Aim to Please (wlw)

ch. 3 and the wardrobe

Crunch time. With a little less than 3 weeks before the show in Southend, the designers were pulling insane hours. And since they were pulling extreme hours, Montague and I were as well. Every night, Ms. Montague offered for me to leave. I declined.

Truth be told, this little project had become a source of passion for me. Montague & Co. was one of the only size inclusive luxury brands on the market, and this show was to include a display of several pieces across different body types. Ms. Montague-and a vast majority of her designers- were all relatively thin.

The few of us that were considered out of the 'fashion' norm spearheaded the work on larger sizes. With a scrutinous eye, I became a designer and leader. Ms. Montague often watched from the sidelines, an odd, sweet smile tugging at her lips. Fondness, almost.

Our current focus was finding models for the clothing. Acquiring bodies meant receiving measurements, which made tailoring the clothing a lot easier. The auditions were in full swing and a few models had already been chosen.

"Mackenzie," Montague's soft voice intruded my thoughts. I looked up from my tablet, heart racing at her use of my name. "Come help us with these next auditions, darling?"

Jayce stood behind her, a shit-eating grin on his face. While she couldn't see him, he fanned himself and 'swooned'. I fought hard to keep my face relaxed and nodded emphatically.

"Of course."

Montague's treatment towards me had been the discussion of many nights out with coworkers. They were appalled with how sweetly she treated me, and how softly she spoke to me. I laughed it off every time and made the excuse that I currently 'ran her life', so she had to be nice to me.

As Jayce and I walked behind our boss, I pinched the skin above his elbow. He hissed and jerked away from me, pouting theatrically. I snickered and bumped him with my hip.

We entered our boardroom, the only place we had big enough for an impromptu 'runway'. Jayce and I took our seats near the head of the table, with me on the right of Ms. Montague, and him on the left. I smoothed out my skirt and bent my legs slightly underneath the chair.

"So, what do we have for this one?" I asked, glancing up at Ms. Montague.

"We are looking at a few women who could be classified as a size 22 to 26," she began, not looking up from her laptop. "Hopefully a different body type than hourglass, but we are so close to the show that we will make due."

I nodded. Jayce picked at the skin around his nails anxiously, refusing to look up at me. I tilted my head and nudged his foot with mine under the table.

He jolted. "Huh? What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm just wondering if you're okay," I say quietly. His tan skin was paler than usual and his eyes flicked everywhere but to meet mine.

"Ah- we just got through with, uh," he stumbled over his words. "Sizes 10-12."

Zoe.

"Ah," I murmured. "How did that go?"

"Well, Jayce and Ellie vetoed the one I was going to choose," Ms. Montague complained bitterly. "Saying she was not the best person to work with. But we did get a woman that will be just as good."

"You've worked with her in the past, Laurie," Jayce pointed out. "You know she isn't the best person in the world."

"Zoe was always a joy to me, but I understand," our supervisor sighed.

The mention of my ex girlfriend caused the taste of bile to erupt in my mouth. I cleared my throat and began doodling on my notepad, ignoring the gaze of my friend across the table.