End of ‘The Girl with a Curl
On the day I left to go home for the holiday, I packed my bag and looked at the one I had done for my wall. It was next to the catalogue picture I had bought, and was a picture of Gloria, Judith, me, Monica, and Sally, as I remembered us on the first day that I had told anyone my secret. We were all in our jogging outfits, in the park, with me in the middle. I had straight hair and no make-up, but I still looked like a tomboy. That day was the first day on the journey that had brought me here. They do say that every journey begins with the first step, and that was the day that I had taken a leap of faith, on the way to becoming a ‘Girl with a Curl’.

Chapter 1

I loaded up my car with my bags, and Janice brought hers out. She had the painting wrapped in bubble and was taking it home to show her mother. I was giving her a lift down to Hastings and she insisted that I spend a night at her home before moving on to Plymouth. I was happy to help, as we were more like sisters since the big party, seeing that she was likely to be with me at the photo-shoot in January. Her father would bring her back as I was going to stay a bit longer with my parents.

We talked about the difference that looking good at the agency party made to our lives and spoke about the merits of different painting media. The trip down to Hastings was good, and we arrived at her home in high spirits. Her family were happy to see the two of us and I took my overnight bag into the small room I was to sleep in. I had met her mother, Julia, before, once with my tour of the shops, and again when I did the mural.

We were there in time for lunch and the portrait was shown to much acclaim. I got hugs from both parents. Julia wanted the two of us to join her in her office afterwards.

“Look, girls. I’ve heard some rumours about the company that don’t sound good. Robert is having a Zoom conference with small groups today. I know that there are only about five or six per meeting, and he had scheduled a few of us this morning. We are up in ten minutes. If you sit out of camera shot and stay quiet, I’ll let you sit in on it.”

We sat so that we could see the screen, and she angled the camera to one side, using the picture of the mural as a backdrop. When the meeting started, I recognised all of the other shop owners. They were all from the south-east coast. Robert did not look well. It had been close to a year since I last saw him, and he had aged quickly.

His message was simple. He had sold Hook Holdings to a national retail chain, Solon Brothers, and all the shops would still be franchisee owned, but would need to be rebranded. The new owners would be getting in touch with all the owners in January, when the deal was finalised. Some, that were in, or near, the big shopping centres where the new owners operated, would be relocated into the main shop as a boutique section, selling the Hokem range.

I could see that, for a lot of the shops, it would be a fantastic opportunity to expand the product range with known labels. It was probably a good job that I had moved on, as I expected that the Southampton office would be the first to be shut. He stressed that this was to be kept quiet until the ink was dry on the contracts, and that he had been assured that no shop owner would be left out of pocket.

When the meeting closed, we went and made tea and sat in the kitchen to talk about the situation. By the looks of it, the Hastings shop would just be rebranded, with extra ranges and a large company behind it. I kept quiet as I wondered how long it would be before under-performing outlets were quietly let go. I did guess that all of the shops will be having huge New Year sales to clear the old stock.

The next morning, I gave everyone a hug, told Janice that I’d see her in London, and headed west, bypassing Southampton on my way home. As I drove, I thought about the path that life had led me on. The young, confused, boy that had grown up in Plymouth was now a successful girl artist with a good bank balance and a future as a model. I wondered what the photo shoot would entail, and where they would take me.

At home, my parents greeted me like a long-lost daughter, my old room looking even more feminine than it did before. It was a lovely Christmas. I gave them the self-portrait which Dad hung next to the one I had done of the three of us in the field of flowers. Between Christmas and New Year, it was a succession of relatives coming around to see the famous daughter. I think that Mum may have been laying the BS on with a trowel, but it really was lovely to catch up with all my uncles, aunts, and cousins.

In the New Year, Mum and I went to the Broadway shops, so that she could get her chicken nugget fix. We walked the concourse and I saw that the Hook and Hokem shop was having a huge clearance sale – ‘To make room for new stock!’ I still had my old company discount card, so Mum and I shopped up big. The owner recognised me when I went to pay and pulled me into the changing room area for a word.

