Chapter 1980
But this whole mess was Ivy’s fault. The very thought of Nolan taking a financial hit because of her made guilt gnaw at her conscience. She wrestled with it for ages, but her sense of responsibility won out in the end.
“Alright, Nolan, I’ll do it,” Ivy finally agreed, though her voice trembled with uncertainty. “But I can’t guarantee they’ll be satisfied with me.”
“Don’t worry, you’re a knockout. They’ll be impressed,” Nolan assured her with the kind of confidence she wished she could borrow. With that, they set a date for the shoot at his company.
After hanging up, Ivy’s nerves were jangling like bells.
A commercial shoot? Was she really up to it?
And there was another worry – she couldn’t let Balfour know about this. If he got wind of it, he’d be miffed for sure. She’d make it a hit-and-run. Do the shoot, ditch the trouble, and then keep Nolan at arm’s length in the future.
Nolan wasted no time in sending her the script for the ad.
Wanting to ensure smooth sailing and not to impact Nolan’s business, Ivy dove into studying the script on her own.
Luckily, Balfour hadn’t been home lately, giving her a much-needed breather to focus on her own stuff.
Otherwise, she’d be sneaking around to avoid him.
Come the day of the shoot, Ivy was up at the crack of dawn, fussing over her appearance before heading out.
“Where are you off to so early, Ivy?” Alyssa called out just as she was about to slip out the door.
Ivy flashed a sheepish grin. “Just some errands, Alyssa. I might not be back for dinner.”
Alyssa didn’t pry further, just reminded her to be careful and call Quinton if she needed something.
“Got it! Thanks Alyssa!” With that, Ivy bolted out the door.
She arrived at the Harris Group on the dot and Nolan’s team was already in the lobby waiting for her.
They knew Ivy was someone special to Nolan from the get-go, so they were all standing by respectfully. “Miss Dunhill, Mr. Harris is waiting for you upstairs. Please follow me.”
Ivy followed the staff member, taking the elevator up to the fifth floor.
The shoot’s set up on this floor. Everyone’s ready. Let’s get you into wardrobe and makeup first, the Harris employee explained as they walked.
Ivy was led into a room where a team of stylists and makeup artists were waiting, surrounded by cosmetics and racks of dazzling outfits.
This is Mr. Harris’s friend, Ivy. She’s all yours now.”
Once left in the capable hands of the glam squad, Ivy was quickly dressed up.
Nolan walked in just as she was finishing up. He looked her over and smiled. “Yeah, that dress is a winner on you.”
“You really think I can pull this off?” Ivy murmured, feeling out of her element as she sat at the makeup station.
Standing behind her, Nolan caught her eyes in the mirror and said, “Absolutely. Trust me, you look amazing.”
This must’ve been the umpteenth time Nolan had complimented her.
The stylists worked their magic swiftly. In no time at all, Ivy was transformed. She could hardly recognize herself – she was a far cry from the woman who had walked in earlier.
