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~Chapter 1~
Nera's Outfit
"Dad! I'm leaving if you care!" I yelled up the stairs of my family's Manhattan penthouse, hoping my voice would penetrate the thick walls.
"Ok my stunningly beautiful daughter!" My father said, appearing at the railing of the tall glass stairway, his hair tousled and his glasses askew. "Where are you off to today?"
"I'm meeting Paul for lunch. Then I'm going to go shopping. The designers at Maison Valentino want to make me a model in one of their campaigns."
"Sounds like a splendid day! Don't forget that we have a party tonight. The theme is glitter or something like that." My dad said, seemingly forgetting what his own party theme was while rubbing his tired eyes.
"Ok. Bye! Love you!"
My dad grunted a goodbye as I walked to the elevator, stepping into the chrome room and smiling to myself as the doors closed with a swoosh. My phone buzzed with texts from Selena and Taylor, telling me that they would be at my party tonight. I quickly typed a reply as the doors of the elevator opened, revealing my butler Max waiting with an open car door. Sliding into the sleek driver's seat of my black Range Rover, I stepped on the gas, already late for lunch with Paul.
"Sorry I'm late!" I exclaimed, walking up to Paul, who sat waiting at a small corner table by the window of the small Vietnamese restaurant.
"Do you have an excuse this time?" Paul asked, looking up at me, a grin spreading across his face.
"All I can say is that I simply am who I am, and that means I will generally be late to our lunch dates." I teased, sitting across from him and pinching his cheek. "Not all of us can be as punctual as you."
"Touche." He replied. "So what should I wear to this party of your dad's tonight?"
"Glitter."
"You're gonna have to expand on that."
"I'm going shopping after this. I'll find you something. Wanna come with?"
"Sure. Anything to spend more time with my gorgeous gal." Paul said, looking me deeply in the eyes with that intense stare of his.
"Your gal, huh?" I asked, a blush rising to my cheeks as I bit my lip.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Paul replied, flashing me a smile as the waiter came to take our order.
After ordering, Paul changed the subject, but what he had said kept flashing through my head. Paul was attractive, there was no doubt about that. He was also stunningly kind and sweet and funny and charming. However, was there any spark there?
"Nera? Nera, did you hear me?" Paul's voice sounded, interrupting my thoughts.
"What?" I stammered, glancing up to see him staring at me, worry shining in his eyes.
"I asked if your food was ok. You haven't touched it."
"Oh! It's fine. I just kinda zoned out for a bit I guess."
"Oh. Ok. Well what's your next project like? Tell me all about it."
Three hours later, Paul and I stood in the House of Valentino design house, his arms laden down with my shopping bags and my arms stretched out as the assistant's measured me. A thin cotton slip covered my frame, making me feel self-conscious as I felt Paul's eyes dart over my figure multiple times.
"I cannot wait to design for you Miss Depp!" Raul, one of the main designers, exclaimed. "I have the perfect shade of fabric to match your eyes!"
"Well, Maison Valentino has always been my favorite designer brand to wear. I have some vintage Valentino gowns, originally designed by the man himself. I must say that you all do an amazing job, living up to his standards." I replied, laying on the flattery.
"Oh! That means so much coming form you my dear girl!"
Paul cleared his throat, catching my eye and pointing at his watch, signaling that it was time to go.
"Are we almost done Raul? I have a party to get ready for and since I'm throwing it, I really can't be late."
"Of course! You are free to go! I'll have my assistant contact you for our next meeting!"
"Thank you Raul! Have a nice day!"
Paul and I exited the massive building, climbing into my Range Rover and hurriedly winding our way through the city streets towards my penthouse. Already the valets and bouncers were setting up their areas. They all nodded to Paul and I as we entered the building, clothing bags hanging over our shoulders.
Paul easily hefted the bags full of Chanel and Prada over his shoulders as we entered the elevator, soaring up to the 25th floor of the modern building.
"Ok. Let's go get ready." I said as Paul set the bags into the hands of one of the housekeepers.
We silently weaved our way through the crowds of people decorating my home. Already, they had set up massive glitter chandeliers on the ceilings, that released puffs of glitter every five minutes. The walls had been covered in glittery wallpaper and the furniture had been replaced with sleek silver and gold metallic pieces. Slowly, the party was coming to life.
"Nera! Nera!" A voice I despised shouted, forcing Paul and I to stop in our tracks.
"Yes Alessandra?" I mumbled with a sigh, slowly turning to face my father's tramp of a girlfriend, finding some relief as Paul set his hands on my shoulders, letting me know he was there.
