Well, him and Noelle. I took one last glance at her and smiled. She had become the steady rock that kept me up even when all my walls were crumbling. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for her.
Following one last check, Noelle and I dressed in our finest dinner attire and we headed downstairs.
13
Noelle
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen,” I greeted the crowd as I stood up to the podium. As I looked at the reception hall of the hotel, I saw there were at least two hundred different people. Daxter’s parents were seated at one of the front-most tables but there were also several people from the media, there were businessmen, investors, potential endorsers and dozens of different designers and models.
It was a little intimidating but I had to just swallow my fears and push forward, “We would like to welcome you to the official unveiling of the Moda Auteur fashion line, spearheaded by none other than Daxter Horndale. We are bridging the gap between what people consider formal and comfortable. We are combining street fashion with business attire. We are making clothes that you can wear to define who you are to tell the story of your life.”
As I ended my introduction, the projector came on and showcased the first initial previews of the clothes we had our head designers craft. We started by showcasing the early sketches and then revealed a few sneak peeks of the actual items as worn on mannequins.
However, we knew that wouldn’t surprise the guests. Right when they thought the first presentation was over we had several men bring in large panels from behind the stage and form a makeshift ramp that went through the center of the room. Music played and more than thirty different models burst out from behind to showcase our designs in person.
We were met with a loud sound of applause and I could see numerous smiles and nods of approval.
Our work wasn’t done yet; Daxter still had to play his part. When he got up to the stage he then started revealing the more technical side of this business venture. He revealed that even without the full support of his parents and the family wealth, he had struck a deal with the international bank that Marcus had a key position in to help finance Moda Auteur for the first year. He also revealed the support coming from J&E Consulting Firm and he then introduced the key designers that created the items that were just shown.
“Any and every support you give is much appreciated and we hope we can lock in more than just an envelope of money,” Daxter then said, ending his speech. He was right – while we did need financial investors for the company it would mean a lot more if the businessmen in the room would sign an endorsement contract or if other designers would offer to work for us.
When he gave his closing words and ended the event, I walked up to him and held his arm as he walke
d off the stage.
“You did really good,” I told him with a kiss on the cheek. He smiled when I did and I realized I was being sweet to him unconsciously. It was becoming my second-nature now.
“Well, let’s see what my dad has to say about it,” he reminded me. He led me to the table where his sister and parents were. “This is it: the moment of truth.”
I nodded and took in a deep breath before sitting down. I smiled at Joel and Carmen and then shook Sonya’s hand.
“That was very impressive,” Joel told us both. “You’ve really stepped up. For a long while, I thought you were still just a brat who depended on Gary and us.”
Daxter nodded and just shrugged it off, “I understand why you feel that way, dad. I was a wreck over a year ago but now I’m in charge. I know what I have to do to stay on top of the game. To be honest, even if you don’t sign me as your inheritor I don’t think I’d mind.”
That really took me by surprise. What was he talking about?
Daxter must have noticed my sudden shift in uneasiness too because he went on to explain further, “We’ve already got Moda Auteur off the ground. I got Mercury Wild, J&E Consulting Firm and the bank giving us their full support. Hopefully we can snag a few more tonight. If we do, we’ll be able to make this the next big thing in the fashion world.”
“You’re very confident,” Joel noted of his son’s words. “You’re confident but for a good reason. Everything you said is right: even if I don’t give you another cent you’ve pretty much built a backup plan for you and your wife.”
“I do have just one question: what does Moda Auteur mean?” Carmen asked. “I know the others here understand but I’m not a clothes designer.”
I reached out to hold her hand and explained, “Moda is Italian for ‘fashion’ and ‘auteur’ is a term meant for an artistic filmmaker who instills his ideals and style in his movies. Moda Auteur generally symbolizes a fashion style that lets someone dress in a way that lets them show off their ideals and personality.”
“Okay, you’ve really done a lot of research,” Joel commented after hearing my explanation. “I have to commend you both. You impressed me. I honestly thought only Gary had the brains and the guts to tackle on such big ambitions.”
Daxter was beaming with delight and Sonya was doing her best to suppress a smile. We all had a good feeling and soon enough Joel gave us the good news.
“I’ve made a decision then,” he declared just as waiters were coming in to bring in the food for every table. “I will sign you and Noelle as my sole inheritors. You not only made me and your mom proud but I have to say even Gary would be proud of what you two have accomplished.”
“Dad, I support you on this, you know I do,” Sonya told Joel. “I know I was your initial choice. I am older than Dax but the fact remains that he is the proper successor. He has the right business mind, he’s dipped his feet into the right social circle and he’s just naturally built for a life of transactions and different marketing strategies. I’m a writer, I’d rather stay in some mountain in France, drink my coffee and let my money sit in a bank until I want to splurge what I have on a dog.”
Joel, in a rare instance, laughed and nodded in agreement, “You are right. I know I scared you all when I named our vice president as a possible candidate but you do understand why I did so, right? I had to protect the legacy of the company and for the longest time, Daxter, you were not the ideal successor. You’ve improved so much though and you’ve proven yourself to me and your mom.”
A lot of chatter sparked on the table. Daxter and Sonya were celebrating. Carmen and Joel were busy discussing their own business plans with the family’s corporation. I remained silent in my seat as I tried to soak in all of the revelations that came with Joel’s magic words. Even I had to admit there was a strong magnitude the way he said things.
This all meant our ruse had been a success. It was not as easy as I thought it could be. I did have to marry him, after all, and I was starting to get addicted to him in the bedroom. I quit my job, and I moved to a new home and uprooted everything in my life for this one gamble.