Chapter 8 AméLie Petit

• Amélie Petit
• Elisa's wedding ceremony was beautiful, and I know very well that the plans Madame Enora and Noely hatched in the office are about to be put into action.
• Being seated next to Tommáz during the wedding was something they changed at the last minute, as it was supposed to be Eve sitting there, but now, sitting beside him and feeling his gaze upon me, I think they made the right call in doing so.
• But where was my head at in agreeing to participate in this?
• How can I make a playboy like him interested in me?
• When he finds out I'm the woman behind the mask, I'm sure any interest he had in me will vanish. I have nothing to contribute to this marriage. I closed my eyes, listening to the officiant's sermon, and let my mind drift back to the conversation with Madame Enora.
• "My life has never been easy; I lost my mother very early, and as a result, my father fell into a deep depression," I let out a heavy breath. My adolescence is a time I hate to recall, but I know I need to tell them, especially since they are so determined to unite me with a member of their family.
• "My father succumbed to gambling addiction, and every day we dug ourselves deeper into debt and favors. I had to give up some things to help with my father's bills. His debt grew so large one day that he offered my virginity to one of the men he owed," I pause, observing the perplexed looks of my bosses. "That night, I ran away from home and began living in shelters after I secured a spot."
• I felt Madame Enora's hand on mine, I felt her comfort and in her gaze there was no pity or judgment, I just saw a kind old lady comforting me.
• “I spent a year in this situation, until one day I met Laura, my friend, she ended up joining the Moulin Rouge and never called me to do the same.” I remember our beginnings fondly.
• “She started working in shops, cleaning, but as she was still a teenager, she ended up taking on the responsibility that my father had failed to fulfill, she started prostituting herself to give us a little more comfort and especially so that she could go back to school.”I say.
• "I remember the elaborate agreement she wanted to make, when I felt guilty of her having to sell her body to pay the rent and put food on the table.
• "What led me to be there was a desperate act. One of my father's creditors found me a few months ago and gave me a year to pay off a huge amount. I panicked and accepted Laura's offer," I confessed to them, ashamed. I covered my face with my hands and let the tears of despair flow.
• I cry in front of the two women, feeling ashamed of having to resort to this practice to escape the danger my own father put me in.
• "How much does your father owe this man?" Noely asks me with a slightly more concerned tone."
• "Nine hundred and sixty thousand," I hear myself gasp as I mention the high amount.
• "Heavens, and how much have you managed to gather?" I look at them, still embarrassed.
• "A little over three hundred. Your salary is very good, and when you give me some exclusive pieces, I sell them and save all the money. And yesterday I ended up receiving a little over ten thousand," I say, laughing along with the two of them.
• "He gave it willingly?" Madame Enora asks, and I simply nod.
• "I don't think he even knew how much was in his wallet. He pulled out all the bills and handed them to me. I also received several tips during my performance, not to mention the payment for dancing," I explained to the two, who I could see were burning with curiosity.
• "Agree to marry my grandson, Amélie. I'm sure he won't let anything happen to you," I hear the old lady say, and a burst of laughter escapes me amidst my panic.
• "How can you ask me to involve another person in this madman's sights?" I say sincerely.
• With a loving gesture, she simply touches my hand and lifts my chin with her fingers to look into her eyes.
• "You didn't receive love from a real man, dear. But if you win over my grandson, I'm sure he won't allow anything to happen to you, especially because of who Tom is," I observe the conspiratorial look they exchange between themselves.
• "And how would that be, Madame?" I ask the obvious question.
• "A very detailed contract. I'm sure he'll arrange one, but I want to give you one that's completely different. Just trust me," I look at their smiles and see no reason not to trust them. They've always helped me, and especially treated me so well, since I started my journey with the Millers.
• "Alright, I agree to be part of your crazy plan," I start laughing, seeing how excited they are about my acceptance.
• "Remember, he can't know you're the dancer yet. We'll let him look for you for a while, especially because I need him to stay here in Paris," Madame Enora says, and although I don't understand her reasons, I agree.
