AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twelve
Claudia was so nervouswhen it came time to open her shop and show the visual show in the window that she didn’t know what to do. Jillian was standing behind her waiting for her to open the store and turn on the video.
Claudia wasn't sure why she was so nervous. she had reviewed the video several times. Sasha said it was good and so did Austin. despite all of their assurances Claudia stood unable to move toward the door. What was she thinking? how was she going to get past this horrible feeling of doubt and second guessing in her gut. But the even worst thought was what happened if the people in the video didn't like the way they were filmed.
“You do know that the longer you wait the harder it will get to open that door,” Jillian said.
Claudia looked at Jillian and nodded. when she turned toward the front door and took another step. To think she had deliberately asked Austin and Sasha not to be here so she could do this on her own. The clock in her showroom ticked so loudly. She was already 5 minutes late opening the store. This was complete madness.
“Claudia!” the sharp tone of Sasha Lipanzi rang out in the store.
Claudia pivoting and her gaze fell on a smiling Sasha.
“I know you wanted to do this on your own, but this is a big step,” Sasha said.
Claudia couldn't even respond to Sasha. if she honest with herself you hadn't been this scared since she had left her ex. Sasha was still talking and the calm tone of her voice surrounded Claudia but did nothing to take away the panic.
“I want you to know Claudia that I once opened up a show that had no models,” Sasha said.
“no models?” Claudia echoed.
“well, you see it turns out that at the time all of the models wanted to date me. I couldn't choose between them and so they all left heartbroken the day before my show.”
Claudia heard the words and couldn't help but smile.
“what did you do?” Claudia asked intrigued and feeling a little more calmer as the conversation went on.
“I hung all of the clothing on a clothesline, and I pulled the line across the stage. I told them that the clothesline never looked so good. I think the tagline for that show was close good enough to steal.”
Claudia imagined a clothesline going across one of those really expensive fashion shows in New York. she could hear the cricketing of the wheel being turned end imagined the jerky movement of the clothing on the line.
Sasha walked up to her and smiled.
“I need you to know that whatever shows up on the screen today will be better than that day when I had no models. I could have let that date cripple me. always so nervous before show too scared that all of the people who love me or wanted to date me would walk out. I didn't let that stop me and you aren't going to let whatever fear you're facing stop you.
Now you may not know this, but there is a large group of people outside of those doors waiting to see the video and what else you may have to offer in this shop. I know you are ready. I wouldn’t let you get this far if you weren’t ready. However, at the end of the day I’m not the one who needs to pull open the curtain.”
Claudia nodded her head and then turned to open the curtain only to find what she was sure a third of the town waiting outside. She unlocked the doors and then went to turn on all of the television monitors in the store which was also linked to the monitor in the window. The video was three minutes long. It was the longest three minutes of her life.
Once the video started rolling and she heard the people laughing her nerves started to relax. it also helped to have Sasha standing next to her giving her a reassuring smile. the video had been of all of her friends frolicking on the beach in clothes that she had made for the women and the children. The women all had coverups for their swimsuits that had pockets. The babies had bathing suits that understood they still needed to have a binky attached to them.
Everyone seemed happy and when they came in the sizes that had been made were sold within an hour. The only versions were the ones on the mannequins. Claudia had heard Austin say they needed to have the side company to do volume when it came and she had chided him that they wouldn’t need to use them, now she was glad Austin hadn’t listened to her.
