Chapter 22 - KMCF

That day, I went home, feeling like I didn't gain anything from confronting he who shall not be named, so I stayed up till midnight on my laptop trying to find out as much as I could on him. Sadly, none of the information I collected answered my questions in full.

The fashion show that was the next day was the one thing that convinced me to render up on digging, I knew that I'd wake up twice as horrible if I didn't go to sleep. I considered the fact that it was Marcos's big day not Hunter's, the media was going to be at the fashion show and I needed to maintain both my image and Anders image.

Earlier today, Miranda came over a little too early to get the clothes we ordered nights ago. Though, if it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have woken up. We put on our outfits for the event. I wore a tucked in graphic white shirt with a black skirt and a jacket containing golden chains. Miranda wore a crop top with a pink blazer and leather pants. We both kicked off our feet with bejeweled pumps.

Miranda surprised me with a professional makeup artist who took over an hour with each of our faces. When the woman finished and left with amazing outcomes, we styled our hair. I placed Miranda's ash blonde hair in a waterfall braid and she curled my chocolate brown hair.

Once we finished we rushed out of my condo knowing we'd have to clean up the huge mess we made the next day.

We were dazed by the celebrities that showed up and how they all looked so much better up close. We weren't antisocial idiots who stared from afar, we actually got the chance to speak to some of them. They weren't extremely famous, but they were scarce enough for people to recognize them. As we entered the event, we halted to take pictures, only I got questioned a lot, less about the store and more about the suppose relationship I was in with Marcos. I simply smiled and repeated the same phrase a hundred times, I'm happy to be here. Miranda respected the way I handled the situation and didn't pry into anything all day, I was certain she had the same plan as me. To strictly make it all about Marcos, but she did advertise small.

The fashion show was held in an abandoned factory, only if you were looking at it from the inside, you would have never guessed it ever was one. You could see the crossings of metal hovering over us and feel the aura of machines. Other than that, it felt like a luxurious spectacle for only the rich and famous.  

We were just in time for the show and with VIP access, we received front row seats with our names printed on them, along with waiters serving us with hot towels and drinks of our selection. The lights dimmed and a single spotlight was placed on the runway, we couldn't see Marcos, instead we heard him. His voice introduced himself as well as announced the show and what the  fashion style was conveying.

Let's begin, was the last thing I picked up, and then begun the line, we were most likely going to sell.

** **

"Maybe about four or five, I'm not completely sure yet."

We were in striding along marble tiles, trapped by tall walls decorated with shimmers of gold sparkles and laced details. Signatures of designers and sketches of iconic outfits covered the walls along with embroidered words. Chandeliers illuminated the hall every few steps causing me to consider adding them to the store, the steps that were echoed throughout. Our heels repeated their sounds until we attained it to our destination. It was as though we were jumping into a whole nother world and we definitely weren't leaving soon.

Miranda slapped my arm, it was intended to be harmless, only the endless amount of bracelets she wore collided with my skin. "You aren't listening!" She grumbled.

When the show had ended, we changed out of our clothes and cast on the dresses we originally ordered. She threw on a black long sleeve skin tight dress with an open back and I wore a slim fitting white dress that exposed my mid section. We decided to go with a yin and yang theme, instead of wearing color clashing attires.  

"I was," I lied.

"Then, repeat what I said."

"Words."

"I'm very serious, Jen. We need to employ more people if we're going to be selling the line." Miranda said as she took out her our VIP passes from her clutch.

"And I'm fine with that," I replied. "As long as you're doing the interviews," I murmured. 

As Miranda was getting us an entry, I snuck a peek at what was behind the bodyguard. One word, beautiful. It received such a delicate and bright sense to it, I felt so out of place, but I felt as though I could merge soon enough.

"Right this way." A rugged looking man stood in front of my view. He had his arm extended out. We nodded as we followed where his arm was directing. He accompanied us until we were in the same tank as the higher ranks.  

"Jen, look! It's Payton Green!" Miranda squealed in my ear.

"Looks like we have a crazed fan, maybe I should call for security," Marcos grinned as he walked up to us. His lengthy hair was contained in a messy bun that looked like a tricky hairstyle to replicate. He trimmed his facial hair to match a design on his  collar. He wore a black suit along with a gold watch and expensive shoes.

"Please do," I sighed jokingly. We each gave him a quick hug as a waiter walked our way.

"You look great," Miranda said, she then began to laugh as he spun around for her see the entire outfit.

"Of course," He took two glasses off the platter held by a freckled faced redhead. I knew the two drinks were meant for us and from my recent encounter with alcohol, I wasn't a fan of it right now. I made a proposition with myself, that this would be the first and the last alcoholic drink of the night. "But, seriously, you both look fantastic!"

We copied his previous action and gave him a little twirl simultaneously. "Of course," we both said.

