“Look,” Dianna said as she elbowed me, “the Amazons have arrived.”
Stifling a giggle I looked at the doorway. A group of ten tall overly thin women walked into the room chatting with each other. My eyes darted quickly over their bodies as the butterflies in my stomach morphed into a twisted knot.
“Oh no, it’s even worse than I imagined,” I said under my breath.
All I could see were protruding collar bones, sunken in cheeks, and clothes that hung off bodies no different than a plastic hanger. The models looked unhealthy. Some of the problems I saw could be fixed with hair and make up, but the part that mattered to me the most were their bodies and these models were much too thin.
“Are you ok?” Dianna asked quietly. “You look a little green.”
Breathing deeply as I tried to calm myself, I opened my mouth to speak but squeaked instead. My throat felt like one of the models got lodged in there. Tears slowly stung my eyes so I looked around trying to stop them from spilling onto my cheeks.
As I blinked and fought back tears, Will walked through the door with Stewart close behind him. Don’t let him see me like this! Turning away I hoped to somehow disappear or blend into the wall. It didn’t work.
“I see your models arrived,” he said as he approached then lowered his head to my ear. “Did something happen? Is everything ok?”
The dam burst. “They’re too skinny,” I said then covered my face with my hands.
“Yes well, they’re models. Someone thinks they should look like the walking dead. You knew they’d be thin. I don’t understand what’s wrong.”
“Everything! My designs are ruined. I’ll have to start over. I can use my sketches but I have two days to make everything over again.”
“You can’t use what you have?”
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I shook my head. Just by looking at them I could tell all my samples were a waste. Every detail, from the ruching to the draping would have to be completely redone. My samples were worthless now. With that amount of work, it would be easier to start from scratch. The biggest problem was I didn’t have time. It was close to impossible to recreate all of my designs in less than two days.
Will stormed off without a word and barked something at one of the models that sent her running in tears. While he glared at her abandoned friend, she said something to him before she also left.
In a blink an elegant older woman with ‘Mimi’ on the access pass hanging around her neck, entered and began talking to Will. Based on the way she carried herself, she might have been a model back in the day. Will’s voice boomed throughout the room as he spoke, this time in French. I wasn’t sure if I should be worried or impressed that he could yell in another language.
With her face red, she barked something at the eight remaining models and they began filing out into the hall. With a quick turn on her heel she exited the room and my dream went from impossible to nonexistent. The sickly toothpick models were bad, but no models were worse. How would my collection go down the runway without them?
Not wanting to be there any longer than I needed to be, I started packing up. Will spoke in hushed angry tones to Stewart before coming back to me.
“What are you doing?” he asked
“What’s it look like? I’m packing.”
“Don’t.”
He crossed the room and exited. I hated feeling like such a wuss and knew some of it was from the lack of sleep, but all I wanted to do was feel sorry for myself. Poor me! I made my dream come true and was standing at Paris Fashion Week. Yeah, that pity party didn’t last long.
My mind started to work and I wondered how many women walking around the mall on the other level would walk down the runway for me. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Let’s go find some models, Dianna.”
As we entered the hall, Mimi walked towards us with Will by her side. She reached out and held my hand between her cold bony hands as she spoke with a thick French accent.
“There was a horrible mistake. Gianni was supposed to be in this room, but he changed last minute. I’ve sent the girls to him and yours should arrive soon.”
She patted my hand when she finished talking and then shot Will an annoyed look before walking off. Dianna and I went back into the Hargrove’s room and as I unpacked the few things I put away, my new models entered.
Now these were the real Amazons. My new models didn’t look like they’d need to seek shelter on a windy day. They were as close to being normal women as one would find on the runway. These were the models used in plus sized ads, and while that made them controversial for runway, I couldn’t be happier seeing them.