Chapter 23

"Yes, you! make sure she's pretty and is young and confident, maybe a bit bold like you. ", he stared at me continuously "or maybe you can replace her.

I was aghast by his decision. I had this "o" already formed through my lips. "No, I can't do this! I have never ever ever ever done this before ", I decided to repeat the word ever so that it made sense.

"How about an increment of 10% in your salary ", Mr. Reynolds smirked.

"Are you trying to label me again ?", I raised my brows.

"It's a genuine offer ", he moved his hands through his messy hair whilst looking at me.

"I'll try! ", I was somehow convinced.

"Great! I'll appoint some people to train you " he looked at me "You just have to wear an exotic dress and stand next to me for a picture in the best selling cover magazine. It's an amazing opportunity to engage myself socially plus the picture would be on the front page with my interview and some tips by me to the young practicing entrepreneurs.

"Mmhmm ", I nodded.

"Little do they know that no one can ever be Aaron Reynolds !", he smirked and said the lines anyway without any questions. His self-obsession was not something very new to me.

"True sir! No one cant be as remorseless as you ", I said sarcastically with a smile.

"People like you force me too, don't spoil my good mood now and go dress up and add some plastic to your lame -morning face "

Uh! did he just call me ugly? I wanted to choke him but then how can I forget about the 10% increment. "Yes, okay ", I turned my face against him and kept the Hazel Grace constant within me by saying the word 'okay'

I rushed into my cabin and washed my face with clean water and wiped it with a towel after looking at myself in the mirror. I poked myself through the mirror and laughed at my fatuousness.

"Can I come in madam ", a group of girls peeped through the main door of my cabin and asked me permission to get in. I felt obliged because after asking permission from Mr. Reynolds infinite times someone asked me too, though on the instructions of the devil himself.

"Sure, ladies ", I tried acting bossy.

Then all walked quite precisely in a queue whilst coming towards me. One had a big hanger neatly covered with a huge paper in her hand. The other one had a makeup bag, the third one came with an accessory bag and the last one had some sort of machines in her hand which on deeper observation could be figured out that were straighteners and curlers.

"Are you the one ?", the dominant one of them questioned

"Since it is my cabin, of course ! ", I replied.

"When's the last time you have been to a beauty-parlor ? ", she questioned and I could sense her judging my not so plastic skin.

"What kind of a question is this? I do go to beauty salons. The last time I went was " I thought for a while "I don't remember but I did go "

"Could be seen ", she was so sarcastic and rude, oh my god.

"Okay, what else ?", I gave the most plastered smile ever.

"Let's get started girls ", she gave me a light dress and ordered me to remove the one I was wearing. It took me 5 minutes to change the dress and wear the one she provided me. It was very comfortable and lightweight. It was a short dress more like a sleeveless top which ended three inches above my thigh.

"Look at your eyebrows girl ", she looked at me closely by almost popping her head in mine. She threaded out the unnecessary hairs and gave them a point.

"Wax her legs ", she ordered the girl who was standing with the accessory kit. She carefully placed it on the table and came towards me with the wax kit.

"I did wax my hair this week ", I objected ! a part of me was scared with the waxing shit, it felt like a part of me died after every hair which was nailed out my body.

"I like your humor girl ", the sarcastic bitch added up to her comments again. The other girl came close to me and firstly powdered up my skin and then applied striped full of wax all over. She waited for 2 minutes and then pulled out the strips along with the unnecessary hair. I was taken care of like a bride whose wedding was preponed.

"ouch ", I was moaning out of the pain.

"Chill baby ", the other one was comparatively better.

"Madam, straighten her hairs or curl them ?", the hairdresser stepped in and asked the bitchy one permission as she stood over me while letting me sit on the chair just like a mother does when her children deny eating anything.

"Straighten them from up ", she moved her hands through my hairs explaining her carefully that till which point she has to straighten "Curl them all from here, soft and bouncy ones ", she caught the lower strands of my hair while showing her.

I could feel the heat on my head because of the excessive machinery used but I just sat still without moving an inch because the lady standing, on the top of my head, was scary as fuck. She ordered me to push forward my hands towards the other girl so that she could do the manicure treatment over them. I felt like a princess, no lie.

The girl doing my hairs on completing her task showed it to her boss and she approved it after examining them properly. My manicure and pedicure treatment was done too, my nails felt lively and perfect.

"Should we do the Makeup first or sort out with the dressing part?", the dominant lady asked me.

"Anything, what you like ", I had less idea about this field so I just decided to agree with whatever she does.

"Come on, makeup experts ", she called upon two girls, the rest of them comforted themselves on the small couch in my cabin.

They both came towards me and smiled cheerfully and advised to me stay still as much as I could and also to keep my eyes closed. Opening my eyes wasn't beneficial too because I couldn't see myself. The only place I had a mirror here was in the bathroom.

I could feel them contouring my face and highlighting up the necessary areas, darkening my eyebrows, and adding fake blush to my cheeks. They used a large eyeshadow brush and applied one color to the base of the lashes and blended it all the way up till the brow. And then they used crease defining brush to apply the second shade in the crease, blending up and out toward the outer corner of the eye along the edge of where the brow bone began.

They lashed up my eyelids giving them volume and when I peeped a bit I saw them using a Mac lip liner followed by a lipstick to complete the look.

"can I look at myself now?", I pleaded out of curiosity.

"after you dress up completely ", she passed me the dress.

I took the dress, it was a bit heavy then usually what I wore. I carried it with both my hands and tried walking towards the washroom.

"What are you doing, girl?", she questioned me while pulling me through my right hands.

"To the bathroom, for changing of course ", I tried getting away.

"You can't change the dress there, you will need us for wearing it ", she tried instructing me.

"No I can wear it myself and since I have to change here, can you guys stand out for a while?", I asked them politely.

"yes, sure! I'm guessing that you do have an idea that we don't wear inner wears under such kind of dresses.", she closed the door.

I nodded as I knew but I didn't. I opened the dress and it was a white off shouldered gown which had a black Saturn belt at the stomach and it was a bit deep so some part of cleavage could be seen. I unzipped it from the back and settled myself in it, I turned my head around and tried pulling the chain to complete the gorgeous gown look. I pulled harder but my hand just didn't reach so I pushed myself a bit, thankfully I got a grip on the dress so I pulled the chain upwards with all my strength. I suddenly felt that I got something in my hand, I stood still and looked at it.

My whole world collapsed as it was the chain of this dress, I had pretty much spoiled the dress so I just caught the front part with my hand settling the dress on my body, and asked the ladies to get in.

"I'm so so sorry! I turned around ", my vision blurred because my eyes were watery.

"It's okay love! ", the dominant one came close to me and hugged me. She was not bad about a person too.

"We will find a way out ", she caressed me by rubbing my arms while side hugging me.

"I have a plan ma'am", one of them turned the situation lit. She went towards the jewelry box and picked up a diamond-studded broach.

"oh my god yes ", she grabbed the broach and asked me to turn around, I did as per the instructions.

She pinned the broach to my back which made it prettier and also corrected the flaws. I turned around and smiled at the women and apologized for my clumsy behavior.

" you look so beautiful ", she exhaled while side parting my hair and adding a broach to it too.

"Thank you ", I rushed towards the bathroom to look at myself and I couldn't believe it was me. I never knew that I had such kind of a prettier version too. I pinched myself and then realized that it was happening for real but I was a bit scared too for confronting the media and doing the photoshoot with Mr. Reynolds.