Chapter two

Athena woke up in the night to find Frank’s side in the bed empty, “Frank?” She called but when she got no answer, she got out of the bed and went into the living room, “Frank?” she saw him sitting on the only couch in the living room and closed up their distance. “What is it?” She asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Frank sighed, “Nothing, just…thinking.”

Athena sat beside him immediately, “what are you thinking about?”

“My life, Athena, look at me, at twenty three I have no source of income, nothing, I can’t even look after you the way I want to, the way I promised your mother I would.”

Athena smiled and placed her head on his shoulder, “but Frank, it’s not your fault, I am sure mom understands perfectly. You are trying your best to make things better for us, you go out every morning to return at night because you are looking for a better job, that’s already you trying.”

“But I am not trying hard enough, take a look at me, Athena, I had promised you that on your twenty second birthday that I would throw you a party and your birthday is in three months time, I have no hope of even fulfilling my promise to you.”

“But three months is still far, Frank, you never can tell what would happen tomorrow…”

“Nothing is happening tomorrow, there would be no difference by then. Just face it Athena and tell it to my face, I am a complete failure.”

“But you are not, you are the best designer I know and sooner than later the world would see that, you would go places Frank, I believe it, I believe in you. Tell me, which man in your age here ever had a contact with the top fashion industry? Tell me.”

Frank sighed, she is right, no one has which made every man his age envious of him, but he doesn’t want to be envied by them, he doesn’t want to be envied by lowlifes who have no hope of a better future. Out there in the city, they are men his age who are top celebrities, even the designer of the dress Hillary Queen wore the day he received the best Actor award is only twenty two and people know him, many celebrities wants him to design a dress for them. Many people envy him, even he envies him, as well as many designers, now that’s the kind of people he would want to envy him, people of high classes, where he belongs.

“Frank, someday and not even far anymore, you will find what you are looking for, you will have that life you have always dreamed of, I strongly believe that,” Athena encouraged.

Frank let out a deep breath, “I know Athena but the thing is, I might be losing my chance.”

“What do you mean?”

“To win the contest of Fashionista, I need to produce my designer and a model has to wear it to show off at a fashion show that only the workers including their CEO would attend, the design with highest rating will be the winner and the designer would be hired and become one of their many designers,” he turned to her then, his green eyes twinkling with enthusiasm, “do you know what that means? Athena, if I win this, our lives would change forever. Have you heard of Augustus Hawke?”

Athena shook her head, she never knows anything that happens in the city because she never cares, why should she waste her time studying people who doesn’t even know about her existence?

Frank sighed at her lack of knowledge, she never knows important people only the lowlifes here, “he is the youngest designer now and possibly the best, everyone wants him to design a dress for them and Fashionista don’t joke with him and they had got him through this process two years ago when he was twenty. If I win this, I can be like him, even the manager, Mr. Bridgeton is impressed with my design and he also said to me that I have a shot at winning this.”

“Isn’t that good? You don’t need to worry anymore,” Athena said, really happy for him.

Frank shook his head, “not really, I don’t have money to buy the materials for my design and since it would be for a fashion show with their CEO present, I need to buy at least a better quality. Of course I can’t buy the ones of high quality and they also said that the winning design would be reproduced with a better quality before being sold. But in order to be considered a winner, I really need to buy something catchy that could attract people’s attention,” he heaved a deep sigh, “and it’s not really that cheap.”

“How much is it?” She asked, she didn’t even know when she did but she would love to support him in a any way she could, since he believes so much that he could win, the least she could do is provide assistance.

Frank looked at her immediately, his heart beating loudly in his chest, does she want to give him the money? He knew her parents left her their savings but he just doesn’t know how much or where she could be hiding it, he had searched so hard for it but never found it. “Three thousand dollars.”

“Oh God,” Athena gasped, “so much?”

Frank’s spirit died, seemed that the savings isn’t a big deal after all, “yes, I priced it on my way back.”

“Oh, that’s really too much Frank.”

“I know, which is why I told you that I am missing my chance, there is no purpose going back to the city tomorrow anyway. What will I be doing there?” He sighed, “just go and sleep, you have work tomorrow, I can always sleep later in the day.”

Seeing the look on his face, Athena felt her heart weighing down, all his life he has only talked about making it big and taking care of them, then this contest came up, giving him something to look forward to, something to hope on and now, he was just going to give up? She bit her lower lip and looked away from him, her thoughts running wild, she has two thousand dollars, it was her parents’ savings and it was all they left for her to be surviving on. If she should offer to give it to him, it still won’t be enough, where would they get extra one thousand dollars? She could always borrow from her employers but what if Frank doesn’t win? How could she pay back? She is not even talking about her parents’ saving; she could always endure losing that but what of the one they borrowed? Should she do this?

Frank looked at her, he could see that she was lost in thought and his hope revived again, maybe she really has such amount and only considering giving it to him, no, he can’t miss this opportunity, “the worst part is that the deadline is in a month’s time, how can I raise three thousand dollars in a month and still buy the materials to sow the dress so that I can meet the deadline? Just forget it Athena, this is not my chance, in fact, I doubt if I would be getting another chance. I’m a complete failure; I won’t be able to look after you Athena, so if you find any guy better than me, just go with him, okay?”

Athena glanced at him sharply, “how can you say that, Frank? We are meant to be, we have been together for six years now.”

“Exactly Athena, but what have I offered you since then? What have I done for you?”

“You have been there for me, Frank, during my most trial times, that’s the most important thing, things will get better, you will see.”

“This is the only chance for me, Athena, if I lose this, I don’t think I will ever get another, don’t you understand? I have no future if I don’t win this.”

Athena closed her eyes, seeing him degrading himself so much was hurting her, besides, this is for both of them, if this become a success, she would benefit from it right? She bit her lip, taking the decision was so hard for her but she doesn’t like seeing him like that. At the very end, she relented, “I have two thousand dollars.”

“What?” Frank shouted, although it’s not up to three thousand but it was something, “really? Please Athena, this would be changing our lives, if I win this, we can finally move out of here and we would live in the city, see beautiful people every day, invited to luxurious parties. We would even be counting in millions.”

“But it’s not enough, you said you need three thousand.”

“That’s true, but we will find a way, you know almost everybody here, can’t we borrow from them?”

“But Frank, what if you don’t win? How can we pay back?”

“I will win and even if I don’t, we can always sell the dress and use the money.”

Athena nodded, “well, I can ask all of my employers, see if I can be able to raise it.”

“Oh Athena, you are really going to do that for me?”

“If it makes you happy.”

“Oh it does, it does so much. Oh thank you, thank you so much Athena, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he pulled her into a hug and soon he was kissing her, “thank you,” he murmured in between the kisses.

“You are welcome.”

“Now, let me drain a little of your strength before you leave for work.”

“Oh Frank, no,” she giggled as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.