Black Lace
Chapter 11
Chapter Playlist: White Flag by Dido (no relevance to context of chapter)
The place was massive. Alana’s gaze skimmed over the beautiful room she was asked to sit in as she sipped her tea. Mrs. Ross had left her here mentioning she’d be back with the stylist, after giving her a brief and very awkward tour of the mansion. It was awkward considering the lady had only spoken to Alana when she needed to describe a particular area of the mansion but had otherwise kept quiet. It had become difficult for Alana to keep up with the lady’s strides and she had run out of breath by the time the tour was over.
So, to say that she was more than ecstatic to be sitting in this room alone, doing nothing but sipping tea and nibbling on the scones Mrs. Ross had brought in, would be an understatement. Alana didn’t feel offended by the older lady’s cold and stiff attitude, but instead she humored herself by imagining her as a tour-guide. The lady wouldn’t exactly shine if she had opted for a career in that area.
Alana’s eyes landed on the door when she heard footsteps and voices behind it. She stood up, not sure if the stylist would be accompanied by Mrs. Ross. She got her answer when she saw a flustered Mrs. Ross enter the door, followed by a number of people as they rolled in racks and racks of clothes.
Alana’s eyes widened and jaw dropped as racks and boxes of clothes, shoes, undergarments and accessories kept coming in non-stop, until all the furniture in the room were hidden because of them.
A girl who looked like she was in her late-twenties came towards Alana with a warm smile and hands wide open for a hug. She had short, jet black hair with a very angular face and her outfit screamed chic. Alana gave her a genuine smile instead of the fake ones she had been trying to pull for Mrs. High-and-Mighty.
“Ah! You must be Alana. Louis wasn’t lying, you are absolutely gorgeous! I’m Irina by the way.” The lady rushed out as she enveloped Alana in a quick hug and pulled her away to observe her from head to toe. Alana blushed when she recalled Irina’s words about Louis calling her gorgeous. She knew the lady was probably saying that to make Alana warm up to her but it still made her tummy do a somersault.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Irina.” Alana smiled and let the lady asses her. “Umm- if you don’t mind me asking, why are there so many racks of clothes?”
“To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself. We don’t need you to try on so many clothes.” Irina looked around, before turning back to Alana and winking. “He must really like you to spoil you like this. You must be a special one.”
Alana turned red and shook her head, laughing at Irina’s naivety. If only she knew the situation that Alana was in. However, the moment was short-lived when Mrs. Ross piped in out of nowhere. “Or maybe she just needs a thorough makeover.”
Alana never felt this humiliated and gulped down the hurt she felt by the older lady’s words. She watched Irina roll her eyes and link hands with Alana before she chimed in, “You know, Caroline, maybe I could give you one of them while I’m working on Alana. God help, it’ll make things easier for everyone’s eyesight.”
Alana held back a chuckle and watched as the older lady scoffed, before leaving the room. Irina smiled at Alana before explaining, “Don’t take Caroline’s behavior personally. She’s like this to everyone. Especially after Eleanor left.”
“Eleanor?” Alana felt a little uncomfortable talking about Louis’ ex knowing that he had been quite serious about her. Now, it looked like Louis wasn’t the only one who had a soft corner saved for the brunette.
Irina nodded and added, “Anyway, why don’t we get the party started?”
Alana put on the long summer dress and sighed before coming out from behind the privacy screen. She never thought choosing a dress for a simple dinner would take so much effort. Irina had been approving and disapproving some of the clothes according to her expertise while Mrs. Ross had continuously gone on about how Louis had specifically mentioned that he wanted a lot of lace involved; be it in the dresses or in the lingerie. Alana had gone red every time Caroline had mentioned that and she had this unshakable feeling that the lady had mentioned it repeatedly to embarrass Alana.
However, Irina had not been bothered by it and had been quite forward about what she thought would look sexy and not. She had blatantly fixed the lingerie or dresses when needed, making Alana feel a bit prudish for being so sensitive to the other woman’s touch near her private parts.
“It’s alright for a lunch date, I suppose.” Irina observed the summer dress but shook her head adding, “But not good enough for a casual dinner.”
Alana sighed and plopped down on the empty couch, missing the comforts of her own home. Home. That was a really stupid thought. What would she call home now anyway? The bachelor pad that Evan owned or the bed and breakfast she was currently residing in?
Her thoughts were broken by Mrs. Ross and Irina fighting over which dress would best suit her and at that moment she wished she was in bed lying peacefully and falling asleep with Louis by her side. The thought of Louis got her shooting up from the couch, silencing the older ladies.
