Geared up

"Oh, Vincent… yes… there…"

Deep lines resurfaced on Fil's forehead, eyes flickering underneath her eyelids. Marianne's moans along with Vincent's sensual grunts echoed in her ear. Fil had to listen to it until her eyelashes fluttered open. 

'That again,' was her first thought first thing in the morning. 'That has become a nightmare that haunts me now.'

Fil pressed her lips into a thin line, sighing heavily. She hadn't had any dreams or nightmares for a long time. But after witnessing her fiance's infidelity, Vincent and Marianne had been a nightmare that haunted her every single night. 

"Will I ever…" Fil trailed off as she heard a ring from outside her room. Her brows rose, propping her elbow on the soft mattress to sit upright. 

The doorbell rang once more, forcing her to fling her legs out of the bed. Marching to the front door, Fil peeked through the peephole, only to see a delivery man standing outside her doorstep. 

'Who makes delivery at half-past six in the morning?' she wondered, opening the door for the person outside.

"Miss Filomena?" the delivery guy asked as soon as Fil opened the door. 

"Yes?"

"A delivery from Mr. McGuire." He handed her a sheet of paper and a pen. "Please sign there."

"Oh, right?" Fil glanced to the side, only to see two racks of clothes and boxes of bags and footwear. She signed the paper and opened the door wider, letting the people wheel the clothes rack inside her apartment. But before they leave, the delivery guy hands Fil another piece of paper.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Mr. McGuire told me to hand this to you once we finish the delivery."

Fil furrowed her brows but still received the small envelope. "Thanks." She watched the people come and go of her apartment, locking the door on instinct. When she turned around, she gazed down at the small envelope in her hand. 

"I wonder what this is for?" she murmured, checking the content. "An invitation?"

In the personal invitation included a fashion event Dustin would be hosting in five months. And he was inviting Fil as part of the designer's representative.

"This event…" she murmured, rereading the letter once more. "... is around fashion week."

Fil knew; she might have not been interested in fashion before, but Marianne was too invested in it. As Marianne's best friend, she knew basic things about her interests. In other words, Fil understood how important this event was in the fashion world. 

Marianne had always dreamed of attending one, but never got a chance. Considering Marianne was already a renowned news anchor, yet never got an official invitation from any of the world's best designers just showed the standing of those who received such a piece of paper. 

"Haha." A short chuckle slipped past her lips, thinking how she could use this opportunity to her advantage. "I bet she would be enraged if I told her I could go to fashion week."

Fil hummed a long tune, shrugging. "I'll think about it later. For now…" she marched to the rack of clothes, checking the pieces Dustin sent her. They were all the sets she tried on yesterday, and Dustin approved. 

"What is my schedule today?" she murmured, jogging her memory as her clothes were important to her today's schedule. When she was sure she would only stay in the office today, she immediately picked out three hangers from the rack. 

*

*

*

"After Kim's glam team gave me tips, it's much easier to do it," she whispered, putting on a light pink lipstick. After smacking her lips, she looked at the vanity mirror and smiled. 

"Is it because I've had enough sleep?" she wondered, touching her face. "I look different."

Even without the makeup or the luxury clothes on, there was this difference. Was it the hair? She got it trimmed and permed. Or was it because of the newfound confidence and determination she gained in the past two days?

"Never mind." She shook her head, snapping her eyes at the mirror once again. Her big smile remained, very satisfied at the appearance of the person looking back at her in the mirror. Although there was still this tinge of awkwardness and unfamiliarity, she liked this version better. 

Shifting her eyes to the clock, her eyes dilated as her mouth parted. 

"Oh, no. I'll be late!" Fil quickly pushed herself away from the vanity mirror, rushing to get her old sandals to work. But before putting them on, her face twitched. 

"I can already imagine Mr. McGuire's face if he sees me wearing this." She felt a shiver down her spine, remembering the look on Dustin's face when she wore cute flats to match her attire yesterday. He wasn't really pleased, and he was vocal about it. 

Therefore, even if she had to risk being late, Fil went back to the boxes delivered to her home to see if there was anything she could wear for work. Much to her surprise, half of the boxes of footwear had a low heel — around three inches, not like the ones Kim Rock would wear.

"When did he get the time?" she whispered, smiling. "I guess if he sent them, he approves of them."

Fil took the pairs that she thought could match her attire the best, only to notice an open box where a bag was. It was the first box she opened, mistaking it for shoes. She stared at it, and then at the worn-out bag on the couch. 

"Well." She shrugged, not seeing any reason she had to use an old and worn-out bag Vincent gifted her when she got her first job. 

With that thought in mind, Fil took her precious time to settle everything first. Ever since she got her job, there was never a day she was late. She wouldn't lose her job if she was late once after seven years in the company, right?

That thought might've gone against her work ethic, but she had to. 

If she was going to change her outside appearance, she might as well go all out. Once finished, Fil checked the time. She still had half an hour to reach work. 

"I still can make it." She smiled, took a deep breath, and marched back to the bedroom to see herself in the mirror. She nodded at herself, cheering for herself quietly. "Let's do this!"

This time, Fil was more comfortable to go to work. Not just because of the new wardrobe she had or the light makeup on her face, but also because she felt more ready and geared up to embrace this version of herself. It wasn't the product result yet, but she was getting there. 

That was for sure.