“Trixie, we are being taken over by the big Solon store in the Centre. Robert has sold the holding company. This store will close when the lease is up, and I will be compensated for its closing. The new owners have offered me a job as the manager of their high-end clothing section in the big store. This is all down to the fantastic job that you and the girls in Southampton did with the catalogues and then the website. Robert said that it was this that brought us to the attention of the big boys. When we total your purchases, I’ll give you a discount on the discount as my thank you for what you did in the Head Office.”

I was amazed. Did I really make that much difference?

“We just did what we had to do, especially during Covid.”

“What you did was to keep the tills ringing. I still had income each week even though I was closed. That meant the world to me. Without the worry of making ends meet here, and getting a steady wage, I’ll be able to sleep better, and my hubby will be happy when I don’t bite his head off.”

I paid for our purchases and told Mum to wait for me with a cup of coffee while I put our bags in the car. We sat for a while, and I told her that I managed to get employee discount. Then we wandered to the big store that was to be the new owners of Hook and Hokem.

I had been in there before, when I lived in Plymouth, looking at sports coats and slacks for a party, finding that I couldn’t afford them. It was one of those stores that sold men’s, women’s, children’s clothes, bedding, electrical, music, cosmetics, and kitchen items. They had already fenced off part of the women’s section and there were racks of dresses and tables of other things on special. Mum and I did well for ourselves with the discounted underwear. This time, I let her pay for her own.

That evening, I had a phone call on my mobile. It was Marilyn, my old boss in the Head office. She had been contacted and told that I was in Plymouth. She asked me if I would call into the office on my way east, as there were a few things she wanted to discuss. I was happy to oblige, as it would be good to see her. If I stayed overnight, I could go and see Josie in her shop. She would be able to give me the true state of affairs. I rang the Premier and booked a room for two nights.

When I left home, my parents wished me luck and a good trip. It was a far cry from the first time I had left. The car had a lot more in it going east, but I made good time. At the Premier, I checked in and freshened up, then walked past the old share house and into the main shopping area. I bypassed the office and went straight to the shopping centre to see Josie. When I walked in and she saw me, she rushed over and gave me a hug.

“Trixie, so wonderful to see you. I suppose that you’ve heard the news. I’ll be closing this store and retiring, with my assistants going to work with the new owners at their big store. It’s nearly lunch time, so hold on while I tell the girls where I’ll be, and I’ll buy you coffee and cake.”

She went and had a word with her assistants and then led me to the café. While we ate, she told me about Robert and his medical problems. The chance to sell out had been a real plus as far as he was concerned. She confirmed that it had been the success of the new catalogues, followed by the website, that had attracted the attention of the new owners. She would be compensated for the loss of her franchise, which would allow her to take a good rest.

I told her that she deserved it and that she had been a good friend while I was with the company. She wanted to know what I was doing now, so I told her that I had sold a few paintings but would be starting with a modelling career in a few weeks, and that I had somewhere to live in Tottenham. Before we parted, I gave her my mobile number should she need to get in touch. Then she went back to the shop, and I went to see Marilyn at the office.

I walked along the concourse to Above Bar Street. In the café where we would have lunch, there was a big group of girls finishing their drinks to go back to work. Among them was Marilyn. I walked over and when she saw me, she stood to give me a hug.

“Wait until the girls have gone back to the office and we’ll talk.”

I bought a coffee and sat down at her table as the others left. Marilyn had ordered another for herself and the girl that brought them over had been working there when I used to eat my lunch there.

“Trixie, so good to see you again. It must be a year or more since you were in that office.”

“Actually, I was going all over the country painting the murals in the shops.”

“You did that picture in Josie’s shop. It’s wonderful. How many did you do?”

“A bit over thirty, all told, up to Scotland with a new shop that only opened last year.”

When she had left the cups, we both sipped our drinks as Marilyn looked closely at me.

“So, just who is this confident girl that has replaced that shy boy I recruited?”

“I just evolved, Marilyn. With each new situation I seem to grow to tackle it. When I get back to London, I will be starting at a modelling agency with my first photo shoot being somewhere overseas. I have been painting like mad and delivered ten to a gallery in November. I live in a share house in Tottenham with three other girls. Two work in the city and the other is Janice, the daughter of Julie from the Hastings shop. She already works at the agency as a graphic artist but is slated to be on the shoot with me as well.”