Realizing that they were watching her every move, Alana grabbed a dress off the rack and held it against her body for the two older women to judge.
“How about this one?” She asked, sure it would instantly be rejected. However, to her surprise Irina gave her a smile while Mrs. Ross gave her a small nod.
“That’s actually gonna work! Plus, we can team it up with the black lacey lingerie Caroline has been whining about!” Irina spun Alana towards the mirror by her shoulders and rubbed the material of the dress flatly against Alana’s body before turning away.
“Alright! Put that on, darling. And after you’re done we’ll bring Leo in.”
“Leo?” Alana asked, confused.
“The one who’s gonna do your makeup and hair.” Irina announced giving her a smile.
Alana stared at herself in awe when the hair stylist spun the chair around to show her the end result. To say that she looked completely different would be an understatement. She turned her face around in different angles to check for anything he might have messed up but was impressed to find that everything looked amazing. Her skin, her makeup, her hair, her dress. Everything. Funny how money changes a person’s entire outlook.
Money; mere pieces of paper and yet it had a control over the entire world. Especially hers. It is this ‘money’ that had turned her life upside down and left her at the mercy of someone else. Not that she was complaining. If she looked this good every day, Alana would love to be left at the mercy of Louis Tomlinson. A chuckle escaped her lips at the irony of the entire situation. She was at his mercy in more than one way.
“You don’t like it? You find it funny?” She heard the annoyed French speak up with a frown on his face.
“No! No, Leo! It’s amazing! Thank you!”
“Then why do you laugh?” He asked skeptically, his accent thickening.
“Oh. Umm-“ Alana mentally scratched her head for an appropriate answer without telling him the truth. “I was just imagining Louis’ reaction to my make over.”
She watched the Frenchman’s frown smooth out and a smile tug at his lips as he too imagined the situation.
“Yes! He would…what do you call it…uh! Fall head over heels with you, no?”
Alana’s cheeks stained with red and she bit down on her lips at Leo’s outrageous statement. She knew that it was silly and the Frenchman was too much of a romantic to see how farce this entire thing was, but she couldn’t help feel a little tingling sensation in her tummy.
“I wouldn’t say head over heels. But yes! I suppose he’d be a little surprised.”
“A little? Chéri, you look absolutely magnifique! He’d be blind if he doidn’t get knocked out once he sees you.” Alana bit down on her lips to stop the smile tugging at her lips and looked at herself once more, doubting Leo’s assurance.
“Now we have to wait for Lou to see you and give you the thumbs up. Then we’re good to go.”
“Lou? As in Louis?”
“No, silly!” Leo chuckled, slapping Alana’s arms playfully. “Lou as in Teasdale! You know…the boys’ makeup artist?”
“Oh! Yeah! I knew that.” Alana nodded her head but stopped when she saw Leo roll his eyes at her obvious lie.
“God! You’re one of the dumb ones, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me!” Alana was outraged for being called dumb by someone she had just met today. And what did he mean by ‘one of the’?
She gasped when Leo rolled his eyes again and waved his hand as though it was no big deal to question someone’s intellect.
“You need to do your homework before you get out with Louis today! We need to find you a source of internet! Give me your phone.”
Alana searched around for her purse, took out her phone and handed it to Leo. She was too confused to understand what was going on.
“Are you serious? You use this?” Leo gasped, shaking the phone infront of her face like it was something filthy before handing it back to her.
“Well, not all of us can afford the latest model of iPhone.” She whispered to herself but noticed Leo’s eyes slanting towards her.
“Nevermind! We’ll go down to Lou first and then we’ll find you a source of internet.” Leo announced, before clapping his hands as though summoning a dog and beginning to strut away in his own pace.
It took Alana a minute to realize that she had been the one who was being summoned and she raced after Leo in her not-so comfortable high heels.
The place was massive. Alana’s gaze skimmed over the beautiful room she was asked to sit in as she sipped her tea. Mrs. Ross had left her here mentioning she’d be back with the stylist, after giving her a brief and very awkward tour of the mansion. It was awkward considering the lady had only spoken to Alana when she needed to describe a particular area of the mansion but had otherwise kept quiet. It had become difficult for Alana to keep up with the lady’s strides and she had run out of breath by the time the tour was over.
