More Than Fashion (28 page)

My parents were here. Dawn’s father was here. But Gavin’s father…was not. He didn’t support Gavin’s work, even though his son was showing a collection at New York Fashion Week. I understood now why Gavin was so adamant that he would have done anything to have his entire family here. He was not only missing his sister, but his father, too.

My parents had come to the show, even though I hadn’t invited them. Did that mean they might actually support me a tiny bit? Maybe not as much as I wanted. Maybe they would never be completely on board with my dream to become a fashion designer. But the fact that they were here meant something.

I never in a million years would have invited them. Gavin knew that. But they would have missed out on seeing what I had done, what I had helped Gavin accomplish. And I’d have missed out on the chance for them to meet Gavin’s mom—and him.

I was still upset he’d invited them behind my back, but I understood his reasoning. And maybe he was right to do it. I didn’t know what I would say to them or how they would treat me when this was all over, but I couldn’t keep lying to them or going after a career I had no interest in. I had to be honest with them about my dreams and about my plans for my future—even if they didn’t support them.

“I’m sorry,” I said, turning back to Gavin. “I never would have invited my parents on my own, but…I’m glad they’re here.”

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t discuss it with you first. I only wanted what’s best for you, but I shouldn’t have made the decision for you.”

I grabbed his tie and tugged him toward me. “I needed that little extra push to talk to them. But next time you think about doing something like that, run it by me first.”

“I will.” He brushed hair away from my face. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I pulled him down for a kiss, and some of the models made
ooh
noises. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were jealous. Gavin was quite a catch. But he was all mine.

When we broke apart, I smiled up at him. “Our parents seem to be hitting it off already. I hope your mother likes me as much as she does my parents.”

“She’ll love you. She likes strong women.”

“No wonder she and my mom are getting along. Maybe we should separate the two of them. They could be scary together.”

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my forehead. My face pressed into his chest, breathing in his warm, clean scent. It felt so good to be in his arms, to know that whatever happened, he supported me. It gave me the courage to make a decision about my parents and about my life after the runway show was over.

The audience erupted into applause, and then I heard the muffled voice of Lola on the microphone, introducing the show and briefly talking about
Behind The Scenes
and the different finalists. If my parents didn’t know I wasn’t in the finale, now they would for sure.

Dawn’s collection was the first one out. They never found that model’s correct shoes, so they used Kelsey’s shoes, since they happened to be the same size. Dawn went out and introduced her collection, then came back to watch it on the screen with Trina at her side.

Her collection consisted of a bunch of flowy, pretty dresses, plus a few separates, using colors to differentiate between the elements: red and yellow for fire, yellow and green for earth, green and blue for water, and white and blue for air. The colors were all soft pastels and flowed nicely from one element to the next, giving the show a cohesive feel. The showstopper was a sea green dress that seemed to move like waves. I wasn’t sure if her collection was unique enough to win, but it was all very pretty and feminine and I could see a lot of women wanting to wear her clothes.

Jeff’s collection was next. He’d also used color to show the four elements, but his clothes were all done in bright, vibrant shades. Bright yellow for air. Fire engine red for fire. Electric blue for water. And finally, neon green for earth. He had a lot of separates but a few dresses in there, too, and the silhouettes had a hint of an eighties feel while still looking modern. It wasn’t my style at all, yet I couldn’t deny there was something about them that was interesting to look at.

Gavin’s collection was last. I gave him a quick hug and said, “Go get ‘em.” Then I slapped him on the ass and shoved him toward the runway.

He walked out from behind the curtain, and I watched on the backstage screen as he introduced himself. “My name is Gavin Bennett, and my collection is called, ‘Love Is the New Black.’ I want to thank the three important women who made this day possible: my sister, Rose, who continues to guide me every day; my incredibly supportive mum, who came all the way from Wales to see this show; and Julie, the woman I love. I couldn’t have done this without you.” He gazed across the audience and gave them one of his charming smiles. “I hope you enjoy the show.”

