Page 9 of Aquarius Awakening
“You still know how to sketch, right?” she asked.
“Yes, of course, I still know how to sketch,” I confirmed with a puzzled expression.
“Good, because you’re going to go meet with your remaining design team. You’re going to roll up your sleeves and sketch your own designs,” she commanded.
“Are you joking? I haven’t designed anything in over five years. I’m so rusty. Ever since Leon arrived, I just adjusted his designs and approved them,” I explained.
“Right, and today is the day that you remind people what Love Faith is all about. You said his designs didn’t fit the vibe, so who better to give the correct vibe than you?” she asked.
If I were being honest with myself, it would be terrifying to be the head designer. Five years was a long time in the fashion industry. This industry was constantly evolving, so I felt a little out of my element. Everything was happening so fast that it felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. I was a nervous wreck at just the thought of putting myself out there again.
Milani continued to stare at me while she let me get myself together.
“Are you ready to be my favorite free-spirited Aquarius again?” she asked.
“It’s not like you’re giving me much of a choice. We both know there’s no way I can find a replacement for him with this timeline,” I answered.
This was crazy. I was all for getting back to my roots, but this seemed extreme. Time was of the essence, so I took a deep breath before leaving my office to head to the design team’s area. I was certain they were as nervous as to what was going to happen next. Thanks to Milani’s pep talk, I was back in front of my brand.
Working as a Team
The walkfrom my office to the design area was full of stares from my staff. I was sure everyone was aware that Leon had walked out. The sound of whispers as they all chatted amongst themselves was typical office behavior. They would really whisper when they found out I was going to design again. As I approached the design area, the five members of the team all stopped their conversation. All eyes were on me as uncertainty was etched on all their faces. I was nervous, but as their leader, I needed to show them we would be fine.
“I know you all heard that Leon quit this morning,” I asserted.
“What are we going to do? There’s no way Leon can be replaced now.” Louisa, one of my newest designers, panicked.
“You are partially right. While there’s no time to hire someone from outside, I’ll be resuming my place as head designer. It’ll be just like it was long before Leon joined Love Faith,” I affirmed.
Low, audible gasps escaped from a few of them. The design team was relatively new with the exception of two older members.
“Based on what I saw this morning, we have a lot of work to do. Who designed the breast cancer bikini?” I asked.
“That would be me,” Louisa stated as she raised her hand.
“It was good, but you can do better. I want you to design three more swimsuits. Once you have your designs together, we will review them. Go ahead and get started,” I commanded.
Louisa took off to her workstation. With one task down, I could focus on the other team members. I decided to design five pieces of resort wear. The remaining members of the team would focus on accessories. With those responsibilities assigned, we would have a full line.
As everyone took off to their respective workstations, I headed to a familiar place. Leon’s office was my former office and design station. I walked in and felt a wave of nostalgia come over me. There were plenty of late nights spent in this space. One reason everyone knew Imani so well was that she would often come and keep me company.
As I sat in my old chair, I pulled out my phone. I snapped a picture to send to my sister.
Once the picture was finally uploaded, I added a message.
Me:
Don’t you want to come keep me company for old times’ sake?
Imani:
You at the design table could only mean one thing. Leon twirled his ass on out of there, huh? LOL.
Me:
LOL. It’s not funny. You know we have a tight deadline.
Imani:
