Once Within A Lifetime (2 page)

She
sprinkled white, pink, and burgundy-colored rose petals in her bath water, poured a tall glass of champagne and placed it on the floor by the tub.

She
then stepped into the tub to relax in the rich bubbles and floating rose petals. On the side of the tub rested bottles of body wash and aroma therapy, lavender for a calming and restorative effect and rosemary for a stimulating essence for body and mind. A nearby bench held her rich gown and peignoir, rose-colored fluffy bath towels, and sponges to use in her bath.

First,
she picked up her glass of champagne from the floor and lay back to relax a while as she sipped the champagne ever so slowly, savoring each tiny bubble and its rich, exquisite taste while she luxuriated in the rich bubbles and rose petals. She felt relaxed from the fresh scent of the aroma therapy.

After
a period of relaxing, she sponged herself lavishly and enjoyed the smooth luxury of the rich body wash and the aroma therapy scents, which gave her skin a soft, elegant feeling. A second sponging, then she rinsed off the suds and stood up to shower and clear her skin thoroughly of any excess soap. She shampooed and rinsed her hair. How grand it felt to be so clean and refreshed. She was glad she had a soft body perm to keep her looking good for special occasions with little extra effort.

Stepping
out of the tub onto a plush bath mat, she reached for the soft, fluffy, luxurious towels which literally blotted the water from her skin, leaving it dry and ready for a rich treatment of special scented skin lotions. When finished, she reached for her gown and pulled it closely over her clean, smooth body, then reached for her slippers. The combination of the lotion and soft, filmy gown felt wonderful and soothing. She wiped down the tub and cleaned up the bath area.

She
went into the living room to prepare to watch television for a while. A fashion show in Paris was about to be televised. It would be a pleasant and relaxing way to spend the next hour. She had brought along some videos of her past shows as well as some from those of other fashion designers. It would be good to browse through these to check on tips or note changes to make her future showings more effective. After a couple hours of absorbing all this wonderful information, she got up and put on her matching peignoir to prepare for her meal, which she had ordered to arrive at six o’clock, some nice local-Vintage Wine, Beef Fondue with Béarnaise Sauce, and some Profiteroles, a local pastry and special delicacy.

When
she settled down to watch the fashion show, a small shower came up which lasted for about a half hour. The countryside would be washed and beautiful for tomorrow when she went to her show at the Princess Pavilion. As she watched the show on her video, a few of the fashions caught her eye in a special way and she made some notes to discuss with Phylicia tomorrow.

Many
of the buyers were scheduled to be at her show. She thought it quite remarkable and it still seemed incredible to her, for she had not been doing this for very long, just a few years. It pleased her to be drawing in some of the special names in the fashion world. These were some of her dreams all the while she was preparing to be a designer and now they were actually happening. She got a lot of help along the way from some of her instructors, who took a special liking to her and saw great potential to be tapped in this line of work.

It
was four-thirty in the afternoon when the show was finished and she still had time to view a video or two before dinner arrived. With the shower over she walked out on the patio to smell the fresh, clean air. She inhaled deeply a number of times and stretched a bit. It felt so good and relaxing. The rain had caused the surrounding gardens to sparkle with a jewel-like brilliance. Drops of rain hung from the leaves as if clinging for life as long as possible before dropping to the warm, already moist earth to blend with all the other moisture. What a pleasant and beautiful scene, almost like a dream. How lucky she felt to be living this grand experience.

It
was hard to leave all this beauty, though she needed to check a few more things on the videos. So she went back into the living room, put one into the VCR, and sat on the couch to watch. As she did, she found a few really good points to note and added them to her previous collection. These she kept on file to use where applicable.

D
inner time was fast approaching and she went out on the patio to sit and wait for her meal to arrive. It was especially nice in mid-summer to have the late sunsets so she could eat outside and enjoy the view from her patio. The fresh, clean smell that came after the shower was still in the air and very pleasant. Such simple things could be easily overlooked in the mad whirl of life, but were most enjoyable to her senses and refreshed them thoroughly.

Humming
birds fluttered about a nearby trellis sipping the rich nectar from the beautiful clematis vine near her, seemingly oblivious to her presence. After her bath she smelled delightfully fragrant and appealing, rather like a flower herself. Her new line of perfume, Presence, had just been put on the market and she was wearing it this evening and planned to wear it tomorrow.

The
whole hillside was alive with nature’s inhabitants. Birds and bees flitted and buzzed among the dewy branches after the refreshing shower. A free show that was truly and utterly enjoyable. The cool earthy smells which permeated this atmosphere, attracted them.

The
waiter arrived with her meal and poured the wine for her to sample its taste and bouquet to see if it was what she wanted. It was cool with a rich, fruity taste and she agreed that it was just fine. He finished filling her glass, put the decanter on the table for refills, then uncovered her plate to reveal a well-planned meal which smelled and looked pleasurable and appetizing. She was hungrier than she had realized and could hardly wait to begin. He placed the delectable pastries on the back of the table. The coffee was aromatic, very smooth and rich, tempting to the taste buds, a veritable gourmet delight, and the accompaniment of a pot of warm cream in French Café-Aulait style enriched its pleasure.

“
Merci Monsieur
,
ce tres bon
,” she thanked him. He bowed and left.

She
ate quietly and slowly, as she enjoyed the low, soothing, romantic French background music filling the air from the living room. It had become one of her favorite kinds of music. She appreciated the knowledge of the language and customs which allowed her to get more out of the country. Most interpretations lose something in the translation, for true expression cannot be successfully interpreted from one language to another since each has its own forms of expression.

