Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Irish sat in her room with her laptop on her laps.

She was accepting new orders and jotting all she needs to buy. She's so happy more orders are coming in.

Her sales is increasing and her fashion store is starting to get more publicity. She's gonna launch a new wear soon and she'll make sure it's eye catching. She had told Ethan about it already and he's also excited.

It's 11am already.

She smiled as new messages popped in on her page.

More orders were coming in, and some were sending feedbacks for the dresses she had delivered, they loved it.

They always love her wears, no one has seem to complain since she started, she always make sure she does everything accurately,get the best fabrics and she doesn't go overboard with her prices.

People loved her for it.

"Come in" Irish said,after hearing a knock on her door.

She didn't raise up her head, she thought it was one of her bodyguards.

"Hey" She heard the steel voice of Mrs Harlow and her head flew up. "Hi ma, do you want anything?" She asked, dropping her laptop.

She got to her feet nervously, wondering what the woman wants.

Mrs Harlow looked round the room,she was impressed by Irish's neatness and sense of arrangement, nothing was out of place.

"Have your seat ma" Irish said, clearing her laptop from the bed. She smoothened the bedspread.

Mrs Harlow swinged out the dressing chair, and sat down.

Irish swallowed and gently dropped her laptop back on the bed.

"My son said he loves you" Mrs Harlow said, looking less concerned.

"Uhh..yes, and...i..lo...you don't have to be worried about that ma, I'm not going to be in a relationship with Ethan..."

"Why?" Mrs Harlow asked. "Huh?" Irish looked surprised.

"Answer my question" Mrs Harlow maintained her cold voice.

"Well... we've both agreed to keep being friends,i won't want to taint his reputation" Irish said and Mrs Harlow's eyes narrowed at her words.

"Seems she's truly different like Ethan had said." Mrs Harlow thought.

Most ladies wouldn't have cared about Ethan's reputation. Irish's selfless and Mrs Harlow is glad that Irish respected the fact that her son's reputation might be blemished.

She doesn't look like a gold digger like Jessy always say.

"Well...I'm not here for that" Mrs Harlow said. "You want something ma'am? " Irish asked.

"My husband is coming here next week Tuesday" Mrs Harlow smiled and Irish almost smiled too.

There was so much love in her eyes when she mentioned her husband,she looked like a sixteen year old girl, going on her first date.

"That's nice" Irish said,not knowing what else to say. She wondered why Mrs Harlow told her that?

"And i want you to make a beautiful dress for me" Mrs Harlow said and Irish was stunned. She stared at Mrs Harlow like she was joking.

"I only picked few dresses when we left Paris and all of them are not suitable enough to welcome my husband"

"Ohh" Irish said reasonably.

"Though i use more expensive and exotic fashion designers but I'm gonna give you the job cause this came on a short notice" Mrs Harlow said, she had actually visited Irish's page earlier and was deeply impressed with what she saw.

The feedbacks from her customers were amazing, Irish makes perfect dresses and she wants one too.

Though she has suitable dresses to welcome her husband but she wants one from Irish, she wants to examine her handwork closely and if she's impressed, she'll make her her personal fashion designer and Mrs Harlow's personal designer gets paid monthly, aside from the money she pays whenever she orders a dress.

"Okay ma'am, do you want me to show you the pictures of some beautiful dresses i made or do you have any one in mind?" Irish asked, sounding professional.

"I have a picture" Mrs Harlow brought out her phone and showed Irish the dress. Irish panicked a bit, seeing it was from Ana's fashion store..

Mrs Harlow can just order it and it'll get delivered by tomorrow.

"Why don't you want to order it from Ana fashion store? Ma'am" Irish asked.

"And who are you to tell me where to order my dress from? Sitting here with you must be giving you the audacity to suggest things to me" Mrs Harlow said in an almost harsh voice.

"I'm sorry Mrs Harlow" Irish said.

"Or..you can't make it? Is it too difficult for you to make ? I guess it's more than you can handle. I'll leave then" Mrs Harlow said, making a move to stand up but Irish quickly stopped her.

