Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,3

over my arm and thinking about the last time I was there.

It’s been a long time since I’ve set foot in Club X.

And a visit is long overdue.

Chapter 2

Dahlia

God, I wish I could wear this color, I think to myself as I slowly slide my fingertips over the rich, velvety purple fabric that lays across my desk. A fabric that will hopefully be turned into an award-winning gown. I suck in a breath, holding it and hoping that I’ll be able to contribute to the design.

It’s the new in vogue color this season, and it’s only a matter of time before models will be flaunting it down the runway. I just hope that I can eventually be one of those fashion designers that proudly walks the runway at the end of a successful show. One day.

I like purple; it’s probably up there with red and black as one of my favorite colors. I just don’t look good wearing it. I gently lay the fabric down on the desk, thinking. Black suits me better, and it’s probably why nearly all of my closet consists of black and greys. Even now, sporting dark silk slacks, a blouse the color of midnight and a cropped black leather jacket with my dark brown hair pulled up into a sleek ponytail, I look like I’m modeling for the grim reaper.

I think I need to stop wearing so much black, I tell myself, maybe then I’ll stop being so damn depressed.

I take a deep breath and shake off the thought, taking the advice from my therapist to focus on the positives in my life. Black may be slimming, but it doesn’t do the spirits any good. I just read a study on colors and the effects they have on the psyche and mood. I huff a small laugh. It was an odd thing to be tested on in my History of Fashion Development class, but it was eye opening.

Today has been wonderful, though. Actually, the past two weeks have been a dream come true. Growing up, I was heavily intrigued by fashion. Christian Dior, Gucci, Prada, Michael Kors, you name it. If it had a name, I wanted to wear it. I dreamed of cutting fabrics and sewing them into gorgeous gowns. One of my favorite gifts my mother ever got me was a drawing pad and a huge set of colored pencils for sketches. I filled the entire book up in only a month.

Over time, my obsession morphed into a lifelong dream of wanting to work in the fashion world, and up until several weeks ago, it looked like that fantasy would never come to fruition. But I finally got my foot in the door, and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

Now I’m sitting here with my own office on the top floor of Explicit Designs, working one of the most coveted internships in town, living out my wish. It’s unbelievable. Seriously, I absolutely love this job. I get to see all the latest designs and in-style fashions, meet quirky, interesting people and be involved in the entire creative process that goes into making these magnificent creations. It’s funny how things turn out.

Especially considering how I’d almost given up.

A surge of anxiety twists my stomach, and I frown. It chills me to know how close I’d been to abandoning everything, how close I’d been to letting the darkness overwhelm me. Thinking about it makes me shudder, and I try my best to push the unwelcome thoughts away. It’s a constant battle. Dark thoughts always seem to be waiting in the shadows of my mind--stalking me, haunting me, and then pouncing right when I think things are going good.

But things are better now, I try to convince myself. And I need to focus on being happy.

A clinking sound pulls me out of my reverie and causes me to look up. I see my boss, established fashion designer Debra Ferguson, through the glass window of my office, gathering her things and getting ready to pack up for the night.

This is the one thing I don’t like about the floor I work on. The whole area is a large open space with floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the offices, and there’s virtually no privacy. Everybody can see everyone else. I suppose it isn’t so bad, but I do miss my privacy.

I watch as Debra, who’s clad in a fashionable red dress that hugs her matronly frame, slings her oversized Prada purse over her right shoulder