by Lucy Coleman
13
The Excitement Builds
It’s Monday morning and we arrive at the office to hear the news that the fashion shoot is now sold out. Not only that, but I receive an email from one of Filipe’s contacts I’ve met with several times now and he’ll be ready to come in to do a short presentation to the board later in the week. The company are hoping to gain approval to produce a selection of organic hand soaps and toiletries as a part of the Inspired by Reid Henderson range. It will complement the bathroom furnishings, which includes roman blinds and hand towels embroidered with birds and flowers. They are going to mock up some of the packaging based on the prints we supplied to Bernadette. I know Filipe will be delighted, and so will Tomas if we manage to pull this off. As for Reid, he’ll probably just shrug his shoulders, amused that his face could end up on the back of a soap dispenser.
Antero knocks on my door, gingerly swinging it open. ‘I just had a call from Bernadette. She’ll be at the factory later today to see the first of the dress samples and wondered if you wanted to be in on it. She’s suggesting a video meeting at two o’clock?’
‘Two days ahead of schedule, that’s marvellous news. As long as that suits you, Antero, I’m fine with it. It’s a pity Carolina will miss it.’
‘Yes, it is.’ He looks at me sheepishly and I can’t help wondering whether it’s because she did go along to spend time with him and Miguel. He should know by now that I don’t have a problem with it.
Today Carolina is up at the Cristo Rei, meeting with the site manager to draw up the parking plans to accommodate the trailers. With catering vehicles, facilities for the models to change, and the lighting people all vying for space, it needs to be carefully coordinated.
My morning is going to be spent looking over the budgets now that all the tickets are sold for the Friday evening. Achieving break-even is still going to be tight, even levying charges from the companies giving out their food samples and the people who will be selling the drinks. To walk the catwalk, we enlisted students from a local modelling school, who jumped at the chance to take part. We are footing the bill for the costs of the hair and make-up team but managed to negotiate a good deal in return for featuring their artists and hairdressers in the programme.
At lunchtime, I settle myself down on a bench and polish off a scrummy, traditional Portuguese pork sandwich, called a bifana – it’s no wonder that the waistbands on my skirts are getting a little tighter. Then I call my mother.
‘Hi, Mum. Only me, just checking in to say the parcel you sent arrived safely. How was your weekend?’
‘We had great fun. I spent it at a manor house helping Fi out, as she was showing dresses at a wedding fair. The weather wasn’t the best, but we were indoors much of the time, anyway. How about you, darling?’
‘I spent most of it bashing metal around, you know me.’
‘That warms my heart to hear you say that, because I bet you were in your own little world and happy as a lark.’
She’s right.
I suppose that out of politeness I should give her the chance to talk about my father, even though I don’t really want to know as she sounds happy enough. ‘Any developments?’ I casually throw out.
She hesitates for a moment. ‘Same old, same old. Your father isn’t happy and he wants me to come home, as he put it. But having made the break, Seren, I’m not regretting it at all. My time is my own, and I know this sounds selfish, but if I don’t fancy cooking, I just grab a takeaway or make a sandwich. No more having to worry about dinner being on the table at seven every evening and making sure I don’t serve the same pudding twice in one week. Seriously, when you are down to just two people eating, it should be more relaxed and not such a big pressure. I happily eat from a tray in front of TV, most nights. But you know what your father is like. The table must be laid and if I dared to use a paper napkin instead of a linen one, he’d think I’d lost my mind.’
It’s strange to hear Mum talking like this, when I had no idea how trapped she felt.
‘You don’t think he’s capable of change?’ I ask, not wanting to let my feelings influence her.
‘No. Nothing he’s said to me is about compromise, it’s all about getting things back to normal. I’m afraid, Seren, my mind is made up.’
You think you know the people you love, but Mum hid her true feelings for a long time. My happiest memories were as a young child, when my father was struggling to set up his business. We lived in a small, semi-detached house and most of my school friends lived close by. I remember him coming home from work and in summer we’d go into the garden to practise my netball shots, while Mum cooked dinner. In winter, he taught me how to play chess and Mum would often have to call us several times to get us to the table. Life was simpler then, for us all, but I didn’t realise his dream wasn’t necessarily Mum’s, too.
‘Do you have a plan?’ I ask.
‘No,’ she replies, sounding bright and breezy. ‘I don’t need one. Your father will get fed up and realise I’m not going back. Then he’ll get angry and start divorce proceedings. Then he’ll be too busy trying to make sure I walk away with as little as possible. That’s how it goes, isn’t it?’
‘But you supported everything he did, Mum. You pandered to his every whim, accompanied him to all those boring functions and you were both Mum and Dad to me, as he was rarely around. Don’t settle for less than you are due.’
‘My darling Seren, don’t you worry about me. I can earn enough to keep a roof over my head while he gets on with it. Fi has offered me her spare bedroom, but I like the little flat I’m renting. It’s cosy, has everything I need and I don’t have to spend hours cleaning it. It’s heaven.’
