On the Runway

Tina started dressing baby dolls, then Barbies and then herself in elaborate outfits. She got her first sewing machine at age nine and began sewing her own clothing. Now, at nineteen, she was in Milan for fashion week.

She ran a successful crowd funding campaign to hire two models, pay for hotels and airfare. She was young and foolish, they said. No, she had a vision and this was the place to open their eyes.

Tina pinned the dress to fit Ajanta like a glove. The gold gown flowed down her sleek but slightly muscular frame. Tina didn't want size zero bodies with size zero intellect from consuming nothing but Diet Coke. Ajanta was college educated, an athlete and a model. The gown showed off her broad shoulders, thin waist and defined thighs with her every step.

The red cocktail dress was designed with Ajanta in mind. Smart, attractive with lots of calf showing.

They went through each of the pieces Ajanta would wear, fine tuning and settling on accessories. The competition included all the top designers, so everything had to be perfect.

Dee was gorgeous. Everything about her was what every woman desired to emulate. 5' 8", long beautiful blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, immaculate skin, and a metabolism to die for. The only thing was she was born male. Transgender models were not new and no one cared. The only thing that mattered was that Dee was an exquisite model and a beautiful woman.

"I'm nervous, Tina," said Dee as Tina pinned the hem of her skirt.

"You'll be fine. Just think it's boring ol' New York," said Tina, not looking up from her task.

"I think we have a third model," said Ajanta. She was sprawled out on the couch with her smart phone.

"I can't afford a third model. I know it would be easier on changes, but I can't do it. I'm sorry," said Tina. She sat back on her heels and looked at Ajanta.

"She'll do it for free if she can sleep on the couch. Elizabeth had words, a lot of words, with MaryBeth and she fired her. Her flight leaves on Monday and she has no place to stay. She says she'd love to be on stage in your clothing than, oh nevermind.

"So write her a three day contract for room only. She'll probably fit in Sophie's clothes," said Ajanta. She raised her eyebrows. "She's downstairs. Plus it will be one more set of hands for the stars."

"Get her up here," said Tina. "We don't have much time for alterations."

"I love you, Tina," said a woman's voice from outside the open window.

Tina smiled, shook her head and went back to the hem.

* * *

Elizabeth, Dee, Ajanta and Tina sat on the king size bed, each with a needle and thread working to add the final touches to the center piece of Tina's collection.

"Do you have any of this paint left?" asked Dee. "I have an idea."

"No, but there's something like it in the tool box on the table. Red bottle," said Tina, watching Dee scurry into the other room.

* * *

Dee stuck her hand around the door frame and switched off the bedroom light. She entered the room in grand fashion, stood momentarily and turned the light back on.

"That's amazing. I think we should do it. Ajanta?" asked Tina.

"Absolutely."

* * *

Tina was helping Dee into her next outfit and the button at the neck line popped off. "Not now," she said.

"Tina, pin it. It's just New York. Let's go," said Dee. Tina grabbed a safety pin and made it work.

Elizabeth stepped out of the gown and pushed off the heels. Over her head Tina pulled the blouse and then Elizabeth stepped into the skirt. Tina carefully zipped it up while Elizabeth shoved her feet in the next pair of shoes. Tina pulled the bracelets off her wrists and gave them to Elizabeth. Elizabeth slowly turned before Tina. Tina nodded and Elizabeth headed back out to the runway every model dreamed of.

Ajanta donned the final outfit and Tina zipped it closed. Dee grabbed the paint and a brush. Tina grabbed the earrings from her pocket and handed them to Ajanta. They had sixty seconds if Elizabeth slowed her parade.

Dee growled as she made a mistake.

"Just make a horizontal line there," said Tina.

"What? Right here? Okay. Yeah, that works," said Dee.

"Thirty seconds, ladies," said Tina.

Dee stopped and stomped her feet nervously and then continued. "I swear I'm going to have a heart attack," she said as she finished.

Tina surveyed Ajanta. "Beautiful."

As Ajanta passed Elizabeth they gave a high five slap of the hands.

Ajanta was dressed in a dark blue dress. The top was adorned with sixteen crescent moons made up of sequins. The bottom was a dark sky littered with sixteen hundred star shaped sequins nestled among the pleats.

Ajanta walked to the middle of the runway and stopped. One hand down at her side and the other perched on her hip. The cameras flashed.

She quickly turned her head as a large mechanical sound reverberated through the room and the lights went out. They were replaced by black lights. The phosphorescent paint on the moon, the stars, a delicate pattern drawn on her face glowed brightly. She turned her head again, the sound accompanied the lights returning to normal. More camera flashes.

Ajanta walked to the end of the runway and stood with both hands on her hips. She looked from left to right to left with the sound and lights following her movement. She turned her head once more, turning the black lights back on. She twirled around and sauntered back down the runway.

* * *

The front of Elle magazine featured the four ladies that set the runway in Milan on fire. The entire collection was a hit, especially the dress with sixteen moons and sixteen hundred stars.

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Writer's Cramp PROMPT 9-3 For this installment of the Cramp's WDC Birthday Week celebration, you'll be writing in the Fashion genre. Be sure to pick Fashion as one of your three genres, and make the story or poem appropriate to the genre. In keeping with the theme of "16," your story or poem must include the following: Sixteen moons and sixteen hundred stars.