The Cut of Her Cloth Read online

  The Cut of

  Her Cloth

  by Antoinette Argisson

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Antoinette Argisson

  Copyright © 2013

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

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  Chapter 1

  Her nervous assistant looked on, clutching the clipboard close to her chest in anticipation of something being wrong with the latest prototypes. Kate Southwell scrutinized her designs meticulously with a fine-toothed comb. Her vivid, blue eyes examined every inch of fabric. To say she was fastidious was an understatement. But she hadn’t managed to become one of the leading designers for one of New York City’s largest retail firms by paying little attention to detail. Every stitch had to be perfect, every textile up to her high standards, and every design crafted exactly and precisely to her specifications. She ran her hand along the inside hem of a skirt, and then turned the model wearing it around as she crouched down and examined the sewing of each outer hem.

  Satisfied, she stood and watched as the model walked a few steps to join the rest of the models that were all wearing the latest of Kate’s prototypes. She looked over at her assistant with a look of disapproval, seeing her squirm as she clutched her clipboard harder. Kate loved messing with Laurie. She’d been Kate’s assistant now for two years, but she was still so highly strung. Kate chuckled inside as she furrowed her brows in what Laurie would perceive as being disapproval of the designs before her. Kate watched as Laurie’s shoulder slumped in despair. But before she suffered from a nervous breakdown, Kate had turned her frown into a beaming smile.

  “Everything looks fantastic.” Kate said as she walked over to her desk as Laurie breathed a loud sigh of relief.

  “Why do you always do that to me?” Laurie shook her head as she looked over at her boss. Kate flashed a toothy grin at her.

  “I do like to keep you on your toes, you know.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Laurie said disingenuously. Her obvious tension had eased as she stepped over to Kate. “So we are all set for the spring line then?”

  “Yup.” Kate picked up a file folder and handed it to Laurie. “Get these down to production as soon as you’re free and we’re all set.” Laurie took the folder and headed for the door, escorting the models out. “Thanks, Laurie.”

  “No problem, boss.” Laurie followed the models out of the office.

  Kate turned around and looked out through the huge picture window in her office, taking in the beauty of the city’s skyline as she pulled back her long, straight, chestnut colored hair and tied it into a quick ponytail. It was a view she never tired of seeing. She loved everything about New York City. She loved the fast and exciting pace of it, and the hustle and bustle of the city life. But most of all, she loved the opportunities it presented her. She knew she was well on her way to eventually establishing her own brand and she couldn’t wait for the day when she could show her talent to the world. Kate beamed at the thought of having her name on designer clothes all over the world one day. Yes, it was safe to say that her life was pretty perfect right now. She was just about to sit down at her desk when there was a knock at the door.

  “Come in.”

  Laurie entered with a piece of paper in hand.

  “Your father called. He said it’s very important that you call him back.” Kate rolled her eyes as Laurie walked over and handed her the paper.

  “Is everything all set in production?” Kate ignored the message from her dad, tossing it on her desk.

  “All set. I’m presuming the fall line will be next, right?”

  “I like the way you think. I’ll start brainstorming tonight and maybe we’ll get off to an early start on things tomorrow.” Kate responded.

  “Sounds good. I’m gonna take off for the evening then.”“Have a good one.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  Kate slumped down into her cozy leather office chair, laying her head back as she closed her eyes and tried to relax. Not finding the feeling she was seeking, she opened her eyes again and sat up in the chair as she snatched the message from her father lying on her desk.

  Call me immediately. It’s urgent.

  “Yeah, I bet it is.” Kate said out loud, as she crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trashcan next to her desk.

  She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the developing tension that thinking of her family caused her. It’s not that she hated them. It’s just that she wasn’t exactly what one would call close to any of them. And tonight, she figured, her father could wait. She was sure it was probably just another argument that he had had with her mother. She hated it when she was put in the middle of her parent’s arguments. Trying to shake the unsettling thoughts from her mind, she stood and grabbed her designer leather jacket and matching purse hanging on the coat rack.

  “It’s going to have to wait until tomorrow, Dad. I’ve got a dinner date to enjoy.” She muttered as she waltzed out of her office, not giving the message a second thought.

  As Kate and her date, Jonathan, walked down the sidewalk hand in hand, she couldn’t help but smile to herself about how great the entire day and evening had turned out. Although they had only been seeing each other for just over a month, Kate felt a real connection with Jonathan. He was quite the quintessential New York Wall Street type. Along with his handsome good looks, he was also a well respected and established trader. Stability, that’s what had attracted her most to him. Kate might have loved the fast-paced world of fashion design, but there was still a side of her that did want to eventually settle down and have a family. And having just celebrated her thirtieth birthday the previous week, she knew deep down that she’d love for that to be happening sometime soon. Although she wasn’t yet sure if Jonathan was the guy she planned to marry and have kids with, she was very fond of him, and they did have a good time together whenever they went out.