He handed us the drinks as the waiter dismissed herself. "Very funny," Marcos said as he chuckled. "Did you two enjoy the show?"

"Why would you ask that? Of course we did!" Miranda answered.

"I take that you'll be selling my line," His caramel eyes widened, there you could see the anticipation in him.

"Definitely," I replied. He let out a sigh of relief and took a sip from my drink that even sparkled with the rest of the atmosphere. "Is this a new habit of yours?" I snatched my drink out of his clutch.

He winked in response, "Let's save the paperwork for later, for now I'm sure you're dying to meet some of the most talented actresses and artists, and wealthy socialites."

** **

Marcos had introduced us to a group of women who were in an organization that put money in stores that earned them compliments, but what he didn't tell us was that they were tainted with over bearing egos. Miranda managed to escape by being pulled aside by her favorite designer.

I sat on a sofa arm, facing the woman who seemed to be the leader of the conversation. I had already forgotten her name, but I was pretty sure it began with a V. She was beautiful, no doubt there, but it was artificial, she didn't say so, I could tell. She had a smile that only could be removed by an industrial machine and skin that gleamed unnaturally. The woman had a pixie haircut that went well with her structured face and pitch black hair. She was about my height, but our body shapes were entirely different. Her hips were much bigger and her curves drew attention and she seemed to be enjoying it.

Besides, that was when I was introduced, now I hardly cared for the woman. She was having a full on conversation about something I had no interest in. I kept taking a sip of my drink, thankfully it wasn't the same one from before. I traded it for some strawberry flavored non alcoholic champagne. Otherwise, I would've been severely drunk. I had something else that was catching my attention or should I say someone else?

You guessed it, Hunter. He arrived two or three hours after I got acquainted with the women circling me. Seconds after he was welcomed by Marcos, he had caught the attention of everyone. The attention suited him, it was like he wore it. But, he actually wore a blue suit, no tie, his dress shirt wasn't fully buttoned. Two buttons were left alone, but it wasn't like I counted. His hair was tossed perfectly, different from his usual bed head, he added a bit of gel.

The room got quieter and all you could hear were people mumbling, Hunter was a ruler to these people and it looked pathetic. As he walked to a sofa at the end of the room, our eyes met. I looked away before I could fall under his spell. Once he made it to his goal, a male waiter rushed to his side offering him a different kind of drink, different from what anyone else had. It was in a much more fancier glass than what everyone else had.

In an instant, a swarm of both men and women enclosed the man whom they worshipped. That was when everyone went back to their groups and began a new topic of interest. I zoned out of the conversations, I hated the way they spoke of him like he was a god. I was tired of Hunter and I was tired of anything that involved him, but lately he seemed to be the only thing that controlled the happiness in my life.

I was tired of him, but yet I kept looking in his direction, though I could hardly see him because of the crowd of people. Every now and then, I heard a charge of laughter and I assumed he was good at entertaining the group.

"Jennifer."

I turned to the location of my name, it was the plastic woman whose name began with a V. Maybe it was Vanessa? I gave her a questioning look, hoping she'd repeat herself. "Jennifer, right?" She asked.

I nodded in response as everyone had their eyes on me.

"Are you the Jennifer?" Another lady jumped in. She was a bit older than most of us, but she still had her face intact.

"I'm not sure of what you're asking," I replied. They whispered among themselves for a while until another woman bit into the conversation.

"She is! Jennifer," she paused. "Jackson?"

"Anderson." I wanted out, I was starting to get what they were getting at.

"I knew you looked familiar," the plastic woman spoke. "The woman who's in an intimate relationship with Marcos."

"Valerie, don't forget to say allegedly," a short haired brunette giggled and a little after, most joined in.

Her name is Valerie.

"Sorry, my bad. Allegedly," she air quoted and began to move her plump purple colored lips. A lipstick that most likely cost the price of my entire outfit. "So how is he?"

I tilted my head in frustration. The women were vague and it was aggravating. "Excuse me?"

"You know, how is he in bed? I hear he's amazing," they all leaned closer to hear my answer.

I frowned, now I really wanted out. I was taken back by her question and hated how they were all dying to get a new scoop of gossip. "I'm sorry, but we're not dating."

"Okay, but have you had your way with him?"

"No, we're just friends." I switched the leg I placed on top of the other and focused on drinking my champagne.

No one said anything after that, I suspected that they were analyzing whether I was lying or not.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. They say Manning is much better anyway." Valerie interrupted the silence and from then on their conversation was catching my interest. Most of the ladies either nodded in approval or hummed in response.

Their heads turned towards Hunter, knowing they wouldn't be able to see him. "It's only been one day since the whole country found him and for his first public appearance in a while, he chooses this place. Can you imagine how much publicity Marcos will receive?"

"Even after disappearing for what seemed like forever, the man still looks hella fine," an over tanned woman spoke up. She was looking in Hunter's direction dreamily while she played with her emerald encrusted necklace. Her words and actions sparked a bit of anger in me that set me back.

