I Look To You
Judging a person does not define who they are; it defines who you are.
Sam Evans was the man of the moment, everyone who was anyone wanted him on their radar, he'd been one of the few male models that had burst through the female dominated stereotypes and made a well-deserved name for himself. Sam wasn't just about looks though, he was the whole package, charming, cute, thoughtful, and honourable, he was renowned for his dedication to both his career and his reputation
As you'd imagine his name had been attached to many famous woman, some who genuinely liked him but many who just wanted a boost for their own careers, but through the minefield of relationships he'd acted in the best interest of the other person in every event, gaining him respect from all who knew and or followed him.
Two years of being a gentleman and he finally got his own label going he was killing it, advertising on social media as well as a weekly one hour spot on the infamous QNN shopping channel, which he'd committed to appearing on to thank his fans for their support. So, every Tuesday night at around 11pm he'd pop up on their screens selling them some new item that was destined to bring in the money
It was Friday today and just like every other Friday, he was ready to present some of the more up market pieces to their sellers, the models were regulars and knew what he expected, the set was ready, and it was a few minutes before they went live on air
"Good.. I mean break a leg" she smiled at him, kissing his forehead, and she was gone, wondering off to be inconspicuous around the models. She stood in the corner smiling at the silk running down their arms as the garments fit them like gloves agreeing and disagreeing with the looks, forcing herself not to speak
"What the hell is she doing in here?" she heard one of the girls hiss, she closed her eyes and moved back out of sight as quickly as she could watching the model she knew to be Rachel look at Quinn as they stood in the changing room getting ready for the weekly fashion show
"Obviously she knows a man who knows a man" Quinn laughed
"Don't just stand there get me my shoes" Brittany shouted at the woman, watching her move from behind the wall to do as she'd been asked, Brittany looked at Santana amused that the woman didn't seem to put up much resistance. All four of them stood watching her walk to the back of the dressing room, waiting to pounce, and letting our a hollow breath when she picked up the correct pair of shoes "Thank you" Brittany huffed at not having anything to shout at her for
"Who is she?" Rachel whispered in Quinn's ear watching the woman walk away
"I don't know" Quinn snapped putting her shoes on
"I thought we had enough help around here" Santana snapped "This place already feels like a shoe box" she stood with Brittany leaning against her to put her shoe on
"Ready" Brittany stood up and checked her shoe "Jesus she' still watching" she awkwardly glanced across at her
"Creepy" Santana remarked
"Come on let's get to work" Quinn suggested walking towards the stage, the woman stood watching them perform before the fashion show started but disappeared before the end
"Party?" Santana asked when they finally finished changing
"Of course," Rachel laughed, the night wasn't ending if they didn't fall into bed in a drunken mess, Quinn and Rachel linked pinkie fingers while Santana and Brittany linked arms as usual and all four left for the usual spot
1 Week Later
"Look, it's that woman again" Rachel spotted her standing in the corner of the room, tucked out the way again, watching everything that was going on "I wonder…" she looked at the others "Do you think she might be a designer or something?"
"Am I the only one seeing her outfit?" Quinn laughed
"No" Brittany giggled "But, sometimes the best designers never get time for themselves"
"It's more likely she's looking for ideas to steal, do you think we should tell someone she's hanging about?" Santana asked
"Like whom?" Rachel asked
"I don't know" Santana looked at her puzzled "Maybe if we see her again we tell"
"Okay" Brittany nodded "Party after this?"
"Fucking straight, I hear Sam's actually going to make it to this one" Marley popped into their conversation
"I bet he doesn't" Rachel called after her already walking away from them
"He's been a bit… standoffish of late don't you think?" Brittany asked wondering what she meant by that
"A bit?" Quinn stopped to think about that too "A few weeks ago he'd have been in here eying up what he didn't want, he hasn't been to see us for nearly a week now… do you think he's turned?"