"I just wanted to make sure you were going to be ready on time. Also, keep the door open when Paul is in your bedroom with you." Alessandra said, her ombre hair falling in waves around her face.
"Ugh. Fine." I muttered, pushing past Paul and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me after Paul entered the room, just to make Alessandra mad.
Paul dutifully reopened the door, propping it open with one of the many books that lay scattered around my room.
"You don't have to be so rude to her Nera." Paul said as I entered my bathroom, turning on the shower.
"I know. But she's here all the time and she's so bossy and entitled." I replied, dropping my clothes to the floor and peeking out at Paul from behind the doorframe, careful to keep my naked body covered. "Are you gonna shower? Or just freshen up?"
Paul glanced at me, swallowing loudly and clenching his jaw.
"Just freshen up."
"Ok! Well you can come in here while I'm in the shower. I don't care. It's not like you haven't seen any of it before." I said before hopping into the shower and quickly lathering up my body.
Twenty minutes later, I heard Paul enter the bathroom and turn on the sink, his figure just visible through the steam that had gathered on my glass shower wall. Turning off the shower, I opened the glass door a crack, feeling around for a towel.
"Paul? Can you hand me a towel please?" I asked, blushing as I felt his fingers graze mine, handing me a soft white towel. "Thanks."
Wrapping the towel around my body, I stepped out of the shower, colliding with Paul.
"Sorry!" He exclaimed, reaching out and steadying me with his hands.
"That's ok." I whispered, blushing and looking at the ground.
"Nera…" Paul said, his eyes burning holes in my shivering figure.
"We should get ready." I mumbled, breathing in a shaky breath and pushing past him towards the doorway.
"Wait." He said, grabbing my free hand and spinning me towards him. "First, I'm gonna do this."
He dipped his head and kissed me at that moment, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off the ground, crushing my almost bare body against his. His hands supported my head as he gently parted my lips with his. Slowly, my body began to melt against his as I wrapped my arms around his neck, fisting my fingers in his soft hair. Our breath stirred the warm air between us as we pulled apart, breathing deeply.
"Let's go party." He whispered, tracing my cheekbone with his finger softly.
I nodded, smiling to myself and pulling away.
"Dad! I'm leaving if you care!" I yelled up the stairs of my family's Manhattan penthouse, hoping my voice would penetrate the thick walls.
"Ok my stunningly beautiful daughter!" My father said, appearing at the railing of the tall glass stairway, his hair tousled and his glasses askew. "Where are you off to today?"
"I'm meeting Paul for lunch. Then I'm going to go shopping. The designers at Maison Valentino want to make me a model in one of their campaigns."
"Sounds like a splendid day! Don't forget that we have a party tonight. The theme is glitter or something like that." My dad said, seemingly forgetting what his own party theme was while rubbing his tired eyes.
"Ok. Bye! Love you!"
My dad grunted a goodbye as I walked to the elevator, stepping into the chrome room and smiling to myself as the doors closed with a swoosh. My phone buzzed with texts from Selena and Taylor, telling me that they would be at my party tonight. I quickly typed a reply as the doors of the elevator opened, revealing my butler Max waiting with an open car door. Sliding into the sleek driver's seat of my black Range Rover, I stepped on the gas, already late for lunch with Paul.
"Sorry I'm late!" I exclaimed, walking up to Paul, who sat waiting at a small corner table by the window of the small Vietnamese restaurant.
"Do you have an excuse this time?" Paul asked, looking up at me, a grin spreading across his face.
"All I can say is that I simply am who I am, and that means I will generally be late to our lunch dates." I teased, sitting across from him and pinching his cheek. "Not all of us can be as punctual as you."
"Touche." He replied. "So what should I wear to this party of your dad's tonight?"
"Glitter."
"You're gonna have to expand on that."
"I'm going shopping after this. I'll find you something. Wanna come with?"
"Sure. Anything to spend more time with my gorgeous gal." Paul said, looking me deeply in the eyes with that intense stare of his.
"Your gal, huh?" I asked, a blush rising to my cheeks as I bit my lip.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Paul replied, flashing me a smile as the waiter came to take our order.
After ordering, Paul changed the subject, but what he had said kept flashing through my head. Paul was attractive, there was no doubt about that. He was also stunningly kind and sweet and funny and charming. However, was there any spark there?
"Nera? Nera, did you hear me?" Paul's voice sounded, interrupting my thoughts.
"What?" I stammered, glancing up to see him staring at me, worry shining in his eyes.
"I asked if your food was ok. You haven't touched it."
"Oh! It's fine. I just kinda zoned out for a bit I guess."