"No! It's actually a very simple dress to make. I'll finish it in hours once i get the fabrics for it" Irish said, studying the dress.

It's a pale fishtail Italian dress with a halter neck,it was gathered by the waist,the back was a bit open and crystals graced the edge of the dress, it's a simple dress and yet with a touch of splendour.

The fabrics looked costly and the crystals too. "Okay so,what's your price?" Mrs Harlow asked.

"Huh?" Irish asked,she hadn't been prepared for that question. "Your price?"

"I.. I'll get back to you ma" She answered.

"Do that fast cause i want the dress ready by Sunday,i need to buy matching shoes" Mrs Harlow said, getting on her feet.

"Thanks for patronizing ma'am" Irish said.

"I wouldn't have if it hadn't been on short notice, i have my own personal designer. And get back to me fast on the price" Mrs Harlow said before walking out of the door.

Irish sighed..

She can't possibly give her a huge price,can she? Of course no.

Well..today is Thursday, she has enough days to make the dress ready she'll make sure it's ready before Sunday.

It's not really a hard dress to make.

And this might be her chance to prove to Mrs Harlow that her talent is far bigger than her cute small workshop.

She had checked Mrs Harlow's posts on Instagram even before she came here and she must say her designer is doing a great job but she knows she's gonna do a better job.

She's glad the lessons she took from her Mother about fashion did not go in vain.

"I hope you're fine?" Carl sked as he walked in. Irish laughed "She didn't kill me, I'm fine"

She wanted to tell him that Mrs Harlow ordered a dress but Ethan is the first person she's gonna inform.

Carl walked out of the door and Irene picked her phone.

"Heyyo" She grinned as Ethan picked up.

"Irish, how you doing?" Ethan asked,glad to hear her voice. "Great! I hope work's going smoothly?"

"Yeah, just sitting and going through some files.

"Ohh.. there's a little piece of news" "Really?"

"Ethan, your mum just patronised me!" Irish squealed. "Huh?" Ethan asked in disbelief.

"Yeah.

"Mrs Veronica Harlow patronised Leveni's fashions?" Ethan asked again . "Yes yes yes"

"Wow" Ethan smiled.

"She wants me to make a dress that'll suitable to welcome your Dad next week.

"Ohh..yeah, Dad told me he'll be coming on Tuesday." "There's an issue though..." Irish sighed.

"What's that?"

"She's asking for price and i don't know...

" C'mon. This is business Irish,you need to set familiarity apart for now,besides Mum has not been nice to you so charge her as much as you can" Ethan said and Irish laughed.

"I can't do that. How much do you think will be okay?"

"I don't know how costly the fabrics and everything will be...you should calculate it and give her triple of the price.

"C'mon" Irish laughed.

"The fabrics and everything should be about four thousand dollars." "Good! Tell her your price is twenty thousand dollars.

"What!" Irish almost screamed. "What?" Ethan asked.

"That's too much , i won't even spend half of it to buy everything I'll need."

"If you mention a lesser price to Mum,i bet she's gonna cancel the order, she'll think you're gonna be using cheap and fake materials for her".

"Really? "Yes.

"I think ten thousand dollars is okay, twenty thousand dollars is outrageous for that dress" Irish said.

"You think so? Ethan asked. "Yeah.

" Mum can afford any amount you mention to her. Her personal designer charge more than that amount and she even pay them monthly.

"Wow" Irish sighed.

"Yeah,i just hope she won't cancel the order because she feels the price is so less. " Ethan said. "I hope so too" Irish sighed.

"Gotta go. Work hard" Irish said. "Alright,bye" Ethan smiled.

Irish smiled as she tuck her phone in her pocket.

She always feel good whenever she speaks to Ethan, his cool deep voice has a way of calming her nerves.

*

"I thought you came to me cause you already have a price?" Mrs Harlow asked Irish,who stood before her, she wouldn't talk.

She had approached Mrs Harlow in the living room where her feet was being massaged.

"Yes ma'am"

"Then speak!" Mrs Harlow said, getting annoyed.

