Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 10

Cora's POV

"Hopefully, now you see what we all see, when we look at you," Mateo tells me in a low tone.

"I can't believe it is me, that I can look like this. I would never have in a million years thought that I could look like this", I tell them, still staring in the mirror at my reflection.

"I would suggest using purples to try to recreate this look. I used this plum color towards the back of your eve, and this lighter lavender-like purple at the front of your eye. You can also use a deep pink, like Magenta, or a coppery orange to a warm bronze, and you can use blue or greens too, as long as you keep them bright and deep. I will show you this Saturday as will have my full kit and if I have some samples that I don't need, I can give you some. I will also write down what I used for foundation, and you will need to start a skincare routine as well. Now that your face is on the runway, you will need to take better care of your face. I will give you suggestions for skincare as well", Eric tells me.

"I have never looked more beautiful, thank you all so much for all the work you did," I said to them and started tearing up looking at myself.

Eric quickly stepped up with a Kleenex to wipe my eyes gently, "Honey don't cry, your face is a wonderful canvas, you just needed someone to show you the way. If we hadn't both been working on you at the same time, it would have been so much quicker, we were both ending up in each other's way. But there is no one I would rather be tangled up with than Franco will try to give you some makeup tips and points this Saturday when I do your makeup. From what Iris and Olivia tell me, you never wear makeup, and this is your first "real" haircut, other than just a trim. I know this is a little overwhelming, but this is your new life now. I would take it and run with it. I believe that you were made for this myself". "I would love some tips. I just didn't have time for it. I studied and didn't date. Even in college, I needed to focus on keeping my grades high to try to keep getting scholarships. I needed that money to pay for my books, my dorm, and food. I did pretty well. I only have to pay for the 2 years at Harvard now, everything else has been paid off. I have a decent job now so I can pay for my student debt and help my parents out with my dad's medical bills and the mortgage", I tell them.

"That is a lot of weight for someone so young to carry, but it seems like you have a great head on your shoulders, and I think that you are going to do well with the modeling too," Franco tells me. "Guy's, I didn't think that we would have to use it so soon, but Cora wants us to call her by her middle name Shea, for the shows. She doesn't want anyone to know what her name really is, so you might want to start going with it now because you two outdid yourselves. She looks even more beautiful than even I thought that she would look, and I had lofty expectations for her already. She just might be making a name for herself in the modeling industry, from the first show, and it could only help us overall. The more attention that we get, the bigger all of our names get" Mateo tells them.

"Since we are already all here, what do you think of all of us going out to eat? There is a great little pizza place near here that I haven't been able to try yet. What do you ladies think?" Franco asked the group. We all agree to grab something to eat and talk. We grabbed a booth and sat down, with me sitting between Franco and Eric, Iris, and Olivia sitting on opposite sides of Mateo on the other side of the table. We were all eating and laughing, when I heard someone clear their throat at our booth. We all looked up and I saw Dalton Fossett standing there and looking directly at me. I blush, and I hear him say "I KNEW it was you, but the blush confirms it for me. Cora, you look absolutely stunning", Dalton tells me and motions someone behind him over.

I see Nicolas walk over and then do a double-take at me before he starts laughing and says "Dowdy and frumpy, oh this is the best. I cannot wait for Collin to replace out".

"No, please, do not tell him. I just got my hair done" and turned to touch Franco's shoulder, "And my makeup done", and now I squeezed Eric's shoulder.

Because I am going to be doing some modeling for my friend". I grinned over at Mateo and nodded towards him. "Collin made such a big deal about what I was wearing last week and how it wasn't good enough, he said that I needed to step it up, so I didn't embarrass him, as I am the first employee they see representing him when they come to his office. So, my friends are helping me out and this just kind of fell in my lap, with me getting a better bonus out of it than Mateo is getting, I assure you. But please don't tell Collin, I will not be wearing makeup to work, and I will have my hair back up in its bun come Monday. The only difference will be that I will look beautiful in the new clothes that Mateo gave me to wear for work. I will get dolled up again next Saturday for the runway show. I would rather he not know about this at all. I am sure he will replace a way to make me feel bad about modeling as well, when I am already not totally confident about it now." I told them.

"You are actually coming back to work after all that Collin did to you this week?" Dalton asks me.

"I am, Catherine gave me a shot at doing this, she has faith in me, and it is time for her to retire. I am not doing it for Collin, but for Catherine. I did hear words exchanged in his office, so I am sure you both said something to him, so maybe he will change some of his activities to another location, and not the office anymore", I told them before I started to blush, heavier this time and look down at the table.

"I knew you were tough, Cora. I am glad you are coming back; I was really worried that you wouldn't. I did happen to give him a good talking to, and I don't believe that the biggest problem that you encountered this week will have a repeat performance. I didn't think that you would be coming back though. What he did was wrong, and I let him know exactly how wrong he was in doing it. I knew you were strong when I met you, but after all the blushing when you met us and then replaceing out about how your first week went. I really didn't know if you would be back", Nicolas tells me.

"I will be there on Monday, I don't know if I will stay on as his PA, but I did tell Catherine that I was going to give the job a fair chance and do my best for the next two weeks before I made my final decision. V.P. Siler had told me that he would welcome me into his department if working to replace Catherine fell through. Probably because he knew what kind of an environment I was going to be working in. So, I do have options", I tell them.

They smiled back at me and then glanced around the table looking at my friends.

"Oh, I am sorry, these are my friends and I start pointing at them as I introduce them; these are my best girlfriends, Olivia Lewis and Iris Martin. This is Mateo Torres, a brilliant designer, this is Franco Phoenix, he is the best hairstylist in New York, and last but certainly not least, Eric James, whose gift is making regular people beautiful", I tell them. I then introduced Collins's friends to my friends, "Guys, these are Dalton Fossett and Nicolas Caldwell, they are Collin Lauder's best friends".

"Nice to meet you both. I am glad that you spoke to Collin about the incident. As I assure you, I spoke my opinion to Cora about it as well," Livi says to Nicolas, leaving the words hanging in the air, as they were sent as and received as a threat.

"I am sure that Collin is done with any inappropriate actions at work anymore. But I will make it a point to tell him again this Friday when we swing by to talk to him, and to Cora, at work. She is a delight, and I think that she is excelling at the job already at the end of the first week. Catherine is enormously proud of all that Cora has learned in just a week", Nicolas says as he looks at Olivia.

"Mateo, I have heard good things about your designs, and that you want the fashion world to have inclusiveness for all sizes. My sister talks about you often as she is size 12, and she feels like it is harder to be fashionable at her size. I am glad that you are doing that to include people that don't have the opportunity to, necessarily, get the higher quality, designer clothes that they want to, from the regular avenues", Dalton tells us and nods approvingly at Mateo. "Iris, do you have any available room for the show this weekend?" Mateo turns to her and asks Iris.

"We will have room for up to 10 people more left at the venue," Iris tells him.

"How many seats will you need?" Mateo asked Dalton.

"Seriously? Four please, one for me, Nicolas, my sister, and mother, who I believe will also love your clothes. Thank you so much, that would mean a lot to her to be able to come to see your show".

"I will leave the address with Cora to give you on Friday when you come to her work," Iris tells them.

"Mateo, would you happen to have an available seat for Catherine at the show too? I would like her to come and see me walk the runway as well. Mom and dad can't come, because dad is not strong enough to come right now. Maybe at a later show, they will be able to come", I asked him.

"Sure, we will leave her name at the door too, she can always sit with Nicolas and Dalton, as she already knows them," Mateo said and nodded to Iris for her to add the fifth person to the list.