  As they arrived at the steps leading up to Kate’s townhouse, Jonathan pulled her into an embrace before leaning in to kiss her. It was a long, sweet kiss that made Kate long for more. As they broke the kiss, she figured she may as well end her fantastic day on a high note.

  “Why don’t you come up and stay tonight?” she asked peering into his chocolate brown eyes. But before Jonathan could answer, Kate heard a familiar voice from the top of the stairs behind her. “Could you hurry this along? It feels like I’ve been waiting here on your doorstep all night!”

  Kate slowly turned around, seeing a middle-aged man with a blanket draped around his shoulders. Jonathan latched his arm around Kate’s waist, not knowing who the man sitting on her stairs was.

  “Do you know this guy?” Jonathan asked as he looked to her for a response.

  “Yeah, unfortunately” Kate sounded more than annoyed. “That’s my father.”

  “I thought you said your family lives in…”

  “Georgia. Yup.”

  “Do you need me to stick around in case something happens?”

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll handle this.” Kate gave Jonathan a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “I’ll take a rain check on that offer though.” Jonathan turned and walked away glancing back just once before he disappeared around the corner. Kate in the meantime had climbed the small flight of stairs and was now looking at her father face to face.

  In a rather displeased tone she said “Dad, what are you doing here?”

  “I need a place to stay. Your mother’s kicked me out. Can I stay with you?”

  Kate felt caught between a rock and a hard pla
ce. She began to feel her good day vibes slowly begin to fade away. And as she let her father into her home, she could tell things were only going to get worse.

  Chapter 2

  Brad Sargisson strolled along Main Street, which just so happened to be the name of the main road of the sleepy little Georgia town he’d called home all his life. It was the sort of place where everyone knew each other and nobody bothered to lock their doors at night.

  People did tend to know more about Brad than most other townspeople that roamed the streets. Granted, he did have that Southern charm that complimented his hazel eyes and usually tussled butterscotch colored locks. His rugged appearance and well built body didn’t hurt either. But the main reason Brad was known around his hometown was due to his family owning a chain of department stores that could be found just about everywhere in the state of Georgia.

  Although he didn’t have a hand in the day to day operations of the family business, he did hope that he would someday. Of late, he’d been working on the introduction of scaled down versions of his family’s stores with a view to making them work in most small town marketplaces.

  However, today wasn’t a day for business. Today he had a date with his fiancée at the coffee shop to talk about wedding plans. The wedding was still nine months away and he didn’t really care all that much about the planning aspect of things, but Suzanne had insisted he become more involved in the decision making.

  Brad removed his Atlanta Braves baseball cap, something he almost never left home without, wiped the sweat from his brow and then placed the cap back on. It was going to be another hot and humid day. He adjusted it over his messy hair as he stepped off the curb, crossing the street heading in the direction of the coffee shop.

  The cafe was still a few blocks away. He could have easily driven his pick-up truck and parked on the side of the street, but he often enjoyed an early afternoon stroll when the weather was good. He’d always loved the sweet, sultry Georgian air. And today he was hoping it would give him a little clarity before meeting up with Suzanne.

  As he made his way along the sidewalk, greeting those who would say hello, he let his mind wander a bit as he considered the impending wedding. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Suzanne. He really did care for her. They’d been together for two years now although if he had to admit it, he did feel somewhat pressured into proposing to her. Between both of their families, and the small town gossip about living in sin, he really didn’t think he had much of a choice in the matter. Not that anyone in love should look at it like that.

  He was always trying to push the doubts to the back of his mind for Suzanne’s sake. Especially today, when she needed his undivided attention while he helped pick out the various things that still needed to be decided on. In fact, he couldn’t quite remember what it was that they were supposed to be deciding on today. But as he neared the coffee shop, he knew he’d better put on a good front for his fiancée. He managed a slight smile as he went inside.

  “Brad! Over here!” He looked over to see Suzanne sitting at a table with Julie, her best friend and maid of honor. Brad gave them a slight wave before heading over to the table. Suzanne stood and gave him a huge hug. “You’re late, baby. But don’t worry, I’ve already ordered you a coffee.”

  “Thank you. Hi Julie.” Brad took a seat next to his fiancée. “So what did I miss?”

  “Nothing yet. We didn’t want you to miss out on the excitement of you choosing your wedding colors.” Julie said sarcastically. Brad had never been a fan of Julie’s. They’d gone to high school together. Her family also had their own business in town and she was the type who made sure everyone knew how well off her family truly was. Brad on the other hand had never been a fan of flaunting one’s wealth. He never did understand how Suzanne had become friends with her aside from them meeting at her family’s store when Suzanne was new in town a few years ago. They’d been pretty much inseparable ever since.

  “I thought we’d decided on simple black and white.” Brad turned to Suzanne. This was already becoming agonizing. What did he care about colors?

