

All this time his arm is wrapped around Lexi’s waist. He likes the feeling, having Lexi there are as a support system. Throughout the night, he rids his thoughts of Philippine and Yvonne. He doesn’t want to end the night on a sour note, so he’s not going to think of them. Period. When the after-party carries on to the wee hours of the morning, Lexi and Adam decide to head home. Despite the long day and night, Adam knows there’s an interrogation waiting.

 

“You’re not sleeping yet, mister,” Lexi says, when they start to undress in the bedroom.

 

“You know I can’t ever say ‘no’ to sex.”

 

Adam tries to change the route of the conversation, and Lexi only shakes her head at that.

 

“I’m serious,” she then says. “You have some explaining to do.”

 

And that’s how they end up staying awake until sunrise. Adam tells her how Philippe, who was raised in France until high school, moved to the US for university. They were fraternity brothers, became best friends even. They spent so much time together it was obvious they were going to be inseparable after graduation. After gaining some work experience in the corporate world, Adam and Philippe decided to start a company. When it was starting to gain traction and scaling at a faster pace than expected, that’s when Philippe decided to replicate the entire business model and start a new one on his own. The worst part is he took Adam’s clients. Suffice to say that was the straw that broke the camel’s back and ended their friendship.

 

“Hmm…” Lexi ponders when Adam finishes. “And now he’s dating your ex-girlfriend…”

 

Adam cocks an eyebrow up. How does she know Yvonne and he used to date? “It looks like you’ve got some explaining to do as well…”

 

Lexi lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Well, ah…you see…after dinner with your parents…” she says, as she recounts the time when she stalked him on Facebook and pored through his digital albums. Adam can’t help but grin at Lexi blushing and admitting what she did. She even told him how she was able to reach the very beginning of his Facebook profile.

 

“Women make great detectives,” she says, trying to cover her sleuthing with a laugh.

 

Adam shakes his head at feeling the tug in his heart. Only Lexi can make him feel this way.

 

“Come here, you…” he says, when the explanations end, and he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer to his side of the bed.  They don’t have to worry about Philippe and Yvonne. They’re both in the past, and Lexi and Adam are each other’s present. With Lexi, his human pillow, right at his side, Adam can sleep soundly.