Titus (Warriors of Lune #1)

Chapter One

The silence around the store was so serene that I unconsciously took smaller steps just to keep it that way.

I tugged the strands of hair that were untangled behind my ears,
then got started on work.

My hand held the pencil lightly, moving until I started seeing shapes that made sense to me.

It took me half an hour to come up with four new designs that would be the foundation to the new collection.

My mind was hazy with ideas and I lost myself for hours until I heard the sound of a creaking door.

Po popped in the room with a grin.

My business partner stuttered in, hair pinned tightly in a bun with a bright smile and a sleek pant suit.

"How's it going?"

"Pretty good actually." I stopped sketching. "I'm really excited to get these in production." I pushed the sketchpad her way.

Her hands turned the pages, eyes sharp. She scrutinized the sketches for a few minutes while I organized my work and thought to the past year.

Po was really close friends with my roommate at the time. We bonded right around the time I was finishing college. She wanted something to build and thrive on. I wanted my goals to turn to reality. Once, when my roommate, Diane was late for girls night I kept her company and shared some of my work with her.

She seemed thoughtful, keeping quiet to herself for minutes. Then she put her hand around my shoulder, eyes gleaming with excitement as she shared her plans and aspiration.

I was a bit apprehensive, unsure of what to do but eventually decided that opportunities are not be wasted and that I had to go for it.

So at the age of twenty-one, Po and I opened Cruda, worked on ideas and strategies, hired staff and bought enough material to make a stellar collection.

I had to move from LA after college because of her residency in the area and the cheaper rent. Although New York wasn't that much cheaper than LA.

I remember how much love and effort I put into every piece, how hard Po worked day and night to make sure the place was running smoothly. And yet, we were barely making any profit.

Still we pushed on for months till the end of the year. I felt exhausted and devastated. I could see it in Po's dimmed eyes too. We worked ourselves to the limit and the result was little to be happy about.

She admitted she wasn't sure how long we were going to last, but she didn't want to give up. Neither did I.

I suggested we wait a little and see if things turn around. She agreed.

A few months later we were making double what we used to make. The change was startling and relieving.

Turns out managing your social media accounts cleverly could bring a massive turn to what could've been a huge disaster.

"They're beautiful Vera."

I smiled, looking into her genuine eyes.

"I'm glad you think so," I paused, running my fingers though my hair. "I know it's risky doing something so different than our previous collections but I think this will bring in different types of consumers."

"Definitely. I told you when we started this, it's all about new and refreshing outfits that make women confident."

We discussed the production for a little while before I decided I was going to leave.