Chapter 319: Cookie's Client
*I need something a little more… unique. Less normal. – Shiloh*
The great thing about living next to Karan, she was willing to take the girls to the daycare. The girls loved the new daycare and even Ashlyn no longer complained about going. Since she was now in the double digits at ten-years-old, she was practically an adult.
Her attitude lately had reflected this opinion. If this was how the preteen years were, he completely understood why some animals ate their young. It was completely self-preservation.
But today was Tuesday.
And Tuesday was cooking club day, Ashlyn’s favorite club at the daycare.
Nessie, a professionally trained chef, came in every Tuesday and taught a cooking class. Pagan also loved Tuesday. The girls came home and the three of them made dinner together. Not only did the girls learn a skill, but his own cooking improved.
But, before they could cook dinner tonight, he had to go meet with Cookie and his client. The good thing was that it was in the old funeral home across the street. The bad thing was that he was already running late.
How do you run late when you’re only forty-five feet from the job site?
His ex.
Amber was supposed to have the girls during the month of July. Of course, that didn’t work for her schedule. She wanted them during August. He already knew how that would go. Either she would not show up or would show up late.
Pagan stood his ground. She either picked the girls up on the first and returned them on the thirty-first. Or she did not get them at all. She screamed and yelled and threatened to make his life a living hell. She really needed new material.
But now, because of her, he was rushing across the street cussing his ex the whole way.
“Cookie!” Pagan called out as he came through the open door.
“About time!” came the response and he turned towards the booming voice.
“Sorry. Amber.”
That’s all he had to say, and Cookie groaned.
“Yeah.” Pagan agreed as he entered the large room.
Cookie stood in the center of the room next to a small makeshift table made from plywood on a couple of sawhorses. The two men were dressed similarly in jeans, t-shirts and motorcycle boots. The difference was the light tan shirt with AAA Construction Company and the black shirt with MetalWorks on the back.
Sitting at the table on a folding chair, was his Goth pinup girl with three large black curls on the top of her head. Her eyes were winged and had long thick lashes. Black lips smiled at him as she stood up.
Cookie grinned at Pagan like an idiot. Pagan had to catch himself before his jaw hit the ground.
Shiloh wore a black tank top with a white skull on it and small shimmering black lace bows at the shoulders. Black leather bootie shorts topped long fishnet covered legs that ended in black platform shoes with silver buckles.
Silver bangles graced one arm while a large crystal encrusted skull bracelet was on her outstretched arm. A similar skull hung around her neck. Silver hoops and crosses were on her ears.
“Hi, how are your girls?”
“Beautiful. I mean, you’re beautiful. The girls are great.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to hear that.”
“Oh.” Pagan reached out and shook her hand.
“You two know each other?” Cookie asked.
“We met at the car show.” Shiloh said at the same time that Pagan explained, “She did the girls hair. They loved it, by the way. And there’s not much that those two agree on.”
Shiloh laughed. “It can be like that with sisters. My sister and I do not get along. But I love my cousin like he was my brother.”
“Cookie didn’t go into much detail. What kind of a store are you opening?”
They all sat down at the plywood table and Shiloh pulled out her concept drawings. The first folder was labeled NEW MOON.
“There’s actually two stores. New Moon is a vintage clothing store. Both real vintage and high-end replica. I would love for it to have post war, mid-century vibe.”
Pagan looked at the mid-century style drawings. Starburst wall anchors. Sleek lines for shelves. Minimalist rolling hanging racks. Jetsons style signs.
“We’re doing some wooden built-ins and the cashier counter.” Cookie said pulling out his own drawings and specs. “But I wanted to make sure that we were on the same page at the fab shop.”
“We could,” Pagan said flipping open his own notepad and began sketching, “do some mixed pieces. The rolling carts could have a wooden base for shoe display, same at the top for hats or bags.”
“I like that. Could you do a metal base with a wooden mannequin?” Shiloh grabbed her tablet and pulled up the picture of what she had seen.
“If we do solid wood, it will be heavy.” Cookie said. “But we can do a hollow bust.”
“We can even make the base height adjustable.”
“Chrome? Can we do all of this in Chrome?”
Pagan looked at her hopeful expression and knew that he would do it standing on his head if she asked.
“We chrome stuff all the time. That won’t be an issue.”
“Great.” She swiped the tablet and found the picture of the dressing rooms that she was drawing inspiration from. Pulling up the sketch with the specs for the mirrors, she turned it to face Pagan. “I have a glass guy if you can make the frames.”
“The dressing rooms will be huge.” Cookie added. “Karan insisted.”
“No couches.” Shiloh laughed. “Keep her dressing room fantasy out of my stores.”
The two men laughed at Cookies wife. She had no problems telling him her fantasies. And he enjoyed making them become real.
They finalized a few other items. Pagan made a few suggestions and she agreed with most of them. he was impressed with how organized Shiloh was with everything. She knew exactly what she wanted and where she had the information at.
“Now, onto my other fashion passion.”
Pulling out the folder marked DARK MOON Shiloh showed off the gothic inspiration. This would be almost completely done by the fab shop. And looking at the drawings and pictures, Pagan knew that it would be fun.
Bones. Gothic arches. Spider webs and spiders. All metal skeletal mannequin. Gothic crosses at the end of the rolling hanging rods.
Looking at the two sets of designs Pagan began to laugh. Then he scribbled a note to himself that had Cookie chuckling.
New Moon = Ashlyn
Dark Moon = Alyssa
