God forbid I tell the truth. One of my many talents is lying. I know, I know I shouldn’t be proud of that, but it helps in some situations. My overall nature is to be brutally honest, but once a situation is read, your responses should be chosen carefully.
“Miss Castillo.” I turn my head like the fucking Flash. A man that seems to be in his early sixties walks up to me with his hand extended. I take it with a firm grip. He laughs.
Why is he laughing?
“What a handshake, such a strong grip,” he exclaims, his French accent dripping off of every syllable. He’s handsome for his age, gray hair shines in all different tones throughout his mane. He has scruff on his chin. The thing I notice more than anything is how well-dressed he is. I mean, he works at a fashion brand, so it’s an obvious factor in it all.
I may or may not have a thing for older men. I know, my daddy issues are coming out. Wait, I don’t have daddy issues, or do I? If I don’t, that makes the situation even worse. I mean, my dad killed my mother, so I’m going to have to say that I’m the spokesperson for daddy issues. But I love my dad... oh my god, I have problems.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I hear him go on, “I’m André Manon, welcome to Adèle fashion house. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Along with working here, he’s also the founder, CEO, creator, and ex-father-in-law of my current team principal. Way to make a girl feel even more suffocated.
“The pleasure is all mine. I didn’t know you would be the one showing me around.” He grins.
“Why wouldn’t I be the one showing you my own creations? I may be old, but I am still very hands-on. I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon.” He laughs, and I do the same.
“Well, I’m very excited to be here. It’s an honor to be posing for such an iconic line.” I smile genuinely, and he nods.
Gesturing toward the staircase, he says, “okay, so I think I’ll start by showing you our showroom and archive, which are upstairs. Please, after you.” I walk up ahead of him. Keeping my hand on the rail, I slowly walk up the stairs. Stepping into a small doorway arch, I make my way through an empty space. My eyes are met with custom couture gowns.I’m in heaven.
“As a fashion house, we think that you are the perfect fit for the black line. Adèle is known for its color and liveliness. Our preferred color is obviously a light pink tone. This isn’t news to anyone. I know you did your research before coming here. Adèle is a brand based on my daughter, as the brand is named after her. But it is also her lifestyle, which is why our signature is her favorite color. Every time I sketch out a design, I think of it on her first. But this collection is very different. The muse is powerful women. The color black is seen as a universal color for potential and the unknown within itself. That’s why I knew you would be the best one to launch it, and the fact that you only wear black doesn’t hurt.”
“I know I’ve said this before, but I am incredibly honored that you thought of me as the ambassador for such a powerful new creative outlet for your brand. My only question is why didn’t you pick your daughter for this collection? Isn’t she a strong woman as well?”
“Becausemon pèreknows I wouldn’t be caught dead in black.” I turn my head to see a long-legged, beautiful tooth-gapped woman. Adèle.
ABORT, ABORT.
“Mon amour,I didn’t know you were here,” he exclaims in joy, looking at his daughter.
“And miss out on such a special occasion? Never.” She gives him a small smug smile, and he beams at her. This man is obsessed, she doesn’t have daddy issues. That much is evident.
I wonder if she has mommy issues though.
At this point, Google is my best friend, and I may have stalked her once or twice.
I was interested. It’s not my fault that my brain wanted to see Mr. Donatello’s ex-wife’s intensive history. That was before the kiss though... I’m lying. I may have stalked her Instagram after the kiss. BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER.
Her father was married to her mother for eleven years. In that time span, they had two children, Antoine Manon and Adèle Manon (they have a thing forA names, apparently). They got divorced when she was nine and her brother was eleven. André came out as bisexual during their divorce, declaring that he was indeed in love with one of his investors at the time. He and his husband have been happily together for twenty-four years. I swear to God, I need to stop stalking people I meet. Don’t even get me started on the Google searches I did on Xavier.
“I was just telling Miss Castillo here the history of our brand.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Adèle. I have heard so many things.”
“I’m guessing from my father, not Luca.” They both laugh, and I chuckle awkwardly. Way to kill a compliment. But I mean, she’s not wrong. Mr. Donatello is the definition of Fort fucking Knox when it comes to any topic on his personal life.
Mr. Manon continues to walk me around the archive, and I stop in front of a bright gold dress. It’s stunning, possibly my favorite out of the collection. The fabric is one of the thin metals you would see on a knight’s armor below his helmet. The train is long and metallic; the gold shimmers.
“I can see that’s your favorite. I like to call it the dress of shining armor.”
I love it.
“I made this dress when Adèle was a little girl. She saw Queen Victoria in a museum the first time she was in London and asked me why the women in that time didn’t wear dresses made out of metal since it would protect them. She isn’t very fond of English history, but I wanted to take her to a museum, and it just happened to pop up in her little brilliant brain. The next day, I was glued to my sketch pad trying to get it right. The bodice and overall regency form are meant to keep little from the eye but also to cover up enough for a man to want more. The modern woman fights her way through a sexist world. It’s not just a garment, it’s a story.”
“Your inspiration is so fascinating,” I tell him.
“You’re looking right at her. It isn’t hard when your daughter is the inspiration for many.” He looks at her caringly, and she returns the look.
Best dad-daughter duo ever.