How to Frame a Fashionista

by Debra Sennefelder

  Kelly arched a brow. So, not only did she have to worry about middle-age spread, she had to worry about becoming a hunchback?

  “I appreciate the heads up.” She sat on a chair in front of the desk, making sure she didn’t slump. “I’m hearing things about Tawny’s business. There are lawsuits and accusations made against her.”

  Summer leaned forward, resting her forearms on the neat desk. Clearly, there was a theme in the studio. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing. I’m just curious. And worried.”

  “Worried about what?”

  “Breena.”

  Inwardly, she chided herself. She shouldn’t use her friend like that, but if it got Summer to talk, then she had no choice.

  Besides, she was still worried about her friend. Even though Breena seemed happy with the program, Kelly would hate to know that her friend had shelled out big bucks to a scam artist.

  “She paid for the PBF program. I’m worried she might have thrown her money away. You know, she’s working part-time jobs and going to school. And she has a daughter.”

  “There’s no need to worry. Tawny wasn’t a fraud.” Her eyelids lowered. “I can’t believe I’m talking about her in the past tense.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Summer nodded. “Thank you. With Tawny dead now, I don’t think there will be anyone to support the program going forward.”

  Kelly inched to the edge of her seat. “You mean Breena could be out the money she spent?”

  “I’m afraid so. There’s a chance for a refund, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for it.”

  Kelly’s shoulders sagged but only momentarily, thanks to Summer’s gesture to straighten up.

  “Breena can come here for classes. I’ve always liked her, and I’d be happy to offer her a discount,” Summer said.

  Even with a discount, classes at the studio were pricey. But it was a nice gesture from Summer.

  “I’ll let her know. So, you don’t think the claims those women made are valid?”

  “Goodness no. Sure, Tawny was facing some backlash. But everyone wants immediate results without putting in the effort, without doing the work. I’ve had my share of clients like that.”

  “The allegations were that the personalized programs weren’t personalized.”

  “I doubt that was the case. It’s possible that several women can have the same goal and share the same physical conditions, so it makes sense that they would have the same program. In some areas of our lives, we’re not unique snowflakes.”

  Kelly drew her head back. Did Summer just throw some shade at PBF’s disgruntled clients? It was a whole other side of her aunt that Kelly hadn’t seen before. She kind of liked it.

  “Now for you, I would love for you to do a mix of reformer and mat classes. The mat classes will teach you how to control your muscles while the reformer will add resistance to improve strength and correct your body’s imbalances. I have a client who had far too many imbalances in her body, so I scheduled her for reformer classes. She won’t be on the mat for several more months.”

  Kelly wanted to hate Summer’s program, but she couldn’t. Maybe she should sign up for sessions, after all, she’d been offered a family discount for months. Wait, she was there to talk about Tawny. She needed to get back on track.

  “Do you know who Adrian Chase is?”

  Summer nodded as she leaned back. “He funds start-ups in the wellness area. Two years ago, he took Buddy Gallo and his protein shake, The Buddy Body Shake, national and now it’s a multi-million-dollar business.”

  “Impressive. He sounds like he knows what he’s doing.”

  “He’s a venture capitalist, but he’s more vulture than anything else. I’d cautioned Tawny about going into business with him, but she was determined to up-level her business.” Summer leaned forward again, and even though they were alone in her office, she lowered her voice. “I believe Tawny wanted to impress her husband. After all, Jason is a successful businessman, and he’d been married previously to a very successful, powerful woman. Luckily, I’ve never had to worry about impressing Ralphie. He already knew how business smart I was when he married me. And I don’t have to fret over whether or not to expand. We’re both happy with me running this studio. In fact, the studio may be moving to accommodate more clients.”

  Kelly was happy to hear that Summer wasn’t looking to expand into a chain of Pilates studios like she’d wanted to around Christmas time. She’d vied for a spot on a reality show that would have given her and her studio national attention. It looked as if Summer had shifted her goals for the time being.

  “Now I’ve answered your questions. What I want to know is why you’re really asking questions about Tawny’s business. I hope you’re not interfering. Aside from the risk of jeopardizing the case the police are building, chasing down a killer is an unseemly thing to do. You know the Blake family has a certain status in town.”

  Kelly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Appearances were important to Summer, and her uncle. To some extent, she agreed, but Summer and Uncle Ralph took it to a whole other level. They were all about the country club, the formal dinner parties, and fancy cars while Kelly was happy in her little apartment and driving a hand-me-down car.

  “I don’t intend to do anything to compromise the police investigation. I’m just curious.”

  Summer gave Kelly a pointed look. “Well, stop being curious. Remember what it did to the cat.”

  Kelly swallowed. Summer made a good point. Her curiosity had gotten her too close to death a few times. Her own death.

  “The police have arrested that horrid woman you worked for. Really, Kelly, she has a reputation for being a tyrant and a bully, and she finally snapped.”

  “Serena Dawson just doesn’t snap.” No, Serena had always been cool and collected even when she was torpedoing the career of a rival or designer. She never raised her voice and she never resorted to anything physical. She was cunning and smart. Murder was far too messy for her.

