She smiled dreamily at him as wrote on the board, he was left-handed.
Edward sported a gabardine shirt, a thick black vest, denim and brown boots. He was unlike the bulletins less formal without his expensive off-the-rack suits still the clothes he was wearing were expensive. He turned to the next interviewee. "Your name?" His voice was captivating and rich.
Odetta wiped her grin off her face and maintained her composure. "Sorry, Lawrence, Odetta Lawrence, I'm a big fan of Luxe Textiles,"
"I want a neat dress, get to work,"
Her stomach fluttered fidgeting with the scissors. How long is this interview exactly?
The assignment rang in her head once more and she scoffed.
She had so many expectations and yet she was asked to make a dress. "This is going to be easy,"
She pushed up her glasses and smiled.
Edward's frown deepened, if he had to go through another interview with a lady then he may as well call off the search.
There were few responses from men and they were hardly ready to impress and it seemed like he was on a hunt for a mistress instead.
"Excuse me? Mister Cummings? I have my questions, do you require any touch-ups?"
"Are you deaf?" His blue eyes flashed when he asked.
"No," She shook her head clenching her scissors. Is he in a bad mood.
"Then no," He picked a fabric from the contemporary themed shelf and dumped it on the work table and flipped it to her.
"Denim?" She held it. "But that'll take time,"
He smirked at the defeatist "There's more time at your disposal, you have work to do,"
She flipped the denim open, it was vintage produced in 1966 and it proved to be sturdy.
She flicked the scissors while he left.
Edward watched from the stool while she cut the fabric on the table.
Other ladies were dealing with their cuts in separate rooms and setting their cuts on their dummies.
She brushed her sweat off her face and visualized what she could do to the hefty piece of fabric and make it more fashionable. She reckoned she could go for a more vintage style and began to cut through struggling.
The others were serious-faced making arrangements while she leaned on her stool gazing at the walls. There were art pieces on canvas and she brushed a hand on her already finished design.
Edward flipped through the new month's publication of the Mode Magazine and his time was running. He gazed outside the window and dumped the magazine to check on the contenders.
The room was scanty and he watched the interviewees shuffle to order in the main room.
Odetta came to terms with her dummy by her side and she glanced at the other contenders.
She didn't know that they were assigned to work and they had their own set of fabrics to deal with.
She held her breath watching as he entered and she had a whiff of his pine scent as he passed by.
She shook her head standing up straight while he scrutinized their works.
Edward flipped up a drape around the collar of the corduroy gown and waved it throwing it down hard. "I said a dress, not a summer jacket,"
Then he shifted to the contestant with a tartan gown and faced it eyeing the buttons down and he grimaced.
"Un-inspired," Her eyes tilted in sadness.
His eyes moved to the lawn fabric dress with cabbage rose flower sleeves and he looked it twice over again. "Hmm, this has potential,"
She bit her lip as he surveyed the chino cloth dress with small upper cups and a corset. The dress retained a slit in the middle and a skirt inside, it had a formal look. "Subpar but you're not far from it,"
Her jaw dropped while he passed.
He walked to Odetta's work and he looked it over flipping it. "What's this?" He felt at the round neck and the mid-length balloon sleeves. The shoulders were low cut in an off-the-shoulder style and he traced the pleats on the bodice and the open back and then the mid-length skirt and he grimaced. "The shoulders are all wrong,"
He felt at the loose end and she noticed her error for the first time.
"But you've saved someone a hard day's work in the hot summer,"
She grinned and held her dummy gasping after he walked by.
"Well done, Laura, you'll be getting underway immediately,"
They exchanged looks and the contender who worked with the chino cloth stepped up.
Odetta held her cheeks while they burned and he turned to her disorienting the contender a little.
"Uh...I'm Laura,"
He gazed at the name tags and sighed pointing. "You,"
Odetta pointed to herself when he talked and she received a standing ovation from a few contenders and hugs.
She jigged on her tippy toes squealing when she was alone. "Yes!" She raised her hands and swivelled sighing. "Yes!"
***
"It's Lawrence, sir,"
She said coming along with him and Edward looked down pulling up his cuff to check his watch and then he veered around to unlock his office. She bit her lip at the graceful Mister Cummings.
Acknowledging his set shoulders while they worked and his lean waist. Dreaming of spanning them. She hardly noticed when he looked back and she straightened
"It's a pleasure to be working with you_for you," She said nodding and he snorted.
She pushed up her glasses.
She grinned as he toured her into his studio and she gasped at his works. And the pictures hanging down by ropes.
She gazed at him struggling with the ironing board.
"I want you to pick up after, you work at 5 am,"
Her eyes lowered to his lips "Do you hear me?"
"I...I do," She shrugged. "Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, I_"
She was getting a call and Edward wrote on the whiteboard.
"And we do not pick calls in my office,"
She pocketed the phone. "Sorry,"
"Make sure this place is spick-and-span, first thing in the morning before I step in and last at finishing hours," His eyes followed the sketches. "Do you understand?"
Her shoulders dropped. "Ah, yeah, you won't even notice me_ notice that I'm there,"
"Good, for the time being, feel free to explore," He said.
"Explore?" She swivelled at the white fabric spilt all over. "Oh,"
Edward stopped by the doorframe and he turned over and then changed his mind about leaving. He brushed his hair off his face asking his assistant to call off the interviewees. He had an event to oversee at the Mode Mansion. The time was running and he had a block at the moment.
The five hours of the morning were well-spent, cutting away at fabric to come up with nothing. His work needed creative ingenuity and he foresaw an appearance from the remarkable fashion designer who made that piece.
As of now. The Unveiling couldn't wait.