Page 64 of Ten Christmases Without You
“The technique is considered to be an art form. It was crafted usinga micro-beading methodperfected in the nineteenth century. Each bead was individually handsewn onto thebase, which is one hundred percent charmeuse mulberry silk. And the clasp is hand-forged twenty-four-karat gold filigree.”
“It sounds incredibly expensive.”
“Yes.” He nodded once, heaviness behind his eyes.
Emmy looked down at the clutch, seeing it in a new light. It was a vintage designer piece, and it had sat in a cardboard box in her parents’ house when it should probably be on display somewhere.
“I’m surprised my mom could afford this on a student’s salary. How did she get it?”
“I bought it for her.”
Emmy looked up, shocked. “Wow. That’s quite a gift.”
“Indeed.” He pressed his lips together with a tight smile.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you buy my mom such an extravagant gift?”
He rubbed his lips together as if to hold in whatever was on them, as if he were having second thoughts. “Maybe it’s best to let the answer go.”
“Why would that be best?” she pressed.
“Because why I bought it doesn’t matter now. It took me seeing you yesterday to realize. What matters is, she held onto it.” Happiness played in his eyes. “And she gave it to you.”
“She didn’t give it me. She had it in the bottom of a box in my parents’ closet, and I fished it out and decided to keep it.”
He studied the clutch, his smile fading as his mind seemed to go somewhere else. But then he snapped out of whatever the thought was. “I’m sure if she was here, she’d want you to have it.”
Before she could decide whether to mention the note she’d found inside, he stood up.
“But let’s turn our attention to why you’re here. If that dress you had on yesterday was any indication of your talent, I’d love to put your skills to the test to see if you’d be a good fit for our team. If you’re interested, of course.”
She twisted around to face him as he moved around the room. “Here’s the thing: Until that dress, I’d never sewn anything since I was a kid playing with my mom while she made me clothes. I don’t know if I’d be any good.”
“How long did it take you to make that dress?”
“I made it the night before our meeting.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”
“No. Why?”
“I’d like you to apprentice under me. We can start with a basic sketch or two and a few sewing projects to gauge your skill level. Once I see what you know, we’ll go over sewing basics, fabric types, industry terminology, and digital design tools before your hands-on work begins.”
She opened her mouth to protest but then closed it and nodded instead. The prospect terrified her, but what was her reason for wanting to say no? Charlie had quit his corporate job to fish for a living. She should follow his lead, right? But if she got going with this and became successful, she’d need to stay in New York.
Mitchell was still talking, and she wanted to stop him, but she didn’t. He was pacing.
“We’d start you on small tasks like cutting patterns, sewing simple pieces, or assisting with fittings. You’d shadow me, observe how I select fabrics, collaborate with manufacturers, and interact with our elite clients. Then we’ll begin your technical skill development. I’d require seven to eight hours of work, and the days can go much longer before a show. I could pay you about thirty-five dollars an hour. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”
She tried to rein in her disbelief. If she was calculating correctly, that was about $73,000 a year. That was over double what Vivienne had offered her. And if that wasn’t enough to convince her, there was also an underlying motivation: She might learn more about her mom’s designing days. “Could I take twenty-four hours to think it over?”
“Of course.” He looked at his watch. “I have a meeting. I wish I could’ve offered you lunch. Have you eaten?”
She shook her head.
He hit a button on his phone. “Talia? Call in whatever lunch Miss Brewer would like to eat and pay for it with the company card. Then, have it delivered to her apartment.”
“Oh, you don’t—” she protested, but he cut her off.
