The Dream Dress

by Janice Thompson

  I rose from the bed and made my way to the kitchen, where Mama was preparing to leave for work. She carried on about the trip she was arranging for the Splendora Sisters, and I soon found myself dreaming of cruises and Italy. From the look in Mama’s eyes, she was dreaming too.

  Mimi Carmen, on the other hand, was in an unusual frame of mind. After eating an apple and a boiled egg, she announced that she would be in her room, putting on her most comfortable slacks so that she could take a walk around the neighborhood.

  Really? You’re going for a walk?

  “Want to go with me, Gabi?” she asked, a twinkle in her eyes. “All work and no play—”

  “Makes Jack a dull boy.” I spoke the words along with her and then nodded. “Sure. I’ll go for a walk.”

  And so we walked. If one could call moving down the sidewalk with Mimi Carmen a true walk. Mostly we talked about everything under the sun—our hopes, dreams, goals . . . everything. Girl talk. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed her company like this.

  I offered to take her out to lunch at Parma John’s, enticing her with the idea of a salad. Really, I didn’t need to be spending the money, being unemployed and all, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to see Scarlet and hear more about her aunt’s take on the gown.

  When we arrived at Parma John’s, the smell of pizza accosted us. I thought my grandmother would fall off the dieting wagon pronto, but she amazed me by ordering a salad with light Italian dressing.

  Minutes later Bella entered with her daughter in her arms. She saw me and gave a little wave.

  “Well, howdy, stranger. Long time, no see.”

  “Who do we have here?” Mimi Carmen reached out to snag the toddler from Bella. “It’s that lovely little doll I met on Sunday.” She took the little one in her arms and began to talk in baby talk.

  Bella took one look at Mimi and said, “You’re hired!”

  “I’m—what?”

  Bella plopped down at the table. “D.J. and I both work full-time. Mama is so busy at the Grand Opera Society right now, and you know Rosa—she and Laz film several episodes of their show a week. Poor Rosa-Earline. She gets tossed around from person to person.”

  “You’re saying you need someone to take her full-time?” I asked.

  “No, but it would be great to have another option when everyone else is busy.” She gave my grandmother a pleading look. “What do you think, Mimi Carmen?”

  I smiled as she called my grandmother the name I’d given her as a child.

  “I think Rosa-Earline and I will have a lovely time together.” Mimi rose and headed off to the jukebox to show the toddler her favorite tunes. Bella leaned forward on her elbows and gazed at me. “Well, that’s one prayer answered.”

  “Speaking of prayer, I’ve been doing more of it.”

  “Perfect. So what do you think will happen with your day job? I mean, I know he let you go, but . . .” She shrugged. “He’s done that before, and it doesn’t always stick.”

  “Yeah. Only, this time it’s sticking.” I filled her in on the details of my phone call with Demetri, and she put her hands down on the table.

  “Good, Gabi. Stick to your guns. You don’t need Demetri.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No. And if he doesn’t shape up and start treating people better, I’m going to stop recommending him to my brides.”

  Ack. I swallowed hard at that idea. Wasn’t it enough that Demetri was already angry with me? He would never forgive me if I turned Bella against him.

  “Here’s what I want you to do,” Bella said. “Do you have all of your sketches?”

  “You mean all of the ones I’ve ever done?”

  “Ever done, ever started, ever thought about doing.”

  “Well, that’s the problem. Some of them are on the backs of napkins, some are in sketchbooks, some are on slips of loose paper.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You need to compile them. Make sense of them. Create a portfolio of sorts. And since we’re talking about this, I might as well go ahead and let you know what I’m thinking about the future of Club Wed.” The most delightful look lit up her face. “You know how you’re always talking about Demetri’s Fab Five? Well, I’ve decided to create my own.”

  “Your own . . . what? Designers?”

  “Well, sort of. My own inner circle of friends in the wedding biz. Ladies who spend their days and their nights eating, sleeping, and breathing wedding-related things.” She glanced up and smiled as Scarlet joined us. “Like wedding cakes.”