His voice was clear and confident as he said the words, and he looked so handsome in his suit I wanted to drag him off stage and jump him. Only when he turned on his heel and walked backstage did I see him start to shake. Just a little—in his hands, a slight twitch of his shoulder—to show me how nervous and overwhelmed he was.

“That was perfect.” I gave him a quick kiss, my heart swelling three sizes thanks to his words, and we rushed to the screen to watch his show. He grabbed my hand, clutching it tightly as his collection came out.

He’d started with earth, and the first model wore a chainmail V-neck backless top paired with stone-gray ankle pants. I’d made the pants basic but stylish, so the focus would be on the intricate details of the top. Next was the black corset I’d made for him, with a chainmail skirt that swished as the model walked down the runway.

The third look was our ombré gown, done in red, yellow, orange, and blue, the colors moving like fire up and down the model’s body. After that came a black sheath dress with geometric cutouts along the bodice that looked like flames licking up her chest.

For water, Gavin had made a gray gown with chainmail hanging from it in strategic places, making it look like rain when it moved. He’d also done a red raincoat, and under it was a black leather jumpsuit with a top shaped to look like waves. The final element was air, which started with a short white dress with a flared skirt, all of it trimmed with a touch of chainmail for cohesion.

Carla was last, wearing Gavin’s most impressive piece: a storm-gray gown that looked like a tornado flowing around her body. I’d worried the dress might go too costumey, but Gavin had pulled it off. It was stunning the way the dress shifted and swirled around Carla when she walked, like a storm in motion. I was so happy Gavin had stolen her from me. If she’d been with me, she would have been eliminated, but now she was here at the end, all of us on the same team.

Gavin and I watched in silence, holding our breath the entire time. Seeing it on the runway was different than seeing it on the dress form or even on the models backstage. Each piece took on new life as it moved down the catwalk, and it was like seeing it for the first time.

When it was over, Gavin was supposed to walk with all of the models down the runway. I directed him to the curtain and gave him a kiss. “I’m so proud of you.”

But he didn’t let go of my hand. Instead he dragged me out with him. “Come with me.”

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“You deserve to be out here as much as I do.”

“No, I—”

But it was too late because we were already walking out into the spotlight. We trailed behind Carla and the other models, while Gavin smiled at the audience, still holding my hand. I smiled, too, though I still couldn’t believe he had dragged me out in front of hundreds of people and all of the cameras. Down below, my parents clapped and smiled up at me, and Gavin’s mother beamed at us. My eyes teared up a little at the sight.

At the end of the runway, Gavin took Carla’s hand, too, and the three of us stood there looking out at the audience. He raised our joined hands up, kissed Carla’s cheek, then kissed me on the lips. A rush of warm happiness spread throughout me as I stared out into the crowd while they applauded and cheered, and then we turned and walked back down the runway after the models.

I laughed once we were backstage. “I can’t believe you did that!”

Gavin kissed me, trailing his fingers through my hair and down my back. “I couldn’t go out there without you. It wouldn’t be right. Not after everything you did for me.”

“It was all worth it to see you out there with your beautiful collection. I want you to win so bad it hurts. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He closed his eyes, holding me, resting his forehead against mine as he breathed and regained his composure.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Nervous. Relieved. But mostly happy. For the first time in my life, I can say I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Your sister would be so proud of you.”

“Your family
is
proud of you.”

“I hope so.” I glanced toward the nearest screen. The audience was getting up and heading to the post-show cocktail party next door, while the judges were coming backstage to inspect the models’ clothes more closely. We had a few hours to mingle before the final verdict would be in.

Gavin and I quickly checked the models again, to make sure nothing had come loose or gotten messed up during the walk. We each gave Carla a quick hug and wished her luck, then headed for the door.

