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“But that’s just the thing. I’m not sure that it can be avoided. I’m starting to develop real feelings for her. It’s not just lust, although there’s plenty of that, but I actually feel something for her. You know I haven’t felt like this about anyone in a long time. I’m not sure that I can just move on.”
“Well, it sounds to me like you’ve made your decision. I would just advise you to proceed with caution, because this has every potentiality of going wrong. I would hate to see your life blown up as a result of recklessness.”
“Actually I haven’t made any decisions yet. I still have a lot to think about, but yes, I agree with you. This is not a decision to be made lightly. Whatever I choose to do will be well thought out.”
“Well I’m happy to hear that. Although I will say I hope you choose to let this go.”
Clark takes his next shot. As I watch the ball hurtle through the air I’m not sure his advice is something I will be physically able to take.
9
PAIGE
Why is it that my meetings with Travis always run until it’s only the both of us left in the building?
Here we are again, alone in my office. It’s dark outside, and a few lamps light the room, casting their warm tones on Travis, who is sitting in his usual chair.
He sits with his legs crossed, elbow perched on his knee as his chin rests on his fist. His lips are pursed as he listens to me go on and on about my ideas for DeLisle’s marketing plan for the coming season.
“Not that I don’t love it when you let me get a complete sentence out, but is there a problem?” I ask.
“I’m sorry?” he asks, his brows draw close.
“It’s just that you aren’t saying anything. It’s unsettling.”
“Well, I’m sorry to have unsettled you, but I’m a little distracted today. I’m not exactly in the mood to work. Plus, I figured you’re not going to listen to me anyway. So why say anything.” He smirks.
“You know I don’t actually try to be difficult.”
“Really? Because you could have fooled me.”
“Yes, I know I can be strong headed sometimes, but I amonly that way about things I care about. Even though the company is now yours, it is still my baby. There’s a reason DeLisle is as successful as it is today. I think it would be a mistake to change too much too quickly. I don’t think I would be doing my job if I just stood back and acquiesced to everything you propose, especially if I think it won’t work.”
He regards me in silence for a moment, then says, “Why fashion?”
“What?”
“What is it about fashion that pulled you in?”
I stare at him with an apprehensive look on my face and he chuckles. “I’m trying to understand your point of view. Perhaps if I understood where you’re coming from it would be easier to find some kind of middle ground. I mean, it has become obvious to me that we experience clothes differently. To me clothes, yeah, the right clothes can make you look good, but at the end of the day, they are pretty inconsequential to me. It’s obvious that that’s not the case for you. I’m curious to know what you think.”
I walk over to my desk, perch myself on its edge and fold my arms. “Well, you’re wrong. Clothes are not inconsequential. How you adorn yourself is your first introduction. Whether people want to admit it or not, people judge you first based on how you look. It is your literal first impression. The clothes you choose to wear, the jewelry you put on your body, the shoes you slip your feet into, the accessories you favor, all these things tell a story about the person wearing them. So I think it’s important that you write your own story with intention, and not just throw things on for the sake of throwing them on.”
He looks at me, blinking.
“Also, fashion can be quite powerful. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this or not, but if I wake up in afunky mood, all I have to do is put on a fun and colorful outfit, and it peps me right up. It literally has the power to change a person’s outlook for the day.”
I keep going. “Also! When done right, fashion is beautiful. Even when it’s not literally beautiful, it’s still beautiful, depending on how you choose to look at it. Actually, I could go on and on about how great fashion is but I’ll stop there and tell you why I chose to go to fashion. I wanted to design clothes because I wanted to do everything I just mentioned for someone else.” I pause. “Let me put it this way, every fashion house is a language. I wanted to create my own language that is unique to my customers who have been mute up until I came along.”
By the time I’m done speaking Travis is looking at me wide-eyed. Dare I even say, enthralled?
“Wow… I’ve never thought of it like that.”
I laugh. “Neither do a lot of people, my parents included. I basically gave them an iteration of the speech I just gave you when I picked FIT over MIT.”
“Really? Did that actually happen?”
I look up to the ceiling, recalling those memories. “Yeah, it did. In high school I was a total science nerd. I applied to all the schools everyone expected, but I also applied to the fashion Institute of technology. I got into MIT to study Solid-State Chemistry, but in the end I chose to study Fashion Design at FIT.”
