Date The CEO.com

Chapter 301: Oh, I Just Love Interruptions

The event for the video commercial officially commenced the following day.

Eve spent the night memorizing the script. It was a strange commercial that had 3 mini stories. The style reminded her of the last video commercial she participated in. Except, for this one, the theme made her believe it was created solely for the event and wasn't a real commercial for TV.

As far as she observed, no one promoted watermelons on video advertisementsespecially for the winter season.

The commercial used colors to its advantage. Initially, Eve had chosen the one for red watermelons since it was her best color. Then, she recalled the need to break out of her shell and picked the yellow watermelons instead.

What would she look like as a blonde? She wondered.

To ensure everyone gains a proper experience, all models underwent hair, makeup and wardrobe as if shooting a real commercial. Eve kept her eyes closed during the makeup session. She meditated her mindset to match what the script indicated. The makeup brush touched her eyelids gently.

Since yellow watermelons were bright like the sun, she'd need to channel a lot of bubbly energy for the shoot.

A notification ping came from her phone.

.

``Yan: Good morning. My offer still stands.``

.

Eve became irritated at once. Trust her boyfriend to dangle the bait in front of her face. She hadn't thought about Kyle since she woke up. Why did he have to speak about it now when she needed to concentrate?

.

``Lin: Can't I take a tab? Tell me now, kiss comes later.``

.

She smacked the side of her head. That would only provoke him even more. She put her phone on silent and pushed the Kyle incident to the back of her mindway, way, way far in the back where it would collect dust. 

The commercial took place in a tropical country. Eve let images of summer in: beaches, ice cold drinks and, of course, watermelons. It was the closest experience she had to compare with a humid nation. Among the available wardrobe, she chose a navy blue bohemian dress that fell to her ankles.

The only thing missing was the hat which she'd wear after the stylist was done with her hair.

"Evangeline!"

Like a hammer on a glass, the voice cracked through Eve's meditation. She controlled the emotions on her face. 'This is turning out to be a whole new level of annoyance. Not even Ambryan disturbs me this much while at work.'

Kyle soon appeared in the mirror. Eve assessed his outfit. Only the models were supposed to wear beach-inspired clothing. That was only because of the commercial's theme. Then, why would someone like Kyle also adhere to it?

A pair of khakis and a blue Hawaiian button-down shirt, he left the three buttons on top open and exposed his chest muscles. A pair of sunglasses sat on top of his head and pulled back his shoulder length hair away from his face. He wore a wide grin, showing off his pearly white teeth.

Eve had a bad feeling about this.

"Hey," Kyle greeted her. He folded his arms and propped one on the vanity mirror. "Are you doing that thing where actors mentally prepare for a scene? That's some dedication."

Already tired of their exchange, Eve opened the script and pretended to memorize more lines. 

"I'll give you a tip."

She ignored the bait, flipping to the next change.

"What we're looking for is also someone who can think on their feet if the director was suddenly struck by inspiration," Kyle continued. He lowered his head so he could see her face but Eve angled the script to hide it further. "So what I am saying is don't focus on the preparation. There's bound to be out of the blue instructions which are more important."

"I appreciate the heads up but," Eve finally caved in. The man thought he was doing her a favor but she didn't share the same sentiment. "Since those instructions are spontaneous like you said, I still must act like I don't know about it and prepare diligently."

Kyle bursted out laughing. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

'The feeling isn't mutual,' Eve responded in her head. She had to bite her tongue so the words wouldn't slip out. With Kyle satisfied, she crossed her fingers that he'd leave. He needed three models. Why not mingle with the other two he fancied?'

"What do you think about the script though?"

"Hey, Eva!" Tiffany interrupted. She bluntly ignored Kyle's existence while holding up two flower necklaces common in Hawaii. "I'm wondering whether to match the watermelon or pick a complementary color."

Grateful for the distraction, Eve took her time assessing both garlands. One had red artificial flowers. The other had blue which wasn't a complementary color if she remembered right. 

"I'll pick the blue one if I were you," Kyle saidan attempt at joining the conversation. "It goes really well with the purple hair. It also fits in with the set from what I have seen."

Tiffany pursed her lips. Her eyes stayed on Eve and the flowers. "Red is the better one, isn't it?"

