by Jamie Knight
She wipes her eyes on a tissue. "What do you mean?" I ask, puzzled.
"Well, for the dress and everything. It’s silly, but when I put it on, I felt like a princess. It's the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. You’re working so hard on it, and it's going to make my wedding day even more special," She replies hugging me again.
I give her a gentle hug in return.
"Well I'm really happy that you like the dress. There's no need to thank me, this is what I do. I really hope that you have a truly memorable and beautiful wedding day," I reply. I'm momentarily caught up in her emotions and happiness and my throat tightens a little.
She lets me go and smiles at me. "I hope that you find someone to make you happy too. Soon. Very soon!" She replies.
We exchange brief smiles before she leaves the shop.
I sigh once again, but this time it’s a happy sound. I forget about my own problems for a second, just reveling in the joy of another happy client. And a friend to boot. It makes me feel really good, and proud of my job.
I take the bag with her dress and move it behind the counter. I'm actually excited to start working on it later. It's a beautiful dress, perfect on her curvy figure,, and she really seemed to like it. I should have it finished in a couple of days. It’s actually quite a relief that she only asked me to shorten the hemline a little because of her height.
I check my registry. Another bride is scheduled to arrive shortly before closing for a final fitting. This one might take a little more work because it's been a while since she first chose her dress. I prepare myself for that appointment by pulling out the tape measure and pins that I'll need.
I take Tammy’s gown to the back room to exchange it with the dress for my next appointment. Once I locate it, I unzip it to check it for imperfections. Afterwards I zip it back up and move it to the front of the store. I decide to busy myself with checking our website and email for incoming orders and questions. It keeps my mind occupied for a little while.
I truly do love the work that I do. I always have. It’s why my grandmother left me the shop in the first place, I grew up surrounded by the clouds of beaded silk and taffeta.
But more than anything, it's happy clients like Tammy, that make it so enjoyable. I love to turn a bride’s special day into a dream come true by making her feel like she just stepped out of a fairytale.
I just hope someday I’ll get that fairytale feeling, too.
Chapter 2 - Lorelai
After closing the shop, I head home, fix a quick bite to eat, then to settle in front of the TV and relax. After my last appointment, I’d stayed past closing to work on some of Tammy's gown. I wanted the stitching of the hemline to be perfect, so I was taking my time.
I’d managed to get about halfway through before my eyelids had started to droop. I left the dress in the workroom, ready for a start bright and early in the morning. I don’t like leaving work unfinished, and I know I won’t be happy until Tammy’s dress is perfect.
After a nice meal, and a small glass of wine, I'm relaxing on my couch in my pajamas. I'm watching a romantic comedy on TV, and to my surprise I'm actually enjoying it. Maybe it's the wine, or maybe it's because I had a great day at work today. Whatever the case may be I find myself utterly absorbed in the movie.
Eventually I can feel my eyes starting to close. I realize that I'm too tired even for television. After a quick cleanup of the kitchen and living room I turn out the lights and walk to my room, yawning all the while. I pause to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. I set the alarm on my nightstand, deciding to set it about an hour earlier than usual. This will give me plenty of time to get to the store and finish Tammy’s gown.
On a whim, I glance through my phone real quick. No emails or texts. I can't tell if that's good or depressing, but I decide not to think about it. I plug my phone into the charger, turn out the light and lie down. I pull the covers over my shoulders and fall asleep almost instantly. After a long day, it's nice to have a deep, dreamless sleep. To be able to forget all about your thoughts and worries of the day.
But the peaceful darkness doesn’t last. It takes a moment to rouse me, but I can hear a distant buzzing and ringing. I fight my way through the fog of sleep, and force myself awake. Disoriented, I look around the room for the noise. I realize that it’s my cell phone vibrating on the nightstand, the ringer blaring and an unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. "Hello?" I ask sleepily as I answer it.
"Is this Ms. Lorelai Rhys? The owner of the bridal shop on first Avenue?" A voice asks me from the phone.
My stomach is immediately in knots. No one is making a social call in the middle of the night, and I have a sinking feeling that this isn’t about a dress…
"Yes? Is something wrong?" I ask while still trying to wake up.
"Someone reported a fire at your business. Fire crews are already on the scene. We urge you to be there as well," The voice replies.
Instantly I'm awake, my heart racing. "Thank you, I'm on my way." I say hanging up the phone.
I yank it off the charger, jumping off my bed and jamming my feet into my shoes. I don't care that I'm still in my pajamas, my only concern is getting to the shop. I grab my purse and keys and hurry out of the apartment.
I drive as fast as I can. I'm praying the whole time that I don't run any red lights, but honestly, I’m scarcely paying attention. I finally arrive and park across the street. Sure enough, there are two fire trucks and a police cruiser. I don’t see any flames, and there’s no sense of urgency in the firefighters milling about, but a few faint wisps of smoke are still rising from the building. I get out of my car and race over to them.
"Are you the owner of this business, ma'am?" The fire marshal asks me.
"Yes, my name is Lorelai Rhys," I reply.
I glance at him anxiously. “What happened?”
