Sammy in Italy (Single Wide Female Travels #2) (12 page)

“Only with you.” I sat down across from him and shared my plan as we ate. By the time we’d finished, Max knew the whole plan. “So what do you think? Is it a mistake?”

“Absolutely not. It’s you.” He stroked my cheek. “And it’s going to be great.”

I leaned across the table and kissed him. “Good, because you’re going to help me make a runway!”
 

“Sounds like fun. Exactly what we need. I’m so glad we had that time yesterday, Sammy. You know I support your career. I just want to make sure we don’t lose sight of our relationship either.”

“You support more than my career, Max. You support me. I’m glad that you noticed what I went blind to. Not only did it allow us to reconnect, but it allowed me to reconnect with my creativity too.” I looked into his eyes. “I know just how lucky I am to have you. You keep me focused.”

“I’m lucky to have you too. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but here we are. I couldn’t think of another place I’d rather be.”

“How about Amsterdam?” I grinned. “We leave tomorrow for the next leg of the tour.”

“Wow! That’s fast.”

“Only if we let it be. We can take our time and not rush, then it won’t seem so chaotic.”
 

“Good plan.” He leaned across the table and kissed me again. “Thanks for the omelette. I’ll get changed and we can get to work on that runway.”

I watched as Max walked back into the bedroom. No matter how many people I met along this crazy journey that was my life, Max remained the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

It occurred to me then that he must see me that way too. No wonder it frustrated him when I put myself down. He thought I was as perfect as I thought he was.

When he returned, I stood up and hugged him. He started to pull away so we could leave, but I kept him in my arms. I hugged him until I could hear his heartbeat and sense the flow of his energy.

No matter how busy life got, I now knew that there was no excuse for not taking the time to reconnect with him—or with myself.

Chapter 28

We arrived early at the venue for the book signing. Max and I set about creating a curtained area for changing and a small runway. I didn’t want it to be intimidating. I didn’t want anyone to worry about falling. I just wanted every woman who set foot on the runway to be proud.

Soon my other models arrived, as did Daniella with a wide range of garments. As the women sorted out what they wanted to wear, I noticed Isabella walking toward me. I braced myself for her reaction. Would she shut the whole idea down?
 

“Samantha, there’s a woman at the front door without a ticket. She said that you invited her?” Isabella looked over the curtain and runway. “It looks good.”

“A woman?” I shook my head. “I’m not sure who she is. Let me go see.”

When I reached the front door I was still puzzled.
 

“Hello, I’m Samantha.”
 

“Hi, I’m Amelia. My husband met you at the train station the other night. He’s a security guard there. He said that you’d told him that if I wanted to attend one of your book signings, I could. If that’s not okay, I can leave.” She lowered her eyes.

I smiled at her. Amelia had what I considered to be a heart-shaped body. She was short in stature with bowed-out hips and a rounded stomach. Her legs were thin, as were her arms and her chest was full. She was beautiful and exactly what I needed.
 

“It’s not a problem at all. In fact you’re exactly who I need. Would you be willing to take part in a fashion show?”

When I saw the fear in her eyes, I was sure that it was the same fear that had been seen in my own eyes when I was asked to walk the runway for Alistair.
 

“I don’t know if I could do that.” She shook her head. “Why would you want me to?”

“Because you’re gorgeous, and I want to show you off.” I grinned. “It’s just for our little book signing—no cameras, no huge audience. What do you say?”
 

“Okay. I guess if you think I’d be able to do it.” She shrugged.
 

“Wonderful.” I walked her back to the other women and Daniella. “I have our last model, Daniella.”
 

“Wow! Perfect!” Daniella snatched up a dress and held up to Amelia. “This will look stunning on you.”
 

I stood back as the women gathered together and tried on different outfits until each found the one that she was most comfortable in. It surprised me that once they got over the hurdle of discomfort, they giggled and chatted just like little girls. It reinforced the belief in my mind that every woman, no matter how she protested, wanted the opportunity to feel beautiful.

Sue selected a billowy dress. I wanted to let her make her own choice, but I was drawn to question her about it.

“Sue, with your figure, this one might be better.” I held up a sleek dress that I thought would fit her perfectly.
 

“Maybe.” She hesitated. “But this one has a bit more room in the skirt.”

“Sue.” I bit into my bottom lip. I didn’t want to cross a line and offend her, but I wanted her to have the opportunity to be proud of her body. “Is it because you want to tuck away your hand?”
 

“Yes.” Sue frowned. “I’m just more comfortable that way.”

I took her hand in mine and trailed my fingertips across it. “Your hand is beautiful, just like you are. Why would you be more comfortable hiding it? Don’t you think that you’re hiding a part of yourself by doing that?”
 

“Maybe.” She looked down at her hand in mine. “It’s never going to be perfect.”

“It’s already perfect.” I smiled at her. “There’s no reason to hide it. It is part of you, it is formed of you, and you are beautiful. Don’t let what other people might say or think stop you from finding pride in every inch of your body. I’m sure that if you were allowed to look deep enough, you’d find some things that they are trying to hide too.”

“Yes, probably.” She laughed a little. “When I was teased as a little girl, I always thought to myself—well, you might have two whole hands, but that doesn’t change the ugly inside.”
 

“You’re right. It’s your choice. If you really feel more comfortable hiding your hand, I won’t do a thing to stop you, but I wonder if that little girl inside of you would really want you to do that.” I smiled at her as her eyes widened.
 

“I guess I didn’t really think of it that way. Maybe I’ll try the other dress.” She looked it over with a hint of envy. “I’ve always wanted to wear something so sleek and tight. I always wondered how I’d look in it.”

“Try it on, and if you like it, wear it for the show.” I gave her a quick hug.

