How to Frame a Fashionista

by Debra Sennefelder

  After Kelly promised, Ariel steered her wheelchair along the sidewalk toward the Gull Café. It was for the best. She wasn’t eager to relive the encounter with Serena even though she mentioned it.

  * * * *

  Kelly returned to the boutique and spent the rest of the day on the sales floor. The nice weather brought customers who were eager to get a head start on updating their spring wardrobes. She glanced at her watch. She had fifteen minutes to go before locking the door, turning off the lights, and going upstairs to collapse on her sofa. It had been a roller coaster of a day, and all she wanted were her comfy clothes and a glass of wine. She looked at her watch again.

  Fourteen minutes.

  The last customer left a few minutes earlier, and Kelly tidied up and reviewed her schedule for tomorrow. She could stare at her watch for the next thirteen minutes, or she could get a sneak peek at what was in store for her tomorrow when she joined Tawny for yoga.

  She pulled out her phone and found Tawny’s video channel.

  There were dozens of workout videos to choose from, and they all were free. It looked like there was a variety to choose from, and not having to pay for the videos was a bonus. Kelly clicked on the first video, and Tawny started talking. She welcomed her viewers and gave them an overview of the twenty-minute workout they were about to start. Dressed in green leggings with lace inserts and a floral sports bra, Tawny began marching in place and encouraged her viewers to join in.

  Kelly looked; the boutique was still empty, no last-minute shoppers popping in. Breena and Pepper had left hours ago. She took a step back from the sales counter and marched in place, pumping her arms by her sides as Tawny instructed.

  Tawny then added bigger moves to get the whole body prepped for the workout, but Kelly continued with the marching. As Tawny slowed down to grab a pair of hand weights, Kelly stopped marching in place and scrolled down the screen, reading the comments.

  “Great workout.”

  “Still scamming people with your workouts? Have you no shame?”

  “Hey, can you do a workout for toning up the bra hang area?”

  “Seriously, PBF? Personalized Body Fitness more like Pure Bull Fraud.”

  “How do you sleep at night?”

  “Love this workout!”

  Kelly clicked the video, and it stopped. She drew back from her phone. “Talk about a mixed bag of comments. Seeing those negative comments can’t be easy,” she said to herself. The time display on the phone showed her it was close enough to closing time. Finally.

  All in all, it was a good day but exhausting.

  Kelly was getting used to being on her feet for extended periods. Before inheriting the boutique, it’d been a long time since she worked on a sales floor.

  She glanced at her booties and smiled. They had good support, and she needed more shoes like them. Twenty-six and needing supportive shoes. How life had changed for her.

  At the front door, she turned over the Open sign to Closed and turned the lock. Before she stepped away from the door, she took a sweeping glance at Main Street. A handful of businesses were still open, but most of them were dark.

  There definitely wasn’t a lot of nightlife in Lucky Cove. Her evenings were a lot different from what they were when she was a single gal living in the big city.

  Back in the city, she’d leave work like she was now. But she wouldn’t have been heading up to her apartment to change into her favorite pair of fleece pants and snuggling her tired feet into her Ugg slippers. She’d be meeting friends for drinks and a quick bite.

  Oh, times had changed.

  Just as she was about to pull away from the door, a figure across the street caught her eye.

  Kelly couldn’t make out the woman’s face clearly, because she was out of the streetlamp’s pool of light. However, the woman’s leopard print coat was unmistakable.

  So, Serena hadn’t left town.

  Well, she was never one to be told what to do.

  Kelly wasn’t sure why Serena was standing in front of the Gull Café. Maybe the grand dame of Seventh Avenue was waiting to be picked up by her car.

  An unexpected thought flashed through Kelly’s head. Maybe she should check on Serena. Make sure she’s okay. Yeah, that was a silly thought. When was Serena not okay? Besides, Kelly didn’t feel like being insulted, belittled, or dismissed. She just wanted to make something quick for dinner and go to bed.