"Well Ms. Rhys, I’m happy to report that we managed to put out the fire quickly. Obviously it did some damage, but the structural integrity of the building is still intact and it looks like most of your merchandise was spared, although I don’t know what might be affected by smoke or water damage,” he makes an apologetic face. “But thankfully the store was empty and no one was hurt."
I nod as I listen to him, a mixture of sorrow and relief roiling in my stomach. "Do we know what caused it?" I ask, trying to assess what I can of the damage from here.
"Yes ma'am, it was an electrical fire," he responds.
He asks me a few questions and jots down my information in his report. I'm in too much shock to say or ask anything else.
He hands the report to me. "You'll need this for your insurance. I'm sorry for your loss," He says, before walking away.
I take the papers and nod at him. I watch as the fire crews pack up their gear and prepare to drive off. "Is it ok to go inside?" I call out to them.
"Yes ma'am, just be careful all the same," One of them replies.
I watch as they leave, stalling for a moment before I can gather the courage to set foot inside. I clutch the papers the fire marshal had given me like a lifeline as I set foot across the threshold. Immediately, I crinkle my nose at the burnt wet smell. I can already see that it looks heavily damaged, but I'm just relieved that it's still standing. I sigh heavily. It's dark inside, but I don’t know if the lights are working. And even if they are, I’m terrified to flip a switch and risk setting the whole place ablaze all over again.
So instead, I use my phone for a light. I make my way to the back of the store and grab a broom. I’m relieved to find that the workroom is completely untouched and safe. I set my phone down on the counter by the register and begin to sweep up the bits of debris on the ground. I'm going to need a clean space to go through all the remnants of the inventory.
I try to fight back all the tears and emotions that I'm feeling. During the process, memories pop up. I think about my grandmother, how she must have cleaned up the shop for so many years when it belonged to her. I remember the day my parents were killed in a
car accident, and she had taken over raising me.
I remember following her all over this store. I would watch with wide eyes when she would pull out a gown for a bride to try on, the excitement in the air. I remember seeing the smile of joy on her face whenever she made a bride happy. A feeling I felt, too, with every happy bride. I pause sweeping and look around the ruins of the shop.
It’s early morning now, streaks of sunlight are starting to creep in through the windows. I can see the damage to the store even better now, soot-streaked gowns and scorched veils, not to mention the damage to the walls. The broom falls from my hands and I bury my face in them, the tears finally overpowering me.
Everything overwhelms me. I was so proud, so honored when I was able to take over the shop from my grandmother. I was delighted to be able to share in something that brought her such joy. Now I feel like I’ve failed her. I don't know how I will be able to recover from this. Not just emotionally, though I know I will struggle to deal with this for a long time. This shop was all I had left of her. I'm also thinking about the financial aspects. I'm not rich. I doubt I’ll be able to afford to rebuild and replenish all that I’ve lost. I’ll be lucky enough just to get the damage to the shop repaired and try to keep going with what I still have.
Sobs overtake me, wracking my body, and I collapse to the floor in a heap.
What the hell am I going to do now?
Chapter 3 - Gabriel
I run my hands through my dark hair in exasperation. I need to get up and walk around, but if I do that I'll never get any work done. I've been reading through these documents that my temporary secretary typed and they’re all wrong. Whatever agency sent her over, I need to have a word with.
I make corrections to all the documents and put them in a pile on my desk, my agitation brewing. I'll have to have someone else with actual experience in this line of work redo them. My phone rings loudly on my desk. I try to ignore it and keep working. It rings again so I look at the caller ID. After a moment’s hesitation, I decide to answer it. I could use the momentary break from work. "Hello?" I say, as I put my pen down and flex my hand a few times to relieve some of the cramping.
It's my friend Tim. "Hey Gabe, whatcha up to? Working hard?" He asks playfully.
"Of course. It's a weekday, isn’t it?" I reply in a serious tone.
Tim is my best friend and has been the more laid back of us two. "You say that like weekends are any different,” He teases. "Haha." I say sarcastically into the phone.
I pick my pen back up and resume working while I talk. "So, what made you call so early?" I ask him, “I can’t remember the last time I heard from you before noon.”
"Well, I wanted to tell you about this auction that's coming up. It's in town." He explains.
I stifle a sigh. "I don’t know. I have a lot going on at work right now," I hedge, trying to make an excuse.
"Aw, come on, it's been forever since we hung out, or since we’ve gone to one of these! Besides, at least this one’s in town, so there won't be any long trip." He says, trying to convince me.
This time, I let out the sigh. I realize it has been a long time since I've gotten laid. Besides, it might do me some good to take my mind off of work. "Ok,” I relinquish finally, “Count me in. When is it?" I ask him.
"Great! In about a month. I'll call you later on to let you know for sure. Trust me, this will be good for you." He says.
I just smirk, and pencil it into my calendar as a meeting. "Yeah maybe so." I reply.
He laughs, "It will be,” He assures me, “I promise. You need to loosen up and stop focusing so much on work."
I just shake my head. "Goodbye, Tim." I say before hanging up.
I put the phone down and get back to work.