  “Well, Jules and I were just discussing that, and I think I’d love to have more color in the wedding.” Suzanne scooted an open wedding magazine in front of Brad. He cringed as he saw the bright fuchsia colored gowns in it. Brad couldn’t contain his groan of disapproval.

  “Is there any chance of a compromise here?” He flipped through the magazine, stopping upon seeing a wedding party dressed in turquoise and slid it back in front of Suzanne. It was her turn to look unimpressed.

  “Brad, I’m really in love with the fuchsia. Besides, you know it’s one of my favorite colors.” Brad glanced over at Julie, who was smirking at him. He rubbed his temples, trying to calm the aggravation growing in the pit of his stomach. “Honey, will you go grab us some croissants? I’ll have the pictures of potential wedding cakes ready for you when you get back.” Brad stood without hesitation and headed for the pastry counter.

  Staring blankly at the brownies, muffins, and other sweet treats in the pastry case, all of the qualms about marrying Suzanne swirled around in Brad’s head. After being asked twice by the clerk if he was ready to order, he snapped out of it and ordered the croissants. As he returned to the table, Suzanne and Julie were doing what they did best, gossiping.

  “Yeah, I heard it’s just a matter of time before she has to sell the place. And can you imagine the nerve of that daughter of hers, staying in New York when she has to know that things are catastrophic for her family right now.” Julie grabbed the bag of croissants and took a quick bite before continuing. “Kate always did think she was better than the rest of us small town folks though.” Brad sat down just as Julie mentioned Kate.

  “Are you talking about Kate Southwell?” His interests were now officially piqued.

  “Yeah, you remember her, right?” Julie took another bite of the croissant and focused on Suzanne so she could fill her in on the gossip of the girl that she and Brad had gone to high school with.

  As Julie continued with her gossip about Kate and her family, Brad had all but tuned her out. His thoughts drifted to the girl he went to high school with. Back then he’d called her Katie. He was the only one she’d let get away with calling her that. He’d considered her one of his closest friends and had always had a secret crush on her, but never had the nerve to let her know or to take it any further than pining over her in homeroom as she worked on her homework. They’d lost touch with each other over the years, especially when Kate moved away to New York. The mention of her name now brought up all the fond memories Brad had of her, and he secretly wished that they had stayed in touch.

  “Brad? What do you think?” Brad jolted out of his daydream and looked over at Suzanne, who had just opened up another magazine, this time with wedding cakes. He glanced down at the sumptuous cake pictures trying to clear his mind of Kate all whilst he was meant to be planning his own wedding.

  Chapter 3

  In the three weeks that followed since her father had showed up on her doorstep, Kate’s life had gone from organized and on track to disorganized and disastrous. Aside from him constantly invading her personal space, making a mess of her bathroom, and wreaking general havoc on her normal routine, this particular morning was the final straw. He’d finished her box of favorite cereal.

  “I mean, he could have told me we were about to run out of it, right?” An angry Kate paced back and forth around her office as Laurie sat quietly in the corner sipping on a cup of coffee.

  “It takes a lot of nerve to invade somebody’s home, take over the place like it’s your own and not only that, but finish off my favorite box of cereal, which incidentally left me with nothing to eat this morning. What kind of father does that?”

  “Kate, I can go get you a new box of the cereal. It’s really not that big a deal.” Laurie commented trying to make light of the situation.

  “Oh, but it is! Don’t you see? This is why I’ve avoided my family since moving to New York. And my
brother is no different. He’s just the same lazy and inconsiderate way as my father.”

  “You have a brother?” A puzzled Laurie looked over at Kate with inquiring eyes.

  “That’s beside the point. I’ve got to find a way to get dad to go back home. It’s not like this is the first time he and mom have had an argument. I mean, the last major one prompted him to uproot the whole family from the only life we’d ever known and moved us down to the hell’s inner circle.”

  “Hell’s inner circle?”

  “Georgia.” Kate’s reply was as matter of fact as her demeanor when dismissing she had a brother.

  “So I take it you don’t like it there?”

  “I was a freshman in high school when my father decided to kidnap us to the land of peaches. You don’t just take someone out of one the most critical times in their teen years and force them to live somewhere else. It was traumatizing to say the least.”

  “I can only imagine.” Laurie continued to sip her coffee, not wanting to show how much of a drama queen she thought Kate was being.

  “I’ve got to find a way to get him to go back home. It’s not only ruining my strict routine, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for my sex life either when one’s dad is lurking around one’s place…indefinitely with no ETD.”

  “ETD?” Laurie quipped

  “Oh, yeah? Estimated time of departure” Kate added

  “So you and Jonathan are getting hot and heavy, huh?” Laurie flashed Kate a devilish grin. She loved it when her boss dropped the hard ass boss routine and let loose about her personal life. It didn’t happen that often and today definitely made up for it.

  “No, I wouldn’t put it like that actually. The whole thing has been kind of put on hold whilst Dad’s living with me and I’m running myself ragged trying to cope with his little dramas.”

  “What? But you two seem really into each other?”