LOVING A MANNEQUIN

Chapter 15: New Assigned Task

"Here. Dress them up." Denice pushed to me the two male mannequins in a cart. "Starting today onwards, your main job is to dress them handsomely including the other one mannequin in the store room. If I am not satisfied with the set of clothes you make them wear, you are going to change it. If you are able to do this well, same as usual. You can't eat your lunch. Do you understand?"

I was currently busy with arranging the stuff of my post when she arrived and directly faced me with a fierce aura. I was still a bit weak because of what happened last night. Now, I had to accept a job which I wasn't good at either. Window dresser or fashion wasn't my forte either so I was pretty sure, I was worse and stuck in dressing the mannequins than selling items and assisting the customers.

I stood straight and bowed slightly at her, closing my eyes while saying, "Yes ma'am Denice. I understood it."

She crossed her arms over her chest and was bending back her upper body as she rolled her eyes on me. "Since you are a waste in selling, then prove your worth here through dressing the 3 male mannequins and display them near the main door. If you can't even do it well, what is the use of keeping you here?"

"Yes ma'am. I will do my best." I pinched my thighs to check if I was just dreaming but bloody hell, it hurt. So it was real. 

"Then what else are you waiting for?" Denice glared. 

"Oh-oh I will do it right away ma'am." Faster than a blink of an eye, I grabbed the cart and pushed it towards the store room.

*MELANIE SMITH POV*

Damn! I woke up 10 minutes before 9am and that 10 minutes was the only time I had to prepare myself for the conference. 

I wasn't like this actually. I just slept late last night because I was feeling restless. My mind was full of worry for Barbie. My heart felt unwell every time I thought of her. 

I texted and called her last night but she was no longer answering. I presumed she already fell asleep but damn as I managed to fall asleep I dreamed that she was in trouble. Really, I dreamed her drowning in the pool at my house. 

Because of it, I kept rolling on my bed as I woke up. Forcing myself not to think much about it since it was just a dream and it wasn't going to happen. So, after battling against my worry, drowse visited me at late 3am. 

Here I was now, running on the hallway of the hotel going to the convention hall, it was almost 10 minutes walking from my room, while texting Barbie. 

         For Barbie:

'You witch. Send me a message if you are still breathing. I am so worried about you. Love, Melanie. Hehehehehehe' 

I couldn't help but smile reading my own message. Gosh, among all the rich girls and ordinary girls I met and befriended, I only found the spark of sisterhood on Barbie and only her filled the loneliness and longing to have a sincere friend on my side that I always kept inside my heart. That was why I was like this. Afraid if something bad happened to her. I was almost acting like an obsessed boyfriend. 

Because thoughts were flying somewhere and eyes focused on the phone, I didn't notice a stair riser in the way before the door of the convention hall and so I stripped my foot. 

I closed my eyes and waited for my fall but midway, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my body. 

Unintentionally, I sniffed his perfume that could make the knees of girls weak and it did happen to me. I recognised the smell. It was Le Male perfume which has a strong vanilla and lavender note.

Wait! This scent seemed familiar to me. 

"Ms. Smith, how long do you plan to lie on my arms?" Said by a husky yet domineering voice. 

I quickly stood on my feet not because of what he said but because, 'Oh God, you must be kidding me.', I recognised the owner of the voice. "Mr. Smiles, what are you doing here?" 

He slightly frowned his forehead as he observed me coldly. "The same reason why you are here." He said then sauntered away from me. 

"Eh, eh," I grabbed his arm which made him turn with a fierce stare. Like being burnt by a fire, I let go of his arm. I tailed him as he walked again towards his reserved seat. 

"Mr. Smiles, aren't should you in a police station right now or on a mission as a police? I am curious, what really brought you here?"

"What is your impression about my surname?" 

"Smiles, my impression--" My eyes widened while covering my mouth as I realised something about his name. The surname Smiles was the famous legendary business genius name in industry. "Are you Angelo Smiles?" 

He halted suddenly and turned to face me and which caused me to bump on his chest. "You are really troublesome."

"Eh, it was not my fault. If you didn't just stop all of a sudden, I wouldn't bump on you. Why blame me?" I rubbed my forehead. 

I heard him exhaled. "I am not Angelo Smiles. You might not have known my name in the station last time but I am Angelo's nominal brother, Adorro Smiles."

"Wow, so Angelo Smiles actually has an amazing brother too. Then, where is Angelo? Why are you here instead of him?"

He turned away. "He is on a business trip abroad."