32.1 GLAMOUR AND GRIT

We continued the conversation as Mei-Mei and the others packed up. Mei-Mei said she had to show the actual alterations to Mister Zagreb so he could have the final say. He promised that he would personally dress me up himself tomorrow. Bea went with them to coordinate schedules.

“Why was she called the Patroness, anyway?” Freya said. I slipped on my dress—the plain, purple cami dress I wore when I came in—and then the jacket. I’ve made it a habit to use simple and easy-to-put-on clothes whenever I have fittings. So much more efficient that way.

“Remember I said she was wealthy? Well, she spent most of that money sponsoring up-and-coming artists and designers. When they became successful, they gave back to her ten times through donations and support of Brenda’s different foundations and projects. This created more opportunities for new talent to enter the scene. It became a cycle that continues even now,” I explained. &ldqu