  “You’d be surprised by what people are capable of. You wouldn’t believe the things I saw when I was modeling. To be honest, I’m glad I’m out of the business.”

  “Thanks for the information about Adrian, and I promise to keep in mind your advice.”

  “Do that.”

  Kelly nodded and then stood. She exited the studio with a tinge of regret for making a promise she probably wouldn’t keep and sucking her belly in. Maybe she should have signed up for a few sessions. The door closed behind her, shutting down those thoughts. She headed back to the boutique.

  Halfway to the boutique, her phone rang with Marvin Childers’ ringtone, and she smiled. He was an old friend of her granny, and she’d met him last Christmas. Since then, they’d kept in touch. She figured he was calling to invite her to dinner at his house again. He was a widower, so he liked the company from time to time.

  “Hi, Marvin.” Kelly held the phone to her ear. “What’s up?”

  “How’s my girl doing?” When they first met, it was a little bumpy. His relationship with her granny had been a little murky and uncomfortable for Kelly to accept. Still, since then, she found that she liked him and enjoyed spending time with him.

  It was too easy to dump her problems on him. He’d listen with a sympathetic ear and then offer advice. Being she was already up to her eyeballs in problems and advice, she needed no more of either.

  “I’m thinking of signing up for Pilates classes with Summer.”

  “Interesting. I’ve tried it a few times. Never stuck. Not like yoga.”

  Kelly’s eyes widened at the statement. She didn’t know he was a yogi. The man certainly was layered and full of surprises.

  “I’m hoping you don’t have any plans for dinner tonight,” Marvin said.

  Talk about short notice. “Ahh…none actually. Mark is working late
again. What time should I come over?”

  “No, not my house. We’re going to Gio’s for dinner tonight.”

  “Fancy. Do you want to tell me why we’re going to Gio’s for dinner tonight?”

  Marvin laughed. “No. Call me when you close the boutique, and then I’ll head into town. See you later, sunshine.” He ended the call.

  Sunshine. She smiled again. Yes, it was a silly smile. At twenty-six, she shouldn’t be getting all mushy over a cute nickname, but she couldn’t help herself.

  Her silly smile didn’t last long. Before she tucked her phone back into her purse, a text message came through, and it was from Buck, the roofer. He wanted to know if she’d made a final decision about the roof.

  It really wasn’t a decision since she didn’t have a choice. The building needed a new roof. End of story.

  She texted him back, telling him to start the process.

  Now all she had to do was get the money.

  Easy-peasy. Not.

  Well, definitely not if she didn’t get her focus back to business and away from Tawny’s murder. Maybe she should keep her promise to Summer after all.

  There wasn’t enough money in the boutique’s bank account. There was no choice but to get a loan to cover the cost of the project. The thought of a monthly payment looming over her for the next decade or longer made her nervous. The business had no outstanding debt and she owned everything outright. A loan would change everything. She’d owe money.

  Many businesses took out loans at various times; there was nothing to worry about. So why did every nerve in her body buzz, and not in a good way, at the thought of taking out a loan?

  No matter what her nerves did, she needed the money. There wasn’t any other option. Resolved to begin the loan process, she opened the boutique’s front door and stepped inside.

  Breena was helping a customer decide between two dresses. She opened the boutique while Kelly was at the Pilates studio and got right to work selling. While she was happy to have her friend working with her, she was also a little sad knowing one day, after graduating, Breena would leave the boutique. Luckily, she had about another year or so left before they crossed that bridge.

  Kelly then spotted Liza standing at the sales counter. What was she doing back so soon? She was just there yesterday.

  Instead of her usual safe outfit of a button-down shirt with a dark skirt and mid-heeled pumps, Liza wore a navy sheath dress that accentuated her curves and more stylish shoes.

  “Good morning, Liza. What brings you by today?” Kelly crossed the sales floor, nodding to Breena as she passed by, and then stepped behind the counter. She placed her purse into a cubby beneath the counter.

  Liza lifted a shopping bag up on the counter. “I have more clothes to consign. I don’t know what’s come over me. I’m digging through my closet and every drawer.”

  “Sounds like you’re starting early with spring cleaning. By the way, your dress is lovely.”

  “Thank you. I got it yesterday, and I couldn’t wait to wear it.” Tears welled in her eyes. She fanned her eyes in an attempt to dry them. It didn’t work. “I also bought a black dress for Tawny’s funeral service.”

  Kelly plucked a tissue from its box, which was tucked under the counter, and handed it to Liza.

  “I’m sorry. I know everyone is shocked by her death. It still feels unreal.”

  “No need to apologize. Losing a friend isn’t easy, especially given the circumstances,” Kelly said.

  Liza nodded vigorously. “Only a few days ago we had coffee, when Tawny visited the church office.”

  Kelly pulled out the clothing, mostly button-down shirts and tank tops. She sorted through them to identify any imperfections or excessive wear.

  “The other day…” Liza cleared her throat.

  Kelly glanced up from the shirts. “What is it?”