She
finished her meal with the exquisite pastries and satisfying coffee just as dusk began to settle over the countryside. Lights began to sparkle like tiny stars across the landscape. It was a delightful time of evening to relish and store in the memory.

A
slight breeze drifted across the balcony and rustled the leaves on the trellis. Her below-shoulder-level hair moved gently back from her neck as the breeze fanned by drying the remaining dampness left from her shower. This was very refreshing and she absorbed it to the utmost. She lingered a while to feel the gentle caress of the breezes before going in to attend to and ready her designs for tomorrow. Everything had to be prepared in a particular order to present as the show started. She thought as she sat there, I hope that I will not stop to marvel over all the tremendous treasures of nature which have no other source.

She
planned to retire early so she could be fresh and alert tomorrow for she did not want to miss a thing going on around her. She wondered who the new buyer was and what to expect upon their first meeting. Where was he or she from? Would this be a new market in a different area?

She
arranged her line of fashions as she wished them presented, deciding which models would bring life to certain outfits. She was keen to the features each model possessed and could use them the best way to show off each piece of her fashions in a unique way and planned the line-up to be accurate and effective. She was eager for the program to begin. As it unfolded, she beheld the interest in the eyes of the spectators and studied their faces to learn what brought smiles, frowns, or disinterest. This filled her with electricity and bounce. Watching the fashions modeled gave her a fresh perspective, alerting her to changes which could improve her future groupings. She tried to view things as if she were a potential buyer. She was involved in a special art which took an alert and keen eye.

Being
aware of her inability to work well without proper sleep, she decided to get ready for bed and folded up her portfolio, now all ready for the presentation. As she got into bed, into soft, delicate satin sheets, she easily drifted off to sleep hoping to dream of future ideas and fashions.

She
awoke at six o'clock, rose and ordered breakfast. Knowing that a fresh pot of the delightful coffee she liked so well awaited on the small table outside the door, she opened it, brought in the coffee with its accompanying cup and took it to the patio. It was a gorgeous day and she ate on the patio, watched the sleepy city come alive and heard the sounds of the day already underway all around the area. She glanced through some fashion magazines she brought with her and lingered a while soaking up some of the warm sunshine, to recharge her to face the busy day. This was her regular custom. Gentle breezes stirred and she could sit and relax for a while for she still had lots of time yet before she must depart for her day. She continued watching the birds going about their business, taking full advantage of the abundant flower paradise.

She
planned to leave at eleven o’clock to meet her friend Phylicia and the new buyer for a luncheon at the cafe in the Pavilion. She planned to wear one of her latest creations, though not one from her present collection. These she left for the models to do the first display. Her dress was lovely and made her feel especially feminine and elegant. It was a cool-looking teal color which would dramatically show off her dark hair and ivory complexion to its very best. Capped white sleeves, edged with delicate lace, hugged her arms. The bodice was fitted and the skirt had a gentle flare. A v-neckline topped a row of many small buttons down the front of the dress to an opening about eight inches from the bottom. She brought a matching hat which made her look pretty and added to her femininity. She could not have chosen a better color or style to make her look attractive and she felt comfortable.

At
ten o'clock in the morning she began to get ready, took a shower, fixed her hair and applied her perfectly matched makeup. She adorned herself in her stylish dress, carefully pulled on her sheer nylons, and her teal-colored shoes finished her total look. Her choice of clothes pleased her, giving her confidence to face the day. She could relax totally now and concentrate on matters at hand.

She
arrived at the cafe about ten minutes early, stood by the window, and looked out at the sparkling blue water gushing up from the fountain just outside. The sun caught the ripples and made it look like strands of diamonds on a sapphire background. She heard her name called from across the room and turned to face her friend, Phylicia, who introduced her to the new buyer, a tall, dark, handsome young man in a dark blue suit made of fine summer wool, a perfect choice for his coloring which made him look dashing indeed. A well-chosen tie added life to his suit and she could tell he was adept at style and wardrobe planning. She thought his taste was impeccable. His dark hair waved at the top and temples and his dark mustache was neatly trimmed and sharp-looking. She was definitely impressed with his overall demeanor and attitude. Her heart skipped a beat and she blushed but hoped it would not be obvious.

“
Hi, Triessa, this is Todd Noble,” Phylicia told her excitedly. “Todd, this is Triessa Barrett. I told you a new buyer was coming today. I met him at a previous show and told him I was coming here to see your spectacular fashions. He was very interested, so, here he is.”

Triessa
smiled at him, “Hello, I am pleased to meet you. I hope you will not be disappointed in the show and that you may find some things to pique your interest. Please let me know if anything in particular appeals to you and if I can help you with any information.”

“
Thank you, I will do that.”

They
went to the table near the window in a spot from which they could view the fountain. The sun was bright and made little rainbows in the arches as the water rose into the air. Todd held Triessa’s chair to seat her, helped Phylicia get seated, then he sat between them, turned toward Triessa and asked her about her line of fashions.

His
interest pleased her. “It is a new line with which I am particularly pleased and hope you will like them as well.”

“
Where are you from?” asked Triessa. “Are you in the fashion business?”

He
replied, “No, I am a jewelry salesman, but have taken an interest in clothing designs to help me with my line of work. The two could go very well together, don’t you think?”

“
Well, yes, I can see where there could be a direct connection, especially in matching jewelry with the clothing,” she answered.

“
Have you two known each other long?” she asked, turning to Phylicia.