CHAPTER 23

She had been tailing Zara for a while now as the girl was roaming around the production floor, talking to the models in there, but the best word to actually define what she was doing was scolding them. She wasn't even back from her trip for very long yet, but she was already bearing such negativity with her. Whenever she didn't like the clothes that the designer made the model wear, she would automatically grab the clothes from the rack before throwing them at her. She had no choice but to catch them every single time.

She even pulled the scarf from a model who had a scheduled pictorial that day off the girl's neck before throwing it at her.

"Throw it!" Zara screamed at her.

She couldn't help but feel anxious as she carried every single piece of clothing that Zara threw at her. She even lost count of the number of clothes that she was already holding.

Should she really throw all of them? It would really be a waste.

Natasha was finally able to sigh in relief when they were already on the last model. Zara scrutinized the girl properly. Luckily, it seemed like she passed the standards of the girl when it came to clothes. However, Zara was quick to grimace when her gaze dropped at the shoes that the model was wearing.

"Take those shoes off!" she commanded.

The model didn't even bother saying anything, and just took her shoes off as quickly as she could.

"Pick them up!" Zara commanded Natasha after the shoes were taken off.

Oh my God! How could she possibly pick them up when she was already struggling with everything that she was holding?

Zara glared at her in an intense manner when she still hadn't followed her. She looked around to look for a place to place the clothes that she was holding so she could pick the shoes up.

Shit! She couldn't find any spot to place the clothes.

"Nutty!"

She almost jumped off from where she was standing when Zara screamed.

Who was Nutty?

Her gaze turned towards the model who seemed to be squeezing herself against the clothes rack possibly because of how scary Zara's voice was.

Was the model's name Nutty? It was probably the case because the girl really looked scared, but why was Zara looking at her intently instead when it was the model that she was screaming for?

"Nutty, are you listening?" Her eyes looked like they'd be falling out of their sockets because of how intensely she was looking at her.

"Uhm, w-who is Nutty, Miss Zara?" she asked, confused.

"Goodness!" It seemed like Zara had finally lost her patience as she raised both of her hands up in the air.

"I told you to pick up those shoes and throw them away! "Nutty" just suits you the best." Annoyance was evident in her tone.

She even closed her eyes because of how pitchy the girl's voice was.

So she was the "Nutty" that she's referring to. It meant that she was out of her mind, right?

"Wow! Still very energetic, Zara."

The both of them turned their heads at the same time after hearing that. Zara was quick to fix her hair and her clothes before smiling forcefully at the girl who was now walking closer towards them.

Her eyes widened, staring at the girl.

"I haven't seen you lately, Claire." Zara's voice was gentler now.

The girl's smile was even sweeter.

"Yeah, I just came back from London. I bought my bridal gown there." She couldn't really explain why, but even when the girl's voice was sweet, it still seemed irritating, as if she was teasing.

She saw how Zara's eyebrows lifted as she stared at the girl.

"Hmmm. I see. Why didn't your groom accompany you? Was he so busy that he couldn't even give you the spare time to be with you as you choose your gown? What would your wedding be like? Well, maybe you are used to it. I would still go for a guy who would shower me with attention like...Kyle?" Zara's voice was playful as if she wanted to irritate the girl as well.

The smile from Claire's lips disappeared before glaring at Zara.

"You see, Claire... I was really happy when you let him go. It means I already have a chance with him. I will see to it that that chance wouldn't be put to waste." Zara even went closer to the girl's face before giggling.

"Nice seeing you again, Claire," Zara said in a gentle voice before stepping farther.

Even before she got to step to follow her, the girl already stopped her without facing her direction.

"Throw that garbage, Nutty, and don't follow me," commanded Zara before turning her back and walking away.

The models who were in the corner were finally able to breathe properly when the girl finally left. They were even staring at Claire.

She looked at the girl as well before putting the clothes down on the floor before picking up the pair of shoes that the model took off a while ago.

Claire didn't move from where she was standing, and she looked as if she was thinking deeply. Suddenly, she turned before walking away. She could even hear her heels clicking against the floor as she walked away from there.

"That was intense!" a model said.

She looked at her before letting out a small smile.

"I'm Venus. You're Nutty, right?" she introduced herself before letting out her hand in her direction.

She couldn't help but smile widely before shaking her head and taking the girl's hand.

"Natasha is my name," she corrected.

"Zara's really a bitch. Her name doesn't suit her. Crazy suits her better, like you know, crazy Zara," the girl whispered as she shook hands with her.

Both of them even laughed in chorus.

The girl gave her a big paper bag where she could put in the clothes that Zara wanted her to throw.

"It's such a waste to throw these," she said as she put the clothes inside the paper bag.

"Well, bring it home with you. I think those would fit you well. I couldn't bring those with me as I already have a lot of clothes back home," Venus said, smiling as she was choosing the shoes to wear.

"Really? Is it really okay if I'll bring these home with me?" Her eyes were wide.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to wear those because the clothes were too sexy for her own liking, but she also didn't like the idea of throwing them away.

"Of course. Crazy Zara's old assistant even brought home the clothes that she was asking to be thrown away." She even laughed as she spoke the nickname that she gave Zara.

She couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Alright, thank you. I'll take these," she said when everything was already placed inside the paper bag.

"Sure. Make sure that those would suit you," the girl said with a smile on her face.

She scrutinized the girl's face, thinking that maybe she said that in an insulting or joking manner, but she saw that there was a sincere look on her face. She smiled at her before saying goodbye.

She decided to place the paper bag inside her locker. The guard gave her one just yesterday. She didn't want to check Zara because she might still not be okay.

Did Clyde already see the flower on his table?

Natasha couldn't stop herself from smiling as she imagined the guy holding the flower that she gave him.

Maybe she should go to him.

She walked to fetch a can of coke from the vendo machine first before getting inside the elevator to go to Clyde's office. Just like that, she forgot about Claire's presence.