Danilo
Everything was an utter shit show.
There was not a single thing I believed they had gotten right when it came to the opening collection for B&B Miami. I had designed the line myself with the help of my past creative assistant and I absolutely hated how it came together.
In efforts for people to attend the grand opening for the store, I thought a fashion show would draw attention to potential customers. Not that anything on the line would be immediately available but just to see how they reacted to it. If it went well B&B Miami would be the only outlet in the world to sell the specific look.
Now that I looked at it on the models it looked worse than someone covered in cow manure. I felt like dying. I should have thrown myself in front of a Bull and made my peace with it. Everything was a complete disaster.
"And who designed these jeans?" I pointed to the terrible flower embroidered bootleg jeans on the female model. They were meant to be tie dyed but it just looked like someone had taken a major piss and fell in bleach. Then with the white flowers it made the look all the more painful. I was not sure whether to think it was artistic or meant to give someone an epileptic fit.
"I did Sir," a young man stepped forward with a smile too big. I knew we had partnered up with the University of Miami Masters students who were into fashion design but I did not think they had done their homework when it came to B&B.
"You're fired," I said with a clipped tone as I deeply frowned.
"Nilo, they have a three month contract," Miley whispered in my ear as she tightly held her iPad to her chest. She had been my assistant since I had first walked into Pereira Enterprise as Pai's assistant when I was 18. Her big blue eyes looked at me with half shock and amusement.
"Pay him off and be done with him," I waved off the student who looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"Mr Pereira, surely if you gave me a second chance-"
I cut him off with a raised hand, "you've had three months. It's either you're confident that this would pass through the chairman or you're just arrogant enough to pray that you're lucky. Pack your things and get out."
His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish high off hay. With near tears in his eyes he scurried out of the room.
The once confident team made up of a blend of professionals and students looked a lot more nervous now.
"Did no one get my sketches?" I placed my hand on my hips.
"We did Sir but surely the stitchers must have made a terrible mistake," the head of the team who I had had multiple meetings with tried to explain herself.
I blinked at her as if she had grown two heads. "And you're telling me for the past week none of you noticed that this," I pointed to the clothes, "was a mistake. Maybe that art degree I got in Germany must have been for nothing if this is what my designs have been reduced to."
They all stared at me completely speechless. I eyed the purple and turquoise boots then nearly burst out laughing. It was either that or cry. Which Cowboy in the world would be caught dead wearing purple and turquoise boots. Even Meemaw, grandma, with her unique taste in boots and summer dresses would make a violent swerve away from them.
"Just get out. Tell the stitchers to redo everything. Don't try to flare up and glamorize what I've designed. We are launching in two days. You have 36 hours to fix everything up. I'll pay overtime and everything. Just don't make me look like a damn fool in front of the world," I did not bother to say anything more as I walked out of the studio and headed straight to the elevator with Miley behind me.
"I told you not to wear those damn heels," I sighed as she entered my private elevator with me. Her red hair up in a high ponytail showcasing the freckles on her pretty doll face.
She snarled up to me, "I wanted to feel executive and proper." She looked down to her red bottom pumps then let out a huff, "my feet be killing me."
"Walk barefoot," I took off my hat and ran my fingers through my hair.
"What crawled up your ass and died?" She giggled once we got to the top floor which consisted of my office, hers and the head manager with his assistant. We did not have lots of space and I hated sharing with anyone but Miley yet beggars could not be choosers.
"So much," I groaned as we walked to my office. So far all I had was a chair and a white desk with a few shelves on the wall. It was nothing fancy but in the next week I vowed to get it done.
Her iPad made a tune and she was quick to look down as her heels clicked on the ground. "Oh."
"Oh what?" I spun on my heels to turn and look at her.
"Seems like Uncle Billie decided to come to the launch anyway. Invited some important PBR people as well."
I took her iPad from her and saw Pa's assistant's email and felt like dying. As if things could not get any worse. I handed it back to her and grabbed cigarettes from the drawer, "I'm going to have a smoke and maybe throw myself into an alligator's mouth!"
I walked straight back out to the office and to the elevator. It took me to the ground floor and with half shaking hands I got my cigarette out and lit it with my lighter. I took huge puffs as I headed for an alley behind the building.
Maybe some crazed robber would come through and take me out of my fucking misery.