You can’t purchase any major label clothing without over an hour drive. This is one of the 4,724 reasons I want to escape Athens.
Today, Adrian and I are command central at her store while the troops comb neighborhoods for treasures on the curb during free-pickup-days. I gave each team a route to run this morning and again this evening. Adrian knew my planning would be thorough. We plan to organize the store into sections and begin setting out products as we price them.
“Wow! The cleaning crew did an awesome job,” I announce.
“Yeah, mom and her friends are a force to be reckoned with while in cleaning mode. They had steam cleaners and wet-vacs running all day.”
“It’s great that your entire family helps out.” I smile as she moves a metal clothes rack to the right side of the store while I stream our local radio station through a Bluetooth speaker.
Being the only child of parents that were only children, the concept of a family supporting each other is foreign to me. I’ve been alone with my mother since the age of thirteen. I spend most of my time with my friends to avoid the troubles at home.
“While you perfectly arrange the clothes racks where you want them, I’m going to jazz up your front window a bit.” I walk through the backroom to my car for the surprise I created for her windows.
Adrian busies herself arranging the clothing section of the store into a children’s, teens’, women’s and men’s area as she envisioned. I strategically cover the windows and doors by taping newsprint over them. The thin paper blocks out some but not all of the sunlight. This is good; it will help make the large letters that I’ve painted on the front of the newspaper pop just a little bit more. I realize Adrian may see letters painted on the paper, but she can’t make out the words from the back.
Soon, I approach, waving a blue bandana at her. “Cover your eyes, please.”
She shakes her head at me. “I can see the paper. I know there are words on it. Why do I have to cover my eyes?”
“Fine. Let’s go out and take a look at my hours of hard work.” I tease smiling brightly as I tug her arm towards the backdoor.
Once we make our way around the entire strip mall and down to the front of her store, she seems amazed at my work. She reads out loud, “Coming Soon! Gingham Frog Repurposed Treasures.” The words “Gingham” and “Frog” are green and white gingham squares. “Coming Soon” is crimson while “Repurposed Treasure” looks like old boards are nailed together to make the letters. It’s not just a sign; it’s a work of art.
“I…” She fans her face as she gulps in air. “It’s absolutely perfect! Madison, this must have taken you forever to make.”
I smile proudly, eyes on the covered storefront. “I had a little help. Winston supplied the newsprint and suggested what to write on it. I mentioned it to Mrs. Foster in art class. She helped me come up with the design to make it pop.” I turn to face her, smile still wide. “I didn’t want black letters on paper. It needed to be special, like you.”
Adrian wraps me in a tight hug as tears fall from her eyes. “Thank you.”
My buzzing phone interrupts our moment. “Better get back inside,” I announce. “Troy’s group has a full load, and they are almost here.”
My stomach growls loudly, demanding I give it attention. I look at my cell phone to find it is nearly seven. “We should think about dinner soon,” I tell Adrian. She nods and tells me she will take care of it. I barely blink before she places her cell phone at her ear, on her way to the backroom. I rearrange the rack we are currently working on by size as she retrieves more clothing from the back.
“I texted everyone that pizza will be here in twenty minutes,” Adrian informs me, emerging from the backroom with her arms full of children’s clothes on hangers. We quickly place them on the front rack.
I step back, admiring the progress we made today. Nearly all of the clothing stock fills several metal racks on the right half of the sales floor. She placed Troy’s repurposed furniture on the left side near the large windows for future customers to see. Adrian hopes seeing them in the windows will pull customers inside. Then, she has shelves full of household items and the electronics plugged in at the wall. I love the fact that her customers can ensure they work before purchasing them.
The muted green back wall pops against the stark white side walls. The green adds color to the large, fluorescent-lighted store space.
Adrian opens her Notes App and reads through her pre-opening checklist. She still needs interior and exterior signs, changing rooms, check-out counter, and advertising. She crosses off inventory as we filled much of the space today. She’s happy with our progress.
“Pizza guy is out back!” Winston announces from the backroom.
I scurry to meet him, waving at Winston as I pass. He informs Adrian his truck is full of more furniture, some good quality coats, and books.
“Crap!” Adrian shouts. “I forgot to put up shelves for books and vinyl records.” She slowly browses the non-clothing side of her store for a space to add shelving.
Placing his hands upon her shoulders, Winston soothes, “Calm down. Let’s enjoy our pizza with the gang, and let Latham share an idea he thought of today.” Winston smirks. “He’s got you covered.” With Winston’s help, she sets up a folding card table and enough chairs for all of us.
“We’re back!” Troy yells.
Adrian smiles widely while Troy, Salem, Latham, Savannah, and Bethany emerge from the backroom as I bring up the rear carrying the pizzas. Our friends have helped Adrian immensely today. She admitted she was a bit worried about filling her sales floor prior to her grand opening but after today, it’s full.
“Latham,” Winston speaks through his current bite of pizza. “Tell Adrian your idea.” He winks at her before she turns her attention to Latham.
“Why don’t you let us guys build you a horseshoe shaped countertop to use as a check-out area? We can make it two-tiered and even include cabinets below it for storage.” Sensing Adrian not following his description, he sketches it out on his napkin. “We also found a large shelving unit we can paint or stain and anchor to the wall for you to display products on.”
Latham constantly surprises me. At first glance, he’s a farm boy or a cowboy. He’s all tall and lanky, wearing western shirts, worn Levi’s, dusty boots, and his cowboy hat. Occasionally, he’ll wear a solid-colored t-shirt and a John Deere or Dekalb cap. Only close friends know underneath he’s really long, lean muscles with a wicked farmers tan. I nearly died of laughter the first time he joined us at the lake. It was as if his legs and chest hadn’t seen sunlight his entire life.
The man can fix about anything—it must be from tinkering around his parents’ farm on equipment and buildings for years. He’s fixed many of our cars, and now he’s planning to construct counters and cabinets for her store.
Salem has herself quite a hottie. His jawline usually sports two days of dark stubble. His dark hair, that peeks from under his hat, with dark eyes on his tanned face are like catnip to all the girls. When he smiles, his face and eyes light up all sexy-like, melting the panties off any females in the area. When Adrian states she loves his idea, said sex-smoldering smile shines like a hundred-watt bulb. I may need to remind Adrian he belongs to Salem.
“We could varnish it if you prefer a wood finish or paint it any color you desire,” Troy chips in. “I have most of the wood we need, so the cost would be minimal.”
“When could you build it?” Adrian inquires, wondering if they can finish it before she opens.
“We can start this weekend,” Latham says.
“If we work Friday night and Saturday, we should have it done by Sunday,” Troy promises.
Troy is all bulk to Latham’s long and lean. Clothes cannot conceal his massive arms and chest. His jeans hug his huge, muscular thighs. If he wasn’t nearly six-feet tall, he’d look too heavy. He enjoys working with his hands. Lucky for Adrian, he loves working on furniture and hopes to sell it in her store.
“Really?” She can’t believe her ears. “You’d give up your weekend to do this for me?”
“It will cost you meals and drinks,” Latham states.
“You’ve got a deal. I’ll give Winston my spare key, so you can get in and out if I’m not around. Will it make much of a mess?”
I sense that Adrian worries her mother’s hard day of cleaning might be ruined as well as all the inventory we’ve already displayed.
“We’ll throw sheets over nearby stuff, keep the saws out back, and the mess will be minimized.” Adrian smiles at Troy’s statement.
Quick and not too messy; I love these guys even more for being Adrian’s heroes.