“Ah…” Jane said thoughtfully. “The design draft is already done and I’ve made a few revisions. There are no major issues, but I came back this time to see if there are any good materials or other drawings in the studio that can help me find details. As for the finished clothes… I can make them in a few days, but it might mean bothering you guys more often.”
Jane smiled mischievously and pretended to be polite, only able to completely relax when facing these friends and Patrick.
“Oh come on, why are you being so polite with us? This is your and Nana’s studio after all. You guys are the bosses.”
“Yeah! When did you become so distant from us? We want you here every day! It would be great if you didn’t leave and continue working with us,” someone else chimed in.
Everyone comforted Jane with teasing remarks as she looked at the scene before her, laughing wholeheartedly.
No matter what happens, only true friends will always treat you well.
“Oh right, Camille.” Jane put down her pen with a snap on the table and turned towards the girl. “When I finish designing the clothes, remember to take them for me to participate in competitions. I’ll tell you about timing tomorrow just in case you forget.”
Camille snapped her fingers with a smile. “You can trust me on this one! I’ve taken clothes for various competitions before; it’s not something that I’ll forget easily.”
Jane nodded approvingly then turned towards her colleagues smilingly saying, “Alright everyone should get back to work now; even I have some work left too.”
Half an hour later when Jane specifically told Camille she was leaving for home soon after walking out of office doors, she saw someone familiar standing by its side, Freda!
How could she appear here?
Jane frowned slightly unnoticed but regained composure as soon as Freda looked over at her, pretending nothing had happened while looking pleasantly surprised at seeing Jane again.
[Wow… this acting skill deserves an award…]
“What a coincidence we meet again!” Freda greeted naturally upon seeing Jane.
Jane also smiled knowing fully well how many times they had acted like this before. It was easy enough by now!
“Yeah… what brings you here?”
“Oh, I felt so bored being alone, so I quit my previous job. It wasn’t going well anyway. I wanted to travel abroad and heard that this design studio creates amazing clothes. So, I came here out of curiosity and asked the designers to create a beautiful dress for me. Who doesn’t want to wear nice clothes?”
“By the way, what are you doing here?” Freda tilted her head with curiosity.
Jane took a deep breath; she didn’t know what Freda was up to but didn’t want to give away that she knew who Freda really was.
“Oh, I’m here visiting a friend who is interning at this studio. Just thought it would be fun to come by and see her.”
“I see,” Freda nodded thoughtfully but quickly perked up again with a smile on her face. “You know what? We’ve run into each other several times now! Why don’t we grab lunch together? My treat!”
If someone is naturally enthusiastic, it’s understandable but being overly friendly with someone you’re not close with isn’t normal behavior.
Especially when it comes from Freda – that’s even more unusual.
Jane pondered for a moment; she wanted to find out what exactly was going on in Freda’s mind.
“No thanks,” Jane politely declined. “I just stopped by briefly and have some urgent matters to attend too; maybe we can catch up another time.”
“That’s how it is. Alright,” Freda nodded with a hint of regret. As she watched Jane turn and leave, a smile played on the corner of her lips. She walked into Leo’s studio.
In reality, Jane hadn’t gone too far. When she didn’t hear any sound behind her, she slowly turned around and happened to see Freda entering the studio’s door. Jane took out her phone, walked a bit farther away, and sent a message to Camille.
“If someone approaches you for a custom dress, make sure you keep an eye on her. I know that person well, but you shouldn’t alert her. Got it?”
The phone chimed twice, and Camille picked it up to see Jane’s message. At that moment, Freda also asked, “I’d like to have a custom dress made. Can I consult with you?”
“Got it!”
Camille quickly replied to Jane and looked up to see Freda’s smiling face. She immediately had an idea and stood up, politely saying, “Hello, I’m the manager of this studio. If you have any questions, please let me know.”
“Hi, my name is Ann,” Freda shook hands with Camille as a gesture of courtesy. “I want a custom-made dress that isn’t too sexy because it’s for a formal event. I prefer it in red with some unique designs. Can you do that?”
“Well… we can do that but since it’s handmade, the production time may be slightly longer and we require a 50% deposit upfront. But I can take your order,” Camille nodded hesitantly.
Freda was more than happy to agree, “Great! I heard your studio has designed many beautiful dresses so I came here specifically to check them out.”
“If you’re okay with it, then consider it done,” Camille smiled and nodded.
“Okay.”
After leaving Leo’s studio, Freda looked around satisfied before heading out of the building while still on the phone with Susan who she met twenty minutes later at a coffee shop near her work studio.
“You called me at this time for any progress?”
“Yes,” Freda smiled confidently as she recounted her experience earlier at Leo’s studio where she also saw Jane. “But I told her that I was there for custom-made dresses only and found out from Leo’s current manager who Jane trusts very much.”
Freda continued explaining how she planned on obtaining Jane’s design sketches during their competition without raising suspicion from anyone else involved in the event.
“Don’t worry about anything; trust me. Everything will go according to plan,” assured Freda confidently.