Chapter 158 - Mystique

"These are the earrings I came up with. Looking at the batch we should just have enough, though this design is quite forgiving should we need to adjust anything." 

Fleur looked over my design and I waited with baited breath to hear her thoughts. 

"Looks good, lets begin." I was happy she liked my design. Back when I was still a rookie she was merciless in her criticism, but I never took offense to it. I knew it was not personal and she wanted me to succeed. So now getting positive comments was a real treat.

The process of making jewelry of this caliber would not be completed overnight. Rather the key thing we wanted here was to not only agree on what the collab would look like but also for us to start working any issues that could come up in the process.

I did not announce officially any collaboration for the company or even hinted at anything due to the rarity of the stone we were using. If something happened when we processed it would be a disaster. So the plan of action now was to start a rough copy of what we wanted and then Fleur would come to my country to take the promotional shots as well as work on the finsihed product together.

It would be too risky to send the product back and forth so when planning this trip we established that the design we each present would be what we worked on and it would remain in our respective studios.

I would personally transport the stones myself once the bulk of processing is done. So once we get the desired cut, we will work on a temporary setting so it can come back with me. Then at home I will be metalworking the hardware and etching in any designs we decided on.

The next few hours of us being here was just pure work as we got the cuts and got everything ready. Dean was initially watching us work but both Fleur and I were solitary people. So we did not converse unless it was regarding the cuts or borrowing a tool. So he offered to bring us back food as he was planning to go shopping back in the city.

We continued working for a little while before Fleur broke the silence. "He is much better than the previous one." I was taken aback by her comment as it came suddenly. "Oh! Ah yeah he is the best."

I had forgotten that Fleur knew of Felix. They never formally met but I often spoke of him to her and vice versa. "He seems to care alot about you. And so do you. You seem genuinely happy with him versus the one from before."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I thought back to the times when I considered myself happy with Felix. At the time I felt that our relationship was going well, so I was not concerned with possibly infidelity or anxiety about myself.

"You seem surprised?"

"Well yes, I am definitely on cloud nine right now but I thought I was happy back then. What made you say I was less happy?" She paused working to actually look at me during our conversation. "When you spoke of the other one, you sounded apathetic. As if you were telling me about the weather. Nothing special or noteworthy."

"So it made me apathetic to him as well. If you did not find him special why would I. But with him.." she gestured towards the door as if Dean was there. "There was an excitement in your voice that made me excited to see this mystery man."

She cracked her knuckles before returning to work. "You know that I never got married due to my profession. My passion and love for the wonders this Earth brings us has been my first love and remains as such. The mannerisms you have are what I have for my work. If that is not love then I don't know what love is."

This was probably the most she has ever spoken to me. Even though we converse frequently she usually keeps things short and blunt. But in this moment she spoke longer and more poetic. "I never noticed before but now that you mention it, you are right. I don't think what I felt for Felix was love." 

Though her eyes were still glued to her work she shrugged and gave a small smile.

That served as the signal to return to work and we did not stop or speak again until Dean came back from his trip alone. "Ladies I brought food. Lets eat while it is still hot." He waited for Fleur to indicate where he could place the food and we set of stuff down and cleaned ourselves off to actually rest and eat.

 "Thank you. I am starving." He brought some soups which were still nice and warm. As we started splitting the food I noticed the lack of things Dean had with him. He said he was going shopping but did not have any shopping bags with him.

In the times we have been out together, any chance he gets to buy something he takes. He is more of a shopaholic than my stylist. And that is saying something as if the credit card I had given her had a limit she would have maxed it tens times over. "Did you not find anything you wanted to buy?" 

He was wolfing down his soup and took a second to wipe his mouth and swallow what he had eaten. "Oh I did but I dropped it off at the hotel before returning here. I did not want to forget it on accident or have it get in the way."

What in the world did he buy for it to be in the way. "Oh ok. Well we are almost at the checkpoint we set for ourselves so we will be heading out in a bit." 

"Thank you for the food. I have something for you in return. Please follow me." Fleur motioned for Dean to follow him but before I could get up she gave me a look that it was for his eyes only. This was not uncommon for her. The mystique she gave off also extended into what she tells and gives other people.

"I will be right back."