"No" Rachel laughed "Definitely not, he's not about to join our party"
"I still think it's unhealthy, his lifestyle I mean" Santana shook her head
"If he wants to watch x rated movie and jack off without the world knowing it's nobody's business but his" Brittany announced flippantly
"Hey Marley" Quinn called her back over to join them "Have you noticed that woman?" she pointed at the woman stood watching them
"Much like you I don't to the hiring and firing, I don't get paid to stand around speculating" Marley looked at the woman
"What's up?" Kitty came up behind her wife asking
"They're wondering who that woman is" Marley told her pointing at the woman looking at some of the items being prepared for showing tonight
"I heard she was a friend of Kurt's" Kitty told them
"Makes sense" Rachel nodded
"How?" Quinn asked her girlfriend puzzled
"I can see him being friends with someone like that" she shrugged her shoulders "That's all"
"Time ladies, get into your space, and remember only three minutes for change over tonight, Sam wants a spot at the end for some announcement" Kurt popped his head in the door, smiling at the strange woman before his head was gone
"See" Santana told them, everyone having just witnessed the greeting exchanged between the two
"I wonder how one becomes a friend of Kurt Hummel's?" Rachel asked
"Come on let's get into position" Brittany lead them through
"Got the song right?" Kitty smiled getting into position
"When are we going to move away from these little mix re-do's?" Santana asked
"When they actually stop singing" Kitty informed her laughing
"Ready?" Kurt asked starting the music to 'Love (Sweet Love)' by Little Mix and they stood singing in the start of the fashion show
Santana: I've been waiting patiently like all my life, yeah, nobody ever seems to get it right
Quinn: It's like I'm the only one who knows just what I like, what can I say? I just can't help it, tonight I'm feeling selfish (Oh)
Kitty: What I do shouldn't phase you, no it's just human nature, yeah, do I invalidate you? I don't need your love to love me (Oh)
Marley: Need my own celebration, yeah, solo stimulation, yeah, Kiss my imagination, I don't need your love to love me
All Rachel: I been spending time on everybody else It's time I did it for me (Love, sweet love) Oh, baby
Never kept my magic all to myself, so now I'm gon' give it to me when it's said and done I'm going to show me some
Love, sweet love I'm gon' give it to me, give me some of that Love, sweet love Yeah, I'm going to give it to me, give me some of that
Love, sweet love yeah, I'm gon' give it to me, give me some of that Love, sweet love (Yeah) I'm going to show me some (Ah!)
The women left the song and started their walk while the music carried on playing without the words they were working
Sam stood on the side lines waiting for his cue, Kurt nodded him in and the show started, tonight they had thirty pieces to show and they all needed to be on the shelves by the beginning of play in the morning. The show ended with his announcement of forty lines next week followed by the usual group photo, having sold twenty nine of the thirty lines, he was satisfied and happy,
"Party tonight Sam?" Rachel asked being her usual nosy self
"I'll pass on that one, I've got a busy day tomorrow"
"Busier than usual?" Quinn asked
"Actually yes" he smiled "I've got to make sure these orders go out on time and get Penny to look at the design that didn't get through, see if we can do something with it for next week, I've already got orders on the protocol"
"I thought that was what Artie and Blaine were for?" Brittany stopped to ask
"As part of my team, yes" he smiled "But you don't have to bother yourselves with the detail" Sam assured them, walking as he talked "I'll see you ladies next Friday, enjoy your week"
"Not if we see you first" Santana laughed "Don't you think he's acting strange" she turned to Quinn, and the others commenting "Hey" she called after Kurt sneaking past them "Hold up" she waved for him to come closer
"What?" he snapped not happy with the conversation already
"That strange woman behind the scenes, who is she?"
"What strange woman?" Kurt looked around "I don't see any strange women, unless you count…"
"Don't even go there" Santana waved her finger at him
"Come on, we heard she was your friend" Brittany added "So, what gives?"