"I think red would look better on Eve."

"Hm," Eve hummed. She touched both garlands and held them close to Tiffany's outfit. Since the latter wore white, both colors would work well. "Maybe don't use a flower necklace? Why not seashells or something?"

"But I really want to use a flower necklace." Tiffany whined, pouting her lips. "They're not commonly seen so I think it would catch the attention of viewers."

Eve scrunched her nose. "Why not a floral dress?"

Tiffany bit her inner cheek and darter hew gaze between the two flower necklaces. Kyle watched the exchange silently. His face betrayed zero emotion. It had to stop at some point. They couldn't talk about the necklace forever.

If they thought they could break him, they were wrong.

"Oh!" Tiffany gasped, her black eyes lighting up. "How about I clip a flower to my hair?"

"That should work!" Eve cheered. Although she cried on the inside, her facial muscles hurt from how wide she grinned. Tiffany still needed to finish getting ready. She'd be left alone with Kyle again who hadn't left. She didn't dare take a peek at him.

The bastard must be enjoying the fake tones in their voices.

She might hit him if she found a smirk on his lips.

"I think so too!" Tiffany nodded eagerly. She spun on her heel and took a step towards the clothing racks. "Thanks for the help, Eva! Break a leg!"

Eve waved her hand as Tiffany walked away. She faced her mirror once more and let the stylist work through her hair. Kyle typed on his phone. Relief flooded inside her chest. Maybe something came up and he finally needed to leave.

The wider the distance between them, the calmer she would be.

"So, Evangeline" Kyle opened up, leaning down so their faces could be closer. 

Eve felt her heart stop in alarm. Without the script, their noses nearly bumped into each other. She shoved him away out of reflex and recoiled back. Kyle hit the wall beside the vanity mirror. The stylist and makeup artist gasped from the sudden development.

Blood drained from Eve's face when she realized what she had done.

Kyle merely smiled back. He straightened out the collar of his shirt and acted like nothing had happened. After all, the one who had the upper hand was him anyway. "Don't worry, Evangeline. I'll judge fairly. This won't affect your chances to be in our commercial."

Eve opened her mouth, letting her jaw stay lax. That should have a hidden meaning under it. Her arms trembled from the silent threat. If he had the connections in the modelling industry, did that mean he could end her career?

Besides, who was he again? She hadn't heard him anything about his last name so far.

Maybe he purposely told people not to say it out loud? What did he have to hide that wouldn't make their already terrible interaction worse?

Hasty footsteps slid across the floor, growing louder as the person came closer.

Eve looked up in search for her next savior. 

Aqua blue eyes met her gaze.

"Hey, dear. Is Evangeline done with hair and makeup yet?" Cale asked, smiling at the makeup artist. Then, he tapped Eve on her shoulders. His eyes drooped at the corners when he faced today's guest of honor. "Oh, Mr. Kyle. Sorry about this but do you mind if I take Evangelie to a quieter place? I want her to really do well later."

"Sure." Kyle shrugged. He massaged his hands as if he had all the time in the world, unbothered by all the interruptions. "I understand. I'll be looking forward to the performance."

Eve didn't say another word and stomped towards the exit. The quiet area should be the hallway. Maybe she could hide in the restroom too before the video shoot began. Kyle wouldn't dare to sneak inside the women's bathroom.

At least, she hoped he didn't.

The restroom door opened, its knob hitting the wall. Eve released all the tension in her muscles and checked each cubicle. When they all turned out to be empty, she leaned back on the sink counter and glared at her manager.

"What took you so long?" She demanded.

Cale gestured his hand towards the door, roughly guessing which direction led to Kyle. "I had to let him talk for a bit. He would have known something was up."

Eve groaned. The beginning stages of a headache rushed into her brain's blood vessels. Frown lines creased between her eyebrows. "I don't know what it is but I just get so irritated with him."

"I know, dear. I know."

"And I can't shake off this feeling that I should know who he is."

"You do?"

"I don't know, Cale." Eve sighed. "Why did he have to be a sponsor for the camp? I can't say what I want to his face anymore. I had to sacrifice a lot of things to be here. I can't let him win like this."