CH 31: A Bit of Strawberry Innocence

Eve let out a deep breath.

Cale's aqua blue eyes calmed down her growing nerves. She noticed that her body was shaking. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, sinking her heart. This was too much. She couldn't always be nervous.

For that to change, she needed to take the necessary steps.

"Okay."

"Good!" Cale remarked. He shifted his focus back on the catalog and waved his hand over his shoulder. "I'll leave you to it while I try to see what outfit works for anything."

Eve nodded, taking out her phone. She downloaded the app yesterday by using Avery's email link. The design surprised her. It no longer had the same color palette. The red, gold and gray were gone. Instead, the icon's background was violet. It illuminated as if its center had a flashlight underneath.

Of course, the web address became the app name. 

'Date' 'The' 'CEO' were divided into three rows and fit the square space. When she clicked on it, it would lead her to the home page. Five purple buttons filled her screen in a swivel. Each had a symbol and a name underneath.

> Chat

> Call

> Memories

> Calendar

> Capture

Eve picked the first one. The window already contained their previous conversations from the website. It had added features like voice recording, camera and attachments option. She found it standard for a messaging app. Unlike the vibrant colors of the icon and the home page, this one had a simple white mauve background. The header contained the violet color and Ambryan's profile picture. 

She clicked on the new message bar at the bottom.

.

``Lin: Good evening, Mr. Hathaway.``  

.

Eve scrunched her brows. She almost used 'Sir Hathaway'. Luckily, she noticed right away and changed her mode of addressing him. A check mark showed up under her message. She sneaked a peek at Cale. The catalog had several post-it marks now. It came from a pad provided on the coffee table.

She assumed it was to make it easier for the staff. 

Her phone vibrated in her hands. 

.

``Yan: Good evening, Ms. Evangeline.``

.

Eve pressed her lips together. He replied quicker than she thought. Work ended about an hour ago. Ambryan insisted the use of the office wasn't essential since he had one at his penthouse. Since he prioritized the meeting with the board, he only needed a computer and a stable connection.

This was a rare time when her work demanded little of her. 

'What would Evangeline say?' She thought as she typed on the keypad. 

.

``Lin: Not busy tonight? I had the impression that you never sleep.``

``Yan: How absurd. Wouldn't that mean my mother lied when she wrote that I find health as a priority?``

.

'He did seem fit.' Eve remembered. She'd seen him help out when they needed to move fast. He lifted a large box easily on one shoulder, keeping his posture straight. Not a crease appeared on his clothes. His sophistication stayed untouched.

She also heard several hearts flutter at the sight.

.

``Lin: Alright, then. I'll rephrase it.``

.

Eve's corner lip smirked. Her next message was something she told Andie as a joke. She still thought it could be true.  Sometimes, the timestamps in his emails disclosed early hours—when the sun hadn't risen yet.

.

``Lin: You probably work even in your sleep.``

``Yan: What did you message me for, Ms. Evangeline? I doubt it involves your concern over my sleeping habits.``

.

Snorting, Eve revealed her intention. 

.

``Lin: I wanted to ask where the meetup would be? I have to make a good first impression, right?``

.

'There. I did it,' she thought, pushing on the lock button. She pressed the tip of her phone against her chin. Her brown eyes gazed up at the ceiling. That didn't turn out as bad as she feared. Maybe next time she'd take the casual direct approach.

Her mind bookmarked the thought for future reference. 

Her phone vibrated between her hands.

.

``Yan: I have a reservation in a restaurant. If you check the 'Calendar' option, you will find the details. Look it over and message me if you're confused over something.``

.

Eve blinked. She hadn't checked out the app… but her boss had? A sighed flowed out of her lips. At least, one of them took this seriously—despite how they both have leverages. Wait a minute… If something new came up in the Calendar, shouldn't she receive a notification? 

As soon as she thought of it, a pop up flashed on top of her screen. 

``New Calendar Event!`` It said.