  But, what if there’s something wrong?

  What could be wrong?

  Kelly’s internal struggle ceased when a man approached. She stepped closer to the door. All she could really see was his salt and pepper hair. Well, mostly the salted part. She squinted. It looked like Jason.

  Serena checked her watch. No doubt, she was admonishing him for being late. But late for what?

  He gestured to the restaurant, and Serena turned and walked toward the entry.

  Kelly shrugged. Maybe they agreed to meet to work on a peace treaty. After what she witnessed earlier, the divorced couple needed one. Desperately.

  They went inside the restaurant, ending Kelly’s surveillance. She walked away from the door and through the boutique to the stairwell.

  As she climbed the steps, her thoughts shifted from the divorced couple to the fabulous faux leopard coat. Somehow, Serena inspired an idea for Kelly’s column on Budget Chic. Ten tips for working animal prints into a spring wardrobe. Serena finally inspired something other than a gory tell-all of Surviving the Dragonista.

  Before her article, dinner, or wine, she needed to check on the leak. Or leaks. As she reached the landing, she gave herself a stern talking to. She ignored the leak, and it was irresponsible. In fact, it was a shadow of the old Kelly, and that couldn’t happen again.

  No, before her yoga session with Tawny, she needed to contact the roofer. That sounded like a good plan. Deal with the stressful task and then indulge in an hour of yoga bliss.

  Yes, she was looking forward to her workout with Tawny. Even though there was a chance Tawny would twist her into all shapes and break her, the visit couldn’t be any worse than it was today.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, Kelly arrived downstairs, ready to get to work. She prioritized her tasks because all were urgent and she had to complete them before opening.

  The cash register and computer system needed to be turned on, and the cash drawer needed to be filled.

  The front door had to be unlocked, and the Closed sign flipped around, so passersby and customers knew the boutique was open.

  Pray to the roof gods to be kind and forgiving to her aging roof and to her checking account.

  Call the roofer and get him there ASAP because it was not only the responsible thing to do, but there was another leak in the hall upstairs.

  Tasks one to three were done in the blink of an eye. Her prayer was short and sweet. She guessed this time of year the roof gods were busy. Task four was done quickly. After all, it was only a message. Still, she was near hyperventilation after she ended the call that threatened to derail her. As she was explaining the problem upstairs, she remembered the mid-five-digit estimate she’d gotten last fall, and her head spun. How on earth would she pay for a new roof?

  Get a grip, Kell.

  She took a deep breath and another. It was too soon to panic. For all she knew, another patch could be the solution. And a patch would fit into her budget.

  One more deep breath steadied her nerves and gave her enough clarity to head into the staff room to brew a pot of coffee. If there was ever a morning she needed coffee, this was that morning.

  It only took a few minutes to get the coffee brewing and her mug from the upper cabinet. She leaned against the counter, closed her eyes, and willed her mind to settle.

  The coffee pot beeped. And the freshly brewed smell of the coffee wafted in the air, brightening her mood. She pi
cked up her mug, ready to pour a full cup.

  Drip.

  She froze. She had to be hearing things. Yes, that’s what it was.

  Drip.

  She sighed. She wasn’t hearing things. There was another leak.

  Kelly set down her mug and turned around, looking upward for a stain on the ceiling, and there it was. In the room’s corner. The muddy brown color streaked the white paint, and she held her breath as she watched another drip land on the floor.

  Drip.

  She pressed her lips together and silently cursed. Then her gaze drew back upward.

  Her first plea to the roof gods hadn’t worked. Maybe she needed to strike a deal. Perhaps offer something in return for not having to replace the whole roof.

  Drip.

  No, she didn’t need to make a deal. What she needed was a bucket. Quickly, she searched the lower cabinets and found one. After she positioned it under the leak, she returned to the coffee machine and filled her mug. Two more leaks weren’t the end of the world. She could handle two leaks, she told herself before taking a grateful drink of her coffee.

