Time had slipped through my fingers once more. I can't believe that so much time has passed since the interview I did with the grand prize of being my plus one for the award show tomorrow. I'm excited to kick this day off, but nervous about her reaction. I don't want to deal with a gloopy mess of tears.

From the messages I've been receiving from Ava, she's excited for today to start as well. She's currently babysitting Porsha until she returns to her family tomorrow night. Ava had expected to check into the Archibald hotel and order food and movies, but for a teenage in New York, sitting in a hotel room would be the last thing on your list to accomplish.

Today holds better prospects because we're getting a dress designed just for her. I'm sure that'll keep her out of Ava's hair. I mentioned what was happening to Roza and she got so excited and convinced her father to allow Adrian to design a dress for her. It'll be good exposure and press for Volkov Designs, so I believe it didn't take much convincing.

I walk through Volkov Design's freely and without question. I pleasantly smile and wave to the receptionist as I walk past her. She sinks into her chair and looks the other way – typical.

I find everyone huddled in the back section where I'd first sat with Roza. Ava is slouched in the chair on her phone, Porsha standing with Adrian trying to design something and Roza off to the side looking through different material parings.

"Hello." All eyes fall onto me, which makes me grin even wider.

"Finally, you're here!" Ava rushes up to me and embraces me in a tight hug. "I'm going on a coffee run, keep an eye on Porsha?" she asks.

"Sure." I nod my head.

Without a second word, Ava runs for the door like there's no tomorrow.

"It's nice to see you again, Porsha." It's her turn to run around and give me a tight hug, which actually catches me off guard. I take a few steps backwards, but I keep us upright.

"Thanks for having me here," she says with so much excitement, "this is amazing, I still can't believe it."

"No worries! You must show me your dress design and how it's coming along." We walk two steps over to the desk so that I can look over the different designs Adrian has mocked up.

Each design is beautifully crafted. Long lines, detailed ideas and complemental shapes and ideas that are perfect for Porsha. She's going to have an amazing dress because someone so talented has decided to do something special for her. You don't see that much these days.

"We've gone through a few designs, but Ms. Porsha seems very eager on this design." Adrian pushes the paper in front of me to have a proper looks. The dress almost makes me think of Cinderella from the bow shaped material at the top of the dress, but it looks stunning with the different layers at the front.

"We're thinking soft pink for the material," Roza says as she holds up a few different shades of pink.

"Looks beautiful, Adrian. I think this dress is going to look stunning on you, Porsha."

"Thank you," Porsha practically screams.

"Hey Porsha, how about we go into the fitting section to get a better idea for material?" Roza asks.

"Okay." Roza hauls a lump of material options as she walks out of the room with Porsha eagerly following with her.

"Finally." Adrian takes a deep breath a settles into the back of the chair.

"Problem?" I ask.

"Picky client, you know." He winks.

My mind buzzes to the record label and the fact they'd made me change my product around so much before they'd actually accept it.

"Tell me about it." I softly laugh, "The dress looks amazing though."

"Worth the work." He nods his head, "Porsha looks excited, and she reminds me of myself when I first started in the industry."

This catches my interests. Adrian fan girl excited, that seems very unusual for his poised hard exterior.

"How so?"

"Wide eyed and curious," he replies.

I find myself comfortable on the plush couch in Roza's office while Adrian works on Porsha's dress design diligently. Shortly after I get a message and then a happy face pokes into the room.

"Hello," calls out Lucy.

Lucy has a long garment bag in her arms and a goofy excited look on her face.

"Roza said I could finish the dress here," she quickly explains, "we just need to do one more fitting and it'll be perfect for tomorrow."

"Okay." I nod my head.

I notice Adrian looking at Lucy and I curiously, so I step in and run the introductions.

"Lucy, this is Roza's brother, Adrian," I introduce.

"Nice to meet you." Lucy blushes.

"Pleasure is all mine." He smiles.

"She's also the person Roza's been talk about for your intern," I add.

"I look forwards to seeing the dress," responds Adrian.

"Let's try the dress on." I take the garment bag from Lucy and head in the direction I'd see Roza and Porsha go. It's not hard to find them with Roza's loud, thick Russian accent wafting from a door three places down from us.

I walk in and find it's a decent spaced room with three dressing stalls to the right and the rest of the walls are filled with mirrors highlighting different angles and such.

"Is that your dress?" Roza perks up when she sees us.

"Yes." I shuffle into the change room and start stripping out of my clothing. Once I put the dress on, I walk out and Lucy rushes in to zip the back up. Roza brings out a stool for me to step on so that the dress isn't on the ground. I'd left the mask and shoes at home because I didn't realise Lucy would be popping into day.

My vans and plain mask look odd paired with the dress, but otherwise, Lucy has done a stunning job. I swirl around and she screams with excitement about how amazing it looks on me. With all the commotion happening, Adrian appears by the door frame.

"What do you think?" ask Roza.

Adrian walks deeper into the room and carefully inspects the dress. He doesn't touch or comment on it, just an intense gaze that has me squirming.

"You look beautiful." Before leaving the room and returning to his own work.

"Is he always like that?" Lucy whispers to Roza.

She shrugs her shoulders and presses forwards with the dress. She makes me spin around and then looks at the layers, hemming and all of other bits and pieces before passing her final judgement – to which I tune out of. Lucy seems pleased, so I assume the dress has turned out well.

"I hope I look just as good as you," adds Porsha.

"I know you will, Adrian is very talented," I reply.

