Christmas Dreams

By

Christine A. Verstraete

Thaddeus Burns sighed as stitched the hem on another pair of ugly pinstripe pants. Two suit jackets in equally dull gray wool waited to be cut, sewn and pressed.

It was a good trade. He was proud to work with his hands, but truth be told, it was boring. If he had to measure one more stout man or hem one more pair of pants, he'd scream.

Sure, he made a decent living; well, he used to. Now he seemed to just get by. The big name designers and the racks of badly made imports at the department store had seen to that. There was no middle ground for tailors like him who made good, but average, clothing.

Thaddeus wasn't sure what to do, but he could still dream. Between stitches, he envisioned an array of magical gowns flying from his fingertips. He imagined the most beautiful women, the ones who never gave him a second glance in real life, flocking to his small shop. He dared even see himself married to one of those lovely ladies.

The tailor rubbed his eyes and cursed. Darn, he'd nodded off again. He rose from his cramped position behind the worktable and stumbled over a sparkling mannequin clad with the richest silks. Amazed, he stared at the piles of luscious fabrics, from shimmering velvets to glittering satins in a rainbow of colors.

Could it be possible?

He'd ignored the promises made by the new landlord as a lot of hooey. Thaddeus had scoffed silently as the man bragged about bringing in a new line of fabrics and upgrading the dingy store into a place that the rich and the Hollywood elite would flock to.

Thaddeus blinked, wondering how it could've happened so fast. But, no matter. The how wasn't important, he thought, as he shrugged into a new red velvet smoking jacket.

He planned his next move as he strolled to the front of the store. He'd have to hire some staff; he'd need seamstresses to keep up with the demand for the amazing Christmas gowns he planned to design.

Smiling wide, Thaddeus glanced again at the lease he'd signed with his new landlord, Mr. Beelzebub, shoved it in his pocket, and went to welcome the hordes of beautiful women waiting for him at the front door.

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Bio: Christine Verstraete's short stories have been published in Flashshot and Mouth Full of Bullets. Her young adult mystery, Searching For A Starry Night, will be published in spring '08 by Quake/Echelon Press. See what else she's up to at http://cverstraete.com.