Chapter 21
Cassy
It was the day before the town festival. I sat in the living room sipping coffee as Charlene and I waited for the girls to change into my creations.
“Do you really think coffee is going to calm your nerves?” Charlene said. “It might actually make it worse.”
I grinned, rubbing my palms together. “Well, whatever,” I said. “At least you’re here to support me. I couldn’t thank you enough.”
Charlene tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And besides, I’m also excited to put my hair and makeup skills into action.”
“So you’ve been pursuing that apart from your family business?” I asked in surprise.
“Yes,” she said. “Mom and Dad don’t mind as long as I do my work well in the office. You should consider it in the future. I mean, training in your office too. I know it’ll be a cinch for you the way you breezed through college and did so well in your IT major.”
I laughed. “Thinking about it, really. Might get Dad to finally shut up and let me have my life back.”
“Compromise is a good thing.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
The high school cheerleaders bounded down the stairs of Aunt Ellen’s house one by one, modeling my clothes. They were all just as excited as I was, which was obvious from their faces and chatter.
“This is so beautiful I think I’m going to buy it!” one of them gushed, turning around to show off the floral dress.
Her friend smiled. “You should, really,” she said. Then she went on to admire what she had on--- a lacy top that flowed into a long layered skirt with subtle frills.
“You’re all so, so beautiful!” Charlene told them, making them beam. “And tomorrow, you will be even more glam and radiant because I’m going to do your hair and makeup.”
Some of them squealed while the others just kept on admiring themselves and each other. They even asked to see the prices, which disappointed a few of them. These were teenage girls, after all, who didn’t get a hefty allowance like I did when I was in high school. I had actually priced the clothes very competitively, given that I was launching in a small town.
“You girls get a 50% discount, of course,” I told them, just coming up with the idea at that moment.
“Oh, my gosh! You’re way too cool!” the head cheerleader said, jumping up and down.
“No way!” the other one said. “Consider this sold!”
Charlene and I laughed.
“Well, it’s the least I can do for you who volunteered to model the collection,” I said. “My assistant dressmaker helped me create just two of each kind. I don’t want to mass-produce. Anyway, I’m offering 20% off too for those who buy on the spot tomorrow.”
“My sisters are so buying for sure,” a red-haired girl said with excitement. “Can’t wait to tell them the good news!”
“Yes, please spread the word,” I told them.
“Oh, you can definitely count on that!”
Everything was all set, so I decided it was time to relax and have some fun. I spent the afternoon with Charlene, Mel, and Jenny getting pampered at a local spa that had recently opened--- the very first of its kind in town. It was of course not much compared to the spas I was used to in the city. But nevertheless, their massage was very good for such an affordable rate. And having great company made it an unforgettable experience for me.
I knew Ivan was busy setting up his football clinic booth and planning all sorts of things. He was facilitating free games and drills for the kids to help promote his new venture. Hence, we didn’t have time anymore to see each other.
He did call me as I was having dinner with Charlene at a burger joint. “How’s my favorite fashion designer doing?” he asked in a teasing tone.
I told him about my day which made him a little envious.
“Damn, I’d love a massage too!” he said.
I laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you one. Free of charge.”
“Now there’s something to look forward to after the festival,” he said meaningfully. I could actually picture the grin on his face and his eyebrows doing that wiggling thing he sometimes did when he was in this sort of mood.
We chatted a bit more and then said our goodbyes, promising to meet up early the next morning.
That evening, I had never felt as relaxed, especially since Charlene and I got to have a “slumber party” in my bedroom just like we used to do when we were younger. We almost stayed up talking the whole night, but we forced ourselves to go to sleep because we had a full day to look forward to.
The sun was shining brightly in the morning. The perfect weather for a perfect day, I thought with a smile as I trooped onto Rosie’s vast horse farm where Burchnell’s Foundation Festival was going to be held.
With beautiful horses trotting against a background of greenery and a glistening river, the place was certainly lovely. The white fences had been dolled up with blue and red ribbons and flags. There was even a huge balloon arch and a welcome banner in the same colors to serve as the entrance.
An excited smile spread across my face as I looked around. There were blue and red lanterns hanging from the trees too, while the branches had been wrapped with small Christmas lights. It would surely look amazing at night.
When I caught sight of the stage and catwalk that had been set up with lights and speakers and decorated with flowers and balloons, my heart began to pound. This is it. The first big step toward my dream.
I paused for a while, not even giving any regard to the plain catwalk. It was just as well, so the focus would really be on the models and my creations. My mind was filled with imagined thoughts of what was to come that afternoon.
When I headed to the line of activity and promotional booths which were opposite the food booths, I could feel the excitement in the air. The area was already bustling with busy, happy people who were all looking forward to the event. Most of them were there to put the final touches to their booths or bring in equipment. The festival was scheduled to open officially in less than two hours.
