Page 32 of She's Mine

For the next few hours, I lost myself in the movie, as I stared at the clothing around me, and sketched ideas for modern outfits inspired not only by the 1968 film, but other period pieces too. After watching the 1968 film, I then loaded up the 1996 version of the famous Shakespeare play too. In my sketches, I mixed the two styles to create something new and unique.

When David knocked on the bedroom door at lunchtime, I was exhausted, but so pleased with myself. I’d never worked on something so hard before.

I closed my sketch pad, put the clothes back in the closet, and opened the door for David.

“Are you almost finished? Lawrence said lunch will be ready in about five minutes.” I could see David curiously peering behind me, trying to catch a glimpse of what I’d been working on.

“I am,” I said, closing the door behind me. “And before you ask, no, I’m not ready to share just yet. But maybe later, I might have a special surprise for you.”

His eyes glittering mischievously, David said, “I can’t wait.”

Lunch was chicken and bacon club sandwiches, along with salad, potato chips and some fresh fruit if we wanted something sweet.

“David told me your art supplies arrived this morning. Is that where you’ve been all day?” Mavis asked as we ate.

“It is. I’ve been designing some outfits.”

Mavis’ eyes widened with interest. “Oh, exciting. I can’t wait to see when you’re ready to share.”

“Actually,” I began, my gaze drifting from Mavis to David, and then to Lawrence. “I was wondering if you wanted to watch an impromptu fashion show this evening.”

Both David and Mavis grinned as they replied, “We’d love to.”

Even though Lawrence wasn’t as interested in fashion as his wife was, he smiled indulgently too. I knew he’d go along with whatever Mavis wanted, and it was nice to have his support along with the others.

“Okay, I better get back to it then,” I said, when I’d finished my lunch. I gave David a quick kiss, and then hurried back to the bedroom.

That afternoon, I spent the time putting together approximations of the outfits I’d designed before lunch. Of course, I couldn’t make exact one-to-one replications of my ideas, as I was limited by what clothes and jewelry, I’d brought with me. But with a little imagination, and a bit of cutting and sowing, I pulled something together. Even as I worked, I was already thinking about all the fabrics and materials I wanted to buy and planned on asking David to make another Amazon order for me.

Finally, I was happy with the three outfits I’d created. I’d also fashioned a sexy little surprise for David -- but that would be for his eyes only, later, when we retired to the bedroom. I left my surprise in David’s room and carried downstairs the things I’d need for my fashion show later. I decided that the living room was probably the best location, as it had plenty of space and excellent lighting.

I started setting up a simple ‘stage’ for my show, and repositioned some of the lamps in the room so I could create more of a runway feel. I was no model, but I thought I knew clothes well enough to put on an at least semi-entertaining show.

Once everything was ready, I found David, who had been working out in the gym, Mavis who had been planting some flowers outside, and Lawrence who was preparing dinner, and gathered them together in the living room.

“Okay, just watch, and don’t laugh. Please.” I hated the nervousness in my voice, but I knew if I couldn’t share my designs with David, Mavis and Lawrence, how would I ever be able to show them to anyone else. Let alone attend college and work towards becoming arealdesigner.

David, Mavis, and Lawrence all settled on the couch, and I dimmed the main lights, turning on the variety of lamps I’d set up around my makeshift runway, so that the focus was on the clothes.

I called on all my confidence, pretending I was stepping into an exclusive nightclub with Brittany and Courtney. Holding my head high, I strutted across the makeshift stage, swishing the fabric in just the right way that it caught the light.

I modeled the first outfit I’d come up with, which was loosely inspired by the white dress and angel wings Claire Danes wore in Romeo and Juliet.

After I finished showing off the outfit, I quickly slipped into the dining room, and changed into my second ensemble.

This one was dark blue and inspired by the 2013 historical romantic drama film adaptation of the famous play. Like I had with the first outfit, I walked with confidence, showcasing the material and cut of the dress.

My third and final piece was a red dress inspired by the 2022 reimaginingRosaline, which focused on Romeo’s love interest prior to Juliet. This outfit had a medieval feel like the second one and had really tested my ability to create something that looked historical out of modern garments.

When the fashion show was over, I jumped down from the stage, grabbed the sketches I’d done and rushed over to David, Mavis and Lawrence.

“These are the other outfits I designed but didn’t have the right type of clothes to recreate. But I want to order some material online. And God, I wish I could sew,” I gushed excitedly, as I showed the drawings to David, Mavis and Lawrence.

They all looked at the sketches with interest, and Mavis was the first to speak. “These are amazing, Alyssa. You have a real talent for design.”

I beamed at the response, as Lawrence added, “I don’t know anything about fashion, but these look like something you’d find in a magazine or movie. They’re very striking.”

My heart swelled with pride, and I gazed at David, waiting for his response. His opinion of my designs was the most important of all, and I was nervous as he gazed at the pages; studying them at length.

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