She clicked on it and the screen moved to the calendar feature. The layout looked like any digital mobile calendar but with the app colors. A blue highlight covered the current date, July 16. Two boxes to the right, July 18 had a different highlight. It blossomed in light pink. 

Light. Pink.

Eve shook her head and looked over its contents. 

```

What: First Meetup

When: July 18, 20XX

Where: Stitz Bristo

```

"Stitz Bristo...," she read out loud.

"Oh, I love it there!"

Eve jumped.

She snapped her head towards Cale who reacted suddenly. His aqua blue eyes flew wide and shined with excitement. It lit up his entire face. He clapped his hands together, his mouth opening from anticipation.

"It's also one of Yan's favorite places to eat." Cale informed her. His hands flipped over the catalog, searching for a page he marked. "I saw this strawberry pink chiffon midi-dress that would look good on you. It's simple but has a bit flair. I'm telling you someday it will go viral." 

Eve peeked over his shoulder. The catalog stopped at a page. Now that she got a good look, she noticed that it resembled a scrapbook. Each sheet had one photo and had intricate details about the clothing such as their fabrics.

Focusing on the picture, Eve's jaw dropped. The dress was beautiful. She knew it. The skirt ended around the knees. The short sleeves puffed out. Strings wrapped around the waist, mimicking a corset without the boning structure.

It also had a plunging neckline.

Cale touched her upper arm, his smile growing wide as he stared at the dress. "From now on, you shall be the pioneer of trends."

(A/N: Good thing I am in the future then because this timeline is definitely not 2020.)

A staff member came by to serve them beverages and fingerlings. Cale helped himself with the strawberry scones. He browsed the catalog more, preparing for any occasion. It would be better if Evangeline had a wardrobe ready. 

Impulsive meetups happened often.

Eve stepped on the platform when the dress arrived. She lifted it in one hand, noting its weight. 

It was light as air.

Then, would she feel naked wearing it?

She shook the thought out of her head and changed out of her office wear. The inside of the dress was soft and silky. Something she appreciated. Most chiffon clothing made her itch. This kind she could learn to love.

Her hands tied the strings, creating a bow. The loops weren't asymmetrical as she liked. So, she tried again several times. It really didn't cooperate with her.

In the mirror, her gaze landed on the neckline. The point stopped at the base of two dumplings. It actually seemed better than her initial thoughts. The cups covered most of her breasts.

Yet, it still felt provocative.

Eve poked her head out of the curtains. "Cale, is there another dress? I feel like I'm seducing my boss with this."

"Seduce?!" The modelling manager scoffed. He stood up from the sofa and walked over. His face wore an incredulous look. "Darling, if you want to seduce, there are more appropriate dresses for that. Just tell me so we can switch."

"No, no, no…!" Eve protested, her brown eyes widening in horror. "Maybe I'm just not comfortable with this deep V-neck."

Cale parted the curtain open, examining the dress and his model. It turned out exactly how he imagined it. The sleeves emphasized her shoulders. The bodice shaped the curves of her upper body. 

Ruffles circled the hem, adding a bit of playful innocence. The strawberry glitter pattern gleamed under the studio-like lights.

He loved it.

It fitted her down to the T. 

"Eve, you're fine. Your chest size is 34B. You can fill up this dress and it wouldn't look revealing," Cale assured her. He turned her around to face him and reached out to fix the strings. 

Then, he hit her shoulder lightly. 

"Flaunt your assets, girl."

Eve laughed awkwardly. Now, that was something she hadn't thought about these past years.

"How well do you know makeup?" He asked, switching the topic. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "The look I did on you was very specific. You think you'd be able to recreate it this Saturday?" 

"I don't really dabble into it…" Eve admitted. Her voice became small by the end of her statement. It would be a long time before she even reached half of his skills. 

If she didn't think fast, this whole plan could fail in two days. 

Then, her eyes twinkled. Inspiration lit up on top of her head as she snapped her fingers. A wide smile spread across her lips.

"But I know someone who might."