“Attagirl.” Her father wrapped his arm around her. “We’ll get through this together.”
She settled into the idea. The more she pondered it, the more her father’s wedding ring glinted on his finger, as if telling her that yes, her feelings toward Derek were okay. That she could trust how she felt toward him. A sense of relief overcame her. Maya needn’t fear.
And so she wouldn’t.
Chapter Fourteen
A few days later, Maya stood back and admired the gown she had tweaked for Heather’s wedding. The dress was close to complete, and Maya could tell she had outdone herself. Maya couldn’t wait for Heather to arrive at the bridal boutique today and try it on. Hopefully, she’d love it just as much as Maya did.
Maya had been nervous at first because she couldn’t envision Heather’s gown. Then Maya read about how Heather’s great-grandmother loved the color purple because it reminded her of her own mother, her mother who was Black, but no one knew at the time. After gathering that bit of information, Heather’s dress became clear. Maya then quickly picked out a gown from her inventory. The gown was made of handwoven Filipino silk in the suksuk design. It was a weaving technique that originated in the Philippines centuries ago, a dying craft today, but Maya’s mother had taught her the process. She also showed Maya where to order the silk and get it shipped to the States.
Maya had sketched out tweaks to this existing gown before they left her thoughts. The fabric would be ruched from top to bottom and extend into a flowing train. Maya would add some cowrie shells to the shoulder straps. Heather had given her the shells, which had belonged to her great-grandmother. The shells signified prosperity and wealth, which every new couple could use in their life.
Well . . . not every new couple. Heather already had financial wealth since she was the governor’s daughter, but there was another kind of affluence that Heather didn’t fully have—the wealth of knowing her full family tree. Would Heather’s Black family members want to even be connected to Heather’s family, given their riddled history? Who knew?
The train of the gown would be embroidered in flowers colored with purple, Heather’s great-grandmother’s favorite color. For the flowers, Maya would use piña thread and jusi fabric, as the Filipino bordadoras did.
Maya’s body had tingled as she sketched the design tweaks. That’s when she knew it was a winner.
Maya never got tingly feelings when she worked for Laura. That could be another sign that her creativity wasn’t being put to good use there, but she didn’t want to consider the implications of all that right now.
The door to the boutique opened. Maya shot up from her stool, expecting to greet Heather. After fixing her curly hair, Maya squinted and her heart skipped. Derek entered the boutique and looked as handsome as ever. This time she didn’t push away the thought of his attractiveness. She let it roll around inside of her, causing her to smile.
“I thought you were taking off from work this week. What brings you here?” She leaned against the doorjamb, arms folded across her chest, trying to appear casual.
“I want to talk,” Derek said. His expression was focused.
A rush of heat danced down her neck. He sounded serious and not in a good way. After two deep conversations with her father, she’d hoped that she hadn’t made the wrong decision, the decision to let herself feel her feelings toward Derek. “Sure.” She stepped aside and motioned to Heather’s dress. “Heather is supposed to arrive today for her dress fitting. Any minute now, actually.”
His gaze flickered. “Okay, no problem. We can talk when she’s finished with her fitting.” Derek glanced at the gown. “That’s stunning, Maya.”
His compliment refreshed places in her soul she didn’t know existed. “Thank you.”
More customers trickled into the shop. “Can I help you?” Maya asked.
“No,” the ebony-skinned woman said. “We’re just look—whoa, that dress is amazing.” She pointed to Maya’s design.
Maya smiled. Folks were taking to her work. “Thank you. This dress is for a client, but I have others like it.” She pointed to the dress rack with her most recent gowns.
Seconds later, Heather finally arrived, and Maya got her set up in the dressing room. Derek sat at the front counter, apparently waiting for Maya to get some downtime. What did he want to discuss that was so urgent?
Maya pushed the question out of her brain. No need to worry over that. Heather was here and Maya needed to make sure Heather was good.
Heather stepped out of the dressing room wearing the gown, and Maya’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, you look amazing.”
Heather smiled. “All because of you. This is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to wear it in four and a half weeks.”
The other customers circled around Heather, their eyes filled with admiration over the dress. “Looks even better when it’s worn,” one customer said. “Such a unique style.”
Maya was smiling so much her cheeks hurt, and then she made eye contact with Derek. He winked at Maya, and her body warmed.
“You know, people were asking us where we’re registered for gifts,” Heather said. “I told them to just make donations to New Life Church’s Black History Society. Preserving my great-grandmother’s history is more important to me.” She twirled in front of the full-length mirror and the gown made soft swishing sounds.
“I love that idea, Heather. I hope you raise plenty of money.”
“Me too. I want to direct some of the funds to the Black history museum too. I heard people want to close it down.”
