London's Upper East side was pure shoppers paradise. By Upper East side, meaning north of the Kensington Market and Duvall Street. It was a world of some of London's most premiere boutiques, upscale cafés and restaurants and retail chain stores. Here is was: 160 Bond Street, otherwise known as Nirvana. As the revolving door of the store turned, an employee looked up to the sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor. I reached up and removed my sunglasses.
"Hello! How are you doing?" I asked approaching the store employee.
"Excellent! How may I help you today?" She asked, a smile plastered on her face.
"Oh, I need something. Something for a gallery premiere? Not too fancy but not very casual." I explained, digging through my handbag to stash my sunglasses away. I looked up to admire the beauty around me. I simple loved the way the store associates perfectly assembled each piece and perfectly coordinated the colors, textures and lengths.
"I think I've seen you in here before. Didn't you purchase the blue dress with the brown suede wedges?" the employee asked me with shining eyes. I gave her a smile.
"Yes. Yes, that was me." I answered her, already absorbed in a pale pink lace sheath dress.
"Oh! We were just in love with that dress when we received it! Campbell, right?" she asked, pointing at me. I shook my head.
"Yes. Lydia." I answered her. When you were on a first name basis with the employees at the Christian Dior boutique, it was a sign you may have a problem. "I like this but...I don't much think it's my color." I said.
"Come here, are you open to the idea of a pantsuit? We recently received this. White bell style in the leg. The vest that matches in this black with beautiful gold detailing." She explained as she walked me across the marble floor to an outfit put together toward the back wall. I eyed it carefully as she presented it to me.
"It's lovely. It's just lovely! God, look at that white. I love the fabric." I said, touching it.
"Oh my god! There's a red patent leather clutch that would be brilliant with it. Susie! Susie go get that red clutch! The one the woman returned last week!" the woman called across the floor.
"Whoa, whoa..." I looked over at the woman helping me. "Do you have those gold strappy sandals that were featured on the ad in the latest Vogue?"I asked. The woman shook her head yes at me. "Oh! Excellent! I'd love to them with this. Jesus...is this the clutch?" I asked as Susie, the other associate handed it over to me.
"It is! Red patent synthetic, satin lined. You can have a look inside here. Just one zippered compartment though. I don't know why the French insist on such useless pockets." She said as I examined the gorgeous red satin lining.
"Well, Susie...I could put good use to that pocket. The way I see it, five or six condoms would fit just fine. Oh, I'm in love." I said, eyeing her, watching her smile. It was okay, they knew me in here at least to a degree.
"It's a beautiful clutch. Please let us see it with the pantsuit." She said as the other associate searched out my size for the changing room.
"Back here Miss Campbell!" I heard a voice call for me. The other associate had a fitting room all primed and ready for me arrival. She pulled the heavy, golden brocade privacy curtain aside and motioned me to step inside. I gave her a smile before she left me to myself. "Come out when you have it on!" I examined the lovely cream carpeted changing room. There was a pastel colored French Provincial chair that sat in the corner and the lighting was soft and inviting. I began to peel my dress off, staring at my underwear clad form in the mirror before me. I ran my hand over my stomach and over my hips before reaching for the pants first. I wasn't one to linger in the changing room, having dressed myself in a timely manner. This pantsuit was a head turner and I was about to prove my point as I stepped out of the dressing room in gold strappy heels.
"What do you think?" I asked of the employees helping me, clicking my way toward the middle of the boutique as I heard a gasp.
"It's beautiful. Just stunning. This is the first time we've ever seen it on anyone. Shall we take the pants up a bit?" the employee asked, grabbing her cloth tape measure and prompting getting into the floor to measure from the hem. It was obvious some length needed to come off the bottom.
"Can you have it tailored by the 30th? That's the premiere at the gallery." I asked, admiring the contrast in the mirrors before me. I was surrounded by mirrors, and handbags, shoes and beautifully arranged shirts, skirts and dresses on mannequins. The men's side of the boutique was lined with some of the most gorgeous ties and blazers I'd ever laid eyes on.
"We can have it done. The seamstress is in tomorrow. She doesn't have much on her alterations list." Susie, the other associate said with confidence, taking some notes at the register. I shook my head.
"Very well. I'll take it all." I said, smiling all over and beyond thrilled. This was perfect for the gallery premiere. Susie shook her head and began creating a sales ticket for me along with an alterations ticket. I was pinned and returned to the changing room to get out of my pantsuit and into my clothes. I carefully hung everything back before making my way to the beautifully manicured desk where the register was located. "Shall I pay for the alterations today as well?" I asked, opening my handbag.
"That won't be necessary Miss Campbell. It may be less than our customary charge. Alright, I need your address and telephone here on this tag." She said handing me a pen to complete the information. I did as she instructed and she rang the register before her. The total today is £976. I looked up to her as she rang my total.
"Can I write you a check?" I asked.
"Certainly." She answered. Not everyone was permitted to write checks in designer boutiques, but I had never had a check bounce. I pulled out my checkbook and took a pen from near the register, scribbling 'Christian Dior – London' on the pay line and a total of £976 in the amount box. I slapped my signature on the line below and tore the check from the register.
"There we are." I said, handing it over. I watched her run it through the register.