"I was just told she'd be around, I get her a drink occasionally, and make sure her transport is on spot, that's it"
"Name?" Rachel snapped
"Never asked" Kurt replied
"Never thought to ask?" Quinn asked suspiciously
"Or she's never offered her name?" Santana asked, even more suspiciously
"Look" Kurt snapped "It's none of my business, which means it's not yours either" walking away to avoid further questioning
1 Week Later
"Has anybody asked yet?" Sam looked at the woman in his dressing room
"Not yet, there have been eyes, and some have even asked me to pass things, but nothing"
"I can't keep this up for much longer, try ordering them about a bit tonight, not outright but just suggestions and see how they take that"
"They are going to be so pissed about being managed" she laughed
"I've made my mind up"
"You're the boss" she kissed him on the forehead "Break a leg" she walked out the room
"She's back" Brittany mouthed at Rachel watching the woman walk into the dressing room, all six watching as she walked around feeing the materials, and talking to herself
"Kurt" she called across the room, the women stood frozen watching to see if she was really going to mess with Sam's set minutes before the go "Could you put this before this one" she moved some hangers around "And would it be possible for Brittany to wear number fourteen instead of Rachel?"
"Has that been passed Miss?"
"I'm passing it Kurt" she stopped his question without adding to his obvious enquiry
"Yes Miss" he smiled checking the rail before looking at the shocked faces focused on him, all he could do was shrug his shoulders as he walked over to them to explain the changes
"Who the hell is she?" Quinn asked
"I really have no idea; all I know is that she changed the line, and she wants you to do item fourteen Britt"
"So, I get just a minute between change twelve and fifteen?" Quinn snapped
"That's not fair" Brittany huffed
"What else did she change?" Santana asked looking like she was ready to argue the point with the woman
"That was it" Kurt told them
"So, we're still doing the song?" Kitty asked looking worried
"Sam himself would have to come down and stop that" Marley smiled at her wife
"Sure" Kurt rolled his eyes at their perception of their importance "Now come on, you've got three minutes to go" he rushed them on, waving his pen as he walked away looking at the notebook in his hand
"And I guess it doesn't even matter how I feel about the change?" Rachel watched him walking away from them asking
They straightened clothes and hair stood while getting their final touch ups and then found their spot on the cat walk ready for the song of the evening
"Ready?" Kurt asked starting the music to 'Between Us' by Little Mix they stood singing in the start of the fashion show
Quinn: When the curtains close and all of the lights go down, safe to say I'll stay, I will always stick around
Marley: And I will fix your crown, and if you're knocked, I'm your rock, I won't stop you will never be in doubt In doubt
Kitty: Like damn, we got history shared every misery lived every victory
Brittany: Yeah, we got synergy if they hurt you, they hurting me that's just the way it be
Santana: We walked through the fire and as the flames got higher it made us survivors, yeah, it made us fighters fighter.
Rachel: So here's my vow starting from here and now, nothing comes between us, nothing comes between us
All: I swear that we won't lose this thing we found, cause love will never leave us, nothing comes between us, between us
Once again the women left the song and started their walk down the strip while the music carried on playing without the words while they worked. There was a few seconds delay for changeover from Brittany, but the crowd didn't catch it and the others covered her well. Again, when they finished the mystery woman had disappeared and Sam wasn't going out with them yet again
"I think they're linked" Santana announced
"Who?" Quinn asked holding onto Rachel's arm for how high the heel on her change of shoes were
"Sam and the mystery woman" Brittany filled her in
"How would they be linked?" Rachel laughed at the idea
"Opposites attract and all that" Kitty suggested
"Come on" Rachel laughed "He's given her a job, maybe she's head of wardrobe, think about it, why else would she be able to shift things around and him not say anything?"
