took all these pictures and I’m supposed to pick
the best one.”
Trace looked around the little
room. It looked like someone had taken a bunch of crayons, melted them down,
and poured them all over the walls. He thought maybe it would be something that
had to grow on you, as his grandma said, but he wasn’t sure why anyone would
want it to. So far as he knew, some of those colors just looked gross together.
He looked back at Grace when she cleared her throat.
“You don’t like it, do you?”
He started to nod then shook his
head. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but it was really bad.
“I don’t either most of the time. But
it’s here to remind me of what I came from.”
“You came from a weird house if
that’s how they painted your walls, Miss Grace. It’s sort of sickening.”
He flushed and she laughed before
she answered him. “It’s not paint, Trace, but material. It’s all the material
scraps that I had with me when I finally had enough money to buy this building.
See, I started out just using the leftover pieces to make my designs. I would
stay up late at night and sew these small dresses and then think about ways to
improve them. Every day I would learn a little more until I was able to present
my first design to the previous owner. He loved it and promised me that he’d
take it to the next show. He even let me help with the larger design of the
dress. It’s that one over there.”
Trace got up and walked to where
she pointed. There was a mannequin behind a glass wall and she was dressed in a
pretty black and purple dress. Trace didn’t know anything about clothes and
less about fashion. If it fit when he tried it on, he figured he looked good.
Besides, his dad would have told him if he looked dorky.
“You made this?” He looked back at
her when she said yes. “It’s nice. Nothing I think my aunts would wear, but I
like it. I bet it looked pretty on you.”
“You’re very kind, and I did wear
it. Phillip told me if I wore it on the floor and sold more than a hundred
copies of it, he’d take me on as his apprentice.”
Trace looked at the dress again
and tried to remember if he’d seen anyone wearing one like it. He couldn’t, but
then he didn’t know all that many women. He looked back at her and decided that
she’d not sold any if the dopey look on her face was any indication.
“I’m sorry, Miss Grace. I guess
you had to work really hard the next time, huh? Is that why you only make
underwear here now?”
She grinned at him before
answering. “I sold over ten thousand units, Trace. More than any other design
he had. And I thought he’d just kick me out of the place, but he said a promise
was a promise and helped me design my label.” She stood up and handed him the
picture next to the dress. “That’s a copy of the first order we filled. And the
amount. I was surprised that he charged so much.” She picked up a magazine next
to his chair. “And this is my catalogue that comes out this summer. See the
underwear, as you call them? They’re our number one sellers. Pretty underwear
is what women want to wear.”
Trace handed her back the catalogue
and looked over at the wall again. “You put those scraps on the wall to remind
you of the pieces you had to put together in order to make it big then?”
“Very good. Yes, that’s right.”
She ruffled his hair and he hugged her. “Not many people get it so quickly if
at all.”
He was watching a “set” be put
together when he noticed the puppy. It was sitting in the corner all scrunched
up in a ball and Trace made his way to it. He was just kneeling down to touch
it when one of the men nailing something together came over.
“We been trying to catch him all
day. He musta got in when we was bringing in the lumber. Pick him up, will ya,
and toss him in the back? His mom will come and get him, or, if she’s been hit,
then he’ll have to fend for himself.”
The puppy whimpered when Trace
touched him. He was
the best one.”
Trace looked around the little
room. It looked like someone had taken a bunch of crayons, melted them down,
and poured them all over the walls. He thought maybe it would be something that
had to grow on you, as his grandma said, but he wasn’t sure why anyone would
want it to. So far as he knew, some of those colors just looked gross together.
He looked back at Grace when she cleared her throat.
“You don’t like it, do you?”
He started to nod then shook his
head. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but it was really bad.
“I don’t either most of the time. But
it’s here to remind me of what I came from.”
“You came from a weird house if
that’s how they painted your walls, Miss Grace. It’s sort of sickening.”
He flushed and she laughed before
she answered him. “It’s not paint, Trace, but material. It’s all the material
scraps that I had with me when I finally had enough money to buy this building.
See, I started out just using the leftover pieces to make my designs. I would
stay up late at night and sew these small dresses and then think about ways to
improve them. Every day I would learn a little more until I was able to present
my first design to the previous owner. He loved it and promised me that he’d
take it to the next show. He even let me help with the larger design of the
dress. It’s that one over there.”
Trace got up and walked to where
she pointed. There was a mannequin behind a glass wall and she was dressed in a
pretty black and purple dress. Trace didn’t know anything about clothes and
less about fashion. If it fit when he tried it on, he figured he looked good.
Besides, his dad would have told him if he looked dorky.
“You made this?” He looked back at
her when she said yes. “It’s nice. Nothing I think my aunts would wear, but I
like it. I bet it looked pretty on you.”
“You’re very kind, and I did wear
it. Phillip told me if I wore it on the floor and sold more than a hundred
copies of it, he’d take me on as his apprentice.”
Trace looked at the dress again
and tried to remember if he’d seen anyone wearing one like it. He couldn’t, but
then he didn’t know all that many women. He looked back at her and decided that
she’d not sold any if the dopey look on her face was any indication.
“I’m sorry, Miss Grace. I guess
you had to work really hard the next time, huh? Is that why you only make
underwear here now?”
She grinned at him before
answering. “I sold over ten thousand units, Trace. More than any other design
he had. And I thought he’d just kick me out of the place, but he said a promise
was a promise and helped me design my label.” She stood up and handed him the
picture next to the dress. “That’s a copy of the first order we filled. And the
amount. I was surprised that he charged so much.” She picked up a magazine next
to his chair. “And this is my catalogue that comes out this summer. See the
underwear, as you call them? They’re our number one sellers. Pretty underwear
is what women want to wear.”
Trace handed her back the catalogue
and looked over at the wall again. “You put those scraps on the wall to remind
you of the pieces you had to put together in order to make it big then?”
“Very good. Yes, that’s right.”
She ruffled his hair and he hugged her. “Not many people get it so quickly if
at all.”
He was watching a “set” be put
together when he noticed the puppy. It was sitting in the corner all scrunched
up in a ball and Trace made his way to it. He was just kneeling down to touch
it when one of the men nailing something together came over.
“We been trying to catch him all
day. He musta got in when we was bringing in the lumber. Pick him up, will ya,
and toss him in the back? His mom will come and get him, or, if she’s been hit,
then he’ll have to fend for himself.”
The puppy whimpered when Trace
touched him. He was
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