Page 79 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
I lift my shoulder. “You didn’t think I could cook either. I might surprise you again.”
Her smile drops, and she takes a sip of wine. “Valente is using the portfolio of designs I sent them for their Fall line.”
I stare at her. “They’re using your designs? That’s amazing! Everyone is going to know your name.” I’m not sure where the rough part of her day comes in, but I’m thrilled for her.
Piper scoffs. “No one is going to know my name because Valente’s name is the only one that will be on the label. Not mine. They didn’t ask my permission to use my designs. They took them.”
Her face twists with a mixture of anger and defeat that makes my whole body go rigid with a need to right a wrong. “They stole them?”
The tears pooling in her eyes answer my question before her nod does.
“They can’t do that.”
“They already have.”
My gaze drops to her wine glass as she explains how designers can alter a piece without it being copied by creating seven differences and how Valente did this to another designer she works with. She’s left a pink lip print on the wine glass—a mark that will easily wash off. But her own work shouldn’t be so easily erased and claimed as someone else’s.
“What are you going to do?” I ask when she finishes.
“I don’t know yet. But I have to do something.” While she talks, she rolls her napkin, folds it, then fans it into something like a doll-size dress. “Not just because of what they’ve done to me, but also to my friend Julia. They fired her for not meeting her quota.”
“Can they do that?” In my research for Bombora, I learned a few things about the garment industry. California has fairly strict labor laws when it comes to garment workers.
“I’m pretty sure she’s undocumented, which means they can do whatever they want.” Piper smooths her napkin and starts folding it in a new shape. “I thought Valente was different from other companies in the industry who use undocumented workers.”
I consider this, and while I’m angry on her behalf, I’m also thinking about Bombora, too, and how what Piper’s telling me can inform my own business practices.
“Is Luca Valente aware of what’s going on?” I ask before remembering what Frankie has told me about him “borrowing” from interns.
“He knows. The company culture goes all the way back to Italy, where he’s based.” Piper drinks the last of her wine and passes her glass to me to refill. “Honestly, I’m as angry at myself as I am at them. I should have known everything they told me was too good to be true.”
I slide her glass back to her, and she sits back, cradling it in her hand while she continues. “The designer who recruited me went on and on about how Valente cares about affordable, sustainable fashion—which is what I’m really interested in. That’s why I took the internship. I should have known the way they keep their ready-to-wear,eco-friendlyline affordable is by underpaying the employees who do all the piece work. I was naïve to believe Valente could claim to manufacture everythingin America at the price point their ready-to-wear line is at without exploiting workers.”
At this, my eyes dart up. I think back to her sketchbook and the labelsrecycled, repurposed,andvintage.Of course, she’s interested in sustainability. It was obvious in every design I saw, I was just too blind to see it.
Piper and I want the same thing. Not only this house, but to create something sustainable. My own chance may be slipping away, but maybe I can help her get hers.
“You can’t let Valente have those designs.” I sit up taller. “They’re too good. We have to find a way to stop him.”
Piper’s brow creases in a sharp V. “How do you know how good they are?”
I take a deep inhale. “Confession: Frankie and I looked at your book—well, she did first, then she showed it to me.”
“You were in my room?” The line marring her forehead grows deeper.
“Frankie peeked in because it’s her old room. Then she saw what you had on the dress form and couldn’t resist looking closer.” I rush to smooth away the angry lines around her eyes. “I told her not to, but she loved it so much that she peeked in your sketchbook. She raved about those so much that I had to look too to see how amazing they are—and they really are—and I’m sorry, Piper. We shouldn’t have done it.”
Tension slowly leaks from Piper’s body. “You think my designs are amazing?”
“Yeah.” I hold back, saying it’s not only her designs I think are amazing. “I had no idea you were so talented. Obviously, the people at Valente see it, too, but they don’t deserve you.”
Piper purses her lips and narrows her eyes. “Where’s the real Archie and what have you done with him?”
I burst into laughter. “Okay, fair question. I don’t blame you for doubting me, but Frankie thought the same thing.”
“She did?”
“You know me, Piper,” I tease. “I didn’t figure out you’re talented on my own. When Frankie raves that something is good, I’ve learned to pay attention.”