I can’t stop myself from laughing as I think back to what I said to Judi when I first arrived here. It took me three years to be able to afford to put a sizeable deposit on a home of my own, the fact that it was mine more than made up for the fact that it wasn’t the big, dream country property I’d left behind. But if someone had said I’d swap that for a rustic, bijou dwelling where visitors walk through your bedroom to access the garden, I’d have laughed. ‘Oh, Mum. We are so alike in many ways. Bigger doesn’t mean better, does it?’
‘It most certainly does not. And I’m always in charge of the remote control these days. Can you imagine that? I didn’t realise how many channels there are. I’ve even found a programme about quilting; I’m thinking of taking it up again.’
I can’t remember the last time I heard her sounding so carefree and enthused. She has a new lease of life and one that is long overdue.
Bernadette’s face stares back at us from the screen and while I did French for two years at school, she babbles away so fast that I can’t keep up with her. She stops to allow Antero to interpret. I so wish I had his linguistic skills as he seems to be able to switch languages effortlessly.
‘Bernadette says the quality is excellent, but she’s concerned that the specially constructed undergarments, um, nets or hoops she calls them, are too flexible.’
I move a little closer to the screen.
‘Can you ask if we can see the model walking towards us? Maybe Bernadette can then point out the problem.’
Antero turns back to talk to her and she listens, nodding her head, her hands constantly waving about in the air. There is a smile on her face, so I suspect she already has a fix in mind. She spends a minute or so talking to the young woman who is wearing the first test sample. It’s the beach one with the sandpipers. I know I’m not seeing a close-up, but it looks even better than I’d hoped. I was dreading this moment in case the design just looked like we’d turned a pair of curtains into a tent. So, I’m delighted with what I’m seeing, despite a potential problem.
As Antero and I peer intently at the screen, the model glides towards us. Bernadette jumps forward, pointing to the hem of the dress which hovers an inch or two above the floor. She then begins to explain, lifting the edge of the skirt and tugging at the hooped structure beneath it.
‘She’s saying that it’s an undergarment, I think. I’m not sure what exactly, but it hangs from two straps, one on each shoulder. There are three graduated, horizontal hoops sewn into it. One at chest height, one at the waist and the third in the calf area.’
He pauses as Bernadette tells us to wait a second and bids the model to do the walk again.
‘Ah, got it! It’s a petticoat. Look how the fabric doesn’t hang straight to the floor. As she’s walking towards us, between the waist and the hem it indents. Hmm… that doesn’t work, it spoils the whole effect.’
It sounds like Bernadette is saying the exact same thing. She talks for a few minutes and Antero indicates that he understands.
‘Bernadette is saying there are two solutions. One is much cheaper than the other.’
‘I like cheap,’ I reply. ‘What are they?’
He gives me a brief smile and turns back to the screen to reply on my behalf. Bernadette hurries off and returns with one of the petticoats, holding it up and indicating that a fourth loop needs to be added.
‘She says that the only other alternative is to use an even heavier weight fabric, which might restrict the models and the range of movement they have when they are walking. And she’s worried that it would be harder to steam out any creases. The idea is not to allow anything to detract from the way the design appears to flow.’
Poor Antero, this isn’t the easiest of conversations for him to relay.
‘Please thank Bernadette and tell her that I’m happy to go with the additional hoop. The fabrics have already been approved and if anything changes, we would be obliged to go through another round of sign-offs. Tell her I’m very appreciative and the result is even better than I’d anticipated.’
And with that it’s job done.
‘How did the weekend go with Ana?’ I’m sprawled out on the sofa, my stomach full. Maria doesn’t like to think of me eating alone, so supper with her family had been an invite I couldn’t refuse. It’s like having a restaurant on my doorstep.
I readjust the angle of my phone so that I’m in the centre of the screen.
‘Great. She was very relaxed. We spent some time in the studio together and she enjoyed that. On Sunday, I let her invite five of her old school mates here for lunch. Poor Vitor and Gisela were kept busy, but they loved it. It was life-changing for all of us when Beatriz took Ana away.’
I can feel his sense of loss, but it hadn’t dawned on me before that of course Vitor and Gisela would have missed the busyness, too. I’m sure Beatriz entertained more often than Reid seems to do and having a child around is a distraction for everyone.
‘Oh, before I forget, I saw the first of the sample dresses today,’ I throw in as a distraction.
‘Okay. You can’t leave it there. Tell me more.’
‘Aside from one tiny, technical hitch which Bernadette is about to resolve, it was amazing. You have never seen anything like it, Reid, none of us have. Your artwork, the beauty of the shores of the river Tagus, floated like a mirage in front of our eyes.’
‘You’re happy, then?’
‘I’m ecstatic. It’s not fashion, it’s art. The models will truly be living canvases.’
‘Now you’re making me a little worried, because there’s an element of surprise in your voice. You’re the one who conjured up the images and reassured me this would work. Don’t tell me you had your doubts about being able to pull it off?’
He’s teasing, his throaty laugh shaming me, but I can hear the delight in his voice. Not just for himself, but for me.
‘No doubts at all if I was successful in communicating the vision I had inside my head. But even if I succeeded, it was still a big ask of both you and Bernadette.’
Reid gives me a knowing smile. ‘Ah, now I understand. At the very beginning, you didn’t have my full attention and it must have added to your stress levels. I’m sorry for neglecting you, Seren. It was thoughtless of me.’