  Liza chewed on her lip and looked hesitant. “I may have been wrong about Serena Dawson killing Tawny.”

  “What do you mean?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Breena lead her customer to the changing rooms, so they could talk in private for a few minutes.

  Liza patted her eyes with the tissue. “Tawny confided she and Jason were having problems.” She blew her nose. “I couldn’t believe it. They seemed to be the perfect couple. Oh, I’m sorry to dump this on you.”

  Kelly reached out and patted Liza’s hand.

  “Don’t be. It’s okay.” She knew what it felt like to need to unburden herself. There were times, though, that she made poor choices when it came to the people she ultimately unburdened herself to. One time, she over-shared with a colleague whom she thought she could trust. In a New York minute, the co-worker used Kelly’s confession against her when it was time for a promotion. Lesson learned. Aside from sympathizing with how Liza felt, she was interested in the Fallow’s marriage. Was it connected to Tawny’s murder?

  “You’re very kind.” Liza covered Kelly’s hand and squeezed before pulling back.

  “Tawny said it was mostly her fault. The troubles with her business had her stressed, and she was snapping at Jason constantly. She said he didn’t like it and was getting angrier. She finally admitted she was a little afraid of him.”

  That nugget of information shocked Kelly. Then again, she hadn’t known the couple at all. Behind closed doors, anything was possible.

  “On two separate occasions she shared that she was afraid of her husband and Serena with you? How close were the two of you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I guess she trusted me. Wait, do you think Jason and Serena were in on it together?” Liza asked.

  “Hey, Kelly. I need to get in here.” Breena approached the counter with a dress and a pair of shoes in her hands. She shuffled behind Kelly to get to the cash register.

  Liza dabbed at her eyes again. “I should get going. I don’t want to be late for work. Can you email me the contract for these clothes, and I’ll get it back to you?”

  “Absolutely.” Kelly gathered up the clothing and returned it to the shopping bag. She’d prep the garments later for sale. After Liza and the other customer left, Kelly asked Breena to come with her to the staff room.

  They propped the swinging door open, so they’d hear the bell over the front door jingle if someone entered the boutique. Kelly poured two cups of coffee for them. Standing beside the counter, they sipped their hot beverages.

  “When you told me about PBF the other day, you seemed happy with the program,” Kelly said.

  “I am. I’ve lost ten pounds, and I’m down a size. Now that Tawny is dead, I’m not sure what will happen. I guess I can still follow the program. But it’s not going to be the same.” Breena pouted.

  “You don’t feel like she ripped you off? The program seems to be personalized for you?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’ve read things online about PBF recently, but I don’t think Tawny scammed anyone. I really think those women could have been lying because they wanted their money back. There was a clear no-refund policy. I made sure I did everything Tawny said, and I’m getting results. No, PBF is the real deal. I hope someone else will pick up the program and continue with it.” With her cup, Breena walked out of the staff room. On her way out, she removed the doorstop.

  Kelly stood there, staring at the swinging door and sipping her coffee. She was relieved Breena felt like she hadn’t been scammed. One less thing to worry about.

  Now onto her next area of concern—the roof.

  While finishing her coffee, she began the loan process. She emailed Buck, letting him know she was going to apply for a loan and optimistically asked when the work would begin. She also inquired about a down payment.

  The thought of having to come up with any percentage of what the job would cost made Kelly’s stomach somersault.

  Online she found five tips to help secure a business loan. The fi
rst tip was to tell her story. The bank’s loan officer would want to be sure she could pay back the loan. She needed to articulate what her business was, who her customers were, the growth in her industry, and where the money would be going. She’d also have to prove to him she had a track record of success. The upswing in sales since she took over would answer the question.

  She also needed to prepare for higher expectations. It went back to the bank feeling confident she would prepay the loan.

  Ah, the next tip was one she’d already rocked.

  Even with her ups and downs over the years, she always maintained a good credit score.

  Proof that she wasn’t as flighty as her family believed.

  The last tip was to be friendly with her lender. She nodded. She could be friendly.

  Those tips were helpful. Even so, Kelly wanted to make sure she was prepared.

  She got lost in her research, and with each passing click and jot on the notepad of what was in store for her, she became more and more concerned she wouldn’t qualify.

  She once had a t-shirt she loved wearing on Sundays when she met friends for brunch and spent the day traipsing around the city. It was soft, oversized, and had an inspiring quote written on it—Do It Scared. The t-shirt was long gone, but she carried the message with her. She channeled all of her fear into creating the best loan package the bank had ever seen.

  With her head down and all of her energy focused, she got back to work.

  Once she had all the paperwork and prep work done for the loan, she moved on to finishing her column for Budget Chic. Surely, having a side gig would show the loan officer she was enterprising and a hard worker.

  Kelly added in her bio and saved the post. She’d find time later to give the article one more read before sending it to her editor.

  While she was writing, an email came in, but she was being more disciplined and didn’t read emails or scan social media until she finished her work. So far, so good.

  Buck replied to her with a start date for the project. She added the date to her calendar. The next paragraph was the payment schedule, and he referenced the attached document, which was the contract.