An Uncomfortable Situation and a Chat
Adrien stifled a yawn as he read through some emails. He couldn’t sleep the night before because of his overactive mind and wished the caffeine would wake him up already. A notification box popped up on his screen and he groaned. It seemed Gabriel had made plans for him that day.
The email said that Adrien had a photoshoot scheduled at ten and he was not thrilled to have to deal with one of the models. They’ve all been giving him the creeps lately with their sly smiles and excessive red lipstick.
If they’re trying to be seductive it’s certainly not working, Adrien thought, shaking his head. He spent the next hour reading through invoices and taking care of a few numbers before he headed down to the arts room where a backdrop was already set up. The advantage to having the photoshoots in the Gabriel building itself was that no traveling was needed and they could shoot any day of the year.
Adrien noticed Vincent standing by, adjusting his camera lens and smiled. While he hated the shoots, Vincent was always so kind to him and made it a bit less miserable with his bubbly personality. The man was a pleasant Italian, unlike someone.
“Adrien!” a sickly sweet voice purred. “I feel like I haven't seen you in a while!”
He didn’t bother to hide his scowl as he rolled his eyes and headed over to the changing room immediately. It was a promotion for the gala, and he had already finished the slide show he was supposed to present with Marinette later that day. All he needed was her sketches and they’d be all set.
When he walked back out, he saw Lila in a red mermaid-style cocktail dress and wondered why his father just had to go with navy blue to match with anything that’s red. Vincent had them do some pretty normal poses. First they had to hold glasses of wine, then had to pose in various different ways like the models they were. Adrien hated it when Lila oh-so-innocently touched him briefly and internally groaned when Vincent said they had to look like they were dancing.
He rested his hand lightly on the small of her back, not wanting to touch her anymore than he had to. She ran her fingers along his chest, tracing an invisible pattern of sorts, causing Adrien to grit his teeth. Hold your tongue. It’ll be over soon enough. Some of the crew shared troubled glances as they noticed the blonde’s uneasiness.
As Adrien endured the uncomfortable poses with Lila, he couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration at the situation. His father's insistence on using Lila as a promotional tool grated on his nerves, especially considering the history between them. Yet, he knew he had to maintain composure, for the sake of the shoot and his professional reputation.
Despite his efforts to keep his distance, Lila's persistent attempts at physical contact only intensified Adrien's discomfort. He clenched his jaw, silently counting down the seconds until the ordeal would be over.
Vincent, sensing the tension in the air, tried to lighten the mood with his usual cheerfulness. "That's it, Adrien, you're looking great! Just a few more shots and we're done."
Adrien forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace, and shifted his focus to the task at hand. As they moved through the final poses, he couldn't shake the feeling of Lila's touch lingering on his skin, leaving behind a trail of unease.
Finally, the last click of the camera signaled the end of the shoot. Adrien let out a sigh of relief, releasing the tension that had been building within him. He stepped away from Lila, eager to put some distance between them.
Vincent approached him with a sympathetic smile. "You did great, Adrien. I know it's not easy, but you handled it like a pro."
Adrien nodded in gratitude, grateful for Vincent's understanding. "Thanks, Vincent. I appreciate it."
A woman burst into the room, holding several pieces of paper.
“Adrien! I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I have the sketches,” Marinette exclaimed. Adrien strode over to greet her without hesitation, earning himself an annoyed huff from Lila. While he should be annoyed that Marinette had to hand them in so late, Adrien was just grateful he didn’t have to endure any more of Lila’s attempts at…
What was that woman trying to accomplish anyway? If it’s to annoy me, then she’s doing a damn good job, he thought, internally rolling his eyes. Lila hadn’t bothered him much recently, and he assumed that it was due to them both being so busy with work. Perhaps the snake was trying to bide her time. But to do what, exactly?
Adrien shook himself from his thoughts and took the sketches from Marinette, their fingers brushing against each other slightly. A warm feeling encased his heart, but he suppressed it with determination to get the job done and finish the presentation for the meeting with his father later.
“These are late,” Adrien said, but he wasn’t annoyed. He was grateful for any distraction from his regular work.
“I know I was supposed to give them to you this morning but a few went missing. I could’ve sworn I left the designs I did on Friday locked in my desk drawer.”
“Well, knowing you, are you sure that you put them there?”
She offered him only a scowl in reply. Marinette hummed in thought for a moment before stopping when she noticed Lila was glaring at her from afar.
Adrien followed her gaze and rolled his eyes. “Ignore her,” he said, “she’s been on everyone’s nerves today.” He waved the sketches in her face. “You have copies of these, right?”
“Of course. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to them.” Marinette gave him a pointed look.
“Relax. Are you sure those designs weren’t there when you got here?” He had a sudden itch. “Your drawer wasn’t tampered with?”