"Well, all I can say is she must be giving him some serious head to get that close to his baby" Santana added making everyone laugh
"You know what, cut all the bull crap, if she's here next week I'm just going to come straight out and ask her who the hell she is" Quinn announced
"So, you don't want your job?" Marley asked
"I'm going to be nice about it" Quinn smiled at her, they quickly changed off and went about their night of party
1 Week Later
"Are you going to tell them today?" she sat in his chair watching him moving around his dressing room
"I might" he grinned
"Stop playing Sam, I know they're dying to say something to me and I'm not going to lie, so you can, or I will"
"Okay" he laughed "I'll tell them after the show"
"Before the show" she squinted her eyes at him "And I'm going to make a three minute gap at the end of the show for you to do the public announcement, is that alright?"
"I said you'd have control of this part of the business, and I meant it, this side of the brand is finally going to have your face and name all over it, you design most of it now anyway"
"And I know initially I agreed that you'd be the front face, but I need to get more involved" she huffed "It's frustrating seeing them just doing what the hell they want with my pieces"
"I know" he walked up to stand behind her "Do you think the forty pieces were too much?"
"No" she laughed "Maybe we just need more girls"
"Definitely your decision" he laughed bending to kiss her neck "Let's do this" he held his hand out for her to grab, they walked into the changing room most of the women fully dressed ready for the walk Everyone" Sam stopped all the movements going "I have an announcement"
"Told you" Santana nudged Brittany, sharing a victorious look with Quinn and Rachel
"I just want to introduce you all to Mercy" he looked at her smiling beside him "She's going to be managing this section of the business from now on, call it a chain if you might" he laughed "Anything else?" he asked her
"Sam" she shook his arm nervously giggling "I guess that will do for now" she looked at everyone else "I'm cutting half a minute off some of the walks tonight because I need a few minutes at the end" she smiled "Thank you" she frowned at Sam squeezing her hand "Oh" her eyes widened "And break a leg" she walked off "Oh yeah, one other thing" she turned back to look at the woman "Please stop with the Little Mix revamps, if there's nothing better let a track play, my pieces deserve to be introduced by Celine, Whitney, or Ariana"
"Did she just…" Kitty stood with her mouth open unable to believe what had just been said
"Diss us, I guess she fucking did" Brittany hissed
"How dare she…" Quinn stood watching her walk away
"This is trouble" Marley shook her head in despair
"You heard the boss" Kurt snapped at them "Find a new song or forget it"
"Another song?" Santana looked at Kitty "Are we ready to give up the singing?"
"If we can't sing Little Mix what's the point?" Kitty huffed
"She want's Celine I can do Celine" Rachel nodded "Just back me up"
"I can sing Celine" Santana huffed at her
"This better be good" Kurt warned them
"It's going to be as good as no practice makes it" Marley told him
"My girl can do anything on the fly" Quinn tapped Rachel's nose playfully "Kill it" she kissed her quickly
"Let's do this" Santana walked out on stage; the others followed, she told Kurt what to play and struck her pose like everyone else
"Ready?" Kurt asked starting the music to 'Alive' by Celine Dion and they stood singing in the start of the fashion show
Santana: Mm, Mm, Rachel: I get wings to fly oh, oh I'm alive, Quinn: yeah
Rachel: When you call on me, when I hear you breathe, I get wings to fly I feel that I'm alive
Santana: When you look at me, I can touch the sky I know that I'm alive oh
Quinn & Brittany: When you bless the day I just drift away, all my worries die I'm glad that I'm alive
Marley: You've set my heart on fire, filled me with love, made me a woman, on clouds above
Kitty & Santana: I couldn't get much higher, my spirit takes flight, cause I am alive
All Rachel: When you call on me When you call on me When I hear you breathe When I hear you breathe
I get wings to fly I feel that I'm alive I am alive
Once again the women left the song and started their walk down the strip while the music carried on playing without the words while they worked. They were rushing around again to fit the times but that was something they were getting used to. That Mercy woman was having a lot more to do with the sow tonight, she was changing things on the hop and in truth the girls could only agree with most of her changes. This time when they finished the woman, now known as Mercy to everyone, didn't disappear she actually came out on stage with Sam
"Thank you" Sam stood with this Mercy woman by his side taking in the applause "Thank you" he used his hands to quieten the crowd, knowing they really did have something to celebrate, they'd managed to push all forty lines tonight a first for and fitting considering the announcement "We have an announcement" he called out quietening the crowd
" is expanding" he smiled "I'm taking on a bit too much with all this running around I'm doing, or so I've been told" he laughed "And so as with immediate effect this line will be managed by my favourite assistant Mercy, who just happens to be the lady behind all the designs, she's recently decided to stop being a silent partner and head up her work" he laughed "So Ladies, Gentlemen and all those considering themselves as something else" he acknowledged "May I present Mercy, the person behind the new brand"
There were lots of gasps in the crowd, women giving daggers across the room at Mercy getting so close to the most eligible bachelor in the business, plus this wasn't like him to share his spotlight, but the resounding applause from his true well-wishers proved he'd made the right choice, they loved her work already, he should have known it wasn't going to take much for them to love her.
