With a groan, she got up, and then went to open the door. Her bleary, sleep-filled eyes widened at the sight of a luxurious breakfast and a huge bouquet of roses. “Ma’am, a gentleman asked us to bring these to you.” The waiter pushed the cart into the room and placed the food and flowers on the table before leaving.
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The unexpected delectable scents woke Natalie right up. She looked at the bountiful breakfast laid out on the table before her. All of her favorite foods were there, including toast, eggs, bacon, and there was even a steak. Even all of her favorite fruits were there!
It was her perfect breakfast. She guessed that Brandon must have arranged it for her that way.
Natalie beamed. Her dearest husband was always so thoughtful. She snapped a few photos of the gorgeous spread and sent them to Brandon. Then she began to eat, blissfully happy.
As soon as Natalie had taken a bite of the bread however, her face shattered into a grimace. She spit it out immediately. It was not regular white bread but flavored with ginger, something she loathed. Brandon knew this, and always made sure to never put ginger in her food when he cooked for her.
This must be some kind of accident, she thought. Then she cut into the steak only to notice that it was seasoned with black pepper.
Natalie hated that even more than ginger!
Hadn’t Brandon arranged this breakfast?
Natalie then looked at the bouquet of roses on the table. There was a black card nestled amongst the flowers.
Natalie opened the card and saw the signature on it was Derek’s, but the message didn’t actually indicate who it was for.
The hotel was full of the designers and models from the Iridescent Show. The waiter must have sent over the meal to the wrong person.
Natalie immediately stood up, trying to find the waiter.
But when she opened the door, she nearly bumped into Derek, who was standing right there.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Derek held Natalie and teased her. “Are you not satisfied with the flowers and breakfast?”
Pointing at herself, Natalie asked in astonishment, “Do you mean that the flowers and breakfast are for me?”
Derek beamed at her, his smile beautiful and perfect. “Why so surprised? You don’t believe I will fall in love with you? Don’t be so modest. You’re beautiful and unique, Natalie. I fell in love with you at first sight.” 3
He was deadly seriously, approaching Natalie with an intense passion in his eyes. “If you think I’m being too rash, we can take our time. I’ll pursue you until you agree to go out with me.”
Natalie took a few steps back to keep Derek’s hands from touching her.
She held up her left hand, showing him her wedding think it’s appropriate to pursue a married woman, can you?”
Derek was stunned silent. He leaned forward and stared at Natalie’s ring.
After taking a few moments, Derek asked in an anguished tone, “When did you get married to Draco? He never seemed to be married! Besides… I always thought that Draco was gay.”
“You misinterpreted me again. I didn’t say I was married to Mr. Wesley. He and I are just colleagues. My husband is…”
Derek interrupted Natalie before she could tell him about Brandon.
“Don’t bother lying to me! It’s obvious that you’re not married. You’re too young! I’d rather you’d told me I was already in the friend zone than you making up this elaborate story just to try to avoid me!” Dispiritedly, Derek said, “I really like you. If you don’t like me, just say it. Don’t make such a lame excuse as you being married.”
Natalie was helpless. “Well, I don’t like you. Please don’t give me anything anymore.”
“That’s not possible. I’m Derek. This is who I am. You aren’t even giving me a chance to pursue you!” Derek was clearly beyond frustrated, n
Without waiting a second longer, Natalie waved him away, and shut the door in his face.
By the time Natalie had changed into her new clothes for the day and done her make-up, she was relieved to discover him gone. She went down to Northcliffe’s CBD. Because of the Iridescent Show, many brands had set up flash stores here to sell their latest products. Natalie wanted to get something for Brandon. So, when she arrived, she headed straight to one of the shops of men’s wear.
“Miss, what can I do for you?” The shop assistant had a friendly smile on her face.
“Do you have this tie in black and white s*tripes?” Natalie pointed at the tie in dark blue and black s*trips in the window. Brandon usually wore black and silver suits, so the tie with two-colored s*tripes was more suitable for him. Besides, his style was clean and simple, and the tie with black and white s*tripes was just right for his aesthetic tastes.
“Yes. Please wait a moment.” The shop assistant found the tie that Natalie was looking for, and showed it to her. “Miss, you have very good taste. This is the latest style, and it’s very popular now. This is the last one left in this color.”
Natalie placed her hand on the tie. The fabric felt soft and high-quality to her touch, and she was about to buy it.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice from behind, “I will buy this tie.”
Natalie turned around and saw Derek again.
He strode into the shop and asked the shop assistant to pack up the tie for him.
The shop assistant’s eyes lit up when she spotted Derek. “Are you… You’re the famous model, Derek, right? Gosh! Do you mind signing an autograph for me?”
She was practically squealing with excitement and almost fumbled her words.
Derek smiled lightly and obliged, writing his name on the shop assistant’s clothes. “Thank you for your support. Can I try this tie on?”
“Of course, of course! Please!” The girl rushed past Natalie and handed the tie to Derek.
He turned to the mirror and held up the tie against his chest. It had a black and white s*tripes design that was fairly common among young men these days. The tie indeed looked good on him, and he even brought his own zest to it.
“It looks great on you!” the shop assistant beamed. She looked at Natalie and added, “You have excellent taste, Miss.”
“You’re mistaken. I wasn’t planning to get that tie for him.” Natalie smiled politely, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She then glared at Derek. “Do you think this is funny?”
He met her gaze through the mirror and said nothing.
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Natalie sighed exasperatedly. “Derek, how did you even know that I was here? Did you follow me all the way from the hotel? You know, I always pegged you for a gentleman. At the very least, I didn’t think you would overstep boundaries and disrespect women like this. But now, I see that you’re just as pompous and self-centered as they come. I’m warning you. Keep pestering me, and I’ll call the police on you.”
All the shop assistants present were visibly surprised by her sharp tone and harsh words. Their eyes shifted nervously to Derek.
“Oh, my God! So, Derek is actually a stalker in real life?” “I didn’t see this coming at all. How can he do something so awful?”
“He’s nothing like I imagined. I should have known there is no such thing as a perfect man, no matter how handsome they are.”
Derek frowned as the people around them discussed among themselves. He turned to stare at Natalie with a dark expression.
Just then, his manager burst into the store, panting as he tried to catch his breath. “I left you alone for a while, and you already made a lot of trouble! Why did you ditch your work halfway, huh?”
Derek gave him a tight smile. “I left the set to get some fresh air. If I knew I’d get misunderstood, I would have just stayed put.”
The manager huffed and pulled Derek by the arm. “Mind your manners. You are here for work. Don’t cause the crew any unnecessary trouble.”
Derek offered a small bow to Natalie. “I apologize if I upset you. It was my mistake.” He handed back the tie to the shop assistant and let his manager drag him back outside.
Natalie watched them leave the store. When she looked out the window, she saw that an advertisement was being shot over at the events area.
She saw the manager pull Derek over to the director and made him apologize. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. He left for the bathroom. We can resume shooting now.” Natalie realized then that Derek did not follow her from the hotel, after all. He just happened to be at the mall for work.