Marinette looked at him annoyed. “I had a special lock on those drawers. If someone wanted it they would have needed this key.” She reached for her key in her pocket, but felt nothing. Her face dropped.
Adrien read her mind before she even said anything. He looked at her uncertainly and put his hands up in a defensive manner. “I’m not gonna say I told you so, but I told you so,” he said in a taunting voice. She gave him another, harsher, pointed look. He put his hands to his side quickly. Marinette paced back and forth through the room.
“I don't understand. That key barely ever leaves my pocket. How could someone have taken it?” Adrien shrugged his shoulders childishly. “I think it is safe to assume you don’t have a camera in there,” he said jokingly. She rolled her eyes then walked away. “Hey, don’t hate the player,” he yelled as he struggled to keep up with her.
“Don’t you have some work to do?” she grumbled.
Adrien casted a smirk that made her want to punch it right off his face. “Right now, my job is to get the sketches and make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to.”
Marinette stopped and spun around on her heel. “Oh? Tell me, Adrien. What exactly am I supposed to do?” she demanded, jabbing a finger at his chest.
“Figure out what happened to those sketches, of course.” His smile only grew when she scowled at him.
“Don’t you mean we have to figure out what happened to them? Surely you wouldn’t make me try and find them on my own, a poor defenseless woman who can’t defend herself against thieves,” Marinette corrected dramatically.
“You’re no damsel in distress,” Adrien stated firmly. “Of that, I am certain.”
“Indeed. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she brushed past him. “I have some investigating to do.”
“Good luck! I’m sure you’ll need it!”
“Shut up, Agreste!” she called over her shoulder, a small smile pulling at her features. Adrien watched as she headed into the elevator and caught her gaze for a moment before the doors closed.
*******
Marinette frowned after checking her coat pockets. The key was nowhere to be found.
“Come on,” she mumbled. “It’s got to be here somewhere.”
Her head turned at the sound of footsteps and she tensed up before seeing that it was just Donald.
“Hey, is everything alright here?” His smile revealed straight, pearly white teeth.
“I’m afraid I lost some sketches. I was so sure that I had placed them in here,” she pointed to the drawer, “but my key is missing and so I don’t know what happened to them.”
Donald frowned, his brows creased in thought. “I’m sorry, if there’s anything I can do to help—”
“No, it's alright. Today I will hopefully be getting the go-ahead from Mr. Agreste on the designs I just handed over to Adrien. Once we have the green light, you and the team can get to work.”
“Of course,” he said. “I look forward to seeing what we’ll be creating together.” He turned to leave but she stopped him.
“Donald?” He didn’t turn around.
“Yes, Marinette?”
“Would you happen to know what happened to my key?”
There was a slight pause, “No, but surely there are cameras?”
“That’s what Adrien said. You can go now and…thanks. I look forward to seeing what fruit will come from all of this.” She sucked in a breath. “If it goes well, that is.”
At this he turned around, offering her a gentle smile. “It will, Marinette. You’re the best designer here. I may not be from around this area, but my eyes know talent when they see it. You were top in our class at uni and know just what to do when others don't. You’re very lucky to be so good at something you love.”
Marinette returned the smile. “You’re not too bad of a designer yourself, my American friend.”
He gave a hearty laugh and departed from the room, heading back to where his cubicle was.
“Well…” Marinette said to herself. “At least he won't be much of an annoyance.”
Marinette collected herself and made her way back to the design floor where her friends were hard at work.
“Gen! Camille!” She called their names and they turned toward her.
“Marinette! What are you doing here? Surely you didn't get fired?” Camille asked.
A smile spread across her lips. “Nope. Just wanted to see if you would be interested in working with me to create the Gala line.”
Genevieve gasped. “You don't mean…”
‘I have a meeting with Mr. Agreste this evening and I plan on requesting that you two be moved up onto this project. I can't garauntee that he'll listen but I think that if he has a good eye, he'll see how amazing you two are.”
“Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Marinette!” Camille gushed. “This is amazing of you”
“Don't mention it. I just don't know how I'd do this without you girls there with me.”
Marinette knew she was fooling herself, that she simply needed her friends there to distract her from Adrien and thoughts of the proposal.
They embraced her for a brief moment and her heart felt heavy with the guilt of reason behind her actions. She watched as flurries began to fall from the sky, the overcast weather making it difficult to see the twinkling Christmas lights that dotted the city, the lines blurred by the precipitation.
Just like how the line between love and hate was beginning to become a grey area, blurred by what her heart was telling ber versus what her mind was saying.
Her mind knew she wanted nothing more than to be successful and make this the greatest event of the year.
But deep in her heart she knew that an Agreste was the true reason behind her eagerness to work this project.
And she hated herself for it.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top