The next morning, Adi's alarm clock went off at 6:45 a.m. She groggily got out of bed and stood up to strech in her bedroom. Re-playing the events that happened the previouse day played in her head.
"I can't believe I agreed to make costumes for Tom. I have so much to do." She thought. She could feel the stress start to overtake her body. She walked out into her living room where probably 25 pairs of shoes laid out before her couch. Her sister Sophie was over the night before picking out some shoes, and she was so exhausted by the time she left that she decided to leave the shoes where they were and go to bed. She walked into her kitchen and went strait to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice container and pour herself a glass, consuming almost all of it in one drink. She noticed her cell phone sitting on the counter, where she last left it when she walked into last night. She picked it up and turned it on. 1 Missed call, 1 new message. She hit the button to listen to her message as she walked over to the large bay windows in her appartment and cranked one open. It was a beautiful day out. This was Adi's favorite part of the day- The sun has just come out, the air is just a little chilly with a light breeze and the birds are chirping. It's the only time of the day that Adi seems to have to herself.
Back the her message, it was blank air. She checked to see who it was from and it read: DUSTY'S CELL. Not sure what he wanted and not really caring at the moment, Adi set the phone down and walked into her bathroom and began to get ready for another day of work that was coming up.~-~ "Well, I'm busy at 2 today, I have some sketches to get in. Is there anyways I could come earlier perhaps? Maybe around 9:30 or 10 or so?"
Adi walked from where she had gotten out of a cab and began walked the 2 blocks to her Office building. She looked fantastic today, as anyone would have agreed. She was wearing a short black skirt with a slit up the leg with some chunky black block shoes, a white cashmeire sleeveless turtleneck with the neck drooping. Her hair had been twisted up almost in a messy, sexy kind of way, but yet, it still looked professional. She was getting all kinda of looks as she made her way into her building and walked to the elevator.
"Well, about 9:45 should work out. The cast usually arrives around 9:30, so that should work out fine. Come in the front theater doors and tell the security guard who you are are he will page me and I'll meet you. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good," she said as she closed her flip phone and walked out of her elevator and stepped out onto the 20th floor. Already the floor was buzzing. Phones ringing, people scatted everywhere, office doors open.
"Morning Heather," She said as she carryed her bag, purse coat and phone over to her office.
"Oh hey, how was your night?" Her good friend and co-worker Heather asked as she walked to her office and stuck in the key. Heather and her had interned there at the same time 3 years ago, and somehow both got hired in the same department. Heather, however, was hired as an invantory specialist. The two because fast friends and often hung out together after hours.
"Oh, ya know,"Adi said as she slung open her door and turned off the lights. Her and Heather both walked into her office and sat down on the couch as Adi threw her stuff on a nearby chair. "Sophie kept me company for a few hours. She had a shoe crisis and felt the need to go thru all 145 pairs of my shoes untill she found the right pair,"
"Oh no," Heather laughed. "Did she find one?"
"Yeah, the last pair she tried on."
"Well, at least it wasn't time wasted."
"Well true. I did get to see Kyley again. Little sweetie. It's hard to beleive she almsot 3. Seems like yesterday she was just born."
"Yeah, it's amazing how fast little shits grow up, isn't it? Me and Austin had a discussion about that last night."
"About what, kids?" Adi asked as she got up and got two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to her friend."
"Yeah. I mean, we haven't even talked about getting married, and he's already talking about having kids. It's a little scary."
"Well, it's good to know that you probably have a future. Try to get Dustin to settle down or better yet, even to give up a few nights a week just to see me."
"What exactly is your status again?"
"Idon't know. He called last night and left a blank message. It's the first one I've heard from him in about 3 or 4 days. He was probably out with the guys again."
"Um, Adi," Heather asked, "I know this is really none of my business but, whats going on with you guys, anyway?"
Adi sighed. "I ask myself that question every single night. It's like... I love him, he says he loves me...he's affraid of commiting to me...doesn't want to hurt me." She took a sip from her water and pushed a piece of blonde hair behind her ear. "It's like I can't live with him, can't live without him kinda thing...there's too much history there...we've gone thru too much. I mean, that whole 'Ben' ordeal.. he couldn't have been more supportive. He really took charge and understood all of the alternativs and reasons ya know...but I can't help but wonder sometimes."
Heather sat a little puzzled. "Wonder about what?"
"I dunno,"Adi swallowed. "Wonder if I woulda kept Ben, if things would have turned out Ok for me and --"
"Adi, no! You promised yourself, Dustin and everyone that where would be no regrets about giving up Ben. You know you wouldn't be in the place you are in right now if you had a little boy to take care of."
"I know..it just kinda hurts sometimes to think--"
Adi was interupted by another woman knocking on the door. "Heather, we need ya out here."
Both ladies got up from the leather couch and pulled down their skirts a little bit.
"Duty calls," Heather joked.
"I'll talk to ya later," Adi responded as she walked over to her desk and sat down, beginning her day.
Adi ran outside with her sketch bag and purse in hand and threw on her sunglasses. It was 9:30 and she almost forgot her commitment to Tom and the cast of the play. She slid on her Rayban sunglasses and hailed a cab. Normally, Adriana would drive to work, but she noticed how low she was in gas, and how she never had time to fill up. That's where the cab money comes.
On the way there, she kept a mental note of things she needed to get done. She hoped there wouldn't be more than 2 or 3 people she would have to quick design something for. If she was lucky, she probably wouldn't even have to make anything from scratch, and kinda of re-invent some new things out of some old clothing.