  “What did I miss?” Scarlet pulled up a chair and sat down.

  “Talking about wedding vendors,” Bella said. “I was just about to tell Gabi there’s really only one place on the island for truly great cakes. No one can top yours, Scarlet.”

  “Why, thank you.” Scarlet’s cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. “The same is true with wedding photos. Hannah and Drew are at the top of my list.” Bella glanced my way. “And the same can be said about wedding gowns. Gorgeous, over-the-moon, to-die-for wedding gowns that would have any bride swooning and any father of the bride ready to pull out his pocketbook and write a hefty check.”

  “Well, amen to that.” But I still didn’t completely understand her point. Seemed like she was leading up to some sort of big announcement.

  “So, here’s my plan. You ladies”—Bella pointed back and forth between Scarlet and me—“are going to be my very own Fab Five.”

  “But there are only three of us,” Scarlet said as she took a seat. “Counting Hannah, I mean.”

  “I know, I know, but you get my point. You’re going to be my most recommended. When people have come to me looking for wedding pros, you’ve always been the first on my list. The first photographer. The first baker. The first dress designer. I’ve posted a list of my preferred vendors on my website, and you’re at the top, all of you.” She turned my way to speak directly to me. “Actually, I’m just adding you today. But I’ll need details. Contact info. That kind of thing.”

  My heart rate skipped to double time. She’d flattered me beyond belief, but Demetri wouldn’t be as flattered if he found out. In fact, he would probably do everything in his power to put an end to my career in a hurry.

  Still, the idea that Bella Neeley would consider me one of her inner circle almost left me giddy. Only God opened doors like that. I had to acknowledge that I couldn’t have accomplished this on my own.

  “Anyway, I’ve always done a good job of recommending the best in the biz,” Bella said. “But I want to do more. Here’s my idea.” She shifted in her seat. “My parents and I have been talking about this for quite a while, actually. We want to expand Club Wed.”

  “Expand?” I thought about the old Victorian home and tried to figure out how they would go about it. Every square inch was spoken for.

  “We’re talking about moving an interior wall near the front, just off the foyer, to call our Vendors Square. We’ll display your gowns there, Gabi. And some faux wedding cakes, Scarlet. You’re always bringing samples by, so why not put them there? And we’ll hang several wedding photos that Hannah and Drew have taken. Oh, and flowers. We’ll always have fresh flowers from Marcella’s store.” Bella’s nose wrinkled. “Only, she’s going to be passing the store to someone else soon. Not sure how that will work.”

  “Still, it’s a great idea.” Scarlet clasped her hands together. “I love it, Bella.”

  “Thanks. We’ll also promote my brother-in-law’s catering service. Bubba makes the best barbecue in the world.”

  “That’s five!” I said. “Me, Scarlet, Hannah, Marcella, and Bubba.”

  “It might become six. I think I’ll give a nod to Parma John’s.” She gestured to the restaurant. “Uncle Laz and my brothers still enjoy catering when they have the time. Who knows where this will go. I just want to spend more time promoting people in the wedding business. This is a tough gig, and you all deserve to do well. Before long it might be a Terrific Ten or an Easygoing Elev
en.”

  “Easygoing Eleven?” Scarlet let out an unladylike snort. “Not a very fitting description of most of us on the list. What about Energetic Eleven? Or maybe Eager Eleven?”

  “Nah, eager makes us sound too . . . eager.” I shrugged.

  “Okay then, what about the Exhilarating Eleven? Or maybe”—she snapped her fingers—“the Evangelical Eleven! That’s perfect! We’re all Christians, after all.”

  Bella slapped herself on the forehead. “If you keep this up, I’m going to start calling you the Exasperating Eleven.”

  This got a laugh out of all of us.

  “Ooo, I know,” I said after a moment’s thought. “What about the Elegant Eleven?”

  “Perfect.” Bella gave me an admiring look. “But who knows how many vendors we’ll end up with when all is said and done. The point is, you’ll always be one of the top vendors on my list. All of you.”

