RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't fall for the tutor

chapter 6

Henry took Melissa to the restaurant that was just opposite his building, when they got in, he led them to a booth at the far end of the room. She slid into the chair and he took the one opposite her, "how are you?" He asked.

"I’m fine, and you?" She asked.

"Great, everything is great," he answered, picking up the menu and handing it to her, "order what you want, we have to be fast, I can't afford being late to work."

Melissa nodded and made her orders when the waitress approached them, "don't you want anything?" she asked when he made no order.

"Don’t worry, I'm okay, I will get something to eat in the office."

"Oh," she looked down at her fingers, heaving a deep breath and letting it out slowly. They stayed silent for a while until she spoke up, "I'm sorry for sleeping in your neighbor's flat, I should have waited for you. I was wrong, will you forgive me?" She looked up at him.

Henry heaved a sigh, "it's alright, I was unreasonable earlier, it's not like I should expect you to just sit in the hallway and wait for me till I'm back, so…it's okay."

"It won't happen again, I'm really sorry."

"It's alright, Melissa," the waitress brought her order, "eat up."

She nodded and began eating. After the breakfast, he took her where she would take a bus to her place and left her with only a few dollar bills to pay for her transport.

Melissa didn't read anything into it, he had told her that they had not started selling his designs yet so he hasn't started receiving his percentage and that once he does, he would give her more money and she could also stay with him in the city. She could only wait for such a day and meanwhile, he had mentioned that there would be a fashion show in a week’s time and his designs would be among the dresses that would be shown off, he is hoping on making great sales after that and she couldn’t be more proud of him.

*****

A week later, Henry was talking with some models outside the hall where the fashion show was taking place, when one of them scowled in disgust, "who the hell is that? That dress is so outdated, in fact, I don't think I have ever seen such a dress."

"My goodness, you don't think she is attending the show, do you? I mean, dress in that?" Another said, her face and tone no different from the first model.

Hearing the ladies words, Henry was forced to turn around and he froze when he saw the brunette who just got down from a cab and was looking around the place. She was dressed in a pitch pink dress which he recognized as her mother's, her hair was let down on her shoulders and she was putting on a white two inch heels. He was with her the day she had bought the shoes but he never realized how ugly the thing looked until now.

She smiled and waved when she saw him and he woke up at that moment as he heard one of the model s words, "my gracious, is she waving at us?"

"It can't be, where on earth would we know that kind of person?" The other model retorted.

"But she is coming over, can't you see that?" The first one insisted.

"Ladies, ladies, have you forgotten who you are? You are intentional models, maybe she is just a fan who is passing around and saw you then wanted to say hello. You never can tell," Frank said with a smile, "now come on, if we go inside, maybe she would understand that we don't want to talk to her, there is no where she would be allowed inside, of course."

"Yeah you are right, but really, I wouldn't want to have her as my fan, even if she is, then I will definitely not want her approaching me," the second model said as they turned to go into the building.

"Henry," Melissa called, all smiles, she had been preparing for this show that she had even spent some money to have her hair washed and highlighted in a salon. She just wanted to stand beside him and offer her support on a day like this.

"What the…?" The second model turned to Henry, "do you know her?"

"I don't think so," Henry denied.

"But she just called you," the first said.

"You sure?"

"Henry," Melissa called again, running to meet up with them."Yep, now I am sure, she called you by name," the model said.

"Oh, maybe she is not your fan but mine and now I think I will have to know what she wants, you know how these fan-girls can be, I wouldn't want her pestering me the rest of the day. So why don't you beautiful ladies go on and I will catch up with you soon."

"Alright then, but be careful, she looks like the obsessive type," they chuckled and continued on into the building.

Henry turned to Melissa then and growled at her, grabbing her hand, he dragged her away from the building to the back of it, beside a car. Melissa was trying to catch up with his pull, she thanked her stars when they finally stopped and that she didn't fall and ruin her dress. "What the hell are you doing here?"