Chapter 65 To Gain An Experience I was mostly afraid of causing trouble for Nicholas. After all, the fashion show had to be swarming with journalists.
He assured me that it was fine and even told me to give him a call the moment I arrived. That way, he could arrange for someone to escort me in.
I thought about it for a while. In the end, my curiosity prevailed.
I used to watch male and female models walk the runway on television, so it would definitely be a thrill to have a chance to watch it live.
After we reached an agreement, I left.
When I returned to the hotel, it suddenly occurred to me that I never told Nicholas that I wanted to be at the set. So how did he know about it?
I figured he must have heard it from Flash and thought nothing more of it.
After dinner, while my father was chatting jovially with his students, I waved at Mom and stole softly out of the room.
Dad never saw me leave, but someone else sure did. Louis followed behind me and came running after me.
I told him to go back, but he refused. He said that if I didnât take him along with me, he would go back and report to Dad. If that were to happen, neither of us would be able to leave.
I was speechless for a moment. In the end, I decided to give Nicholas a call.
I canât bring my brother along without asking Nicholas.
I spoke with Nicholas on the phone, and without another second of delay, he agreed to have my brother tag along. He asked me to wait at the hotel entrance, and he was going to come and pick us up.
After the phone call, I glared at my brother fiercely and said, âSomeone will be here to pick us up. Once weâre there, stay close to me and donât wander around. Iâll skin you alive if you cause any trouble.â
Louis replied nonchalantly, âHow old do you think I am, Lili? Why do you think I want to follow you? I donât want to stick around with Dad, and itâs boring to be alone. Why are you acting so mysterious anyway? Are you going on a date with a celebrity? Or are you meeting up with country leaders?â
I ignored him. Iâm sure heâll be star-struck when he sees Nicholas and the other celebrities later.
Louis and I waited at the hotelâs entrance for twenty minutes before a black SUV stopped in front of us.
I glanced at the car, but I couldnât see inside it. The car had curtains tightly drawn over each of its windows.
At that moment, the rear door was pulled open from the inside, and I saw Nicholasâ face.
He beckoned to me, and I quickly pulled Louis into the car.
âThank you for picking us up, Nicholas. And thank you for letting my brother tag along,â I said, somewhat abashed.
âDonât mention it. Hello there,â Nicholas greeted Louis.
Just then, Louis looked like a complete fool. He was staring intently at Nicholas with his mouth agape.
I called it! Star-struck indeed.
âAhem! Earth to Louis. Say hi.â I feigned a cough and nudged him.
After more than ten seconds, Louis suddenly jumped up in his seat violently, enough to knock his head on the car roof.
Louis clutched the top of his head, his face scrunched up with pain.
He shook my arm and kept mumbling, âLili, itâs Nicholas! Am I dreaming? Pinch me so that I know itâs real!â
I lifted my hand and rubbed the top of his head. âDoesnât your head hurt? You still canât tell that youâre not dreaming?â
Such a silly boy.
I wanted to remind him to be a little more courteous, but he pushed my hand away and turned to Nicholas. âAre you really Nicholas Scott? The real deal?â
âLouis, thatâs a silly thing to say.â I couldnât help but pinch him.
Whatâs gotten into him?
Nicholas chuckled and replied, âIn the flesh.â
Nicholasâ reply caused Louis to grin from ear to ear.
I never thought that Louis would still be a huge fan of Nicholas. To see him all tongue-tied and starstruck was quite a jarring sight.
I smiled awkwardly and said to Nicholas, âIgnore him. Heâll get over it in a while.â
Nicholas beamed with delight and even gave Louis an autographed photo of himself.
After a short drive, the car finally came to a halt.
As soon as we got out of the car, a man with a pair of black round glasses, a pink shirt, and checkered overalls came rushing over to us.
Only when he was near did I realize his bow-tie was the same pattern as his overalls.
âWhere have you been, Nic? Iâve been looking all over for you. The journalists are asking for you.â
When the man in bow-tie spoke, I couldnât help but shudder.
âIâm back now, arenât I? Letâs go in then,â Nicholas said to the man. He then turned around to beckon at Louis and me.
Once inside, Nicholas said to the man in a bow-tie, âStay with them for a while, Jake. Iâll be back shortly.â
âLiliana, the show will begin in half an hour. You may walk around the set to have a look. If you need anything, just tell Jake. Heâs my manager.â
With that, he turned and left.
As soon as he left, Jake scrutinized us from head to toe before asking warily about the relationship between Nicholas and me.
Looking at how overprotective he was, I wouldnât tell him even if Nicholas and I were truly in a relationship. However, we were not.
I told him that Nicholas and I were just friends, and I came here today to gain an experience.
Jakeâs expression finally eased up after hearing what I said.
At that moment, a few staff came up to Jake.
I quickly said to him, âGo ahead. Louis and I will be fine by ourselves.â
âDonât get yourself into trouble. Iâll be back soon. Why donât you guys have a seat over there? Right there, behind the row of chairs.â
My eyes darted in the direction he was pointing before I nodded at him.
I led Louis to the back of the row of chairs and sat down at the farthest seat.
At first, Louis sat quietly beside me. But after he caught sight of a few celebrities, he became extremely excited, especially after he spotted Scarlett.
He insisted on approaching her for an autograph, and I couldnât even stop him.
I got up and decided to follow him. Yet after a few steps, I accidentally bumped into someone.