  Kelly heard the back door open, and a moment later, Pepper Donovan appeared, shrugging out of her lightweight jacket. She was not only the boutique’s employee but also a lifelong friend. Pepper began working at the boutique over twenty years ago with Kelly’s granny. Until last fall, she was the only employee. When Kelly took over the business, she made drastic changes, many of which Pepper opposed. The two she welcomed were hiring another salesperson and closing the boutique on Sundays during the winter months. Yes, those changes had Pepper’s blessing from the get-go.

  Pepper’s gaze landed on the bucket. Nothing ever got past the woman, as Kelly learned over the past few months.

  “What’s going on?” Pepper walked to the table and dropped her purse along with the jacket she’d shrugged off.

  “New leaks.” Kelly pointed up.

  Pepper surveyed the situation. “Guess I’m not surprised. The roof is old, ancient. And we’re experiencing a thaw. It was almost fifty degrees yesterday.”

  “Yeah, just a couple of days before we had a snowstorm.”

  Pepper nodded. “The melting snow has to go somewhere.”

  “But does it have to go there?” Kelly pointed to the bucket.

  Pepper frowned. “Oh, my goodness. Did you call Buck? I heard he’s planning on retiring soon, so you better get him out here.”

  Now it was Kelly’s turn to frown. Buck was sympathetic to her financial struggles because he had known her granny. He discounted the patch he did in October. Would another roofer extend the courtesy? Pepper was right, she had to get him out here ASAP.

  “Already left him a message. Waiting to hear back.” Kelly sipped her coffee. She needed something stronger.

  “It’s also supposed to be warm today and plunge again tomorrow.” Pepper joined Kelly at the counter and poured a cup of coffee. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

  Kelly nodded. She could easily spin out of control, think of the worst-case scenario, and host her own pity party. But she had a business to run, clothing to sell, and a yoga session with Tawny. No, there was no time for self-pity.

  Drip.

  Kelly and Pepper’s gazes drifted to the other corner of the room, near the filing cabinet. There was the smallest of stains on the ceiling and another drip.

  “I’m going to have to inspect every room,” Kelly said.

  “I’ll call Clive and ask him to go to the hardware store to get more buckets. We might need them. There’s one in the mudroom you can use for that leak.”

  An hour later, Kelly had spread out more buckets and Clive showed up with six buckets after his wife’s SOS call. Luckily, although Kelly never thought she’d associate that word with roof leaks, the spots that needed the buckets were in areas not seen by customers. So, yes, in that regard, she was lucky. She also felt fortunate because soon she’d be lying on a mat, quieting her mind, while flowing from movement to movement. It would relax her frazzled nerves.

  She was a little relieved that business had been slow so far. It gave her time to catch her breath and let her mind race with all of her doomsday scenarios without an audience. Seated on a stool behind the sales counter, Kelly stared at the boutique’s online banking statement.

  Anemic.

  But much better than when she’d taken over the business.

  Still, not enough money to replace the entire roof. She shut her eyes and prayed for a minor roof repair. There were buckets scattered throughout the first floor and up in the hallway. They didn’t indicate a small roof repair.

  Her eyes opened at the jingling bell over the front door, and a familiar woman entered the boutique. Kelly had seen her a few times around town while running errands but didn’t know her. She closed out of the bank’s website and stood, while forcing her mood to shift to perky, upbeat boutique owner.

  “Good morning.” She came from behind the counter and toward the customer, extending her hand. “I’m Kelly, the owner.”

  “So nice to finally meet you.” The woman, several inches taller than Kelly with slim features, shook Kelly’s hand. Her grasp and pump were firm. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in this shop. It’s lovely.”

  A flush of heat warmed Kelly’s cheeks. She’d done as much work as she could with limited funds to revamp the once tired, old consignment shop into a trendy resale boutique. There was still a lot of work needed, like a roof. Whoa, don’t go there!

