Chapter 96: Attending As His Date
Alana heaved a breath of relief as she dropped the boxes of materials she had been carrying in the corner of the office. She flopped onto the soft couch and let out a groan.
“Tired?” Lily, who was standing by the mirror, checking out the dress she had on, asked with a raised brow.
“Very,” Alana replied. “I was able to get most of the items at our store, but the one for the mermaid costume was sold out, so I had to go somewhere else to get it,” she explained, and Lily hummed.
“I thought Gary went with you?”
“He got a call from one of his younger siblings halfway through. Something about the kid getting into a fight at school.” Alana provided. She sat up and finally gave Lily a look.
Raising her brow in question, she proved, “Going to an event?”
“Yeah, a birthday party,” Lily replied as she twirled to see the places that needed adjustments.
“Oh, that sounds fun,” Alana said, a small smile playing on her lips. “You look stunning, by the way. The dress suits you perfectly.”
Lily beamed at the compliment. “Thank you! I wasn’t sure if it was the right choice, but your words make me feel more confident.” She walked over to Alana and took a seat beside her on the couch.
“I was invited to Chairman Watson’s birthday,” she breathed out, and Alana gaped in shock.
“Chairman Watson or someone else?” Alana asked curiously, and Lily mumbled in response.
“How the hell did you get invited into that kind of environment? Even my family doesn’t get invited to parties hosted by the Watsons!” She exclaimed in shock.
Lily let out a frustrated groan. “I got invited by his grandchildren, mostly Celina, insisting I come, but her cousin has a hand in it also since I’m going to attend as his date,” she explained, sending Alana into another shock.
“You are going to be the business genius date?!!! Or which of her cousins?” Alana pressed as she grinned in excitement. “He is definitely the business genius!”
“According to the tabloids, Celina is not close to any of her cousins except President Mark of the Alpha Tech; are you going as his date?” She probed while getting into Lily’s personal space.
Lily blushed, her eyes darting away from Alana’s inquisitive gaze. “Yes, I’m going as Mark’s date,” she admitted, her voice a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Alana’s jaw dropped. “Oh my goodness, Lily! This is huge! Mark is not only the president of Alpha Tech, but he’s also a well-known figure in the business world. How on earth did you manage to snag a date with him?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lily fidgeted with the hem of her dress, a shy smile playing on her lips. “We met a few months ago at a restaurant at school. Celina had an allergic reaction, and I helped out back then. We ended up chatting, and we hit it off right away. We’ve been talking ever since,” she explained.
It was the story she and Mark had agreed to tell people if and when they asked where they had met. To an extent, the story is the real thing.
Except their relationship wasn’t the real thing.
Alana’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’ve been holding out on me, Lily! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this sooner!” She playfully nudged her friend’s shoulder. “So, is it serious between you two?”
Lily shook her head, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. “I don’t know, Alana. It’s still new, and we’re taking things one step at a time. I mean, he’s a busy man, and I have my responsibilities here. I’m not sure where this will lead, but I’m enjoying getting to know him.”
“Well, I’m happy for you, Lily,” Alana said sincerely. “You deserve to be swept off your feet by a charming, successful man like Mark. And who knows, maybe this will be the start of something amazing!”
Lily chuckled nervously. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Alana. For now, I just want to focus on this party and not make a fool of myself in front of all those important people.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“Oh, come on! You’ll be great!” Alana reassured her. “Just be yourself and let Mark see how wonderful you are. And hey, if you need any moral support, you know I’m always here for you, okay?”
Lily smiled, grateful for her friend’s unwavering support both in her personal life and in business.
“Thanks, Alana. I appreciate it. Now, we’d better get back to work. These costume supplies won’t sort themselves out.” She clapped and went to change out of her outfit.
As she returned, Alana was already sorting out the materials needed, dividing each one according to the category to which it belonged.
“I was thinking,” Lily started as she joined her. “I’m going to be busy with my other plans for a while, and I want you to take over Lily’s fashion on my behalf.”
Alana paused her sorting, her eyes widening in surprise. “Are you serious, Lily? You want me to take over the entire fashion line?”
Lily nodded confidently. “Yes, I trust you. You’ve been with me since the beginning, and I know you understand the vision for our brand. Besides, I need someone I can rely on to keep things running smoothly while I’m caught up with my personal life.”
Alana took a deep breath, digesting the proposal, before giving a nod. To be honest, there was nothing much to think about, and although she never thought of taking over from Lily, they both had the same vision and if anyone would be able to carry on with it, it would be her.
“I’m honoured that you trust me with this, Lily. I promise to do my best and make you proud,” she vowed, a determined gleam in her eyes.
“I know you will.” Lily smiled warmly, squeezing Alana’s shoulder in reassurance.
“How long will you be gone, though?” Alana asked with a frown as they both went back to sorting out the materials.
“I’ll be checking in every other time. I’m not going like that; I just have some other businesses to take care of,” Lily replied with a shrug.
“The side business you were talking about the last time?” Alana probed, and Lily hummed.
“I’m making my debut in the tech world, and that’s why it’s important that I attend the banquet,” she said, and Alana nodded.
“I’ll be sure not to slack off while you are gone,” she promised.
“I know you won’t,” Lily replied. “Oh, by the way, some tailors will be resuming here next week; I already bought the building, so we will have to expand the studio to the higher floor,” Lily provided.
“I already made the necessary arrangements; I’ll just need you to oversee them.”