"Oh. Ok. Well what's your next project like? Tell me all about it."
Three hours later, Paul and I stood in the House of Valentino design house, his arms laden down with my shopping bags and my arms stretched out as the assistant's measured me. A thin cotton slip covered my frame, making me feel self-conscious as I felt Paul's eyes dart over my figure multiple times.
"I cannot wait to design for you Miss Depp!" Raul, one of the main designers, exclaimed. "I have the perfect shade of fabric to match your eyes!"
"Well, Maison Valentino has always been my favorite designer brand to wear. I have some vintage Valentino gowns, originally designed by the man himself. I must say that you all do an amazing job, living up to his standards." I replied, laying on the flattery.
"Oh! That means so much coming form you my dear girl!"
Paul cleared his throat, catching my eye and pointing at his watch, signaling that it was time to go.
"Are we almost done Raul? I have a party to get ready for and since I'm throwing it, I really can't be late."
"Of course! You are free to go! I'll have my assistant contact you for our next meeting!"
"Thank you Raul! Have a nice day!"
Paul and I exited the massive building, climbing into my Range Rover and hurriedly winding our way through the city streets towards my penthouse. Already the valets and bouncers were setting up their areas. They all nodded to Paul and I as we entered the building, clothing bags hanging over our shoulders.
Paul easily hefted the bags full of Chanel and Prada over his shoulders as we entered the elevator, soaring up to the 25th floor of the modern building.
"Ok. Let's go get ready." I said as Paul set the bags into the hands of one of the housekeepers.
We silently weaved our way through the crowds of people decorating my home. Already, they had set up massive glitter chandeliers on the ceilings, that released puffs of glitter every five minutes. The walls had been covered in glittery wallpaper and the furniture had been replaced with sleek silver and gold metallic pieces. Slowly, the party was coming to life.
"Nera! Nera!" A voice I despised shouted, forcing Paul and I to stop in our tracks.
"Yes Alessandra?" I mumbled with a sigh, slowly turning to face my father's tramp of a girlfriend, finding some relief as Paul set his hands on my shoulders, letting me know he was there.
"I just wanted to make sure you were going to be ready on time. Also, keep the door open when Paul is in your bedroom with you." Alessandra said, her ombre hair falling in waves around her face.
"Ugh. Fine." I muttered, pushing past Paul and into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me after Paul entered the room, just to make Alessandra mad.
Paul dutifully reopened the door, propping it open with one of the many books that lay scattered around my room.
"You don't have to be so rude to her Nera." Paul said as I entered my bathroom, turning on the shower.
"I know. But she's here all the time and she's so bossy and entitled." I replied, dropping my clothes to the floor and peeking out at Paul from behind the doorframe, careful to keep my naked body covered. "Are you gonna shower? Or just freshen up?"
Paul glanced at me, swallowing loudly and clenching his jaw.
"Just freshen up."
"Ok! Well you can come in here while I'm in the shower. I don't care. It's not like you haven't seen any of it before." I said before hopping into the shower and quickly lathering up my body.
Twenty minutes later, I heard Paul enter the bathroom and turn on the sink, his figure just visible through the steam that had gathered on my glass shower wall. Turning off the shower, I opened the glass door a crack, feeling around for a towel.
"Paul? Can you hand me a towel please?" I asked, blushing as I felt his fingers graze mine, handing me a soft white towel. "Thanks."
Wrapping the towel around my body, I stepped out of the shower, colliding with Paul.
"Sorry!" He exclaimed, reaching out and steadying me with his hands.
"That's ok." I whispered, blushing and looking at the ground.
"Nera…" Paul said, his eyes burning holes in my shivering figure.
"We should get ready." I mumbled, breathing in a shaky breath and pushing past him towards the doorway.
"Wait." He said, grabbing my free hand and spinning me towards him. "First, I'm gonna do this."
He dipped his head and kissed me at that moment, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me off the ground, crushing my almost bare body against his. His hands supported my head as he gently parted my lips with his. Slowly, my body began to melt against his as I wrapped my arms around his neck, fisting my fingers in his soft hair. Our breath stirred the warm air between us as we pulled apart, breathing deeply.
"Let's go party." He whispered, tracing my cheekbone with his finger softly.
I nodded, smiling to myself and pulling away.
Notes
Ok… So no Harry action yet or drama between him and Nera, but I promise that it's coming up in the next chapter! Anyway, I hope you guys like it!
Thanks so much for reading! :)
xoxo
ThatGirlll
@JessicaLynn16
Thanks! I'm glad you are liking it so far!! :)
4/7/15