There was no way for me to miss Ivan’s booth. It had a giant paper mache football on top. The wooden stand had been decorated with green and brown flags. There was even a stand beside it that contained all of Ivan’s football trophies and awards.
As I approached, I could see Ivan leaning over his signup sheets and other documents, the muscles on his shoulders and arms flexing through his plain white shirt. His brown eyes looked intense, which complemented his rugged features. A strand of his hair fell over his eyes, and he pushed it back immediately. His lips were pursed, showing that he was concentrating on whatever it was he was doing.
My heart skipped a beat when he suddenly looked up. A lazy smile spread across his face as he stood to welcome me in a sweet embrace.
“Hey, you,” he greeted.
“Hey, you,” I said, our eyes locking on each other in a loving gaze. Anyone who could see us at that moment would surely not doubt how much we cared about one another.
“You look pretty calm,” he noted. “And happy.”
I giggled. “I’m feeling calm and happy. And you look very ready.” I gestured to the whole setup. “This is amazing!”
“Don’t look at me in awe,” he said with a grin. “My mom did all the artistic stuff.”
“Wow, really? That’s wonderful!” I was genuinely surprised, but felt happy for Ivan. He and his mom had become so bonded the past few months that he’d been in Burchnell. I knew he was happy and relieved as well to see his mom getting back into the circulation, actually becoming active on town events and stuff.
“Come on, I have a surprise for you,” he suddenly said, grabbing my hand and dragging me down the line of booths.
I gave him an odd look as I followed his lead.
We stopped in front of my booth, which I hardly recognized now. Yesterday morning, Charlene and I had left it bare after just attaching a sign on top with my brand name and logo. I hadn’t even brought the mannequin and dress from the car that I was planning to display.
With my mouth open in utter surprise, I went closer to admire the flowing light pink fabric that had been draped across the wooden stand. The flimsy material danced softly with the wind. My eyes then dropped to the table portion that had been designed with a nice arrangement of fresh flowers.
“How--?” I began to ask.
“My mom and your aunt,” he said with a smile.
“You put them up to it,” I said accusingly, but my eyes were filled with tears of joy. I was moved by their act of kindness. It was so simple, yet it meant so much more than all of the expensive things I’d been given in the past years.
“Well, I did have the idea,” he admitted, lacing his fingers with mine. “And I did do the part that didn’t require so much artsy-fartsy.”
He pulled me toward the side and showed me a narrow panel of wood where framed photos had been hung.
I gasped as I saw the photos. They showed the town clients who had ordered clothes from me before. Each one was a picture of the person wearing my creation. Even Jenny had a photo wearing the dress I’d given her. There was also a photo of the cheerleaders in the stunning uniform I’d designed for them. Beside each photo was a printed text that showed their testimonials.
“You did all this?” I whispered in disbelief, my eyes welling up with tears.
He nodded. “Do you like it?”
“Are you crazy?” I almost screamed. “This shit is the best!”
That made him laugh out loud.
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. “I love it, Ivan! Thank you so, so much.”
“Now that just made it worth all the trouble,” he said, grinning. We stood there holding each other, smiling like silly lovebirds. “Love makes us do crazy things, I guess.”
My heart raced at his words. Did he just imply that he loves me?
“Oh, wait,” he suddenly said. “There’s more.”
“There’s more?”
He took out his tablet and typed in the URL www.creationsbycassy.com to my shock. The homepage was lovely, designed in dainty white and light pink with stylish calligraphy and a beautiful write-up about me and my passion for fashion.
“I had Charlene help me with the write-up,” he explained.
“She knew about this?” I said, raising my voice. “Oh, I’m gonna strangle her!”
Ivan laughed and continued to scroll down and show me the other features and the impressive gallery of finished products. There was also a page dedicated to my first collection of country-inspired dresses. Only a few photos had been added, which Charlene had probably taken in secret.
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered, my heart about to burst with emotion.
“I also included a signup portion so you can get the contact details of interested buyers and maybe keep them informed of upcoming collections, shows, and that sort of thing,” Ivan said, seemingly oblivious to how it was all affecting me so much. “I’d asked a graphic designer friend of mine to help.”
“Oh, shut up, Ivan!” I said, shocking him a bit. “This is all too much!”
The look of sudden worry on his face turned to an expression of joy in a matter of seconds. “You’re welcome,” he said, grinning and hugging me.
“I love it all! Thank you, thank you so much!”
It wasn’t long before more people began piling in. The festivities had officially begun.
I slipped away for a while to do my makeup and change into a short rustic dress in pastel blue. This was part of my collection, the top of which I had painstakingly quilted and embroidered. It showed off my long, tanned legs and the new cowboy boots I had purchased downtown for the occasion.
