Chapter 23
Cassy
I was in such a good mood that not even the presence of my father could ruin it. On the contrary, I actually felt pleased that he had kept his word and was here to witness the fashion show. And when I came to greet him, he even congratulated me.
“He wants something in return,” I told Charlene matter-of-factly. “I know my dad.”
“You know what he wants,” Charlene said. “He wants you to help him run the business so you can take it over someday.”
I sighed. “He’ll never give it up, huh?”
“Well, he knows and I know that you will do a damn great job running that company,” Charlene said. “You’re even way smarter than him and more skilled in that IT stuff.”
I scoffed. “He’s got a lot of IT geeks and management people operating everything, anyway.”
“But you are his daughter, Cassy. Maybe he doesn’t want to entrust the business to others.”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” I asked in sudden irritation.
“Yours, of course,” Charlene answered quickly. “But I see it in your eyes. You like the challenge. Don’t think of it as giving in to his wishes. I think your rebellious side is holding you back because of that perception. How about think of it as showing people how truly great you are, that you’re not just a spoiled, bratty, brainless blonde who’s got nothing better to do than spend her daddy’s money?”
“When you put it that way…” I said thoughtfully, trailing off. Her words seemed to trigger something inside of me. IT had always been challenging for me while I was at the university, even though I always ended up doing a lot better than most of my classmates. I guess it challenged and stimulated my mind while fashion was more of my go-to creative outlet and happy place of passion.
“Just think about it,” Charlene said. “We’ll be together again in the city, and you still won’t be apart from Ivan because he’s going to play again for the Warriors soon.”
I visualized that life she was describing, which enticed me despite the fact that I had already grown to love life in the countryside. It was a possibly good scenario, especially if I take on my father’s offer and stop him from pestering me or meddling with my affairs. Or would that give him more control over me?
The band ended with their last song and the host went up on stage to introduce the fashion show. As he talked, my eyes shifted to the large crowd that had gathered. My heart began to race in anticipation.
“Here we go,” Charlene whispered, squeezing my hand.
“Damn right,” I whispered back.
In that instant, I saw my mother taking the empty seat beside Dad. My eyes widened. “Holy crap! Mom’s here too.”
Charlene followed my gaze. “With your mom’s love for fashion, she’s bound to be surprised that her own daughter’s actually a very talented designer.”
“Let’s see if my collection passes her taste,” I said nervously as I saw the first of the girls at the door of the huge tent that had been set up in the backstage.
“It will,” Charlene assured me. “Who do you think you got your flair for fashion from?”
I didn’t have the chance to answer as the background music changed and the first cheerleader strutted on stage in a quilted tank top and flared lace pants. Her hair had been curled, embellished with pinned fresh blooms.
The crowd cheered. I peered at my mom, whose expression remained blank. My father simply looked curious.
As the rest of the teenage girls glided across the catwalk like professional models, the audience kept up the applause. And to my relief and joy, I saw my parents nodding with approval and clapping along too.
“And now,” I heard the host say. “Let’s call all the girls on stage.” He paused for a while as he waited for them all to form one horizontal line. “It’s time to meet the talented fashion designer behind these beautiful creations. You all probably know her by now. Let’s all welcome Miss Cassandra Young!”
The crowd went wild. Poppers went up in the air around me as I stepped onto the platform and took a bow in the center. To my surprise, I saw Ivan coming up with a bouquet of roses. He handed them to me. The audience clapped and cheered even more. Some even whistled. I was beyond joyful.
As Ivan led me down the steps, I heard the host invite the people to visit my website for orders. He also promoted my booth which would reopen again in a few minutes.
“It’s a huge success,” Ivan said, matching my own ear-to-ear grin. “Congratulations, Cassy. You did it.”
I threw my arms around him and our lips met in a short but sweet kiss. Soon I was surrounded by well-wishers. I was on cloud nine.
As the crowd around me thinned, I saw my parents coming over. Was it pride shining in their eyes?
Mom clasped my hand and smiled. “Those dresses were gorgeous, Cassandra,” she said. She was always a little bit formal, so I couldn’t tell if she was just being polite. Still I thanked her profusely. This was a rare moment.
Her next words were truly unexpected. “Such talent shouldn’t go to waste,” she said. “I’d love to invest in your business, if you’ll allow me.”
“Are you serious, Mom!” I exclaimed.
She nodded, still smiling. “Let’s talk about it more when you get back home. Soon, I hope.”
“She can come home anytime she wants,” Dad said, shocking all of us. “I can see how your time here has brought out the best in you. I’ve always known you have it in you, Cassandra. So I’m allowing you to go back home, provided you follow a few disciplinary measures which we can talk about later.”
I felt my heart soaring. I was speechless. Beside me, Charlene was certainly not holding back her excitement. She was almost jumping up and down. As for Ivan, I couldn’t tell his reaction yet.
“We should celebrate as a family,” Mom said. “Let’s have early dinner at Misty’s?” She was referring to the only upscale restaurant in town, which was also fairly new like the spa. “Charlene and Ivan, you’re welcome to join us, of course.”
Now there was another big surprise. I knew she wasn’t fond of Charlene, but maybe she was finally being extra nice, knowing that Charlene was also instrumental in this mini victory of mine.
“Okay,” Charlene and Ivan agreed.
“Uh, we have to wrap up stuff in our booths then we’ll meet you there,” I told them. “But we’ll probably head back here later tonight for the movie night.”
“That’s no problem,” Dad said. “We’ll see you soon.”