As the women finished getting dressed I walked up to Daniella. “Thanks for doing all this on such short notice.”
 

“Of course. When you called me, I was really excited.” She brushed a dress bag back along the rack. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
 

“Good. Then maybe you won’t mind me asking you to take part.” I looked into her eyes.

Chapter 29

Daniella shook her head and smiled. “Oh no, remember, I told you I’m not the type of person to do that.”
 

“Daniella, there are no flashing cameras here.” I paused a moment and looked at the garment bag. “You can’t tell me that while designing clothes for all kinds of women, you didn’t design something special just for yourself.”

Daniella glanced over at the bag as well. “Maybe I did.” She shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean that I want to be part of some kind of fashion show.”

“I’m not asking you to be part of a fashion show. I’m asking you to walk with pride. I’m asking you to put on display your passion for your work—to bring one of your dresses to life.”
 

“You are quite persuasive, you know.” She looked over at me and grinned. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

“No one is going to fall! I promise!”
 

“And no wardrobe malfunctions.” She laughed.
 

“I hope not.” I grinned.
 

“Alright, I’ll do it. Why not?” She unzipped the garment bag and revealed a brilliant blue evening dress.

I’d never seen anything like it. It was intertwined with tulle and tiny gold stars that were only noticeable when the light shined on it.
 

“Samantha?” Isabella poked her head inside. “Is everything going okay in here?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”
 

“Good, because I need you out front. There’s someone here to see you.” She smiled.
 

“Oh?” I stepped out from behind the curtain and noticed that all of the seats were filled for the book signing. To my surprise Alistair stood beside the book signing table.
 

“Samantha, I just need a moment of your time.”
 

“Sure, Alistair. What is it?” I paused beside the table.
 

“I heard that you were putting on your very own fashion show. I guess that I had quite an influence on you.” His smile spread into a grin.
 

“You could say that.” I nodded and glanced toward the curtain. “Daniella is helping me with it.”
 

“Daniella?”

“Your seamstress?” I raised an eyebrow. “She did the alterations on my dress.”

“Oh. I don’t think we’ve ever met. She does very good work, though.”

“She is a designer too. You should stick around for the show. There’s still a seat available up front.” I pointed to an empty chair near the table.
 

“Maybe I will. I thought I’d just congratulate you on having your own show, but it sounds interesting.”
 

“It’s just for fun. I thought it would be a nice way for a few women to show their pride in their bodies. In fact, another one of your employees is in it too.”
 

“Another? Should I be concerned that you’re stealing all my people?” He raised an eyebrow. “What’s next? My firstborn?”

I laughed. “No, I think you’re safe there. Just sit back and enjoy.”
 

“Alright, I will.” He walked over to the empty chair.

My heart skipped a beat. It was one thing to put on a little show for a room full of fans; it was another thing to have a well-known designer sitting in the front row. I wondered for a moment if I should tell the others about Alistair’s presence.

In the end, I decided against it. I didn’t want anyone to get too nervous.

Isabella signaled to me that the session was about to start. I stepped up to the podium and smiled at the audience before me.
 

“Thank you, everyone, for being here today. Your support is something I can never thank you enough for. I know that normally we do a brief reading from the book, but I’m fairly certain most of you have read it already. Am I right?”
 

Most of the people in the audience nodded in agreement.

“So instead of doing that today, I wanted to try something a little different. Ever since I started this tour, I’ve been provided with some amazing opportunities. Some of those experiences have been a little challenging for me, which I now realize I needed. That comfort zone always needs to be stretched.

“But something else I discovered is that even when great things happen, even when everything is going just the way you want it to, it’s very easy to lose sight of yourself. It is so important to slow down and refocus, to get to know yourself again.

“I really had an adventure at the last book signing. I had the chance to wear a beautiful dress and take part in a fashion show presented by a talented designer. As grateful as I was for the experience, I had a hard time feeling comfortable. I couldn’t figure it out. Then I realized that it was because I wasn’t following my passion.

“These book signings, the book itself—it’s not about image. It’s about inspiring women all over the world to be who they truly are. The truth is, I was not being who I truly was.

“In place of a reading, we’re going to have our own fashion show. The designs were created by a woman—for women of all shapes and sizes. It may be a little unconventional, but I think that Zara would approve.”

As I stepped back from the podium the room filled with applause.

Chapter 30

As each woman stepped through the curtain, I could see the pride in their eyes and the shine of their smiles. They weren’t trying to sell anything. They were just being themselves, as happily and proudly as they could be. All of the garments fit perfectly, not just for their shape, but for their personality.

When Sue stepped out, my breath caught in my throat. Not only had she decided to wear the fitted dress, she’d accented her arm right down to her fingertips with a thin satin ribbon. She’d chosen to draw attention to a part of her that she’d been hiding for so long. It brought tears to my eyes to think that she was brave enough to give herself that moment of freedom.

Alistair sat forward at the sight of her. I noticed his eyes widen. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.

Daniella was the final woman to walk the runway. Her dress caught every light in the room and gave her a subtle glow that was reflected in the brilliance of her smile. As she reached the end of the runway, I looked over at Alistair. This time he wasn’t shy about taking a picture. He took several.

As the fashion show ended I stepped back up to the podium.
 

“I’d like to invite any of you that would like to take the same walk up here to try it out. There’s an assortment of clothing to try if you’d like, or just stay in what you’re wearing. As beautiful as the clothes are, it isn’t about the clothes. It’s about the confidence. It’s about seeing yourself as the beautiful person that you are.”
 

A few of the audience members stood up to join in. I started to walk over to them, but Alistair grabbed me by the arm.
 

“That last woman on the runway—who was that?”
 

“That was Daniella, your seamstress. Isn’t she amazing?”

“She’s the one who designed all of these garments?” He looked toward the curtain.