When she finally arrived, she paid the cab driver and quickly walked up the steps to the huge theater, and as promised, there stood a security guard.She opened the doors and walked inside.
"Hi," She said as she smiled. "I'm here to see Tom, I'm needed to help with costumes?"
"Alright, just a moment ma'am," The security guard said. He said "Tom to the lobby, please, Tom to the Lobby."
Adi looked around and saw many people working and scuttering around. It was a familiar scene, she had come here just as she was starting out a little over a year ago in fashion design, where she had designed many costumes for the play "My Fair Lady". It was a bit of a challenge for her to design such dated costumes; she had spent almost all of her time designing modern outfits, but that wasn't going to discourage her this time around.It looked like a very busy time of day. There were janitors who were shining floors, people adjusting the paintings on the wall. She noticed a younge man probably around the age of 23 or 24 wearing a dark backwards hat and some khaki's and a hooded sweatshirt. He was walking around the lobby and talked to the people and she could see them chuckling in the distance.
She saw Tom walking towards her in the distance. Tom, well, there weren't exactly the right words to describe this man. He was big and Jolly and probably around the age of 30.He's one of those nice, likeable guys who no one is attracted too. Even tho Adi wished to be elsewhere, she couldn't help to get a kick out of him. She decided to make the best of the situation and to get the job done, and to do a damn good job.
"Adriana, darlin, so nice to see ya," he said as he took her hand and kissed it."
Adi a little taken back, gave a slgith laugh and said, "Well thanks Tom, It's nice to be back here."
"Well, it's sure a real pleasure to see you back. You did such a great job...such a great job last time. Everyone was so impressed."
"That's definatly good to hear...I was just thinking that this could be a little difficult for me, going in and trying to come up with something out of the "2000 Era".
"Well, we have some ideas, I met with the director last night and we went over some thigns that could possibly be used. We aren't gonna make you, ya know, start all over. We can use alot of what we have, it's just that we are on a clock and we still want it to be awesome as ever."
"No, I totally understand." Adi and him continued to walk thru many doors that led to the areas where the Charachters dressing rooms were. Although she had done this before and had felt a little of deja-vu, she had a fe butterflies in her stomach. She had never had to help people with such little time. She was glad to hear that she wouldn't have to sketch out the outfits, find a tailor to make them or anything. She was there to help measure and come up with ideas.
"Adi, let me introduce you to our director this year, Mr. Gary Thorson. Gary, this is Adi, our life saver here."
"Yes yes yes," The old, stern looking man said. "I've heard of your work. Thank you so much for helping, " He said in his low voice.
"Oh, I'm just glad I can help... I like working behinds the scenes and that kind of thing...I really enjoy it."
"Well, it's certainly nice of you to take time out of your busy work schedule to come help us. I read about you in 'People'. It's quite impressive that you actually design things for such famouse people."
"I'm just doing my job," she smiled modestly. "But I'm flattered to get called to do any kind of work."
"Well, I best be off. But Thanks again Miss. Raddison. I'm sure we'll be seeing mroe of you this week."
As Gary walked away, Adi got a cringing feeling in her stomach. More of me this week? I thought this was a one day deal and I'd be back in the office tommorrow.
"Ah, Tom, dude... How many people exactly do we need to work with here?"
"Oh not many," He responded.
"Whew. Good."
"About 15-20. Thank goodness, huh. Any more and I wouldn't think we'd get done by Next Saturday."
Adi was floored. 15-20? How would she get all that done?
"Tom, I feel like a really big Idiot...but I kinda sorta thought we'd be done by today?
"Today?"
"Um, yeah."
"Oh, well, Adriana, this is kinda a big thing here... I don't think we could get more than 2 things done for today..." He trailed. "So, what your saying is that you can't do this after today, or what?"
"Well, yeah,..well, no. I mean, I'm just kind of busy at the office, I have a ton of sketches to get done by the end of this week alone, and I though maybe we could find some old clotjhing that could work and we could get finished by today."
"Oh, I see." Tom said, obviouly dissapointed. "Well, I guess if you really need to go, then go. We can try to manage by ourselves...it's not gonna be pretty...but we can try."
Adi sighed, searching her mind on what to do. She felt horrible bailing out like this, especailly when she really did enjoy helping out there and after people were so great to her.
"Tom, I need to make a phone call, can you excuse me?"
~*~ "Jer, I just didn't think it would take all two weeks but I kinda made a commitment to these people."
"Adriana, I think you are forgeting that you work for ME. Not for the New York Dinner Theater. In order to make any kind of committment, it goes thru ME.
"Look, Jer, I'm sorry but what can I do? They are in a real jam here," Adi bit at one of her fingernails. "I just can't let these people down. Besides, they said they would give us total advertisement. It could even be good for the company. I'll just...have to come in the office and make up the itme myself."
"I'm just concerned about you, Adriana. It's alot of work."
"Well, not totally," she confessed. "I don't have to start over from scratch here. All they are asking is that I help get some ideas in order and make some costumes really quick. They have a show in 3 weeks and supposedly the president is gonna be there. Besides, I kinda owe them a favor."
"Oh, Adi, I don't know."
"Jerry, have I ever let you down before?" She didn't give him time to answer. She knew what his answer would be.
"And I never will. Trust me, I work great under pressure."
Chapter3
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