"The price is ten thousand dollars ma'am" Irish said, staring at her slippers and twisting her toes together.

"Why's it so cheap. I'll give you fifty thousand dollars. Use the best of the materials for me. Your account details?" Mrs Harlow asked and Irish stared at her in shock.

"Do you probably suffer from some sort of disease? You keep mopping at me whenever i talk to you, that's annoying! I love immediate response when I'm talking to someone" Mrs Harlow said,pissed.

"Oh..my. I'm so sorry ma, i got carried away." "By what?"

"By the price you mentioned"

"If you feel it's too small,i can add to it" Mrs Harlow said.

"No! It's too much ma. Let's just stick to the ten thousand dollars " Irish said.

"Are you by any means trying to use cheap fabrics for me?" Mrs Harlow furrowed her brows. "No, I'm gonna use the best fabric for you ma'am"

"Are you sure?"

"You'll see for yourself when I'm done" Irish said confidently.

"Are you sure that ridiculous price will be okay for you?" Mrs Harlow asked with a demeaning look.

"More than okay ma'am" Irish said.

"Ohh...i hope you didn't do that cause I'm your employer's Mum?"

"No, i don't mix business with familiarity ma'am" Irish said and smiled inwardly. She had just used Ethan's words.

"I love that" Mrs Harlow smiled.

"Your measurements ma'am. Are you gonna send it to me or..."

"You're gonna have to take my measurements of course,i add weight everyday" "Okay ma'am, I'll go bring the tape measurement" Irish said.

"I'll come to your workshop" Mrs Harlow said."After all I'm a customer" Mrs Harlow keeps surprising her.

"O..okay ma'am" she quickly responded before she pisses her off again.

"You should give me your account details" "Ohh.. okay"

*Ivy Royals high School*

He didn't come to the cafeteria yesterday" Jessica said to Paris and Jane. They were eating in the cafeteria and Jessica has been staring at the door.

"Yeah,i noticed too" Paris said. She had said hi to him his morning and he had responded with a smile again.

She's thrilled.

"The guys has never bullied him" Jessica said.

Her plan had been to always save him whenever the guys try to bully him, she knows he's not well to do and he has the looks,the guys are definitely gonna bully him for that and that's where she's gonna come in but surprisingly no one has bullied him so far.

"Bully him? He clearly warned everyone not to try that with him or they'll see the crazy side of him" Jane said.

"Really?" Jessica asked in surprise.

"Yes, he's so bold and fearless" Paris said. "Wow!" Jessica smiled.

He was winning her heart the more,he should just approach her already. Lunch break was almost over and Arusha wasn't in the cafeteria.

"I want to get something,I'll be back" Jessica said to her friends. She walked out of the cafeteria and headed for their class.

"Oh...my. She's so pretty" Olivia said, scrolling through Irish's pictures.

She saw how she pulled her hair in a bun with tendrils framing her face, exactly the way she does hers too but it seems Irish is more experienced than her, she would like to take lessons on the hair style from Irish cause it looks so perfect and beautiful on her.

"She's so beautiful" Olivia said admiringly.

She has always wanted a big sister that she would share intimate things with. Arusha doesn't know how lucky he is.

"Her eyes are striking" Olivia said and Arusha smiled.

"Thank you but enough of the comments Oli,the meal is getting cold" Arusha said.

"Just one more" Olivia grinned,she liked the way Arusha had called her Oli,she liked the name and it sounded perfect coming out of his mouth.

"Is this your Mum?" Olivia asked, staring at the picture of a pretty woman who was seated on a wheelchair and Irish beside her.

Arusha peeped into the picture.

It was a picture Irish took together with mum when she was still on the wheelchair. "Yes but thankfully she's not on wheelchair anymore" Arusha smiled gratefully.

"Ohh..Thank God" Olivia said and she was ready to look at Irish's pictures all over again but Arusha slowly collected his phone from her.

She laughed. "I'm sorry,i just couldn't avoid admiring the perfection of her looks"

There's one more thing that drew Olivia to her. Her decency.

