na's

d were dressed in elegant pieces, some short, some long gliding across the sleek floor. The

follow my desire for fashion design. I know most people would ask why not go to Milan? Yes it is one of the major fashion cen

Dubai's tall and flashy buildings and the diversity of its pe

liquid as my new best friend Evara, who I met when I arrived in Dubai two months ago, pulled me around the grand hall, forcing m

an invite from D&G and took me with her as her plus one. She knows of my dream to

u never know how they might react. You know rich people can be snobs. And t

and they aren't snobs like everybody else," she pulls my hand with

to her parents. Am already tense as it is and she wants me to meet her parents. She says that they are not snobs but what if they think

ook my skin color from my mom but lighter because of my dad and I inherited my dad's hazel eyes. So t

ey don't li

'll

at

50.She was elegantly dressed with a gown which without mistake was designer. You could tell she was Evara's mother. No need for DNA. The man looked to be in his late forties with his je

and hugged them while I stood behind her qu

fashion. I couldn't refuse," her father said looking l

i. An amazing designer. You should really see her sketches mom,"

of her parents who were

Esposito,"I greet them politely

ce and she ignores my hand and pulls me towa

out you Zolina. You are defini

hope,"I say, ch

me feel old and I want to feel young if you

ng us laugh and the tension I had felt was now non-existent. Her parents were not what I had expected. The

know what i'm doing," she put her arms around my shoulder while we

y as I wrap my arm around her waist. We clearly we

..

&G collection to be released. I now had a glass of red wine. Cham

call from her current rich client who had hi

d with a modern twist-when I felt a sharp jolt at my back. The force knocked the gl

on on

r as the deep red bled across t

I started, tu

en I s

f his life. His expression was unreadable-calm, even bored-as if he ha

," I said, my voice

lazily. "You were standing

s man s

I snapped. "You ran int

xpression, then lifted his eyes back to m

ally pulled out a matte black credi

n't t

hissed. "You think you can just thro

ow. "Would you rat

'd rather yo

n something that almost looked l

're insu

k into his pocket like it was beneath

my neck. "I made it and it took me three weeks t

ross his eyes-confusion, maybe.

ly, "Use wine-resist

t slapp

rol. I could still feel the stain soaking into the fabric. I could still feel him-hi

l did he th

ss, but the damage was done. People st

his name, bu

that he got

e a burden. The warm night air slapped my face as I exited the hotel, and for the first time sin

my chair, heart heavy. The wine stain looked even worse under the bright light.

blowing up

AR

Where'd

d the des

AR

you meet m

row

E

ho's your

ent a

o

O

ed: tuxedo. Ch

was

ped th

same Eros I'd heard her mention? The older brother who'd flown in from Lond

. Just

pected-I had to see him again. Repeatedly. Because he was family

ed to

d worse. I didn't fly halfway across the world, build my life from scratch

eling Eros wouldn't

for