“That’s the last of it,” I said as I taped up the final box in my store. Kendra sighed from where she was sitting on the ledge of the wide storefront, now empty of displays. “Yep, that’s really everything.”
Nina asked, “Who did you say was taking over the lease?” Her tone endeavored to inject some brightness into the space that was feeling barren now.
I shrugged. “Desmond’s, a shoemaker.”
My gaze swept around the blank walls and floor space. Other than the many boxes in the middle of the room, only dust mites swirled through the sunshine falling through the glass storefront.
My two sales assistants had spent the weekend helping me pack up the last of the clothes from the railings. Well, Nina had packed with me. Kendra was now so close to her due date that I’d insisted she do nothing but entertain us with her chat. Officially, she was on maternity leave, but she’d been adamant that she come in before the store closed and to see me off.
I’d managed to get both Nina and Kendra jobs with another designer I was friends with. Conveniently, her store was located a few streets away. Her clothes were equally high-end, and my two assistants, although they’d been sad at the news I was closing up, had been pleased and touched when I’d recommended them to Irene. My designer friend had gotten on well with my assistants, and Irene had happily taken them both on. Nina would be starting next week with hardly any disruption to her work routine.
Maisy’s clipped heels sounded on the stairs, and she appeared in a whirl of wavy red hair and a floaty black dress. “That’s the final bits boxed up in the studio, Cherry. I’ve left the fall range boxes in a group separately with instructions to the movers to pack them last. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get those out first on the other side, and they can go straight onto the rails for opening day.”
“That’s perfect, Maisy.” I smiled at my assistant designer. Much to my amazement, when I’d told her I was relocating and opening up shop in Seattle, instead of accepting the stellar recommendation and job offer with my designer friend, Irene, Maisy had asked if she could come with me. She’d said that she loved working for me and was learning so much that if I could offer her a relocation package, cover the cost for a flight and a month’s rent in Seattle, she’d gladly come with me. She’d offered to manage the opening of the new store with me and continue as my assistant in the new studio once we hired staff for the store. I’d snapped her up at the offer, of course.