Every tAlicia answered a question, she would include slittle details that made it sounded like she was a local; she would point out certain places that she'd been, good restaurants that only locals would know, and joked about the unique accent there.
She managed to keep up her pretense because her late grandparents refused to cto the city, so they had to make several trips to the Swift Village every year. Even though the village wasn't a wealthy village, it was still quite advanced, and the living conditions were relatively good. She'd also done enough research that putting off an outsider or two who'd never heard of the place was still pretty simple for her.
Sebastian felt his doubts slowly disappearing further into the conversation. He gave his manager a kick under the table to give him a signal. The man responded impassively by putting down his wine glass.
"It has been very pleasant talking to you, Miss Swift. We certainly learnt a lot! Actually, the reason we wanted to speak to you, besides hearing of your fame, is also because we really admire your skill in dancing. That duet you did just now was absolutely incredible..." After a pause and a quick glance at Sebastian, he continued.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Mr. Forbes is planning to hold a comeback concert soon, and we would like to officially invite you to be our guest of honor at the concert and be his dance partner. Having seen that amazing duet just now, we'd like the performance to be similar to that. This idea was inspired by watching your dance, of course. We think that if you dance to Mr. Forbes's new song, it will surely excite the audience! Besides, the new song is different from Mr. Forbes's previous style of love songs. It's a very energetic piece. As for the dance choreography, it will be done by professional choreographers, who will also rehearse with you. Knowing your professionalism, I doubt it will be tough for you, Miss Swift!" "About this..." Alicia pretended to hesitate.
"Of course, the price can be negotiated!" Looking at the eager looks of the two men before her, Alicia was secretly happy and responded immediately.
"It would be inappropriate ofto quibble about the money with Mr. Forbes. It's my honor to perform with you! The only problem might be my other work commitments. I'll need to rearrange my schedule. Can you givea few days to think about it?" "Not a problem, Miss Swift. We are really sincere in this collaboration!" Alicia nodded and raised her glass. She then exclaimed with a smile, "Here's to us! Cheers!" At that moment, she saw Sebastian asking fora glass of warm water. Alicia's focus shifted to him. Before she could make any comments, the agent began to explain.
"Miss Swift, we hope you don't mind, but taking care of one's voice is essential for a singer! Therefore, Mr. Sebastian never smokes cigarettes nor drinks alcohol! Usually, we can make an exception, but now..." "I understand. The concert is just around the corner! Mr. Forbes is so dedicated. I admire that! It's really rare to see a man who can be so selfdisciplined, to not drink or smoke for the sake of his performance. I'm really impressed." She was way too cooperative! After all, if he were really as self-disciplined as he claimed himself to be, he wouldn't be going around f*cking other women. He was, at the very least, a heartbreaker. She refused to believe that he had no weaknesses. She would definitely find sdirt on him! Clinking their glasses together, she drank up in one gulp. In that moment, there was a flash of determination in her eyes.
After that day, Alicia purposely made appearances onstage more often than before at Heaven Star Clubhouse. Of course, this act was just to lure Sebastian.
Just as she expected, he, too, appeared every few days, and was always seated at the stable. Whenever they bumped into each other, they would sit down, chat, and drink together. Alicia eventually agreed to be his dance partner for his concert.
Back at home, Alicia received a lot of information about the performance arrangements with Sebastian. She also got the blueprint layout of the venue. She examined the distribution and arrangement of the entrange, the aisle, the corridor and at the stime, compared the arrangement of personnel in the concert hall. She studied every bit of the information regarding Sebastian with laser-like intensity. According to her careful plan, Alicia decided that she would make this concert the end of Sebastian Forbes.
That meant that the concert had to be the grandest, most widely promoted event! While she was deep in thoughts, her phone rang. It was a waiter from Heaven Star Clubhouse. "Miss Swift, Mr. Forbes is here again. He asked about you. Just as you requested, I've told him that you would probably be over later on!" Taking note of the time, Alicia stood up saying, "Got it, I'll be right there!" Alicia got changed quickly, grabbed her phone, and went out.
Once she arrived at the Heaven Star Clubhouse, she walked around for a while before faking an encounter with Sebastian.
"Sebastian, it's almost like fate that you're here! If I hadn't happened to have left my keys at hand am here to get a spare, I probably wouldn't have met you today!" After sitting down, Alicia snapped her fingers and said, "A glass of Bloody Mary and a fruit tray, please! Oh, and bring him another glass of warm water!" Alicia noticed the depressing look on Sebastian's face and pretended to show concern, "Why are you alone today? Are you in a bad mood?" "I've been practicing all day, but it doesn't feel right. So, I'm upset!" No one understood him, everyone was only putting pressure on him. With a job that didn't pay much but had so high a commitment, adding to the fact that his family was always complaining about his busy schedule, he was completely tired out. And besides, this concert was a very risky enterprise, because if it didn't succeed, he wouldn't be able to get another chance in the future! Sebastian's brows were tightly knotted. Anxiety was evident on his face as he picked up his glass of water, and gulped it down in one go.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmLooking at his body language, Alicia realized how depressed he was. She decided to seize the opportunity.
"Sebastian, don't pressure yourself so much. There's no need to push yourself too hard! Isn't there plenty of time? You are a human, not God. You need to remember to rest too! Only when you are rested can you showcase your abilities better!" Pushing the glass of water towards him, Alicia tempted him deliberately.
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"Honestly, it must not be easy for you! You can't smoke, can't drink alcohol, and with all this pressure on m you! If this continues, worried that you fall sick. There must be sway to vent out your emotions. Perhaps you could watch variety shows, play cards and so on. Put your mind on something else for now, and take it slow. Maybe it will help!" Be it gluttony or gambling, she didn't believe that someone like him had no flaws! Her words seemed to give him inspiration, like a guiding light in the dark. Sebastian's agitation dissipated in a split second.
"Yeah! You're right! Why didn't I think of that myself? Since I can't smoke and drink, there's still room to play cards! Hey, are there any casinos in Casterwich City?" He couldn't run to a casino overseas, especially not now! He almost couldn't breathe from the tremendous pressure!
"I don't know much about this sort of thing! But, I have heard about an underground casino that is pretty famous and is a hot spot for celebrities. It's said that it's very safe. However, the requirements for entry are quite strict, so I didn't dig deeper! Sebastian, I don't think it's a good thing to do though!"