  I hardly knew how to thank her. Scarlet didn’t seem to have any trouble. She jumped up and threw her arms around Bella’s neck. “You’re going to be the best sister-in-law ever!”

  “Thank you. And best of all, we’ll work out a plan where we offer brides the option of ordering your products directly from Club Wed, which means you guys could come and go as you please from our facility. If you could handle that with whatever else you’ve got going.”

  “I can handle it,” I said with a smile. “Trust me.”

  “Me too.” Scarlet’s nose wrinkled. “Well, I think I can. I do have a honeymoon to go on first.” Her cheeks flamed pink and she laughed.

  “Ooo, I just thought of more folks to add to the list,” Bella said. “The Splendora Sisters. They’re the best wedding singers around. Their forties tunes are amazing.” She grinned, obviously happy with her choice. “And the band! We have connections to an amazing swing band. Their leader is a personal friend of the family.”

  “So how will this work?” I asked.

  “A lot of brides come to me with vendors already chosen. I would never presume to convince them to change their minds. But a lot of them come in completely clueless and ask for my recommendations. I used to just hand them a list of several possibilities. But why not offer them one-stop shopping?”

  “I love it!” Scarlet let out a little squeal.

  “I have a lot of other things on my mind too,” Bella said. “D.J. and I have been talking about opening a Club Wed up in Splendora.”

  “Where’s that, again?” I asked.

  “It’s a little town north of Houston by about an hour. D.J. is from Splendora. His uncle runs a truck stop there.”

  “And you’re going to run the facility there too?” I asked. “How will that work?”

  “Well, not at the truck stop, silly. I’m thinking about building a little wedding chapel in the woods.”

  “Remember, Aunt Willy lives there now too,” Scarlet said. “And she has a lot of experience with brides, so she’ll be a big help.”

  “Oh, that’s right.”

  Bella shrugged. “Just thinking about the possibilities. In my mind’s eye, I see a sweet little chapel—sort of a town-and-country feel. The simplicity of the country with the convenience of an in-town wedding. I’ve spent hours sketching out my ideas. And I’ve got the perfect location in mind, if I can get it for the right price. It’s on the prettiest woodsy street called Hill and Dale. I can picture it now.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know.” Bella sighed. “I’m such a dreamer. Would you believe I’ve even given thought to planning destination weddings?”

  “Destination weddings?”

  “Sure. For instance, a bride came to me recently, asking if I would coordinate her wedding in Saint Thomas.”

  “Saint Thomas!” I could almost feel the sand between my toes now.

  “I know, right?” Bella grinned. “I told her I would think about it but didn’t give a firm answer. Not sure about the logistics. But this particular bride needed more than a coordinator. She wanted someone to design the dresses with a tropical flare—the wedding gown and the bridesmaids dresses, I mean.”

  After talking with Bella, I felt absolutely dizzy. Her ideas, though wonderful, overwhelmed me on a thousand levels. When I pondered her destination wedding idea, I couldn’t help but think of Mama, how she’d longed to travel.

  Suddenly, I gasped. “Bella. My mother’s a travel agent.”

  “Ooo, that’s right.” She clamped a hand over her mouth and then pulled it away. “Do you think she would be interested in helping me if I ever decided to do the destination wedding thing?”

  “She would probably flip.” My heart soared as I thought about my mother getting a chance to spread her wings a little.

  “Well, one thing at a time.” Bella reached to squeeze my hand. “I’m going to give you an assignment. We’ve got to get your business up and running. You’ll need a name, and you’ll have to file for a business license with the state.” She went into a lengthy explanation of all I would need to do but lost me somewhere after the words sales tax.

  We ended our lunch a few minutes later, but I thought about Bella’s comments all the way back to the house. When Mimi and I arrived home, I scoured the web for business models. Read every article on how to grow a company from the ground up.

