Season Of Love (gxg) | ✍︎︎

9. Old Friends.

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| SEASON OF LOVE |
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Thursday.
29 November 2018.
Los Angeles, California.

The week before Hope was set to leave for Michigan, she was working non-stop to get everything in order for the few weeks she'd be gone. That Thursday morning, the day before she was set to leave, she had a live TV interview with a talk show hosted by three Black women.

She was excited about it, not only because she'd get to further advertise her
brand, but because she'd get a chance to talk a bit about herself to the public. As a supermodel, Hope isn't given many opportunities to open up about herself on any large platforms. People don't tend to care about who she is as a person beyond her perfectly airbrushed photographs or runway walks.

Nouvelle by Nadine is Hope's baby. It was a dream she'd had since she was a little girl that came to fruition through hard work, sleepless nights, and dedication. Being a dark-skinned Black woman in the modeling industry is trying enough, and to break out and be just as successful in the fashion industry is something she will never take for granted. She was excited to tell the world just how much work went into creating an inclusive luxury clothing brand. She was excited to show the world that if she, a dark-skinned Black woman from a small town in Michigan, can do it, then anyone else can too.

"So please," one of the hosts announced after a short introduction about who Hope is and what she does. "Help me in welcoming our amazingly beautiful celebrity guest, Hope Turner."

The sound guy made sure Hope's microphone was set in place one last time before signaling for her to walk out on the stage.

She'd never been on live TV before. She's been in commercials and made a cameo in a movie or two, but live TV is something she never thought she would do. She thought she'd be more nervous too, but she wasn't. She walked onto the stage with the confidence she saves for catwalks and runways. She walked onto the stage knowing she looked good, smelled good, and had something even better to say.

"She's even more beautiful in person," she heard someone yell over the commotion, causing a laugh from both the crowd and hosts. Hope covered her blush as she walked up to the table. Before she took a seat, the three hosts stood to give her hugs and greet her.

"I feel so honored to be welcomed onto the show," Hope said when she finally took a seat at the table.

"And we know you're a very busy woman, so thank you so much for coming," the lady to the right of her, Lynn, placed a friendly hand on her arm as she spoke. She was an older woman with grey roots that were growing around the perimeter of her head of thick, bouncy curls. It looked as if she were finally letting her grey hair grow out instead of constantly manipulating it to be dark brown like it once was. And it fit her. The grey looked absolutely gorgeous in contrast to her dark brown complexion.

"Thank you for having me," Hope couldn't help that she was still smiling.

She had been watching the show since she moved to Los Angeles when she was eighteen, so to be invited on the show as a celebrity guest felt so surreal to her.

The conversation flowed so easily between the four women. They asked Hope non-invasive questions pertaining to her alma mater, modeling career, and her new excursion into the fashion industry.

"And the name of your line, Nouvelle by Nadine. Where did the inspiration for it come from?" The woman at one end of the table asked.

"Not many people know this, but my name is actually Nadine. My name is French and means hope, which is where that nickname came from. Growing up, my parents would always tell me that knowing the importance of hope and how to hold onto it is one of the most important lessons you can teach a child."