So, to say that she was more than ecstatic to be sitting in this room alone, doing nothing but sipping tea and nibbling on the scones Mrs. Ross had brought in, would be an understatement. Alana didn’t feel offended by the older lady’s cold and stiff attitude, but instead she humored herself by imagining her as a tour-guide. The lady wouldn’t exactly shine if she had opted for a career in that area.
Alana’s eyes landed on the door when she heard footsteps and voices behind it. She stood up, not sure if the stylist would be accompanied by Mrs. Ross. She got her answer when she saw a flustered Mrs. Ross enter the door, followed by a number of people as they rolled in racks and racks of clothes.
Alana’s eyes widened and jaw dropped as racks and boxes of clothes, shoes, undergarments and accessories kept coming in non-stop, until all the furniture in the room were hidden because of them.
A girl who looked like she was in her late-twenties came towards Alana with a warm smile and hands wide open for a hug. She had short, jet black hair with a very angular face and her outfit screamed chic. Alana gave her a genuine smile instead of the fake ones she had been trying to pull for Mrs. High-and-Mighty.
“Ah! You must be Alana. Louis wasn’t lying, you are absolutely gorgeous! I’m Irina by the way.” The lady rushed out as she enveloped Alana in a quick hug and pulled her away to observe her from head to toe. Alana blushed when she recalled Irina’s words about Louis calling her gorgeous. She knew the lady was probably saying that to make Alana warm up to her but it still made her tummy do a somersault.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Irina.” Alana smiled and let the lady asses her. “Umm- if you don’t mind me asking, why are there so many racks of clothes?”
“To be honest, I’m not quite sure myself. We don’t need you to try on so many clothes.” Irina looked around, before turning back to Alana and winking. “He must really like you to spoil you like this. You must be a special one.”
Alana turned red and shook her head, laughing at Irina’s naivety. If only she knew the situation that Alana was in. However, the moment was short-lived when Mrs. Ross piped in out of nowhere. “Or maybe she just needs a thorough makeover.”
Alana never felt this humiliated and gulped down the hurt she felt by the older lady’s words. She watched Irina roll her eyes and link hands with Alana before she chimed in, “You know, Caroline, maybe I could give you one of them while I’m working on Alana. God help, it’ll make things easier for everyone’s eyesight.”
Alana held back a chuckle and watched as the older lady scoffed, before leaving the room. Irina smiled at Alana before explaining, “Don’t take Caroline’s behavior personally. She’s like this to everyone. Especially after Eleanor left.”
“Eleanor?” Alana felt a little uncomfortable talking about Louis’ ex knowing that he had been quite serious about her. Now, it looked like Louis wasn’t the only one who had a soft corner saved for the brunette.
Irina nodded and added, “Anyway, why don’t we get the party started?”
Alana put on the long summer dress and sighed before coming out from behind the privacy screen. She never thought choosing a dress for a simple dinner would take so much effort. Irina had been approving and disapproving some of the clothes according to her expertise while Mrs. Ross had continuously gone on about how Louis had specifically mentioned that he wanted a lot of lace involved; be it in the dresses or in the lingerie. Alana had gone red every time Caroline had mentioned that and she had this unshakable feeling that the lady had mentioned it repeatedly to embarrass Alana.
However, Irina had not been bothered by it and had been quite forward about what she thought would look sexy and not. She had blatantly fixed the lingerie or dresses when needed, making Alana feel a bit prudish for being so sensitive to the other woman’s touch near her private parts.
“It’s alright for a lunch date, I suppose.” Irina observed the summer dress but shook her head adding, “But not good enough for a casual dinner.”
Alana sighed and plopped down on the empty couch, missing the comforts of her own home. Home. That was a really stupid thought. What would she call home now anyway? The bachelor pad that Evan owned or the bed and breakfast she was currently residing in?
Her thoughts were broken by Mrs. Ross and Irina fighting over which dress would best suit her and at that moment she wished she was in bed lying peacefully and falling asleep with Louis by her side. The thought of Louis got her shooting up from the couch, silencing the older ladies.
Realizing that they were watching her every move, Alana grabbed a dress off the rack and held it against her body for the two older women to judge.
“How about this one?” She asked, sure it would instantly be rejected. However, to her surprise Irina gave her a smile while Mrs. Ross gave her a small nod.
“That’s actually gonna work! Plus, we can team it up with the black lacey lingerie Caroline has been whining about!” Irina spun Alana towards the mirror by her shoulders and rubbed the material of the dress flatly against Alana’s body before turning away.