When I went to my booth, there were already some women milling about and taking flyers from the table. I put on my best smile and happily chatted with them, talking about their personal style and preference for clothes. I was surprised that many were actually interested in my opinion on what styles and ensembles would suit them the most. I happily gave suggestions of course, silently noting in my head that I should certainly enroll in that fashion school I’d been eyeing in Windfield.
At one point, when there were no more visitors at my booth, I took a short break to check out the other booths and chat with the townspeople. There were some very delicious homemade pastries that I got to taste.
I was particularly drawn to this booth that displayed handcrafted bags. The lady designing and making them was a little older than me, but certainly very friendly. We hit it off instantly and got to planning a show or exhibit we could put together to promote our designs. I ended up leaving her booth with one of her unique, pretty creations slung on my shoulder. The native material decorated with an embroidery of flowers went very well with my outfit. I was ecstatic.
The chanting crowd of boys got my attention next. “Hut! Hut! Hut!” they were saying in unison as they cheered on some of their friends who had joined a football relay game organized by my boyfriend. I immediately saw Ivan on one side, looking rather handsome in jogging pants and a Windfield Warriors shirt. He had a whistle and timer around his neck.
I wanted to go to him and congratulate the apparent early success of his booth and clinic promotion, but then I saw a few teenage girls lingering by my booth. I went back and happily entertained them, giving out my flyers and asking them to check out my website on the tablet Ivan had lent me. I encouraged everyone who came to my booth to sign up for my email list so they could get discounts and updates in the future.
The day passed by quickly. It was lunch time already when I saw Charlene walking up to the booth, carrying her makeup toolbox and other beauty paraphernalia. She was wearing white denims, boots, and a cropped off-shoulder blouse that flattered her shoulders.
“You look amazing,” I told her.
“And you as well,” she said with a smile. “Looks like you’ve been busy the whole morning.”
“Yup! And you?”
“I got to sleep for more hours,” she said, intentionally trying to get me jealous.
“I really am jealous,” I said flatly, which made her laugh. “But well, this is what business is all about right? Lots of sacrifice at the start.”
“Business is no different from love,” Charlene said laughingly. “You have to keep overcoming challenges to keep profiting.”
“Ooh, speaking from experience, huh?” I teased.
“Shut up,” she said good-naturedly before bringing out packed lunches for both of us. The enticing aroma of roasted chicken filled the air, making me hungry. “I got you chicken with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, plus some sort of salad they were selling there on the other side.”
“Wow, thanks!” I said, preparing to eat. “I’m starving! You’re truly the best best friend there is!”
Charlene did a pretend curtsy. “Why, thank you.”
We giggled throughout lunch as we joked around and even reminisced about the good ‘ol days.
Soon it was time for her to do my models’ hair and makeup. It was a good thing Rosie allowed us to use the living room in the house. She watched in fascination as Charlene prettied up each and every one of the girls.
“You’re really talented,” Rosie told Charlene.
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Charlene replied. “Do you want me to do your hair and makeup? I’m almost done here.”
Rosie fluffed her tresses, frowning as they hung limply on her shoulders. “I would love that,” she answered in delight. “I’m not good with this. I just comb my hair and do basic makeup all the time.”
“Well, let me take care of that!” Charlene exclaimed, eagerly going to work as if she hadn’t just done it on eight other girls.
“I can’t believe you’ve still got so much energy left,” I told her.
“This is my passion, just like how you are with your fashion,” she quipped happily.
“Oh, that’s really interesting,” Rosie said. “It’s how I am with the horses here.”
I smiled. “That’s why you were able to grow this business, Rosie. Passion is certainly important in whatever we do.”
Rosie and Charlene both nodded in agreement.
“I saw the long line at the horse riding area,” I said. “It’s one of the crowd drawers.”
“Thank you,” Rosie said. “I’m glad they’re enjoying my horses. I’m actually offering the rides for free to promote my upcoming camp.”
“You must be one busy lady,” I said. “Planning a camp and your wedding at the same time.”
“You’re getting married?” Charlene asked in a surprised but excited tone. “Congratulations! Wow, we’re almost the same age, but I haven’t even found anyone special yet to consider as husband material.”
“You haven’t been with anyone who’s husband material,” I pointed out.
“Ouch!” Charlene said, pretending to be hurt. Rosie and I laughed.
Charlene was doing wonders with Rosie’s hair, twisting the strands on top into semi braids and then fixing the back into a casual messy bun.
“Charlene, it’s beautiful!” Rosie gushed, carefully touching her hair with her fingers and then admiring her reflection in the mirror. Charlene had given her a natural glowing look with a contoured shape that made her face seem slimmer. “I would love to have you do my hair and makeup on my wedding day!”
Charlene was stunned, but it didn’t take her long to decide. “I’d love to! When is it?”
“About a month from today,” Rosie said. “It will be right here too on my horse farm. And you probably know that I’ve already chosen a gown design by Cassy.”
“Yes, I’ve seen it,” Charlene said. “You’ll be one super lovely bride!”