"Sure," Claire agreed.
Jenny grinned, a knowing sparkle in her eyes. She could already see it: by tomorrow afternoon, anything Claire wore would be flying off the racks.
"Want me to book a stylist for you for tomorrow?" Jenny offered.
With clothes this gorgeous, Jenny felt it would be a crime not to have a professional on hand to show them off to their full potential.
Claire shot her a look. “I'm heading to a school campus, remember? The reporters are interviewing me as a soon-to-be college freshman. If I show up decked out like I'm walking the red carpet... don't you think that might look suspicious?"
“Our audience isn't stupid; they'd immediately suspect SUNNY had set up the whole thing just to show off their sponsorship. That kind of thing could backfire. It might even hurt our sales or, worse, damage SUNNY's reputation."
"You've got a point," Jenny conceded, letting the subject drop.
Claire stayed at the studio through the evening, waiting for a special client who could only make it after hours.
When it was finally time, Claire slipped on a stylish hat and a sleek mask, added a touch of makeup to give herself a slightly more mature edge, and went off to meet Ms. Ford—a resourceful, self-made woman.
"Ms. Ford, allow me to introduce the designer you requested-Ms. J," someone announced as they entered.
Claire greeted her warmly. "Ms. Ford, it's a pleasure. I just got back into town today, and Jenny's told me a bit about your journey. I'd be truly honored to design an evening gown for you."
"I asked you here tonight so I could get a sense of your personal tastes,” Claire continued with natural poise. "Only by understanding what you like can I create something that truly reflects your elegance."
Claire's confidence and her growing name in the industry clearly put Ms. Ford at ease.
The woman looked at her in mild astonishment. “Ms. J, you're so young. I honestly thought any designer of this caliber had to be at least thirty-five. But you can't be much older than twenty, can you?"
Claire smiled. “Talent isn't measured by age. You must have seen my designs before. Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken the trouble to request me specifically."
Ms. Ford nodded, smiling in
recognition. "That's true-very much like how my own career started. Nobody believed I'd succeed when I launched my business, everyone thought I didn't stand a chance."
"Now, my daughter wants for nothing, and my ex-husband is still bitter-he swears I just got ridiculously lucky."
"To tell the truth, both my daughter and I adore your brand. And when we heard Ms. J herself was from Solenia, we knew it had to be you."
"My custom designs don't come cheap," Claire told her candidly, "but I promise you -value for every dollar."
"Money's not an issue," Ms. Ford replied without hesitation. "All that matters is that I love the dress."
Their meeting went smoothly; the conversation lingered for nearly an hour, easy and cordial the whole way through.
When Ms. Ford suggested dinner, Claire declined politely. "We actually have another client to see tonight, I'm afraid we'll have to take a rain check."
It was the sort of excuse no one could argue with. Business is business, after all.
As soon as MS. Ford was out the door, Claire and Jenny packed up to leave, too. Weither of them was a fan of working late into the right for the reason if they hadn't been waiting for Ms. Ford, they'd have clocked out hours earlier.
Now, they hurried back to Edison's place.
Edison had texted earlier to say he'd prepared a proper feast to celebrate Claire's return.
The moment Claire and Jenny stepped through the front door, they were hit by an irresistible wave of savory aromas-herbs, roasted meat, and delicious spices.
Edison had gone all-out: dish after colorful, artfully-plated dish crowded the table, leaving barely any room.
"Edison, there's no way we're going to finish all of this," Claire laughed.
The presentation, the scent, the
colors-every dish was a work of art and impossible to resist. Still, this was enough food to feed a whole party, and Claire couldn't help but worry about the waste.