• Finally, the wedding is over, Tommáz's gaze always at me. It feels like that little old lady is playing games with me and her grandson, as if neither of them knows what she's plotting. But now it's too late to say no, especially because they're not easy to accept a refusal.
• I bid them farewell and gathered my belongings. I'll get ready in the staff area after leaving everything organized for tonight. As I leave the house, I hear them saying there was no need; it was the same as telling the grandson that I was the woman he was looking for.
• Somehow, I noticed he was a little more focused on everything he was doing. At this moment, I needed to put some distance between him and me. Feeling lust for him is one thing, but letting my heart develop romantic feelings is something I cannot allow.
• Tommáz Walker is the biggest womanizer the tabloids have ever had the pleasure of reporting on. How can I allow him to be the man to whom I'll give my heart? I don't want to suffer from love for a man who can't keep his own pants on.
• With thoughts swirling in my head, I arrive at the Carousel du Louvre and already see the hustle and bustle of some models, especially the first designers who will present their collections.
• I walk slowly while looking at the main model from SISU. I've called the Brazilian several times, but she always says she's unavailable, always very polite. I guess I'll try one more time, who knows.
• I walk slowly, hoping she'll get rid of the various journalists surrounding her. She was accompanied by a man who rolled his eyes every time a model approached to ask for a photo with the fashion icon of the moment. I know the man; he's Saveli Sinclair, responsible for the models during the shows. But his possessive gaze makes it clear that there's much more going on there.
• "Good afternoon, Miss Borges," the woman, with her good one meter and seventy-something, looks down with a gentle smile. "My name is Amélie Petit. I would like to reinforce an invitation that was sent to you to join Madame Enora and Noely Miller for an afternoon coffee," I say, and a smile appears on her face.
• "Ah, of course, I remember you. You called me during the week to extend the invitation!" I nod. "At this moment, I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend..."
• "Yes, she will!" the man interrupts, cutting off what she was about to say. "Send a message to my phone to schedule the time for this number," he hands me his card with the name SISU in silver and embossed. "We have to go."
• He pulls her towards the staff area, and I watch as she argues with him in Portuguese.
• "I hope you can take some time out of your ass to show up at this tea, Saveli..." As they move away, I start laughing at the situation.
• I rushed into where the Miller models were, placing the bag with my exclusive dress and starting to organize everything with the models, getting them ready for my boss to shine in yet another successful season.
• With everything organized and my hair done, I decide to play a little with Tom's mind. He may not know my face, but he remembers my mask very well. I grabbed some peacock feathers from the decoration and asked the hairdresser to use them in my hair. I see him laugh at my request but complied nonetheless.
• I glance at the clock; my hair and makeup are done, the models are just waiting for the moment to enter. I decide to put on my dress.
• I slip into the black dress with a neckline that plunges down to the valley between my breasts, accentuating them. The front of the dress is a bit shorter than the back, giving it the appearance of a tail, which makes it even more beautiful. The Miller's stylist added a small belt of stones around my waist, and I slipped on a pair of high heels to complete my look.
• I finish getting ready just as the family arrives to watch the fashion show.
• "Darling, you look beautiful, but now I need you to watch the other houses' shows and take notes on everything. There's a vacant seat for you," Noely says, narrowing her eyes at me, then kissing my cheek and shooing me away from the staff area.
• I make my way to the rows of chairs arranged on the sides of the runway, and the only empty seat is next to Tom. He stands up and, like a true gentleman, gestures to the chair beside him.
• "You look stunning, Amélie," I feel my face blush at his compliment. He moves even closer and takes my hand, kissing it. "You look even more beautiful with that blush."
• His fragrance leaves me disoriented, and I carefully sit down next to him, picking up the tablet and starting to make small notes on the trends for the new season. I cross my legs, feeling sinful thoughts starting to form about the man next to me.
• Lord, protect me from my desire to grab this man again. He's wearing the same cologne that took me hours to remove from my body and especially my hair. I'm intoxicated by his woody scent, which seems to be sending a direct command to the muscles between my legs...
• Our eyes meet, and I can see the desire stamped on his face, and I'm sure mine reflects the same.
• But now it's time to work and focus. The Miller models are about to start their show.