I catch a sly grin on Lucy's face and an excited one coming from Roza. I step down and head back into the change room to undress. When I'm clothed in my jeans and top, I hang the dress up and leave it for Lucy to take.

"The minor changes shouldn't take too long."

"Okay." I smile, "good luck."

I return to my comfortable chair and watch the four of them work from my point. The table space is large enough for Adrian and Porsha to be seated on the end to work on their design and for Lucy to have my dress sprawled out to fix some of the layers. Roza is huddled up in a desk chair flicking through a magazine with one earphone in her ear.

The day turns around slowly, so much I find myself alone with Adrian. Roza left hours ago to attend her friend's party, Lucy escaped the second she could for some much needed sleep and Porsha wanted to explore the city when Adrian wrapped up the design and needed to do the messy work to start making it. I have nowhere else to be. Hanging around here didn't seem too bad.

Stretching out on the couch, I roll around and continue to play my game until I die and lock the screen. My eyes flicker over to Adrian who is bent over the desk cutting and organising the material for the dress. He might not be able to admit it, but he's making amazing head way with the dress.

He'd since moved from Roza's table over to his own across the hall when he declared her bench space to be chaotic and out of fresh supplies for him to work with.

From my comfortable spot on the chair, I look around the place and spot my dress hanging on the back of the door. The idea stirs in my mind, I could try my dress on once more before the big even tomorrow. Adrian wouldn't notice if I disappeared for a little bit.

I stealthily move from my position on the couch and move towards the dress. I take it off the door and head into the change room area. I slip into one of the booths and undress. I take my shoes and mask off so that I can get a clear idea of what it's going to look like.

I swirl around and bounce as I get used to the feel of the dress. It's a strapless dress that hugs the top section of my body. There's intricate beading patterns about the bodice, which floats down to the top layers of the dress. There's different layers of material with one cut section that shows off the front of my leg. Lucy and I had chosen a soft pale pink.

As I swirl around once more, the layers separate and then puff down. My eyes catch a dark figure pressed against the door frame. I'd been caught, and I felt ridiculous.

"It's okay to let our guard down once in a while." I don't know what he's getting at, but I listen. "You don't always have to be confident and out going."

"I know."

"Do you?" he questions.

I run my hands over my dress and look at myself in the mirror.

"Do it for yourself and not anyone else." For once, someone's not schooling me on my decision.

"I want to." I nod my head. "I want to be myself."

"Once you are yourself, you can tackle anything." His words are strong and uplifting, which have me smiling.

"Really?"

"Really." He nods his head, "There's no self-doubt when you accept yourself."

"Not a shred?" I question.

"Then you haven't accepted yourself."

"Hm."

"Problem?"

Where to begin was the problem.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Your aura, it's like a storm cloud." He shrugs his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been brooding on that sofa all day." That puts his words into perspective.

"Just, there's a lot happening at the moment," I start to explain. "Lover's quarrel, nothing complex." Too complex for my brain.

In the most unusual manor, Adrian pushes his body away from the door frame and brushes his shoulder. "I'll always have a shoulder for you to lean on."

"Are you trying to get with me already?"

"No, surprisingly."

"Thank you." With my head held high, I walk back into the change room once more.

I find Adrian bend over his own work station. Material cut up and slowly being constructed together.

"Why do you design?" I ask as I find somewhere to sit. There's another desk chair floating near his desk. Everyone has long cleared out, so it doesn't matter if I poke and prod him with questions, there's nobody else to disturb. I didn't need to wear my mask either, not with him.

"Why do you sing?" he retorts.

"Fair enough." I raise my hands in defence.

"I like designing creations, the lines, patterns, beauty of it. Something I just enjoy. Like you, with words?"

"Yes. And turns, verses, sometimes structure." I giggle.

"How about the structure of your lifestyle?"

"That question feels personal." I swing in a circle on the chair to avoid his intense gaze.

"I might not be a friends, but sometimes you need an outside opinion to clear your mind."

"I have two love interests, one I said later to and a second who is constantly flying around the world living up to his vamped career. What do you make of that?"

"You're a mess."

I scoff, "I don't need you to tell me that." Even I know that.

"The confusion makes you snappy, you're not happy. What would make you happy?" Adrian abandons his duties to fix his gaze on me.

"Freedom." I huff.

I'd been seeking freedom for so long, I hadn't really had a chance to find it all. The record label felt like a taste, a teaser to indulge me on what the beauty of freedom really is. The after math, not so enticing. I'd freed myself from one thing, but not another.

"Perhaps you're looking for freedom in the wrong place?" Adrian adjusts his attention to his shirt. He unbuttons two of the top ones and pushes his sleeves up into a scrunched ball around his elbows.

"How is the dress coming along?" I ask.

"Along, coming, not the descriptive words I would use."

"Can I help you?" I offer.

Lucy banned me from helping with my dress because I simply have no experience with a sowing needle. Heck, I couldn't get the string through the end of the needle to even help with the beading for the top section. But Adrian doesn't need to know that.

"Sure, I need a model. You're about the right height of, Porsha." He tilts his head from side to side before nodding his head with approval. I get up from the chair and walk around the table so that I'm standing in front of him. He holds the front section of the dress so that it's lightly pressed against my body.

"Perfect," he whispers.

He removes the dress and places it back on the table and continues to work on it. I let my breath go and retreat to the couch. It takes me a while to get comfortable, but when I do, I finally realise how exhausted I am and fall asleep.