Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
DEIDRE
“A re you sure that you can’t convince your brother to allow us to pay for the wedding?” Victoria asks me for the third time this month.
“Yes,” I huff even though I’m lying.
I’ve avoided asking my brother and Claire for months about the joint venture of their wedding and boosting my business.
Mike would be in complete opposition to the whole idea.
He wouldn’t mind for someone else to be paying for the wedding, but to have cameras and other business-oriented things in the way that would take over and most likely overshadow their day—that’s something entirely different.
I know that if I asked Claire, she would be completely game.
However, I don’t want to include this much personal life in my business.
The last thing I need when I go back for the wedding is my mother getting any type of attention or encouragement beyond that of what she’ll demand from everyone during the craziness of the event.
Plus, there are many things about my personal life and past that I want to keep private.
“Seriously?” Victoria whines. “What about Claire?”
“She’d accept,” I say. “But without Mike’s agreement and signature, it can’t happen.”
“Dang,” Victoria groans.
“I’m sure we’ll find a celebrity soon,” I encourage, hoping this is the last time she asks about my brother’s wedding. “I wouldn’t mind an excuse to rush back here. Besides, all the other marketing we’ve been doing the past several months has been really good.”
“Why would you say that?” Victoria questions suspiciously.
“Say what?”
“Why wouldn’t you stay? It’s a wedding, your family, and your hometown.”
“Well, you’ve got my schedule pretty busy,” I remind, not wanting to get into my back story which most people here don’t know.
“I’ll see about at least giving you an extra day,” she states.
“Since when did you get sentimental?"
“I’m sentimental,” Victoria gasps dramatically. “Sometimes.”
Though I appreciate Victoria’s persistence, part of me knows that she'll forget and will have me flying out the next day for another marketing piece. I wouldn’t want to stay even if she gave me extra time.
Mike is the only reason why I’m going back—and Claire.
I like Claire because she’s good for Mike.
“Are we done here?” I ask as she types away on her cell phone.
“Yeah,” Victoria confirms. “Why? Do you have another hot hookup to connect up with from Flirt ?”
“No,” I shoot back, knowing she’s toying with me. “I’ve got to drive over an hour to get to a place that has the bridesmaid dress. I’ve been putting off a fitting for a few weeks now and the wedding is just two months away.”
She looks me over. “Does the dress color clash with the rose gold highlights you have. You spoke to Candace?—”
“Claire,” I correct. “The dress is pink. No challenge there.”
Relief splashes over her face as her attention returns to her phone. “Keep the dress in good condition and bring it back. We’ll do a photo shoot with it after. When are you set to fly out?”
“Why?”
“What day do you leave?” she asks as if she didn’t hear me.
“The Wednesday before.”
“Awesome!” she exclaims suddenly.
“I didn’t know my flight plan was that exciting,” I giggle.
“It’s not,” she says quickly as her fingers tap away on her screen.
“Then…?”
“I’ve just got word that we’ve got interest from two celebrities and they each want to meet within a couple of days just before you head out.”
“Cool.”
“The key will be making sure a number of the groomsmen are hot and single,” she adds as she continues not to look up. “I’m sure we can do both weddings.”
“I agree,” I return with a smirk.
“Maybe one of the groomsmen would be a celeb, too. Oh…that would be great additional PR. A one-night Flirt with a celebrity groomsmen.”
“Whatever works.”
“Okay.” She hops off the barstool of my kitchen island. “I’m heading to the office. I’ve got an Amanda Banks issue.”
“When do you not?” I quip.
She wiggles her phone. “Call me if you need anything. My assistant will be in touch soon about this.”
“Will do,” I say, opening the door.
“By ladies,” she shouts over her shoulder to me and Vix.
“Bye.”
It takes me just over an hour to get to the dress shop for the fitting.
I have to give Claire some credit. She actually picked a decent style dress that’s flattering.
Thirty minutes later, I’m back on the road with the plan to pick up the dress in two weeks.
Twenty minutes out from the house, I decide to get off the roads to avoid dealing with LA traffic.
To pass time, I shoot over to Mandy’s work.
“Hey sexy,” I call, walking into Lucy Lang.
“You’re lucky there aren’t any customers in here."
“I checked the windows as I was walking up,” I return with a smile, hugging her.
“Hey, Vix,” she greets, picking her up.
“How’s the new manager?” I ask. “I heard she can be a real bitch.”