"Thank you" Mercy smiled, taking the praise from someone other than Sam for a change felt good
"So, what will the new line be called Mercy?" one of their best buyer of the night asked
"Well…"
"Excuse me" Sam butted in addressing the crowd again
"Sam" she warned
"Sorry" he smiled for interrupting
"We don't plan on any big changes for a while" Mercy smiled "Except we're adding an extra fifteen minutes to the show next week, so maybe some new models will be joining the line" she smiled at the man asking the question
"Did you hear that?" Santana hissed at Rachel
"Did she say they're replacing us?" Quinn asked Marley
"I don't think…" Marley stood puzzled trying to make sense of the conversation
"No, I don't think she did" Brittany told everyone "I think she's adding more"
"In that damn box of a changing room?" Kitty asked
"Shush" Kurt hissed reminding them they were still visible to the clients
That night the girls went to their usual haunt, but the conversation wasn't around the usual events of the night, they were all very focused on the changes that would be coming, their jobs were at risk, there was insecurity in the camp.
1 Week Later
"Ladies" Mercy rocked into the changing room more than an hour earlier than they were used to seeing Kurt "I just wanted to have a word and introduce you to some new members of the team" she smiled. They stood watching two women and a man of colour walk into the tiny changing room, looking at each other unsure whether to smile or frown. "This is Jane, Unique and Jake" she pointed at them as she said their names "As you can guess there's going to be an urban strand to the show tonight"
"How are we all going to fit in here?" Santana asked
"There's a much bigger space across the hall for you ladies" Mercy smiled at them "And Unique" she looked at the new model "And Jake will be in here, I'm having wardrobe rearrange as we speak"
"Is it that much bigger?" Quinn asked looking at the eight people that were expected to fit into the room
"It's big enough for you all to have your own sections, stylists, dressers, must I go on?" Mercy smiled
"No" Rachel gasped excitedly
"Ladies" Sam walked into the changing room smiling before his eyes fell on Mercy "I know we said we wouldn't but.." his eyes saying sorry "These people are like family"
"What's happened?" Brittany asked
"Well…" he looked at the girls stood in front of them smiling "We became partners in more ways than one just over a month ago, after a very long engagement, five years to be exact" he hugged Mercy "So in answer to Mr Hudson's question last week we'll most definitely still be " he laughed
"Congratulations" the girls shouted laughing as the clapped the happy couple
"I told you there was something about her" Santana hissed grinning
"So that's why he's never been interested in other women" Rachel whispered to Brittany
"What was that you said Quinn?" Brittany looked at her smiling
"I guess I was wrong, serves me right for judging, I feel bad now" Quinn frowned
"So, you should" Kurt sneaked up behind them whispering in her ear
"You knew" Kitty snapped at him
"You should have told me" Rachel hissed at him "I look to you for all my information"
"Sworn to secrecy" Kurt smiled
"Oh" Sam held his hand up "Party tonight, on us if you guys pull this show off"
"Easy" Kitty laughed
"Did I say there were just over seventy five lines tonight?" Mercy added "And no extra time"