"Sorry, but I prefer Marcos, that accent is really something." a short woman who had a large bust that didn't sit well with the body she had.

Valerie smiled --not like she couldn't-- but you could see the spark of disgust in her eyes. "Hunter is way better, right?"

All eyes were on me and like I said, these people were vague and it made me seem like an idiot who found it hard to comprehend simple words. "Me?"

"Yes."

"I don't really have a preference for either," I said.

She stared at me, never in my life had I seen such a vicious look. You could practically see an image of a cobra popped up behind her. Everyone else looked at me like I was a mass murderer.

Valerie laughed, which I didn't think she knew how to. "Jen. Can I call you Jen? I'm calling you Jen. No need to be afraid, w-"

"We don't bite," the same over tanned woman interrupted which resulted in a deadly glare from Valerie.

"We don't bite. Tell us who you really favor." Her smile tightened.

They didn't deserve to know anything about me. They had enough things to feed off of. "None."

The group didn't look persuaded at all, in fact, they turned their attention back to Valerie for her to pr. Like, watching a defective interrogate a suspect. "Wouldn't you choose your friend, Marcos, over a person you're not familiar with?"

"Uh. . ." I was stuck, stuck wasn't good, especially when I was being interviewed by hungry vultures. She was implying something, and I wondered if she knew something.

"What's going on here?" Marcos's voice streamed through my ears, he contributed at just the perfect time. He stood near me with a smile that was giving each and every women rosy cheeks.

"Nothing, we're just having a small chat with Jennifer." Valerie said.

I could feel Marcos's eyes on me, interpretating that it wasn't just a chat. "Great. May I steal Jennifer here for a minute?"

"Yes, of course." She answered as I placed my hand on top of Marcos's outstretched one. "We'll finish our talk later, okay Jennifer?"

I duplicated her plastic smile, "definitely."

Yeah right!

They were probably going to talk about me behind my back, though I couldn't care less. Writing checks and swiping cards were all they were good for and that's what I was expecting out of them.

"Thank God you showed up," I said once Marcos and I were out of earshot. "I can't believe you introduced me to gossip hungry bïtches!" I lightly hit his arm.

He grinned, "your target isn't to be their friends, sometimes you have to deal with people you don't like."

I sighed. As we were walking away for the crew, I spotted Miranda, who was casually conversating with tall girls who I assumed were models and some designers. That was one of the things I admired about her, she was more outgoing. She could start a conversation with a rock and I could barely begin one with a person.

"What did you need me for?" I glanced at the guy leading me with a friendly hand placed on my waist.

"You should start thanking me," he waved to a group of people and as we passed a few, he shook hands with anyone wearing a suit.

"That would depend on a whole lot of things." I pulled an eyebrow up.

"Just wait and see." He grinned again.

"I rather you tell me." He shook his head in response. For the first time since we had been walking, I looked ahead. I was now aware of the fact that we were heading towards the biggest clattering in the party. In other words, we were stalking towards Hunter.

"Let's go get a drink," I urged. "I'm thirsty."

He looked at me in a funny way, then proceeded to laugh. "You have one already."

I glanced at my beverage.

What are you doing Jen?

By the time, I thought of another way to avoid being captured by Hunter, we were already swallowed by the clan.

"Martinez, hey!"

"Marcos, darling!"

"What's up, M?"

Moments after Marcos was recognized, greetings began to explode. As he returned each an everyone of them his dazzling white teeth were enhanced through laughter and smiling.

The eyes of men were feeding off of me and Marcos, who I thought was distracted, had my waist pulled closer to him. It didn't take him long to finish his greetings before he turned to the center of attention, Mr. Hunter Manning.

I knew all along he was a part of those who stared. I was disregarding his gaze, no. I was disregarding him. He was sitting on a sofa along with two other men, compared to him weren't good looking. He looked extremely better up close and yes, I'm aware of the statement I just made. I had to keep reminding myself of the lies and the pain he gave me, just to tame my heart and urges.

"Ah, Mr. Manning, I didn't mean to interrupt."  Marcos said.

Hunter's eyes focused from me to Marcos before he spoke. "No, you're the star of the show after all."

Marcos shook his head. "It's a rare opportunity to have someone like yourself attend an event like this, so please continue." 

I simpered, but only a tiny bit. The man who was sitting in front of me, was my heartbreaker. But, to them, he was a highly respected role model.

"You don't mind if this beautiful woman listens, do you?" Marcos asked as a dot of red stained my cheeks.

His eyes moved my way, "Not at all." He replied as his hand stretched out. "Hunter Manning."

I was reluctant to touch him, but there were so many people watching influencing me to shake hands with him. I really wasn't looking forward to being named the bïtch who refused to shake hands with Hunter the billionaire. "Jennifer Anderson," I forced a smile.

** **