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“Nadia.” Tomas appeared and called over to me. I smiled at him and followed him back to his office.
“Oui?” I asked, and I took the seat across from his desk. He blew out his breath, and I tensed.
“What have you done these past two weeks?”
“I…I worked on Philippe’s textiles, and Anne’s samples. I collected their fabrics, cut the materials, sewed. I helped them assemble accessories for the clothes being sent to the photo shoot. I handed in your first assignment….”
“You did,” he acknowledged. “Did you go to lunch with the team?”
“Uhm, no. It took too much time out of the day.” I chewed my lip.
He crossed his arms. “What did you do on your weekends?”
“I came here and used my pass to get a few things—”
“Yes, you did. You work all day. Every day. It’s unnatural.” He sighed. “Givenchy is not college. Fashion isn’t just what you do in here. It’s out there.” He gestured towards his large window. “We have work hours for work. I’m disappointed you’re not taking advantage of Paris.”
I deflated and lowered my head. “I’m very sorry, Tomas. I’ll…I’ll do better.”
“No, Nadia,” He came around the desk and took my hands. “I’m not mad. I love your hard work. We all do. My designers already know you are eager to do whatever they ask, and they love it.”
“But you don’t, Tomas?”
“I don’t. Therefore, I’m removing some of your work—”
“No, please don’t, Tomas,” I begged. I frowned and shook my head.
He squeezed my hands. “This is not a punishment, Nadia. To understand Paris, you need to immerse yourself in Paris. That’s your assignment. I want you to end your days at 13h, 1 p.m. You’ll then go out and explore. I want a list of fashion trends you see, so it is still work. This is an artist’s haven. See a play, a band, a movie, something. No more overworking.” He was kind, but also resolved.
I hunched my shoulders. “Oui. Merci, Tomas.”
He kissed my cheeks. “Oh, Nadia.” He squeezed my shoulders. “You will endure.”
I returned to my workstation, and Hayden was leafing through my sketches and looking over the garments I had on the mannequin. It was as intimate as him taking my measurements.
I cleared my throat, but he didn’t stop looking at my work. “Bonjour. Comment je peux vous aider, Monsieur Madsen?”
He let out a laugh. “That sounded…almost not bad. Non, there is nothing I need your help with.” His tone sounded almost not insulting. “You can join Wyatt in the model fitting.”
I had only seen him a few times since he took my measurements. It was mostly when I arrived in the morning with Laurence. Though it surprised me that he came to invite me personally. “Merci, Monsieur Madsen.”
“Call me Hayden.”
Wyatt appeared. “Bonjour.”
“Bonjour, Wyatt. Where are the best places to people watch?” I asked him.
“I’ll show you,” Hayden answered.
“That’s very kind of you…Hayden, but I think the assignment was for me to go alone.”
He jutted his chin. “Non. Tomas and I talked about it. We agree you’re not seeing Paris. You’re still in New York City in your head. I will show you how to see Paris.”
My mouth dropped open. I hadn’t known Hayden spoke with Tomas about me. Was he the one that suggested I spend time outside of the office? Going with him sounded more like an instructional assignment. Tomas also said I had to relax. However, I had no right to refuse. Though I didn’t understand someone of his caliber taking time out of his day to give me lessons. “Oui. Merci.”
“13h. Out front.”
“The Vespa?” I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice. But failed because I couldn’t stop my smile.
