BEAUTY MARKS

FALL

Dominique took a step closer, lowered his head to have his brown eyes bore into Kaede's. The dark limbal ring around his iris intensified the stare, which found itself shaded with his furrowing brows. All she saw was confidence, the kind that yelled Dominique wasn't going anywhere.

A small lock of his hair detached itself from the batch, and all Kaede wanted to do was tug on it while she kissedㅡ.

"Excuse me," Steph saw Dominique as a rival from day one. What surprised Steph, who thought Marco was also part of the manager fan club, was how the man didn't notice his friend attempted to woo Kaede.

Kaede gained some distance; it was a close call, "yes, Steph."

Steph stepped in front of Dominique, "you wanted me to make a few changes on the merch."

"Oh yeah, Dominique, I'm sorry, but I have to work."

"No problem, I'll look around your new kingdom."

"She's busy," Steph interrupted.

Dominique smirked; Steph's crush was too visible. He had no control over his emotions like a teen. Still, the man did not dismiss Steph as a rival. The younger man had that pretty ageless face, a smile, and style to kill. Dominique suddenly found himself wondering what type of guy Kaede liked and if he fitted the category personality-wise, for he was almost a hundred percent sure his looks were not the issue.

The woman resisted for a minor detail, which was the fact he was Marco's friend and that she detested him.

Dominique, who met Marco since doubted his friend would go haywire if he found out. Kaede was out of his sight even if Fairplay made Marco legit as he was there first. Dominique estimated that if his friend were genuinely interested, he would have gone out of his way to get her.

The reasoning allowed Dominique to avoid tedious questioning on whether going after the woman made him a traitor to their friendship.

A sardonic smile surfaced on Dominique's face, "I'm a customer. Can't I look around?"

"Then buy something and stop hanging around my manager. She has a lot of work."

Dominique cocked an eyebrow, and Steph glared back. In his the sales assistant's eyes, one could read the get lost asshole translation of what he said.

Kaede blinked twice, and her mouth made a duh motion as she couldn't believe it. She wondered when her life became a harem reverse as it was clear Steph was fending for something.

The woman recalled what she asked God in her prayer.

Were there some glitches on the line? The men around her were not at all what the woman called the right one.

"Eh, Steph, thank you, but I can speak for myself. Can you prepare the Comme Des Garçons Play new collection for the sweet spot at the front of the store, please?"

Steph pursed his lips, frustrated to see Kaede dismiss him in front of Dominique, who gave him a playful wink.

"And you, please, I beg you, Dominique, don't rewind the last month by coming here every day that God grants. People are going to start talking."

"So what, let them talk. Everything your team is thinking will end up being true. I've already told you, Kaede; we can fix this if you give me your number. I'll call you and invite you to have coffee, lunch, whatever you fancy."

"Will you leave me alone if I do that?"

The man tilted his head from side to side and crossed his arms to ponder, "that's a hard one, Kaede. I like you, and I might fancy you even more. Or you might like me too much. You know what they say l'appetit vient en mangeant, [hunger comes while eating].