Page 79 of Road Trip to Forever
“I’m the one being rude,” Lola says. “This is my best friend, Patrick. Excuse his bruises. They’re souvenirs from a rowdy round of laser tag.”
“Patrick, it’s lovely to meet you.”
“You too, Vivian. We were just snapping some photos of Lola and the banner with her name on it,” I say, gesturing behind us.
“Is this your first show?” Vivian asks, and Lola nods. “Don’t let it overwhelm you. There’s a lot going on, but try to just focus on yourself and your designs.”
“Do you have any other advice?”
“Have fun. If you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it. The show is a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished. The minute it feels like work is the minute when you need to take a step back and remember why you wanted to get to this point in the first place, which I assume is for no other reason than because you love fashion.”
“Lola adores fashion. I was with her the day she bought her first designer dress,” I tell Vivian. “It was one of yours.”
“What?” Her mouth drops open, a caricature of surprise. “When was this?”
“Back in 2004. She bought it in Boston, where we live.”
“Which one was it?”
“Your spring line,” Lola says. “The bright pink one with—”
“The thick straps and the boat-neck neckline,” Vivian finishes. “It’s one of my favorite pieces.”
“It’s what made me want to stay with this dream of mine. It’s still in my closet. If my apartment was on fire and I only had ten seconds to grab something to take with me, I’m taking that dress.” Lola shakes her head and smiles softly. “I’m sure you hear that kind of praise all the time.”
“Would you believe me if I told you that line didn’t sell well? People thought the colors were too loud, especially for spring. ‘Better for late summer,’ they tried to tell me. ‘I don’t care,’ I told them. I loved that set of designs.”
“Maybe that’s why it resonated with me so deeply.” Lola bites her lip and she sniffs. I move my hand from her shoulder down her back, rubbing small, comforting circles as I go. “I saw a part of myself in it.”
“Making money is nice,” Vivian says. “Seeing your name in lights never loses its thrill, even years later. But I’ve always said that I don’t care how many pieces I sell. If only one person likes it, if only one person resonates with what I’m trying to share, then I’ve done my job. That’s all it takes to make me happy.”
“That’s so important,” Lola says. “And such a lovely sentiment.”
A phone rings, and Vivian sighs. “Speaking of work, I told them I was here to kick back and relax, not run a dozen errands.”
“Don’t let us keep you,” Lola says. “Thank you so much for saying hi.”
“Come find me after the show. I loved the sketches you submitted, and I can’t wait to see what you put down the runway,” Vivian says.
“I absolutely will.”
Lola and I wave goodbye to Vivian, and then Lola turns to me with stars in her eyes.
“That… Holycrapwas that cool,” she all but squeals. “She liked my application.”
“Of course she did.” I pull her into a hug and rest my chin on her head. “How could she not? You’re so talented, Lo, and I’m so glad you finally get a stage to show off all of that talent.”
“I couldn’t have done this without you. No.” She holds up her hand to stop me from interrupting. “Besides my parents, you are the only person who has never told me to pick a different career. Even when I was working shitty hours in retail to make enough money to afford fabric, you said everyone has to start somewhere. You encouraged me to apply to the show. You drove down here during your time off from work to cheer me on. You’ve believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, and you’ve been there every step of the way, Patrick. Without you, none of this would have ever happened.”
I swallow down those words.I love you.
I do it because I love her. I’m so stupidly in love with her. If she told me her dreams were to jump off a cliff at the end of the world, I’d be right next to her, ready to jump too. I’d do anything to support her. Anything to help her get what she wants, no matter the cost. Anything she asks really, because that’s how far gone I am for this woman.
Maybe we’ll work better as friends. Maybe we’ll kiss for the first time and it’ll befine, notgreat, but I have to at least try. What we have is special.Sheis special, and you don’t let special go.
“I’ve told you this before, but you’re my favorite girl, Lola.” I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Watching you put in the work, watching you succeed, that’s just a nice bonus. I’m always going to be here for you, okay?”
“You promise?”
