Page 15 of Accidentally Falling for Her
“I guess none of them were as good as Aspen,” she offers with a wink directed at me, and I inhale a sharp breath.Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
“I came here expecting to talk to you about an entry-level position at the magazine on my team. Sarah’s recommendation was glowing, and I still would like to do that, but I think we should also talk about showcasing this collection in the magazine itself.”
Holy fucking shit.
“Now wait just a second, Amanda,” the man I know to be Henry Newcastle, aka the fashion director of Castle Couture, interrupts. “You can feature her, but she should obviously come work for me, actually designing, not stuck in some boring office,” he teases.
What the actual fuck is happening?
“Yes, yes, Aspen is amazing,” Sarah says with a laugh. “We all agree, let’s let her enjoy today without pressuring her into anything. Alright? Obviously, I would love to have you at the magazine, darling,” she says, looking right at me, and I feel my cheeks heat even more than they already were. “How about we all exchange contact info and we can make formal offers tomorrow?” she asks, looking between Amanda and Henry now. After an intense few moments of what looks like a staring contest, they both laugh. I give them the business cards I’m so glad my professor suggested I have today, and they promise to talk soon.
“Huh, I guess your degree wasn’t as frivolous as I’d thought,” my father comments after they’ve walked away, apparently having heard the entire exchange. “If you’re that good, though, you shouldn’t waste years working under other people like they’re suggesting,” he scoffs.
I gawk at his dismissal of what I would consider amazing job offers. “What else would I do?” I ask in disbelief. He obviously doesn’t understand what a big deal either of those positions would be for me.
“Let them advertise in that magazine, get your name outthere, and then open your own label,” he says, like it should be obvious. As if it’s so easy to just become a famous designer.
“All the dresses were wedding dresses today, right? Neither of them mentioned anything about weddings,” he points out.
My shoulders deflate as his words sink in.
Shit.Could my dad actually have a point?
I loved my internship last summer, but my dream has never been to work at a magazine, and Castle Couture is a huge name but they don’t have any wedding lines.
“Starting a brand isn’t easy. Even if my showcase blows up after the magazine feature, I would still need huge amounts of capital to fund the necessary steps to actually start my own label,” I state aloud as I try to remain logical about his suggestion. “That’s my eventual dream, but I would need to create hundreds of each dress to offer as samples to bridal boutiques before I’d ever get an actual order in. The fabric storage and the skilled labor involved would be very expensive.”
I was thrilled just moments ago that I had been offered job opportunities.I should focus on that.
My father gives me a questioning look before asking, “You know we have money, right?”
I can’t help but laugh. “No, you have money, I have a monthly stipend that wouldn't cover any of that,” I remind him.
“Alright, I’ll invest,” he states, and my jaw drops. “For forty percent equity, I’ll give you the capital you need to do what you just described. I expect a full proposal in my email by Monday.”
He what?
Today can’t be real. My dad doesn’t give a shit about my career. He wants me to be a wife, a mother, not to own a business.
“You can keep the majority of the shares so you don’t worry about losing creative control,” he continues. “But after the company is profitable, I expect half of the earnings from each dress sold to go back into repaying my initial investment on top of my forty percent. I’ll help you get started, and I’ll get a chunk of the eventual profits.”
Okay, he’s after money. That makes more sense.
Fuck. Does that mean he actually believes in me, though? If he thinks I’ll be profitable enough to repay his investment… My father is not the “support my daughter at any costs” kind of parent. So if he’s endorsing me, it’s purely from a business standpoint. Not because he wants me to follow my dreams.
But that’s almost more encouraging in this moment. If he thinks I could really be that successful, maybe I should go for it.
He’s offering me my dream. One I didn’t think I could have for years and years.
Am I brave enough to take it?
I’m not thrilled about giving him any more control over my life, but he already has so much financial control over me now anyway.
What’s a bit more?
12
SAGE