“Alright! Put that on, darling. And after you’re done we’ll bring Leo in.”
“Leo?” Alana asked, confused.
“The one who’s gonna do your makeup and hair.” Irina announced giving her a smile.
Alana stared at herself in awe when the hair stylist spun the chair around to show her the end result. To say that she looked completely different would be an understatement. She turned her face around in different angles to check for anything he might have messed up but was impressed to find that everything looked amazing. Her skin, her makeup, her hair, her dress. Everything. Funny how money changes a person’s entire outlook.
Money; mere pieces of paper and yet it had a control over the entire world. Especially hers. It is this ‘money’ that had turned her life upside down and left her at the mercy of someone else. Not that she was complaining. If she looked this good every day, Alana would love to be left at the mercy of Louis Tomlinson. A chuckle escaped her lips at the irony of the entire situation. She was at his mercy in more than one way.
“You don’t like it? You find it funny?” She heard the annoyed French speak up with a frown on his face.
“No! No, Leo! It’s amazing! Thank you!”
“Then why do you laugh?” He asked skeptically, his accent thickening.
“Oh. Umm-“ Alana mentally scratched her head for an appropriate answer without telling him the truth. “I was just imagining Louis’ reaction to my make over.”
She watched the Frenchman’s frown smooth out and a smile tug at his lips as he too imagined the situation.
“Yes! He would…what do you call it…uh! Fall head over heels with you, no?”
Alana’s cheeks stained with red and she bit down on her lips at Leo’s outrageous statement. She knew that it was silly and the Frenchman was too much of a romantic to see how farce this entire thing was, but she couldn’t help feel a little tingling sensation in her tummy.
“I wouldn’t say head over heels. But yes! I suppose he’d be a little surprised.”
“A little? Chéri, you look absolutely magnifique! He’d be blind if he doidn’t get knocked out once he sees you.” Alana bit down on her lips to stop the smile tugging at her lips and looked at herself once more, doubting Leo’s assurance.
“Now we have to wait for Lou to see you and give you the thumbs up. Then we’re good to go.”
“Lou? As in Louis?”
“No, silly!” Leo chuckled, slapping Alana’s arms playfully. “Lou as in Teasdale! You know…the boys’ makeup artist?”
“Oh! Yeah! I knew that.” Alana nodded her head but stopped when she saw Leo roll his eyes at her obvious lie.
“God! You’re one of the dumb ones, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me!” Alana was outraged for being called dumb by someone she had just met today. And what did he mean by ‘one of the’?
She gasped when Leo rolled his eyes again and waved his hand as though it was no big deal to question someone’s intellect.
“You need to do your homework before you get out with Louis today! We need to find you a source of internet! Give me your phone.”
Alana searched around for her purse, took out her phone and handed it to Leo. She was too confused to understand what was going on.
“Are you serious? You use this?” Leo gasped, shaking the phone infront of her face like it was something filthy before handing it back to her.
“Well, not all of us can afford the latest model of iPhone.” She whispered to herself but noticed Leo’s eyes slanting towards her.
“Nevermind! We’ll go down to Lou first and then we’ll find you a source of internet.” Leo announced, before clapping his hands as though summoning a dog and beginning to strut away in his own pace.
It took Alana a minute to realize that she had been the one who was being summoned and she raced after Leo in her not-so comfortable high heels.
Notes
Alana's MakeoverA/N: Hi, my beautiful readers! :D I hope you all are well and enjoying Zayn's orgasmic high notes in SMG! So, here's another chapter for you. While it isn't exactly the best written chapter, I hope you like it. :) I've just noticed how there are 84 votes and more than a 100 readers subscribed to the story. I can't thank you guys enough for all that you're doing for the story. Including nominating it in the award contest thingy! :D Thank you all so much!!!! I love you guys to bits and pieces!!!
I know I'm asking a lot right now, but do you think that those who haven't voted could vote for the story? I was wondering if we could get it to a 100 votes maybe? I feel a bit uncomfortable asking after everything you guys have done. But it'd mean a lot if you guys could. Even if you don't, it's completely okay. :) Next chapter will be up by tomorrow! :-* So, ladies.................
Questions: Do you think Louis will like how Alana looks or will he be disappointed? How do you think things will go once Alana meets Lou Teasdale? And lastly, what are your feelings towards Mrs. Ross? :D
Please keep voting, subscribing and leaving feedbacks (your words inspire me to keep writing, even if its a simple 'Update!'). Love you guys! x <3
please update soon
9/25/16