FIVE.

"How are things at work and with Zac?” Zeke inquired of his best friend. Alyona was two years younger than Zeke. Since middle school, they've been best friends. They dated for a couple of years in high school and then in college, but they had to call it quits when things didn't work out.

Nobody but him and Ida were aware of her new job as a stylist. She was content to keep it that way for a while before informing the others.

“Work is going well, and I haven't seen Zac in a few days.” She turned to face him, her head raised. He had lovely blue eyes and a sensual smile.

Unfortunately, our emotions faded. He's more mature now, and he's everything I want in a man, but I have no feelings for him. And, to top it all off, he has a lovely girlfriend, and that makes me happy for him. She gave him a friendly grin.

“What's going on inside your pretty little head? And are you certain that you and Zac are on good terms? You seemed relieved that you wouldn't see him for a few days.

“Is it wrong to say that I'm relieved I haven't seen him in a long time?”

They'd shared many wonderful experiences and memories, but his issue was that he wasn't proud of what she was doing. He was always trying to persuade her to stop doing what she loved because it wasn't a well-paying job, and she was sick of it. She needed a man who would cheer her on and tell her she was doing a fantastic job.

A man who would cheer her up when she was down. A man who would tell her he admired her and was proud of her accomplishments. Zac Hawkins, however, was not that man. He'd never done it before, and she wasn't going to see him do it any time soon, so she was skeptical about how well things would go between them.

“Why?” Zeke inquired, taking a sip of her coffee.

“He's a nice guy, no doubt, but...”

“ Is he not supportive? Is he not proud of the work you do?” Zeke asked her.

He had known Alyona his entire life; she was driven by a desire to launch her own make-up line and become a makeup artist to realize her dream. It's all she's wanted.

So why isn't he proud that she's trying to make her own money and not relying on her parents' success?

“ Aly, if he continues to act in this manner, it will be his greatest loss. You're a determined young lady, and I admire that about you. You've had this dream since you were a child, and seeing you live it makes you the most successful and strong woman I've ever met. I am proud of you, and if your friends and family find out, they will be as well. It's his loss, and I hope he realizes his error before it's too late,” Zeke concluded.

“ Thank you for believing in me, Zeke. It means a lot to hear from you.”

“The pleasure is entirely mine, love.”

~

The photos of Giada and Brynn from the fashion show were going viral, and they were getting calls from major fashion houses asking them to model for them. Brynn's parents were completely behind her; the only issue was Kai. Xara was fine with Giada pursuing a career in fashion if she truly desired it.

“Are you sure that's what you want to do with your life?” To pursue a career as a model by majoring in fashion." For the umpteenth time, Kai inquired of his daughter.

“Yes, dad, I've been debating what I want to study in college, and after this opportunity, this is exactly what I want,” she replied, her fingers crossed.

“ If that's what you want, I'm completely on board,” Kai affirmed.

Thank you, Dad, for everything; you're the best, and I love you.” She gave him a big hug.

“I love you, sweetheart, but do you and Brynn have a manager?” Perhaps you girls could speak with Aly for assistance; she may know a few people.” Kai made a suggestion.

“King says he knows someone,” Giada replied, “but I'll talk to Aly about makeup and see what she says.”

Gia dashed to her room to inform her friend. She was ecstatic that she had discovered what she truly wanted to do in college. Her twin had already applied to colleges to study business administration. As soon as his father retired, he planned to assist Elon in managing the rest of his father's businesses.

“Come in!" Gia summoned. Jax walked into her room and jumped onto her bed.

"What's up, Jax?" she asked casually.

“I overheard you, mom, and dad talking about you going into modeling. “Is that true?” he inquired.

“It's 100 percent true, aside from the fact that Brynn would be here any minute now so we could look up and apply to colleges that offer fashion as a major,” she explained.

“I'm delighted for you,” he said sincerely.

“Thank you, Jax; that means a lot coming from you,” she said with a smile.

“ You're very welcome. And, by the way, would you and Brynn like to join us later today? "When you're finished with the fashion thingy?" He inquired about her.

“ We'd love to, but where are we going?” Brynn inquired, standing by the door.

“To the movies to see ‘He's all that,'” Jax replied nervously. He's had a crush on Brynn since sophomore year but hasn't dared to tell her how he truly felt. Brynn was aware of his feelings for her, but she simply wanted him to express them.

“OK, we'll let you know when we're done here,” she said as he walked towards his room.

Giada dialed Aly's phone number and waited for her to answer. Before they made any decisions, they wanted to hear from her.

Aly answered the phone and said, "Hey, baby."

“Hey Aly, I hope I'm not bothering you at work, but Brynn and I have a couple of questions for you if that's okay with you,” she began.

“ All right, shoot.”

“I'm not sure if you've seen both of our pictures trending on the internet on a fashion runway, but we've been getting calls from fashion houses asking us to be their models, and Mom and Dad have agreed, but the problem is that we don't have a makeup artist, hairstylist, or hairstylist; we've hired a costume designer. As a result, we would like to know if you could recommend any hairstylists, managers, or makeup artists. “Thank you in advance.” Giada threw in her two cents' worth.

“First and foremost, I'm incredibly proud of you girls, and I've seen your photos. And if you're interested in working for a fashion house, they have their own hair and makeup artists, so that's taken care of. Given that you have a costume designer, all you need is a manager. Could you please send me a list of fashion houses that have contacted you? If you don't mind, I could assist you and possibly serve as your manager and make-up artist. If you want your own personal makeup artist, that is.” Aly made a recommendation.

“Thank you, Aly; I'll do that, as well as send you King's phone number so you can collaborate. We'd also like to have you as our stylist.”

“ It's entirely my pleasure. I'll be waiting for you, and please accept my heartfelt congratulations. Tell Brynn that I said congrats to her, Giada. “I'll contact you later.” She hung up the phone.

Giada broke the news to her friend, and they forwarded the necessary details to Aly. They began searching for colleges and universities that offered fashion-related courses to apply to.