It was satisfying to see Heather connecting to all of her roots, and Maya had played a small part in that. Perhaps Cat Clyne would be interested in featuring the church’s fund-raising efforts. It could increase donations to the Black History Society and the museum. Maya made a mental note to mention it to Cat.
“I better get going. I have a big day ahead of me. Have to go to the baker and the florist.” Heather opened the door to the dressing room and stepped inside. “The bridesmaids will be here in a few hours to try on their dresses.”
“Sounds good. When you’re finished getting dressed, you can hang the gown on the rack behind the register. I’ll put it up safely.”
After Heather left, Maya scanned the dressing room area for any signs of disarray. Other customers had left some dresses scattered on the settee. A shawl hung on the back of a chair. A flush of heat came over her. This place looks so messy. “So much upkeep around here. So much mess.” She quickly picked up both items.
“What mess?” Derek asked, heading her way.
“Never mind.” She neatly hung the dresses and folded the shawl into a perfect triangle. A stray spool of fabric ribbon was strewn across the carpeted floor too. She picked it up and shoved it in a drawer. Derek’s presence made her feel super self-conscious about everything.
“You’ve been pretty busy making gowns,” Derek said. “All of your help with the boutique has been paying off too. I sold out of some of the other dresses and had to place a new order for inventory.”
“Not only did you catch up on the mortgage, you’re heading into the black. That’s great.”
“You’re great,” Derek said.
That uncomfortable feeling came over Maya again. She headed to the front register and Derek followed. Saturday’s business mail lay jumbled on the counter, so she performed another search-and-attack mission.
“Did you receive an invitation to Heather’s wedding?” Derek asked.
“I did. Did you?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’m really proud of all you’ve done here.”
Another flush of heat. “I worked long hours on Heather’s dress. Hence the poor store upkeep today.” She gestured to the sales floor.
He regarded the space. “Looks decent to me.”
The customers left the store, and it was now empty. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. They stared at each other for an eternity. Say something, Maya. “Are you thirsty? I restocked the brea
k room fridge with some sweet tea I brewed and brought to the shop with me.”
“Sure.” That cute dimple reappeared on his chin as he pulled off his jacket and folded it over his arm.
Maya and Derek headed to the rear of the store. She sensed his presence inches behind her, and her skin tingled. Derek had a way about him that made Maya feel all types of things. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
When they passed by the accessories table, Derek stopped. “Is that another gown of yours?”
Maya nodded.
“Very stunning.”
She couldn’t help but smile. That didn’t stop her from worrying about his reasons for coming to the store today, however.
They entered the break room and Maya grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with iced tea. She handed him a glass and sat at the white-tiled table.
Derek followed, pulling out a chair. “How’s your dad?”
If Derek had something serious to say, he was stalling. Derek could’ve just said his piece straightaway. “Doing great. He and Ginger are getting closer and closer. They’re out getting brunch today.” She pulled a paper napkin from its holder. Worry settled in. “What did you want to discuss?”
Derek’s line of sight traveled from his glass to her. All her intentions to focus on the store and the final details of Heather’s dress disappeared with Derek standing before her.
After a pause, he drummed his fingers on the table. “I spent some time thinking about everything. When I returned home from our date at the garden . . .”
Maya braced herself. “Yeah?”
Sighing, he tugged on his ear and rested his elbows on the table.
Her stomach flipped, and she bit her bottom lip. What was he going to say?
“I want to go on a second date. Perhaps a third and a fourth. I really like you, Maya. I’d like to see where you and I can land.”
Relief washed over her, and Maya stopped biting her lip. “You do?”
“Definitely. Most assuredly yes.”
His words carved an open space in her soul, dissolving her fears into a sea of forgetfulness. Then doubt arose again just as swiftly. “I’m returning home in a little over a month. Is this even feasible?”
“It can be.” Derek nodded a yes. “It definitely can be. I’ve thought about that part too. I was thinking that I could close the shop one weekend a month and fly up to see you. Jamila would come along too.”
“Really?”
“Jamila has had a huge change of heart toward you. She’d love to visit the Big Apple, if you’d like to see her too.”
“I’d love to see Jamila. It’s just . . .”
“Just what?”
“So much stuff can happen, especially with the distance between us,” Maya said. “You know that my sickle cell will require a lot, and so I won’t be able to be the happy hostess all the time. Especially when I get my transfusions.”
“I fully understand. I’m willing to help you with whatever you need. I also want us to build on the other night. That’s important to me. Is it important to you?”
Was it important to her? Her attention would be divided if she returned home and pursued a long-distance relationship with Derek. She needed as much time as possible to focus on her work too. Would Derek understand that?
