Of Secrets and Opportunities

Smoke billowed out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Wes waited while Jenny and Louis scampered around in a panic to salvage whatever was left on the stove.

‘Who even cooks pancakes at midnight?’

They appeared to have forgotten about him. Louis was coughing out loud, Jenny was cursing under her breath, and something metallic clattered. He took that as his cue to wander.

Mia's apartment unit was small but cozy.

In a corner was a sofa with mismatching fabric that somehow fit. Tiny plants lined the windowsill, each in a painted mug instead of a pot. Across the room was a shelf with homemade trinkets.

An endeared smile tugged at his lips. ‘So, this is where Mia lives.’

“Good thing that's the last batch! We’ve got more!” Louis burst out of the kitchen, a plate of pancakes in one hand. “Here ‘ya go!”

“Hey, wait! Why are we serving him? He hasn't even told us yet where Mia is!” Jenny marched towards them, incensed.

Wes cocked his head to the side. “She’s resting at my house. We were here earlier, but her lock was broken. I couldn't leave her by herself, so I brought her with me.”

“Huh? Then, Mi-Mi’s door had been that way for a while now.”

He flicked his head to Louis and hissed, “You knew?”

“W-We told her to do something about it! Eep… His angry face is scary, Jen-Jen…”

“Yeah, we told her. We just didn't check if she actually did it. Should've seen it coming, though.” She rubbed her temple in exasperation. “Mia said that she felt bad for bothering the old landlord, that she'd handle it on her own—and she sure had. We're acquainted with him, so he let us in when we got here. He's worried since she disappeared with you, though he forgot to mention the matter with the door’s lock.”

Wes dropped on the sofa with a loud exhale, muttering to himself, “Why won't she ask for help?”

“That’s how she's been since we met. One would think it'll change now that she's in a relationship, huh? It happened to be with a big shot, too. But then again, fame and fortune can't make a trustworthy partner.”

Wes caught onto the jab but held back from retorting, guilty as charged. He lied to Mia and took advantage of her kindness, though her friend wasn't supposed to be privy to that. Jenny's caution and criticism toward him told him she had sharp instincts.

‘It might be a bad idea to conceal the truth from her,’ he concluded. ‘Who knows what she or this Louis will say to Mia? I’ll be the one revealing my own secret, so better tell them my side of the story as early as now.’

“Come on, guys! The food's getting cold!” Louis piped in, placing the pancakes on the center table. “Let's eat first, ‘kay?”

“Who are you, by the way?” He had to confirm this first.

“Oh, me? I'm Louis! So nice to meet you, sir! I've been a big fan of yours since ‘Shadows of the Sun.’ I once baked a cake inspired by it! Wanna see a pic?”

“No, thanks. I'm more interested in your relationship with Mia.”

“Ah, ha, ha! I get it now. Mi-Mi and I are just friends! We met not long after Jen-Jen and I started going out. She's helped the two of us a lot!”

So, they were dating.

That's a relief to hear, though Wes didn't show it. He had faith in Mia, but he's terrified nevertheless. With that settled, he turned to Jenny again.

“You spoke about me being a big shot,” he began again. “But the thing is, Mia doesn't recognize me.”

“What?”

“You remember when we met at the café? I was in disguise, but even after she finally saw my true face… Well, she didn't…”

“Oh, I see!”

Surprisingly, Jenny understood at once. She crossed her arms and shook her head to herself as if dismayed, then offered him a look of pity. Meanwhile, Louis glanced between them in confusion.

“Mia has never been into that stuff. She'd go on and on about clothes but couldn't care less about the people wearing them. Considering you're a model yourself, she should've realized it immediately. She'd read about you and even watched your fashion shows. But now that I think about it, this isn't really the first time.”

Wes arched a brow. “What do you mean?”

“You see, Mia and I were checking out a new boutique when a rising pop star at that time walked in. He passed right by her, but she's too engrossed in a dress on display to notice. It was wild! His fans were hysterical while she, on the other hand, wouldn’t even bat an eye.”

“That's so like Mi-Mi!” Louis guffawed.

“So, yeah, I believe that.” Jenny nodded in acceptance, but just when Wes thought he'd gotten off the hook, she scowled at him. “Even so, that's no excuse to hide things. Mia needs to know, Mr. Wes Ashthorne.”

How she said his name sounded like a death sentence. Rather than fazed, he was glad Mia had a friend who wasn't swayed by wealth and popularity. Not to mention, Jenny chose to treat him as her boyfriend, undeterred by who he was.

Both girls shared the same unbothered attitude, it seemed, despite the stark contrast in their personalities.

“Of course, she’ll find out sooner or later,” Wes sighed, lowering his head. “I’ll tell her myself.”

Jenny snorted, “That's the plan.”

“But now’s not the time,” he added.

“What? Why?” she blurted out, scrunching her brows together. “This is gonna blow up, and you'll just let her face it all unaware?”

This would be a long night. While he wanted to run back to Mia as fast as he could, he had to deal with her friends first. It would also help to get on their good sides. Given that Jenny was the closest she had to a family, he had to get along with her and ask her for favors from time to time.

With that in mind, Wes launched into a confessional narration of their relationship’s complicated state that he strived to resolve, ideally with their cooperation.

---

Four days spent recovering from a cold at Wes’s condo slipped by, and now, Mia somehow found herself accompanying Claire into a luxurious couture studio.

The place stretched before her like a curated dream. Silk gowns and sequined dresses hung from metallic frames, reflected in mirrors that rose from floor to ceiling, and a hint of high-end perfume clung to perfectly arranged mannequins. A low hum of activity filled the space. People moved with precise, fluid motions, yet the workshop retained a serene and almost reverent calm.

“W-W-Where…?” Mia breathed out, feeling overwhelmed and disoriented as she stood conspicuously in her plain, ordinary dress amid the studio’s resplendent grandeur.

“Remember the gown you fixed?” Claire spoke up beside her, a suit jacket over her shoulders and a pair of shades above her head. “The designer saw it and asked to meet with you. I agreed since I also planned to pay you for the work, but I didn’t know how to contact you. You never called or messaged me, even after I gave you my business card.”

“T-That’s…! Um, that’s b-because you don’t have t-to do anything f-for me…”

“Why not?”

“I-It’s already a wish come true to be able to work on such an exquisite dress, so…”

Claire stared at her for a moment with enlightenment, then walked towards a door at the side before turning back to her. “We haven’t known each other for long, but I’ve felt that’s what you would say. Very well, Mia. You may consider this as me returning the favor, and in my opinion, it’s better than any other form of payment.”

“Ms. Ashthorne! Welcome!” A man stepped out right then, his pink hair sleek as if groomed by habit, his face framed by a strong jawline, and his green eyes both keen and ecstatic.

“Hello, I’m here to introduce someone. Mr. Liam Atelier, please meet Mia Rosswood.”

“Mia…? Oh, so she’s the flower fairy who cast a beautiful, beautiful spell on my creation?! What a lovely young lady~!”

“Indeed. Regarding that, will it be too late to sign her up for the event happening today?”

‘Wait, wait, wait! Isn’t Liam Atelier the owner of L’Atelier?!' Mia was struck speechless and unmoving. ‘A-Amazing… His runway collections are one-of-a-kind. I can’t believe he’s in front of me. But what are they talking about? And what is going on today?’

As if hearing Mia’s thoughts, Claire smiled at her and said, “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”