Page 51 of All the Drama from New York

She clicked back and forth through the images of the fifteen pieces which currently comprised her New York Fashion week collection; all the while fighting a rising wave of panic. Her workwas good. Classic. The sort of thing which would provide her customers with years of dependable wear.

But where was the magic?

Raking her fingers through her long blonde locks, she quietly swore in her native tongue. “C'est une catastrophe.”

There was nothing in her collection which spoke to the Cinderella in the City theme of the show. Nothing that would have the bloggers or influencers writing pithy pieces about her collection on social media.

If they say my work is good, but boring, I’ll die.

“So what do you think of the place I booked?”

She blinked back hot tears and turned to Ryan. He was standing in the doorway of the living room, a pensive expression on his face. He was worried. Worried about her.

“It’s very nice. I’m sure it will do just fine.”

As he moved into the room, she set her laptop aside and rose from the couch.

He came to stand in front her, closer than he’d been since that day their bodies had been pressed together on the sidewalk. His gaze searched her face for answers she knew she didn’t have. But what if this man was the answer to a lifetime of unresolved questions?

“What’s wrong Camille? If you don’t like the beach place, I can speak to Sheila and cancel the booking. We can find somewhere else for us to go.” She didn’t resist when he took a hold of her hand. “But I don’t think that’s the problem, is it?”

She let out a tired sigh. “My new collection is terrible. Not bad terrible, just bland. Which I think might actually be worse. I’ve never considered presenting anything which makes my heart hurt like those garments do. I’m wondering if I should just call the manufacturer and cancel the production order.”

“But you’ve worked so hard on them. How can you suddenly decide you hate your designs?” he said. The genuine surprise inRyan’s voice tore at her. Where he probably saw a few suits and some pretty dresses, she saw only failure.

It was going to take more than a couple of days at the beach to fix this impending disaster.

Thank god I saw the truth before fashion week.

Camille could just see the write up in the media.

Yawn. A fashion misstep for a rising star. Dull and dreadful. Camille Royal has resigned herself to designing for the masses.

That last one she could handle. She wanted everyday American women to wear her clothes. But she didn’t want them looking drab or frumpy in her creations.

She gathered her thoughts. It might be tempting to let panic overwhelm her, but it wouldn’t solve her problems.

What did Bryce say when he faced these sorts of moments? Work the problem. Stop. Look. Determine where the issue lay, then calmly set about trying to find a way forward.

“Could we perhaps look to rent the beach house for a week?” she asked.

If she brought one of her mannequins with her, and some rolls of muslin, she might be able to come up with a few extra pieces for the collection. Pieces which not only spoke to the Cinderella in the City theme, but also sparked joy once more in her. It would take a lot of work.

But I can do it. I have to save this collection.

Tight deadlines were not something entirely new to her. Heaven knew her father had sprung enough of them on her and Sophie over the years. François wasn’t above waking his daughters in the middle of the night if he’d been struck by a wonderful inspiration. Some of his biggest successes had been born on the back of a linen napkin in a Parisian restaurant. Coming to life a matter of hours later as a fully mocked up design in his atelier.

If she had to put in some insane hours to get the show collection back on track, then so be it. But if she took that course, then it made sense not to be travelling back and forth between Fire Island and NYC.

Ryan brushed a reassuring hand over Camille’s. “Let me see what I can do about extending the booking.” He went to turn away, then came back to her. Their gazes met once more. “Anything you need me to do between now and the show, you only have to ask.”

Camille nodded, but he didn’t move. “I mean it Camille. This show is important to you. It has to be a success. If you need me to go and get fabric at two am, I will do it. Just promise me you won’t go changing any of the completed designs. I think they are amazing, and I think you would be angry with yourself if you went and did anything reckless like cancelling the production order.”

The fact that she had even considered doing such a thing spoke volumes for how badly she’d burned out.

I love every one of those pieces. They really do work.

She just needed to come up with a couple of extra pieces to make the collection work with the fashion show theme. Along with the runway design which would tie it all into the main theme.

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