Chapter 35

The next week was so grueling that all Kiera could do was crawl into bed after getting home. She was one of the first people in the office and one of the last to leave. If the big agencies invested this much time and resources on their actors then it was no surprise that they would do well.

She was even dragged to a meeting for her future public image. She would have preferred not to go and would have been happy to accept any decision the higher ups would come up but Eduard informed her that it was in her contract that she needed to be there when the final decision was made.

It was at that moment she despaired that her sister and the lawyer she picked were too good at their jobs. It was an hour she could have spent memorizing the script and polishing her character.

When she ranted to Eileen, thinking she would understand and sympathize but instead Kiera got a scolding for not caring enough at matters that impact her future. When she replied that all she wanted was the chance to act, she got another round of lectures. 

Kiera had to pretend to go to training so Eileen would stop.

Olivia Hanson, Onyx's Head Stylist for Artists, had taken one look at Kiera during the big meeting and proceeded to veto several proposed images. And they've settled on an understated elegance as the main point of her image. No blinding diamonds but a focus on delicate details and an eye towards craftmanship.

None of the loud fashion that have been popular the past few years but more on old-money fashion of simple lines with a timeless elegance which prioritizes well-made, high-quality garments.

She spent the day before under the hands of their tyrant of a head stylist. Kiera was given a very specific list of what colors look good with her skin tone, what color jewelry she could pull off and she basically was ordered to never wear her baggy shirts and leggings anywhere outside the agency and even then, never beyond the training rooms.

Her worn-out jeans were never to see the light of day ever again, Olivia and her minions had threatened to burn them on sight. 

They had tortured her hair to submission and she was given a long list of products to use to maintain her beautiful curls. They were far more expensive and apparently more effective than the products she used in her past life.

Despite being a Saturday, Olivia had handed her to several other stylists to take her shopping at several high-end stores. Their mission was to ensure Kiera had an entire new wardrobe good for several months.

The stylists were gleeful when they realized they had a generous budget and that Kiera would be paying out of pocket for her wardrobe.

That seemed to encourage them to pick the best available among their various choices. "You have no idea how tiring it is to explain to the company why we needed a cashmere sweater. Pinching pennies is not good for fashion. But do they understand that? No, of course they don't." One of the stylists explained to her as they all went wild with shopping.

From store to store, the stylists gave her a lecture as to what looks good on her and what she should never consider.

"You are never to wear a skin-tight dress unless you want to seduce someone. You need to be wary of certain styles that would make you look gaudy."

They usually looked around the store for a few minutes and they asked about her preferences before they ushered her inside the fitting room where she had to fit then show the clothes to the team one garment after another.

The team was never satisfied with just one shop.

"You never want just one store to define who you are. Exploration and experimentation are your keys to success." And that was exactly what they did.

They had marched her through several shops. Shirts, pants, dresses, shoes and bags for all types of occasions. They even made a list of the clothes she bought and what would look good together. It was practically a cheat sheet for outfits to mix and match.

Kiera never thought she would actually have a lot of fun and enjoy the day.

Her feet were killing her and she was tired of fitting on clothes but at the end it was all worth it.

All of them ended the day pretty satisfied and Kiera had suggested to take them out to dinner as a celebration but the stylists all mentioned they had prior plans. So, the dinner was planned for another time.

All her purchases were to be delivered to her door, some of which required alteration to fit her just so. With no bags to mind, Kiera was free to browse through the shops in more detail. There were several things she wanted to buy for herself and for her sisters.

As she went from shop to shop and freely scanning her credit stone at the counter the weight of the past few seeks seemed to lighten up a bit. Who knew spending money was therapeutic. 

She went into a jeweler as her last stop. She remembered how her mother had favored this shop, with its delicate designs and intricate stone placements. 

Kiera wanted to see if she can find a set that she could suggest wearing as Veronica. She remembered an actress in the future who got popular for the jewelry she used in her various characters and Kiera found the thought intriguing.

If it was the broker her then she would never have thought about considering it but she did have some money to splurge. She had already spent tens of thousands today, what's a few more.

Kiera had worn the black dress she wore during her meeting with her sisters and it might not pass muster since the first shop assistant took one look at her and pointedly pretended not to see her and busied herself with several diamond necklaces.

Kiera didn't mind the attitude and continued to browse through the glass cases.