“She’s a tight ass,” Mandy says with a giggle. “But she has managed to increase sales with her system in place.”
“Sweet.” I offer a high-five. “Smells like bonuses are coming this year for you.”
“Definitely,” she agrees.
Mandy’s been manager of the store for almost a year and has been able to implement some of the training tactics she’s learned from working at other retailers to great effect for the company.
From what she explained, Mandy’s management ability has doubled the owner’s profits, allowing the opening of a second shop.
“Did they have the dress?” Mandy asks.
“Yep."
“Cool,” she says. “Where is it?”
“It’s being altered first."
“The boobs?” she checks.
“Always the boobs.”
“Be glad you don’t have big boobs,” she mentions, looking down at her almost Cs.
“I am,” I sigh. “A little more wouldn’t hurt, though. It would make it easier with clothes.”
“Too big and it’s the same issue,” Mandy reminds.
“The dress is actually cute, though.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Mandy says.
“It’s pink.”
“What’s wrong with pink?” she goads.
I eye her. Mandy knows my challenge with pink clothes.
It’s the staple color for Flirt, but it’s also a requirement from Victoria any time I’m meant to be out and seen by the public for any photos.
It’s been six months of nothing but pink dresses, pink accessories, and the like to match my pink highlights.
“I think I might suddenly forget the shoes, though,” I say.
“What? Why?”
“You’ll understand once you see them compared to some of my designers.”
“That bad?” she asks.
“No…just…not that great.”
“Well, you do need to be fashionable everywhere you go,” Mandy states. “You’re an icon now.”
“I’m seriously considering seeing if a campaign with me and the other models wearing cute pajamas using the app could sell the thing…maybe try it out and then do a test like what they do with television shows.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Mandy replies. “It might help Victoria and some of the others to understand you and your odd ways of doing things without all the drama.”
With a sigh, I say, “I think they like the drama.”
“They need to argue with you about something until they eventually see that you know what you’re talking about. I think it’s the fact that you never went to college.”
“Definitely,” I agree. “It’s kind of like they don’t take me seriously enough because I didn’t.”
“Yep,” Mandy replies. “That’s the difference between bosses and workers. You have the vision…big and small aspects as well as short and long term scaling.”
“It makes it challenging sometimes,” I huff.
“That’s what makes it great, though…you know?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Oh, are you here until closing?”
“No,” she replies. “Nikki’s filling in for Georgette, so I’ll be home around dinner time.”
“Cool,” I say. “I’ll have dinner ready.”
“Awesome.”
“Alright, I’m out of here,” I announce.
“You don’t want to look around?” She gestures to the store. “We did just get in a few things yesterday.”
“Don’t," I whine.
“What?”
“You know what? The last time you pulled that crap on me, I went home with ten new outfits.”
“But you looked hot in all of them,” she boasts.
“Yeah, but that’s beside the point.”
“What is the point?” she prods.
“Stop,” I warn playfully.
“Fine.” She kisses Vix. “But don’t get mad at me if you miss out on some really cool pieces.”
“Seriously?”
Mandy removes a gorgeous blouse off the rack. “Ooo…look at this cute thing.”
“Fuck you."
“Come on…” she baits, dangling it in front of me. “You know you want to try it on. Doesn’t she, Vix?”
“Of course I do, but I’m not going to.”
“It’s not like you can’t afford it,” she teases.
“I told you. I need to get this shit for free if I’m going to be seen in it.”
“I’m working on it,” she returns, shaking the blouse.
“You don’t need another outfit to borrow from me.”
“Look,” she coaxes. “The color goes great with your eyes and hair…and it’s not pink.”
“Fine,” I say, caving in after seeing myself in a nearby mirror. “You know, you really suck.”
“Hey,” Mandy giggles. “I do have a quota to uphold.”
“I’m afraid to ask how much of that quota is because of me.”
“Just a smidge,” she says with a smirk.
After an hour at the shop, trying on thirty different items, Vix and I leave the store with two bags worth of stuff in the back seat of my car. As soon as I get home, I hold up each new item against my body as I stand in front of my large, standing mirror, double-checking that I like each piece.
“What do you think, Vix?”
Vix releases her favorite chew toy and looks up and tilts her head.
“Do you like it?” I ask as if she’ll really answer me. “It is cute.”
Vix barks.
I toss the item on the bed. “You’re as bad as Mandy.”