“I’m glad that you have done so well for yourself, as well as being the driving force that has made Robert a very rich man. He isn’t well, though.”

“I saw him on the Zoom meeting at Hastings, before Christmas. He did look old before his time.”

“The stubborn man refused to get Covid vaccinations, declaring that he never went anywhere to catch it. Of course, he did get it, late in the third wave, and it’s taken its toll. He was in intensive care for a while and still has a lot of trouble breathing. Rita had taken all the shots and remained clear, so was running the company for that time. We didn’t let any of the owners or employees know about him at the time.”

“That must have been hard on you?”

“It did make me feel like a creep, but it all turned out for the best. With the sale, he will be able to move to a warmer climate and gain some weight. I would never have thought that the shy boy I first saw in Plymouth would have such an effect on the future.”

“Surely not me. What did I do to deserve that?”

“Trixie. You gave us a new direction. You gave us wonderful catalogues with creative ideas. You never complained as you developed the look of the website, and you never complained when we turned you into a girl for the pictures. Do you remember the first day you were in this café with Gloria, getting used to being seen as a pretty girl?”

“It took a lot more than that day to get used to it, I can tell you.”

“But you took it on board and made Trixie you, even to being physically altered.”

“I didn’t think that it showed.”

“Oh, yes. You were girly before, but you are now all woman, and have the aura of a successful woman about you. Did you do the deed while you were on holiday?”

“Yes. I saw a doctor in London while I was doing the two murals, and he referred me then. It wasn’t my best few weeks but has led to my best life. I have to thank Robert for sending me off to do those murals, they have given me a range of painting subjects that has improved my work. I’m quicker now but keep the detail in the pictures.”

“You can thank him, this afternoon. I told him that I would be seeing you.”

“That would be good. What about you and the office here?”

“I have been told that I will remain here in the office as the office manager. I won’t have to go off seeing the shops any longer, much to my husband’s relief. The office will remain as the centre for the entire group websites, seeing that we have equipped ourselves with all the latest equipment. Solon are happy with us being isolated from their central computers. Most of the girls will continue as before, but with a bigger budget and better pay. The only things that we will lose are the accounting and logistics roles, but the girls who have been doing that have been offered jobs with the new owners. They will have to relocate, but none of them are upset with that, seeing that they will be compensated for the move. As far as we’re concerned, it’s all for the better, thanks to you.”

“I’m truly humbled you think that way. It was all a group effort, as far as I could tell.”

“But it was you leading the group. By the way, I contacted Monica to tell her that you would be in town. She wants to see you if possible. I have her number here.”

She read out the mobile number and I added it to my list. I gave Monica a call and arranged for her to visit me at the Premier this evening for dinner.

“She sounded happy.”

“She has a good reason to be happy. She has regular work as a model and earns more than I do. I believe that she is moving to the big city this year. She’ll tell you about it when you see her. She is another who has you to thank for her success. The photos in the catalogues and that shoot the two of you did on the Isle of Wight were the stepping stones to what she is doing now.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll start to believe that I’m some kind of saint!”

“You are our angel, Trixie, but don’t you let it go to your head!”

We walked the well-remembered path to the office, where I was formally introduced to the rest of the girls, all wanting to give me a hug and thank me for starting the pathway to where they’ll all be better off. Then, Marilyn took me to her car and drove me north to where Robert and Rita lived. When we arrived, Rita rushed out and nearly knocked me down with the force of her hug.

“Trixie! I bet that you’ve got tired of everyone telling you how happy we all are that you came into our lives.”

“You’re right, Rita. I never thought that I had done much at all. I suppose that it was all a natural progression.”

“About as natural as you became Trixie! You were the one person who moved our company into the new century and laid the groundwork that brought us to the attention of the new owners. Come on in. Don’t tell Robert that he looks like an old man, he still doesn’t believe it, himself.”

She led us into the house. It didn’t look any different to how it looked the first time that Marilyn had taken me there, so long ago. Robert had a big smile on his face as he hugged me and kissed my cheek.

“Trixie, I’m so glad that you agreed to see us. I wouldn’t have been surprised if you hadn’t, seeing how we cut you adrift last year. I wasn’t myself at the time and there wasn’t any position for you to come back to.”