  “Thank you. It’s a work in progress.” Kelly glanced around the boutique. It was a never-ending, costly, remodel project she never thought she’d be responsible for. But there she was. Back in her hometown, putting her degree in fashion merchandising to work in a secondhand shop and rebuilding relationships she’d thought were beyond repair. Okay, so the boutique wasn’t the only work in progress.

  “The last time I was in here, there wasn’t anything that interested me, but that trench coat in the window? Oh, my goodness. I really like it. And something I could definitely wear to work.”

  Kelly’s heart swelled with pride. She interned one summer at Bishop’s in the visual merchandising department while in fashion school, and there she’d learned many tricks of the trade. When she began making changes in the boutique, the things she changed first were the window displays. They lacked pizzazz, oomph, that gotta look at me quality that would stop a passerby and make her want to come into the boutique.

  “And so is that suit.” The woman pointed to a mannequin displayed by the door.

  “Would you like to try it on?” The suit was a consignment from an up-and-coming PR executive. She loved the look of Chanel but couldn’t afford the designer label, so she faked it until she made it by wearing dupes that gave off the high-end vibe. Kelly paired the multi-color tweed crop jacket and the matching skirt with a bright floral print blouse. The combination definitely had a gotta look at me quality.

  “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “Good morning, Liza,” Pepper called out as she entered the room from the back hall. She’d been tidying up the changing rooms and on bucket duty. “What brings you by today?”

  “The trench coat in the window, and I’m glad it did. I’m loving this very Coco suit,” Liza said as Kelly made her way to the mannequin. “I hope it’s within my budget.”

  “It’ll take me a moment to undress the mannequin. Would you like to try on the blouse?” Kelly dismantled the arm and then carefully removed the jacket.

  “Oh, I don’t think so. It’s a little too much for me.” Liza sounded like she wanted to try the whole look but was too timid. Kelly knew the type all too well. Liza played it safe in her buttoned-up navy coat and sleek bun, and needed to be nudged out of her comfort zone.

  “Well, why don’t you at least try it since you’re here?” Kelly handed over the three garment
s.

  Liza looked apprehensively at the blouse, and a slow smile crept onto her pale pink lips.

  “Okay, since I’m here. Where are the changing rooms?”

  “Right back there.” Pepper guided Liza around and pointed to the doorway. “They’re both empty.”

  Liza nodded and walked toward the doorway, disappearing around the corner.

  Kelly moved the mannequin to the sales counter. Either she’d re-dress it with the suit or she’d have to find another garment to display. There was a floral, three-quarter length sleeve dress that was just consigned. She could dress the mannequin in that.

  “How do you know her?” Kelly asked.

  “She’s the office manager at the Congregational Church. You know, you should come on Sunday to service with Clive and me.” Pepper stepped behind the sales counter. “I’m surprised she’s trying on the blouse. It’s not really her. Actually, the whole suit isn’t her.”

  “Well, our styles change. Look at yours.” Kelly gestured to the short, tartan plaid skirt Pepper wore with a graphic sweater depicting a rearing stallion. The look was edgy yet sophisticated as it was paired with wedge pumps and black tights.

  Pepper glanced at her outfit of the day. “I guess you’re right.”

  Kelly locked her gaze on Pepper and arched a brow.

  “Okay, you’re right. Our styles do evolve.”

  “Could you say the part about me being right again?” Kelly laughed.

  “Don’t push it.” The smile on Pepper’s face betrayed the firmness in her voice. She’d been a rock for Kelly since her granny’s death and the source of unconditional kindness. She’d loaned Kelly a Jeep, helped her move into the apartment upstairs, and made a pot of tea and sat with Kelly on what would have been Martha’s birthday in January.

  “I can’t help it. I love hearing I’m right.”

  “Well, I hate to be a buzzkill. I came out here to tell you there’s another leak in the bathroom ceiling.”