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“Actually, as I said... at first, I considered that. But seeing your designs, it seemed a bit like putting ganache on top of icing. A bit unnecessary.”
“Huh?” Not my brightest comeback, but that almost sounded like... a compliment in a twisted way. I shift on my feet, wringing my hands, not sure what to expect.
“On second thought, I considered that he wooed you. He’s quite the charmer, hard to resist, I imagine.” She tilts her head, her lips lifting in something resembling a wry smile. “Well, I suppose I don’t have to imagine. He’s quite the ladies’ man, after all.”
Jacqueline leans forward, laying her hands on top of one another on her desk. Her look seems pitying and full of concern... for me.
Is she kicking me out of the competition?No! I’ve worked so hard.
“I feel like I should warn you that Simon, while he’s like a son to me, is not known for being... a long-term partner. Do you understand what I’m saying?” she asks.
“You think he’ll break my heart when he throws me away and moves on to the next woman,” I surmise. Admittedly, I’ve worried about the same thing. Simon and I aren’t exactly a perfectly logical match.
“That, and that your place in the competition will be compromised. He surely can’t judge you and the others objectively. I can filter out his feedback. It’s my ultimate decision as it is. But consider if you won.” She pauses, seeming to think that possibility is absurd. “If that happened, and then it came out that you and Simon were involved, the reputation of House Corbin would be scandalized, the competition seen as a mere farce. If you don’t win, you’ll return to America and Simon will stay here. There’s simply no positive outcome with this.”
“What if the positive outcome is that I do my best work, inspired by the beauty of Paris, and fall in love with a wonderful man?” I suggest, aware that I sound like the most ridiculous silver-lining finder in existence.
Any warmth or sense of warning evaporates as she becomes the cold, shrewd businesswoman she’s known to be. “Let me be clear,MademoiselleFisher. You will stop seeing Simon. When he tries to see you, you will decline. Focus on your work. Find fulfillment there, and there alone. You are talented, so perhaps you will still have a chance to work with House Corbin in the future. Maybe even as the result of the competition.”
It’s an order if ever I’ve heard one. And a warning... don’t do as I’m told, and I will never get to work with the House.
Without waiting for my reply, Albert steps forward from behind me. I didn’t even hear him come in.
“Autumn?” he says.
I’m clearly being dismissed, and I turn slowly to follow Albert. But I look back over my shoulder to Jacqueline. She’s placing the folder with my photo into a tray on her desk as though I’m completely disposable.
Pressure tightens around my chest, complications piling up on my shoulders. Well, the complications were already there, but having a light shone on them makes them seem that much more real.
I’m going to have to choose. Do I care more about making my dreams come true? Do I care about winning this competition and becoming a successful fashion designer?
Or do I care more about Simon Corbin?
And can I even choose at this point?