“That’s all right, Robert. I knew that things had changed. Even when I was last in the office, it was so different from what I had left. It wasn’t the same without Sally, Gloria, Judith and Monica. I felt like a stranger in a strange world. Being out doing the murals was a welcome distraction. It did improve my painting skills, so it proved to be a good learning curve. No hard feelings, so don’t feel guilty.”

“Come and sit, Rita will open a good bottle of wine and we four can talk. There is much for you to be told.”

We sat in his lounge and sipped on a very good red. I was asked about how I was going and related a short version of where I was living and the likely future. Robert gave me the inside details on how he had been approached by the new owners, and why they had wanted the group in their own stable. Rita got up and went somewhere, coming back with a manilla folder.

“Thank you, darling. Trixie and Marilyn, this is more than a thank you drink. The ink is now dry on the contracts, and I have received a considerable sum for the holding company. On top of the money, I was given a large number of shares. I have no need of them as Rita and I will be moving to a warmer climate and will have no time to be involved. As far as we’re concerned, we’re not part of the company any longer. You two were the foundation on which our success came to this. Marilyn, you were the rock in the office that kept things on track as it all evolved, so you are well deserving for what I’m giving you. Trixie, since you turned up here, with the ‘Girl with a Curl’ hook, you took the company into a whole new direction. You both deserve these.”

He opened the folder and took out two sheets of paper. He handed us one each. I looked at mine. It was simply a link to a website, with an account number and password. I looked up.

“What you have in your hands are links to a parcel of shares in your name. You two will be shareholders in Solon Brothers, as they are a publicly listed company. The parcels are big enough to be able to attend the Annual General Meetings. If you don’t want to hold on to them, you can sell, but hold off until they’ve lifted on the market. I’ve been told something about the future promotions, and I think that you’ll both find it entertaining.”

We both stood and took turns in giving them hugs, then Rita raised her glass and proposed a toast.

“To you two, who changed Hook and Hokem forever, and pulled us through the lockdowns with your creativity, skills, and dedication to the company. I salute you both!”

I was speechless. As was Marilyn. I then lifted my glass and proposed a toast of my own.

“To you two, who gave us the opportunity to do what we did, without telling us to mind our own business. And, to Gloria, Judith, Sally, and Monica, who did more than required to build the business and website, as well as being the best bunch of dress models in the game.”

We drank to that, and the meeting wound up with me folding my paper to add to my bag. After more hugs and kisses, we both wished our previous employers well and Marilyn took us back to Southampton. As we had with our first visit, we were quiet. I broke the silence.

“That was different!”

“You’re right with that. I never expected to be given a bonus. We may meet up at the big meetings.”

“That would be nice. I wonder how many shares we have.”

She dropped me off at the Premier, getting out of her car and giving me a big hug.

“So, my angel, this is more that I have to thank you for. Look after yourself and I’ll be in touch if I come up to London. I expect that, as the website office manager, I’ll need to visit the new head office.”

I waved her off as she drove away, then went up to my room after booking a table for two for dinner. I fired up my laptop and followed the link to the shares. I sat back as I looked at the screen. I now owned fifty thousand shares in the new owners. OK, each share was less than a pound a piece, but it was still a huge gift. Robert had given us a tip towards the future, without really saying so. I looked at my bank balance and saw that all of my paintings had sold before the end of the year. I could track each sale as the proceeds had been added to my account.

I took a while to think about things, then took a leap in the dark. Back on the company site, I wrote all the details on my bit of paper, then searched for a trading agent. There was one near the agency, so I rang them to open up an account. They took all my details and asked if I had any shares at the moment. I told them about my current holding and that I wanted to buy another twenty thousand pounds worth. Before the call was finished, they had sent me an email with my new purchase, with an invoice for the sale plus their fees. I went back to my banking and transferred the whole amount.

After that, I had a short nap, then made ready to host Monica for dinner. We were both models, and I knew that she would look the part. I took a lot of care before I was happy with my looks, and then went down to the bar to sit with a drink. When she arrived, I saw that the intervening time had made her confident and even more beautiful than the time we spent modelling in the past.

Marianne Gregory © 2024