She dressed decently in all of her pictures and it didn't even hide her great figure.

"I'm gonna tell her that when i see her on Saturday" Arusha said. "She doesn't stay with you?"

"Yes , she's working as a live-in nanny,she only come home on weekends but i don't think she'll be coming home for this weekend so I'm going to meet her. "

"Ohhkay but why isn't she coming home this weekend?" Olivia asked. They've started eating.

"She's a fashion designer and her employer had set up a work shop for her in his house" "Wow" Olivia was touched.

"Yeah she works in her workshop whenever she's not taking care of his daughter and i think she's now starting to get more orders,so she'll have to stay there to work" Arusha said.

"That's terrific, i love that. Everything about your sister is just so cool. She keeps making me yearn for a big sister" Olivia pouted and Arusha smiled.

"She won't mind being your big sister if she meets you.." Arusha said. "Really?" Olivia's eyes widened.

"Yeah"

"When am i..." Olivia was saying.

"What's going on here?" Arusha asked in horror as she walked closer to the them. "You both are eating in the class?" She almost screamed, blinded with jealousy.

She never thought Jessica was a threat but now she knows better! Olivia always have Arusha's attention to herself alone,he doesn't talk to other people like he do to Olivia.

How couldn't she have noticed this!?

"I..i she has a phobia.." Arusha said, panicking. Olivia patted his hand .

"You know this is prohibited in Ivy Royals and yet you went ahead with it? I guess you haven't been punished in Ivy Royals" Jessica laughed. "I'm going to report you both now!"

"Go ahead" Olivia bit into a chicken and Arusha stared at her, bewildered. She looked so relaxed and fearless.

"Go ahead bitch! Why are you still standing there?" Olivia asked.

"You just called me a bitch?" Arusha asked not wanting to believe what she just heard.

"Hey! I don't give a fuck about you. You're a queen to other students who'll gladly fall at your feet and do everything you want but not me.If anything,I'm the real queen here, i rock with a real crown" Olivia said and almost slapped her mouth for revealing too much but Jessica and Arusha seemed not to notice the truth behind her words.

Jessica stared at Olivia speechlessly.

Part of her was scared she finally found someone that doesn't give a fuck about her and another part of her wanted to tear Olivia into pieces.

"Marl! We should plead with her not to go report,you don't have to do this please" Arusha said, he was scared of the punishmenta looming.

"Plead?" Olivia laughed.

"You daughter of an infamous safecracker" Jessica said angrily and Olivia laughed hard. "Be ready to receive your punishment in ten folds" Jessica said and walked out of the class. She was so pissed!

She had been worried Arusha is gonna be punished too but now she doesn't give a fuck! She can't wait to see Olivia get punished, no one get away with speaking to her that way !

"Olivia,the school authorities know you have the phobia for eating among so many people,you won't get punished but i will be" Arusha said worriedly.

"You won't, don't worry I'm gonna settle it once the proprietor gets here,just don't say anything,I'll do the talking" Olivia said.

"You look so fearless..well..you won't be punished anyway" Arusha said.

"And you won't be too, stop panicking and let's continue eating"Olivia said. "Eat? I can't continue with the meal" Arusha said.

"Com'on, you won't get punished"

"I'm gonna continue with the meal after the proprietor says that"Arusha said and Olivia sighed.

She covered the meal and they both stared at the door in silence.

Arusha's heart pounded in fear, Mr Ethan might probably hear about it,he had promised him he isn't gonna disappoint him and go against the school rules.

He would be so disappointed.

Few minutes later, Allysia walked in with the proprietor. Damien sighed disappointed she had actually went to call him. She's not nice a bit,she's a meanie.

"There they are" Jessica said with a triumphant smile as she approached them with Mr Natalie. Arusha got to his feet,so as Olivia.

"Do not say anything" she reminded him.

"Your high... Olivia, I never knew you were the one she came to me for. She only said two students were breaking one of the school rules by eating in the class." Mr Natalie said and Jessica stared on in confusion.

