The First Draft

Chapter 8

Eleanor started, "You know I work at a bakery."

Spencer asked, "Encanto?"

She nodded, "Yes. It's part of a bakery chain. Actually, I am the daughter of the owner."

He tilted his head, "OK..." He couldn't understand. What if she was the daughter of the owner? Many people work in their parent's shops. It's nothing strange.

She frowned, "No. I am the daughter of the owner of the chain. I mean I am Encanto's owner's daughter..... my full name is Eleanor Evans."

He thought for a second. He processed this information. Eleanor was an Evans? She was an EVANS? Those people are millionaires!!! Why was she working in a shop like that?

She said, "I know what you are thinking. My workplace doesn't know my real identity. I use an alias there. My parents told me and my siblings that we won't get any of their money."

He asked, "Why? I mean you are the heir, right?"

She replied, "Yes. But, they have a condition. If we can earn a certain amount of money all by ourselves before we turn 28, only then we will get our share. This is to prove that we are worthy."

"Then that day...." He tried to say something but she interrupted.

"That day I had to attend an emergency meeting on behalf of my mother. .. yes I said it was a party. But, it was basically an after-party meeting. My mother suddenly fell sick so I had to go." She sighed.

Suddenly nothing was making sense for Spencer. So, Eleanor was a millionaire. But, she won't inherit her parents' money until she is self-sufficient. But, she still had to attend parties. Why? None of this was going through his brain, he felt like ripping his hair off.

She looked at him and said, "It's too much to process, I know. My family relations are complicated."

He felt like yelling, "Complicated? No! It was really really complicated. What? Why?"

But, he gained his composure. He smiled, "No, we all have our share of complications."

She smiled back, "Do you have them too?"

He realised that she attempted to stir the conversation in a different direction.

He replied, "Yes. What do you think about my father?"

Eleanor was pretty sure that his father was either dead or his parents had divorced. So, she hesitated.

She tried saying something, "Um..."

He said, "Well, he is not dead nor are my parents divorced. He is actually an archaeologist in Egypt. And I haven't seen him in 5 years."

Eleanor was shocked.

He smiled, "Told you everyone has complications. Now, let's get to work."

Both of them kept silent for some time. Then, he showed her his character designs.

He asked, "Can you tell me the names of the characters? How long are we going to address them as ML and FL?"

She replied, "You are right."

He added, "And also tell me the location where the story takes place. I saw that each of your books takes place in different countries."

She nodded," Yes. I have books which take place in Thailand, China, Korea, Philippines.... let's do Japan this time. So, the boy is Kurata Emu and the girl is Yamashita Mayu."

He thought for a while, "OK... so Japan.. there must be cherry blossom scenarios. I have done the boy's design. Have a look."

She took the design and looked at it. Then, she looked at him and then again at the design. This continued for more couple of times. Then, she said," He kind of looks like you."

He replied, "I don't see the resemblance." He was lying obviously. But, he didn't want to admit that he made the main lead look like him.

Eleanor started working on her manuscripts and Spencer started drawing the female lead. He looked at Eleanor.

Unmindfully, he started drawing her cartoon version. Her straight black hair and the glasses made her face pop out more. Soon, the design was complete.

Eleanor's phone buzzed when she received a message. But, she was so busy with her work that she didn't notice.

Spencer stole a glance. It was from Noah.

Work finished early today. How about dinner at 7? Should I pick you up?

Spencer frowned. He looked at the time. They were working for almost 5 hours. He said, "I have finished the design."

She looked at the design and was in complete awe, "This is beautiful." Then, he looked at the phone and the time.

She said, "Let's resume our work later. I will try to make a better script so that Penny doesn't say that it's garbage outright. And this time I will show you the manuscript first."

He simply nodded. Eleanor took her leave.

Finally, after so much work, Spencer returned to his room and jumped into the bed. He looked at the ceiling and suddenly he remembered that he had forgotten something.

He forgot to ask Eleanor, "Who on earth was Derek?"