There's a reason I don't cut loose, or have relationships. I try not to think about it, but I can’t help it. It was heartbreaking all those years ago to have to break up with the only woman I ever loved. I promised myself that I would never hurt like that again. So far I've done a good job of it.
These auctions play a huge part in that, to be honest. I can just go and pay for the services that I need without any of the messy emotional attachments that usually go along with a relationship. Frankly, I prefer it this way. It's easy and its convenient.
The more that I think about it, I realize that I am excited to go with Tim to the next auction. It will be good to have some fun again. That's usually the kind of women that you meet at these things anyways. They just want a little bit of fun, or to let their wild side out. It's definitely not the worst way to spend an evening. But for now, I force myself to concentrate on work.
And now that I'm looking forward to the auction. I push all the messy feelings about my past aside.
After making the necessary corrections, I take the documents out to an employee who has been working with me for years, a sweet elderly lady whose name fails me at the moment. "Could you type this up for me again? The temp that the agency sent over has no idea what she's doing." I confide in her quietly.
She glances behind me to the temp, and whispers to me: "Sounds about right."
We both share a quiet laugh and I leave her to her work. "I'll have them on your desk by lunch." She assures me.
I like working with competent people. I want my company to run like a well-oiled machine. I ignore the temp, who tries to smile at me as I walk by. I walk into my office and shut the door. I don't believe in workplace relationships, too messy. Besides, I'll see plenty of women like her at the auction. Young, and gorgeous, only good for a few turns and not much else.
I quickly dial the temp agency and speak to them quietly about sending this one back. "Is there a problem sir?" The lady on the phone asks me. "Oh no, it's just that I’ve decided to promote from within and I’ll no longer be needing her help,” I assure her in my most polite tone.
"Ok sir, we will let her know. Please contact us in the future with any openings you need help to fill!" She replies.
I assure her that I will and hang up quickly. Thank goodness that is over with. I make a note to learn the name of the woman whose help I asked for. I also want to negotiate a better position for her now, maybe one that includes secretarial duties. It'll save me money because I won't have to hire anyone else. I can afford to give her a raise as well. I'm writing all this down, and as I look up, I see the temp talking on her cell phone.
I sigh in exasperation. I'm so glad that today is her last day. She looks up suddenly at my office window, glares at it then storms off. I guess they just called and told her. Satisfied, I go back to writing. I need to make this proposal sound more professional.
Chapter 4 - Lorelai
It's been about a month since the fire. So much has happened that even though everything has been a whirlwind, it still feels like it’s been longer somehow. I’m still trying to process that night. It’s been a lot to deal with. I contacted my insurance right away, and thankfully they were able to cover the cost of some of the damages and repairs.
Some of the minor work, especially the cleaning, I was able to do on my own, although it took a lot of work and time.
You can still see how damaged the store is, but at least I was able to get it mostly operational and take in a few customers again. I stand in the shop and pause to take a breath. I look around at the parts that I have blocked off. I've had to reduce the inventory and number of clients that I can handle because of the fire.
I walk to the back of the shop, into the new makeshift office where I have a pile of bills to wade through. I glance through them, looking at the total for all of them. I'll be lucky if I'm able to pay them all and still keep the lights on for another month.
The cost of everything is too much to bear right now. The fire devastated me, both emotionally and financially. And having to take on fewer clients has meant less profit, compounding the issue. My hand shakes a little as I set the papers down, the numbers making my eyes swim.
For the past few days I have been worried that I might actua
lly lose the shop. I'm barely making anything now, and on top of everything else, I’ve still got to pay my own rent and keep myself afloat. I wander into the shop and plop down in one of the chairs I have for my clients. My worries get the better of me and I start to cry again. I'm so busy crying that I don't hear my next customer come in.
"Lor? Hey, are you all right? Is everything ok?" A voice next to me asks.
I jump, startled, and stop crying. I try to pull myself together and wipe my eyes. Looking up, I see that it's Tammy. "I'm here early for my final fitting,” she explains.
I nod as I try to get my emotions under control. She sits down next to me and puts a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "You want to talk about it?” she asks.
I sniffle and stare at the ground. "I'm just worried. This fire has taken so much for me. The biggest problem of all is money. I don't know if I will be able to stay in business. This was my grandma’s shop, you know? She left it for me to take care of and I feel like I’ve failed her."
Tammy reaches over and gives me a quick hug. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. But this wasn’t your fault, don’t beat yourself up over it."
I thank her for the hug and stand up. "Shall we get to work?" I ask, trying to appear cheerful.
She stands up with me and looks at me. "Did I ever tell you how I met my husband?" She asks suddenly.
I shake my head no as I lead her back to the workroom to look for her dress.
"It was a few years ago. I was in desperate need of money. I met him through a mutual friend at one of these, I guess you would call it, uh… sex auctions." She explains sheepishly.
I set her dress on a nearby hanger and look at her in shock. She laughs at my expression. "It was all very innocent. Basically a woman can auction off anything she wants, like a date, or something as extravagant as her virginity and the men will bid on it."
I just continue to stare open mouthed. “That’s innocent?” I ask incredulously.