"Let me bag these shoes, the clutch and the vest for you. Can you come back Friday...say the 28th?" she asked me.
"Yes. Yes, sure. I have class and plans that night but I can show up after 1:30." I explained. She smiled at me and handed me a crisp, white cord-handled Dior bag.
"It will be ready for you. We'll see you then Miss Campbell." I thanked Susie, gave her a nod and dug my sunglasses from my handbag once again. I bid my girls a farewell and made my way toward the front of the boutique. Once on the sidewalk, I looked up into the bustling London traffic, the breeze blowing my hair from my face. I stood to the side of the revolving door and leaned against the white brick, pulling a cigarette from my handbag. I lit it quickly and inhaled deeply, shifting my vision into the oncoming traffic through my sunglasses. I then turned my head to the passing traffic, giving it a long stare in both directions. As I puffed another inhale on my Marlboro, I shifted my bag on my arm and began to hear the click of my own heels against the cement. As I headed north on Bond Street, I thought about the remaining items on my to do list for the day: lunch at Café 37 and Sebastian.
"And then, after dinner we went to this charming coffee house where drank tea and ended up making out! It was such a hot evening and so unexpected! Can you believe it!? Oh, we're supposed to go out again tonight at seven. I'm so excited. We had such a great evening last night and I can't imagine tonight not going well!" a voice babbled on.
Christine Mullen pushed long brown hair behind her ears and looked up to her friend across from her. "Yes, yes. It sounds like it all went very well." She said, her tone a bit disinterested.
"Oh come now! Don't pout like that! Stop looking at me that way. Just because you're jealous and you've had three bad blind dates doesn't mean I can't have a good one! Now wipe that sourpuss look away! You know how much I've been dying to have that date with Richard!" her friend said. Chrissie forced a smiled as she cut into her pasta.
"I'm not jealous! It's just that Richard is all you've talked about for at least three weeks!" Chrissie said, taking a sip of her beverage.
"Well, we had a most wonderful date and I think tonight will be even better! Maybe even a little steamier!" Chrissie's friend giggled as the waitress returned to their table. "Are you going to have dessert? Best homemade cakes and pies in the city." Her friend reminded her. Chrissie stared desperately at the dessert menu the waitress had handed her, desperately wanting a piece of key lime pie since this was the dessert this lunch hotspot made best.
"No thank you. Chrissie said, looking up to the waitress and returning the menu. The real reason she didn't order any dessert was because she didn't have enough money. She had already ordered one of the least expensive items on the menu as well as a water to drink even though she wanted a lemon-lime soda.
"You're not going to have any pie!?" Her friend huffed. "It's my date night! This time tomorrow I may no longer be a virgin! Split a piece with me." Her friend insisted. Chrissie blushed a little and shook her head. "Fine. Fine I'll split a piece. But I owe you next time." She said. The waitress took the dessert menus and walked away. "So, what are you doing this weekend? Goin' out? Goin' to the disco. Oh! Another blind date. I know a guy I could fix you up with!" Chrissie's friend beamed. Chrissie shook her head.
"No. I'm staying in. I'm done with blind dates for a while. They all go so horribly. I swear, its as if no one really knows what I'm in to. The guys I've been out with are simply not suited to myself.
"Your friend Lydia knows some very attractive men. Surely she could fix you up with someone this weekend?" her friend pressed onward. Chrissie rolled her eyes.
"I haven't liked anyone she's picked out. I'm staying in this weekend, like I said. Besides, I need to apply for a better job. I have some places to go this weekend in hopes of being hired." She said. Her friend appeared puzzled.
"But you've worked at the campus library for so long! I can't imagine not seeing you in there.
"I know that and it's not that I haven't enjoyed my time there but I've not gotten a single raise and I desperately need to bring home a better paycheck. I mean, I have experience and a lot of things employers look for, right!?" Chrissie insisted, rather exasperated by her present situation.
"Calm down Chrissie. It's not like you're flat broke. You have a job! Some people can't even find work yet you have a good position at the library with flexible hours. What jobs are you applying for that makes you think you'll have it any better than you do now?"
"I'm going to apply to a waitress position, a cashier's position at a grocery store and I saw an ad for help wanted as a desk attendant at one of the hotels nearby." She said. Her friend rolled her eyes.
"You're not outgoing enough for any of those Chrissie!" He friend insisted.
"Yes I am! I talk to everyone at the library!" she argued.
"Oh please, you re-shelf books and help people use the card catalog. You're suited for that!" she insisted to Chrissie.
"I'm applying for something else this weekend! You'll see! I'll get something. Do you want to know why I didn't order dessert!? It's because I couldn't afford it! Chrissie huffed as their pie was delivered. Chrissie's friend looked at her across the table as she sipped her water, thinking that she had wished she hadn't assumed Chrissie couldn't get the jobs for which she had hoped to apply. The waitress noticed the bit of tension between them, delivering the pie and prompting letting them be. Chrissie's friend handed a fork over to her.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I really hope you do get hired somewhere." Her friend said a bit solemnly.
"Thank you." Chrissie replied, stabbing the pie with her fork. "Hey, you call me tonight and tell me how your date goes." Chrissie said with a smile. She may have fallen on hard times, but she clearly had no hard feelings.