3. Vénus

*Previously...

Don's phone starts ringing, interrupting them. Looking at the caller's name he sees that it is Venus.

Don: It's her!

Mr. Denoire: Put it on loudspeaker.

He picks up and puts it on loudspeaker.

*Venus' point of view...

~Call?

For my brother to call me so many times, there must be something. At least, I think so? Or maybe Dad asked him to do it. He knows that if he did it directly, there would be a high probability that I would not respond. Although I am no longer really dependent on him.

I leave the room where the party for the launch of the advertising campaign is taking place, so I am the face of a line of cosmetic products, and go up to the floor where there is a bit of calm, then pick up.

- Me: Hi Don. I saw that a while ago you tried to call me... Are you okay?

- Don: Hey, little sister!... Yeah, it's okay. And you ?

- Me: I'm doing really well, yes...

I lean against the upstairs railing, looking down at the people downstairs.

- Me: So?

- Don: Sorry to call like that all of a sudden, but dad wanted to talk to you about something urgent so...

- Me: (laughs) It also surprised me that you called so insistently. Is he nearby?

- Don: Yes. I'm free-handed here. There is the whole family.

- Me: Oh...

Well... For them all to be together at this hour, it must be important.

- Me: This is new, Dad... I thought you wouldn't be interested in my life.

- Mr. Denoire: (sighs) You still don’t know how to say good evening?

- Me: The emotion made me forget, sorry.

Just kidding... It's completely false.

- Me: In short, what is this call worth to me? I'm hard at work here so if you could quickly...

- Mr. Denoire: (cuts) What work could you do at two in the morning?

He didn't even notice that I looked wide awake. Anyway, it's not even two o'clock where I am.

- Me: (smiles) In your opinion?

- Mr. Denoire: Venus!

- Me: It’s okay Mr. Denoire, I’m in Montreal now and we have the same time. I'm just at a party where I'm the muse... Please cut it short, I don't have time.

If it's to ask me to stop my work, he's wasting his time. Some time ago, he called me about it, Don also told me that he didn't really like the idea of ​​me being a model. I wonder what it will be like to see my photos all over the streets of Miami Beach when we launch there?

- Mr. Denoire: I would like you to be here in two days.

- Me: Why?

He remains silent for a few seconds.

- Me: Am I listening?

- Mr. Denoire: I would like you to marry the son of my partner.

At the time, I froze, completely stunned by what he had just said, then ended up bursting out laughing.

Get married... Me? To the son of one of his associates on top of that. Stuck in the ass as they are, I can't even imagine the guy's face if he accepted marriage. Not that I judge people's appearance, but hey... What does he do with Roselyne and Iris? As far as I know I'm not the best choice for this sort of thing. For him, I am more likely to ruin his good relationships with people.

- Mr. Denoire: (sighs) You better not take what I say as a joke.

So he's serious... Aahh...

- Me: I don't want to be anyone's wife so ask your two other daughters to do it! Nothing beats them being married already. They will be able to cope better than me.

~End of call...

I hang up directly without even giving him time to react.

A wedding... And then what else?

He plans to set up an unstable person, a mentally ill person with the son of one of his associates? We will have seen everything. Anyway, I'm not buying that. Besides, it wouldn't really fit with the life I lead.

??? : Ah Venus, you were there! There are still people you need to meet for possible collaborations.

Me: Okay, let's go.

For six years, I lived apart as if I had no parents. Let them now let me live in peace.

~The next day...

So he was serious about this marriage thing... My mother, my brother and my sisters left me a bunch of messages the rest of the evening to explain the situation. Knowing Dad must have been so angry after I hung up suddenly that he must have broken things. He really doesn't like people going against him. But no one keeps me on a leash. That said, I plan to go there and seeing how things go there, I will see how to act.

??? : Everything is going much better than I thought. We will be out of stock in just two days if orders continue to flow in like this.

I smile silently while the owner of the company and the others talk.

Boss: And all thanks to Venus!... I wonder what it would have been like if we hadn't had a model other than her.

Me: But no... I just did my job.

Photographer: Seriously, you did it! It's rare to see a girl so young with so much professionalism. The advertising, the photo shoots and even the live performance, it was perfect! You capture the image so well that we almost want to buy you rather than the product.

Me: Pfff... Haha! Aren't you exaggerating a bit there?

Boss: You are very talented Venus. Oh what I would have given to have a daughter like you. I only have boys.

My father would never do something like that. It's always weird to hear other people like what I do.

I met Mr. Lovis in Paris. Although I was still in high school, I still had a small job as a model. That's where I got in touch with him. I started when I was sixteen. As some networks hadn't yet been too popular, I couldn't become popular quickly, but now it's different. So I gained a lot of experience by learning on the job and also money. Which means that for two years, I no longer use the one my father sends since I have my own.

Me: You are so nice Mr. Lovis.

Boss: Now that the launch has been done, you will have more free time for yourself. Are you planning to resume classes? Last year, you took a year off to focus on work.

Me: Oh yes! I was actually thinking about it... Besides, in this regard, I have to leave Montreal. My family lives in Miami Beach and that's where I go. Maybe, I should enroll in a university there. Anyway, my understanding is that the company will have to host another launch party there.

Boss: Indeed, that's true... I hope you can participate. You know you're the face of the brand.

Me: I'll come, don't worry...

And what's more, I received several other collaboration proposals during the evening. Some of these businesses are in Miami Beach and Miami. Mr. Lovis had said that it was an opportunity to make his own contacts and he was right.

Finally, what needs to be resolved first is this marriage thing. I would like to know why the old man wants to involve me in his business strategies. And then what is its use? My brothers in no way told me there were any problems with his businesses or anything... That's why it surprises me.

To be continued...

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Kisses ?