  After several hours, I felt stiff and sore from sitting hunched over the computer so long, yet invigorated for the task ahead. Bella was right. If I worked hard enough, I could achieve my dreams. Didn’t Ginger Rogers practice for hours on end? Sure she did. If she could land on her feet, so could I. I wouldn’t do it in sparkling dance shoes with Fred Astaire on my arm, but I would prove my worth. No doubt about it.

  I came from a long line of hardworking women, after all. Mimi Carmen had spent thirty years at the phone company before retiring. Mama worked harder than almost anyone I knew, though you couldn’t judge it from her paycheck.

  Maybe that was the point: the size of the check was not a true reflection of the workload. Pity those poor men who slaved away in the south Texas heat digging ditches and doing electrical work. If I felt so much angst about not working my way up the corporate ladder, how did they feel? And many of them had large families—lots of mouths to feed. Me? I just had Mama and Mimi Carmen, and we were managing okay.

  Mostly.

  But my situation would get better now. I knew in my gut—in my spirit, as Bella would say. Yes, my situation would improve, and I would get to do the thing I was put on this earth to do—design gowns for brides.

  You’ll Never Get Rich

  Why didn’t you tell me I was in love with you?

  Fred Astaire

  Later that same afternoon Jordan called to say he needed to swing by my place to drop something off. With him being so secretive and all, I could hardly imagine what it might be. So when he showed up with a copy of his completed article, I had to smile.

  “I want you to read it before I turn it in.” He beamed, obviously proud of himself.

  “But . . . how did you manage to cover the information about Nicolette’s gown when we’re not sure how all of that is going to turn out?”

  “I told you I’d give the whole piece a different slant, and I did. Read it, Gabi.”

  And so I did. I took a seat on the living room sofa and read every glorious word. I paused when I reached the part where he talked about the role that alterations specialists play in the implementation of a bride’s wedding dress. And I couldn’t help but smile when I came to the part where he mentioned the dress forms. But I lost my breath when he described the fact that Nicolette planned to wear both dresses on her big day.

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “She called me last night to fill me in. I think it’s the best possible solution, don’t you?” Jordan leaned back against the sofa.

  “As long as Demetri calls off his lawyers, yes.”

  “He’s just bluffing, Gabi. Besides, this decision on Nicolette’s part means I’m free to promote both you and Demetri in the article.”

/>   “He will still be angry to see my name listed.”

  “That’s too bad. He’ll have to get over it.” Jordan shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe one day he’ll play nice. There’s really not room for too much animosity in the wedding business, after all. Paths eventually cross . . . and cross again.”

  “True. I’m just so relieved that you mentioned Haute Couture by name and raved about Demetri’s designs.” Relief flooded over me. “Hopefully that will pacify him for now.”

  “I’m sure it will.”

  “I had a great talk with Bella today,” I added. “And I have so much to tell you, but I’m swamped with work. Scarlet’s coming by tomorrow after church to try on her gown, and I’ve been thinking a lot about Nicolette’s dress. I didn’t make the connection before, but both weddings are on the same weekend.”

  “Oh, wow. My heart goes out to you.” He looked genuinely concerned at this news.

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” I rose and began to pace the living room. “Scarlet is getting married on the first Saturday in October, and Nicolette is getting married the night before. A Friday night wedding. Both are at Club Wed.”

  “I feel for Bella too. I’m sure this happens a lot.” Jordan stood and took a few steps in my direction.

  “Me too. I really don’t know how she does it.”

  “She has a team,” Jordan said. “That’s the answer. You’ve got to be surrounded by people who will support you. Help you. People who know the business.”

  “Oh, that’s what Bella and I were talking about.” I took a seat once more and spent the next several minutes filling him in on the conversation I’d had with Bella and Scarlet over lunch.

  “Now that’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” he said. “If you’ve got Bella and her family on your team, then you’re good to go. You don’t need Demetri anyway.”

  “That’s what she said. I guess I’m reaching the point where I really need to stop giving him such a hold on my life.”

  “What do you mean?”