I flash him a forgiving smile, loving his playful mood. ‘You were busy, I understood that. It all hinged on Bernadette taking your stunning artwork and translating it into another medium. That’s no mean feat, because the gowns have to work as garments, as well as art, or it could have been a total disaster. The way she has pulled together various elements from one of your paintings to create such a unique piece is inspired and I can’t wait to see the full collection.’
‘You are amazing, do you know that?’ Reid’s voice softens and a fuzzy warm feeling begins to radiate out from my stomach. ‘You breeze into my life making all sorts of things happen that remind me how jaded I’d become. Life had lost its sparkle and now you’re turning everything upside down.’
‘Is that a good or a bad thing?’ I ask tentatively.
‘A good thing. I remembered what you said to me about talking to Ana to find a solution, a way around this mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. So, I did just that. She said that she missed her friends here and that’s why I arranged the ad-hoc little get-together for her. But she also said she was tired of seeing her parents fighting and not knowing what to do about it.’
The sadness is tangible.
‘What did you say to her?’
‘I said that it wasn’t her responsibility and that if we made her feel she was in the middle of this, then we were failing her.’
There’s a pause and my heart is now thudding against my chest wall, as if it’s trying to break out. Will he give in to Beatriz and try to rebuild their broken relationship for the sake of Ana? If that’s the case, then I hope he truly believes that there is still a chance for him and Beatriz to make it work for them as a family.
The seconds pass and each one feels like an eternity.
‘I’ve asked Tomas to arrange a meeting with Beatriz and make it clear that it’s to discuss business.’
Now I’m confused. Is he negotiating with Beatriz in order to pacify her, so that she’ll be more receptive about Ana’s needs?
‘But how that does help the situation?’
‘It’s not straightforward, because a divorce isn’t just about signing a legal document but also managing the financial burdens that come with it. Beatriz is never going to let go until my obligations are fully discharged because, as it stands, potentially, every decision I make impacts upon my ability to support them. It’s time to renegotiate and then go back to the solicitors. I should have seen this coming and you’ve made me realise problems don’t just disappear, it’s a case of managing expectations and searching for a solution to appease all parties. I’ll continue my dialogue with Ana and have a frank talk with Beatriz.’
It all sounds very practical, but we both know it won’t be easy. As far as I can tell, nothing about Reid’s circumstances have changed, only his desire to end the animosity.
‘Think twice before you do anything rash. I’ve chosen a simpler life going forward because that’s what is going to make me happy, Reid. But please don’t let anything I say or do influence your decisions, because that wasn’t my intention. I am glad you are listening to what Ana has to say, though, because I know what it feels like to…’ I struggle to find the right way to phrase what I’m feeling.
‘… Be distanced from your father?’
‘It’s not that. I saw my parents’ relationship change, and unravel, as the years went by. With hindsight, I did feel a level of responsibility. I thought that if I went to work for my father, as he expected, then it would strengthen us as a family. But it was already too late because the love had gone. Did Ana run away because she wanted to bring you and Beatriz together in the hope that there was something left between you?’
Reid never talked about what happened when he left me and returned to Sintra the morning after the party, only that Beatriz returned home to Porto. I can’t even imagine what was said between them, but it was obvious to me at the party that she had a master plan.
‘I fear it was more a case of Beatriz taking out her frustrations on Ana. They both have a fiery temperament,’ he acknowledges.
‘I don’t want to add to your problems, Reid, please believe me.’
‘Listen, none of this is down to you. You’re just the person who made me realise I need to take back control of my life. That’s my decision. And this weekend I’m going to show you how grateful I am. You’ve been working far too hard and I’m going to spirit you away to somewhere quiet and secluded.’
The anxious thoughts whirling around inside my head get swept away as his words calm me. A whole weekend together.
‘What relaxes you? Are you a sunbather, a swimmer? Long walks?’ He’s trying to lighten my mood.
‘Walking, reading and eating. I’m a simple woman to please,’ I reply softly. I appreciate that even though he has so much to occupy his mind, this weekend is important to him.
‘Well, I have a surprise for you, too, which I hope you are going to love. Will I be seeing you at all this week?’ His tone lifts, but we both know it’s unlikely.
‘It’s too hectic at work to find a reason to meet up that couldn’t be handled online. We’re all staying late. One of the other directors is assisting Filipe now, after his discussions with Tomas. I’m not involved in that, as I’m progressing the toiletries line.’
‘Toiletries?’ Reid sounds slightly amused and mystified.
‘Yes. I assumed Tomas had told you about that.’
‘He probably tried, but my mind was elsewhere. Remind me where the idea came from, it might jog my memory.’
‘It’s a contact of Filipe’s. He emailed Filipe after the party. His company produce a wide range of organic products, but we’re focusing on hand soap, shower gel and bubble bath. They’re making a presentation to the board on Friday to show samples of the packaging. It’s going to be available in three designs if you agree, to match in with Bernadette’s range. If the board like what they see, hopefully I’ll be able to arrange a meeting with Tomas and you to get your feedback sometime next week.’
