“The high-end department store? I really don’t want to work retail. I don’t see how that’ll help me become a designer.”
“Hear me out. In Canyon Cove there aren’t many options and this is a good one. Hargrove’s has an employee only fashion design contest every year. The winner gets to feature their collection in the store. If Hargrove’s feels the collection is strong enough, they’ll even send the designer to Fashion Week.”
“For real? How did I not know about this?”
“Its one of their best kept secrets. I wish they had something like this when I graduated,” he said as he smiled at me. “You take your time and think about my offer. If you break my heart I’ll understand, but at least consider Hargrove’s. I’ll put in a good word and make sure you’re not just stocking shelves all day. Think about it and give me a call, ok sweetheart? And here’s LuAnne’s number if you decide to go that route,” he said as he wrote down a phone number on a small piece of paper.#p#分页标题#e#
“Thanks Joshua, you’ll hear from me one way or the other. Thank you for everything.”
“Anytime. Us designers have to stick together you know. I’m more than happy to help.”
***
Finally getting home, I felt the day catch up with me as I collapsed onto the old brown and tan polyester couch that doubled as my bed. I dropped my stack of mail onto the kitchen table without looking at it. I didn’t have to sort through them to know they were bills. If it had my name on it, they were looking for money.
As I kicked off my shoes one of the envelopes caught my eye. It was a little longer than my credit card bills and thin. I picked it up and held it up to the light afraid to open it.
“Please don’t be what I think this is,” I said annoyed as I examined the envelope. “Are you kidding me? I just came from graduation!” I said annoyed.
Opening it, I felt my stomach sink and slowly turn. It was exactly what I feared—my student loans were already asking for payment.
Quietly slipping out of my closet, my orange and white cat hopped onto an arm of the couch and started purring. I rescued Mousetrap from a shelter after his owner kicked him out annoyed that he betrayed his name and what she considered his sole purpose in life. Trap was not only the laziest cat I ever met, but I was sure he’d run in the other direction if he ever saw a mouse. In other words, Trap and I had a lot in common.
“Shit Trap, talk about bad timing” I said loudly as I fell back onto the couch wishing I hadn’t gotten up to check that letter. “I thought I had a few months before they wanted anything. Maybe I should call Drake Winslow and see if Ashley’s job is still open. I could use that kind of money. Maybe I shouldn’t have turned it down.”
Trap meowed his reply. His “talking” was the reason I took him home. I never planned on adopting a pet, but next thing I knew Trap was talking to me from a cage as I walked past a pet adoption fair. Figuring it was never too early to fulfill my destiny as the crazy cat lady, I adopted him. Besides, I spent way too much time talking to myself. Trap made me seem a little less wacky.
“No? No regrets? When you’re right, you’re right Trap,” I said as I scratched his neck.
Looking around my small studio apartment, I knew I couldn’t scale down any further. Any smaller and I would be living in a closet or a nice refrigerator box. Mentally going through my poor excuse of a budget, I knew it was only a matter of time before I wouldn’t be able to pay rent. I needed a job now, but I really wanted to pursue my dream. If I didn’t do that now I didn’t know when I’d have the chance to. There would never be a perfect time.
As I thought about my talk with Joshua, I considered taking him up on his offer of working at Joyeux. I knew he’d let me help design, but it would be under his name not mine. And since we both designed for plus size as well as smaller sizes, I knew it would be hard for me to really stand out. Joshua was such a talented designer, my work couldn’t compare to his.
I pulled out the piece of paper he gave me and turned it over between my fingers. Hargrove’s was the high end department store, actually it was considered a fine department store. That’s how fancy it was. But I really didn’t want a retail job. They were a lot of work for not much pay. I wanted to design, to create fashion. Not sell what was already on a hanger.
Joshua was right though, Hargrove’s could be an amazing opportunity because of their Annual Designer Challenge. The chance that I could win that or even get a foot in with a buyer was tempting enough for me to ignore what working retail meant. I dialed the number Joshua gave me and crossed my fingers as I listened to the phone ring.