“Ready to face your parents?” Gavin asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Ready.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I
’d never been in a room with so many stylish, wealthy people before—and all of them wanted to talk to Gavin.

We spent a few minutes working the room, saying hello to previous designers who had been kicked off and meeting winners from previous seasons of the show. We stopped to chat with Trina and Dawn and her father, and I couldn’t tell if he was more excited that his daughter was in the finale or that she’d found someone who obviously made her so happy.

We were approached by a number of fashion bloggers and magazines, who wanted to interview one or both of us, and even a few representatives from different fashion labels, inquiring if Gavin or I wanted to work for them. We took everyone’s business cards, but didn’t offer any other commitments. It would all depend on if Gavin won or not.

“I think that woman works for
Vogue
,” I said, pointing to a dark-haired woman across the room. “We should go talk to her.”

“No more stalling,” Gavin said, dragging me away. “Our parents are waiting for us.”

I sighed. “Fine.”

“Don’t be nervous. You’ll do great.”

All I could do was nod as he led me through the crowd to where his mother stood at a table with her drink. She instantly brightened when she saw us, bursting into a big smile and moving forward to grab her son in a tight hug. I stood awkwardly to the side while she said something quietly to him, something I couldn’t hear over the loud chatter and music in the room. Then they pulled back and turned to me.

“Mum, this is Julie.”

She threw her arms around me next, giving me a warm hug. “Julie, it is lovely to meet you,” she said, her voice sounding almost musical with her accent.

“So nice to meet you,” I said. “Gavin has told me a lot about you.”

“Has he? That’s so kind of him. I can’t wait to learn more about you. He and I were only able to talk that one time while he was on the show, but he did speak highly of you then.”

“Did he?” I asked, giving him a smile.

“Oh, yes,” his mother said, nodding. “I could already tell he was quite smitten with you.” She took my arm and leaned close. “And trust me, that is rare. I knew then you must be special.”

I flushed, but then my parents walked over to us and my stomach clenched. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen them dressed up like this—my dad in a charcoal suit, my mom in a knee-length skirt and a jacket I was pretty sure was Chanel, her favorite designer. Yet she wondered where I’d gotten my love of fashion from.

They were less enthusiastic at seeing me, but it also wasn’t their nature to make a big scene. My dad hugged me first, with a little grunt. He never said much, but I knew that meant he approved. My mom hugged me next, but she wore her usual unreadable expression and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“Mom, Dad, this is Gavin.” I hesitated, unsure how much more to say. But then again, he had made it pretty clear out on the runway that we were together. “My…boyfriend.”

He shook my parents’ hands with a warm smile. I'd never introduced a guy to my parents before, and they eyed him like he was in the zoo or something.

“How far did you get on the show?” my mom asked me once all the introductions were done.

Here it came. I stood a little taller, bracing myself. “I was kicked off in the last challenge, the one before the finale.”

Gavin’s mother gasped. “Oh no! You were so close to the end, you poor dear.”

“You did well,” my mom admitted, patting me lightly on the arm. “But the show is over. Don’t worry about it anymore. Next week your final year at UCLA starts. You can get back to focusing on that and on your applications and studying for the MCAT.”

My mouth fell open. Did she not get how important this was to me? That I couldn’t just go back to my life the way it was before? That I couldn’t forget everything that had happened over the last few weeks?

“Julie was invited back to the finale because she was unjustly eliminated,” Gavin said, resting his hand on my lower back. “But she turned it down. Instead, she helped me finish my collection in time for the finale. I couldn’t have done it without her, and she created many of the best pieces. You should be proud of her.”

My mom blinked at him. “Of course we are proud of her.”

“Very proud,” my dad chimed in. “We never expected her to get so far.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said.

My mom’s mouth twisted. “Julie, we didn’t know how good you were. You used to make clothes when you were a little girl, but we’ve barely seen you the last few years. Until you announced you were coming on this show, we thought you had given all of that up to focus on your studies.”