Arusha wasn't surprised,he thought Mr Natalie said that cause he knew Olivia has a phobia...

"I know you wouldn't have followed her if you knew it was me, lunch break will be over soon. Can you leave us to continue eating?" Olivia asked.

"Of course but he...has to be punished..." Mr Natalia said. "For?" Olivia asked.

"You're the only one allowed to eat in the class during lunch break,not him" Mr Natalie said. "Okay then, if you're gonna punish him,then you have to include me in the punishment " Olivia said.

"No..no..." Mr Natalie sighed, he glanced at Jessica who looked confused by the whole thing. She knows Mr Natalie as a no-nonsense man who doesn't joke with disciplinary actions.

She had expected him to start with the punishment immediately but here he is, speaking like a ten months old baby. ."I made him eat with me because he's my friend,i feel lonely whenever i eat by myself. He's not going to get punished Mr Natalie or you'll have me punished too" Olivia said.

"Of course I'm not going to punish him, you both can sit and continue your meal,it's just few minutes left for lunch break to be over" Mr Natalie smiled.

Olivia sat and Arusha was still standing in surprise.

He was wondering how Olivia was easily able to convince Mr Natalie.

She did it without stress that he started wondering if they were related in any way.

Olivia pulled his hand and he sat down. "How did you do that?" He asked her. "Jazz!" She whispered and they laughed.

"What in the world is going on?" Jessica finally asked.

She hadn't wanted to believe that Mr Natalie was going to spare Olivia but now it seems so.

"Look Jessy, do not think everyone now has the right to eat in the class. Only Olivia does because she... " Mr Natalie was saying.

"Has a phobia for eating among so many people"Jessica completed . "Ohh... yeah!" Mr Natalie quickly said.

Jessica angrily pulled her hair band off her hair and let it down her back. She was so fucking pissed.

"You're going to spare her?" She asked, almost going crazy with anger. "There's a reason to that Jessica" Mr Natalie said.

"This is... unbelievable!" Jessica glared at Olivia who had continued eating. Arusha was picking at the meal.

"Mr Natalie,who in the world has a phobia for eating among so many people? This is so crazy mehn!" Jessica blew out rasped breath.

"Eat!" Olivia said to Arusha. "I am eating"

"No, you're picking at your meal" Olivia said. "Ohh" Arusha sighed.

"You said you will continue eating after Mr Natalie confirms that you're not gonna be punished"

"I think i lost my appetite all of a sudden"

"Darn. You're such a coward" Olivia rolled her eyes and Arusha laughed.

"What? I'm pissed at you" She said, packing the meal.

"I'm sorry about that Oli but this is the first time I'll see you roll your eyes and it's actually funny and cute at the same time" Arusha smiled.

"Tch!"Olivia rolled her eyes again and Arusha laughed.

She started laughing too,they were both oblivious to the fact that Mr Natalie and Jessica were there.

"Hey!!" Jessica screamed and they turned to her.

"This psycho is still here" Olivia muttered under her breath.

"Mr Natalie, did she bribed you or something? I never knew you were this corrupt" Jessica said rudely.

"Don't talk to me that way Jessica! Or I'll have you punished" Mr Natalie said. Jessica laughed "Really?"

"Yeah, don't think you can also get away with anything because I'm sparing Olivia, there's a reason i did so. Caution your mouth so it won't get you into trouble" Mr Natalie warned and Jessica stared at him in disbelief.

There's a reason he did so?

She was so sure it wasn't the phobia thing. There must be a more solid reason.

Mr Natalie almost bowed to Olivia before leaving the class but he quickly cautioned himself. Jessica banged a desk in anger and stared daggers at Marlene..

"You shouldn't destroy that desk or you're gonna pay for the damage, it's better to hit the wall instead" Olivia said as she walked to her locker.

Jessica restrained herself from dragging her back and giving her the beating of her life.

"I told you Olivia has a phobia for eating among so many people but you still went ahead to report, we're classmates and we're meant to protect one another weaknesses, that was so unfair of you"Arusha said and Jessica felt his words deep in her heart.