He didn’t seem like the controlling type. After spending so much time with Derek, she saw that clearly now. She could sacrifice a working weekend for him and Jamila. “Yes, it’s important to me too.”
“That makes me happy, Maya. You know, I’ve been going back to New Life regularly again.”
“You have?”
“I talked to my pastor about you and the whole long-distance-relationship thing.”
Talked to the pastor? Hoo boy. That sounded serious. She twisted her mouth. “We’re just dating, right?”
“Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I wasn’t talking to the pastor in that way.”
“That way” meaning in a marriage way. Maya didn’t say anything.
“I was just telling him that I was thinking of dating someone again, and he encouraged me to keep moving forward with it. To not be afraid of new beginnings.”
Pops mentioned new beginnings too. She could try starting anew. Maya could move on from the ugliness of the past and learn to be in a relationship again. “New beginnings, huh?”
“Yes. Instead of looking at the end of something. I can look on with hope at the unknown. At least that’s how he phrased it. I liked that perspective.”
Maya nodded. “I like it too.”
The quiet hum of the air conditioner in the background rocked its steady beat. Maya then sat closer to him, so close she could see the subtle rise and fall of his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Was this what it felt like to be content? Must be. She relished the feeling.
“I wanted to give you some time to finish up your projects with Heather and Jamila,” Derek said. “So I figure that our next date can be Heather’s wedding in a few weeks. What do you think?”
Another wave of contentment washed over her. “That sounds perfect.”
The day of the big wedding for Heather Gates. Sunlight warmed Maya’s back as she and Derek arrived fifteen minutes early at the governor’s mansion in Columbia, South Carolina. They drove to the wedding together since it was almost a two-hour drive from Charleston.
As soon as they arrived at the beautiful property with its expansive lawn and willow trees, nervousness overcame Maya. This wedding would make or break her design efforts. If Maya’s style wasn’t well received, she might as well call it quits. She fidgeted with her clutch and bit on her lower lip.
“Enjoy yourself,” Derek said. “This is a day for you to relax.”
“I can’t,” she said.
“You can try.”
Maya would have to remind herself to relax over and over again. Although she was a guest here at the wedding, there was more to being a guest than met the eye. Heather was wearing her dress, and almost every person in South Carolina’s “high society” would see it. Not only that, Cat Clyne was covering the wedding, or, more specifically, the wedding dress.
“Come on,” Derek said. “Let’s get to the ceremony before we’re late.”
Maya and Derek walked up the wide steps leading to the foyer of the mansion, and he gently grasped her hand. She let herself be held by him, and a warmth settled over her. Being next to him was divine.
“You still look nervous,” Derek said, glancing at her as they headed toward the mansion’s entrance.
“I am nervous. Everyone is going to see that dress today, and I don’t know how to feel about that. What if folks hate it? What if Cat hates it?” Maya groaned. “Then my career will be over.”
“You’re worrying too much. That dress is gorgeous, just like its maker. Remember that Heather’s opinion is the most important. And she loves it.” He smiled and gently tilted her chin. Their eyes met, and he kissed her on the lips.
The tension in her shoulders relaxed and faded away. Maya returned his kiss, gentle yet strong and assured. Then she stepped away. “We should get inside the mansion. I don’t know about PDA in such a fancy place.”
He laughed. “If you say so.”
They stepped inside, and the place was filled with guests. Faces of politicians and folks whom she’d seen on the news or heard mentioned in conversation among the people of Charleston. Even some media folks from the local news were present, ready to cover the wedding. That nervousness returned. All these important people here meant a bigger opportunity for failure. If they didn’t like her dress, then talk of it would ripple over into every corner of South Carolina and beyond.
Why’d she think making this dress for a high-profile person like Heather was a good idea? Why? Why? Why?
Someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hey, Maya.”
Cat. Maya’s heartbeat skipped, and she turned. Cat looked über-fashionable in her designer navy wrap dress with a band of gold a
long each side. She wore her trademark red streak in her dark bob.
“Cat!” Maya said. “So great to see you here.”
“I love this mansion. Nice digs.”
Cat looked around with a scrutinizing eye, and Maya’s heart rate ramped slightly. She hated feeling on edge.
“Have you seen the bride yet?” Cat asked.
That meant Have you seen the bride in her dress? “No, I haven’t.”
Cat took out her tablet from her small messenger bag, ready to write up her preliminary assessment of the place. That could be good or bad.
Oh Lord. Maya’s mind ran through all the decisions she’d made about the dress, and with that came all her second-guesses and doubts. Did she do the right thing by incorporating the cowrie shells as part of the shoulder straps? Would Cat think this dress was too colorful with the purple embroidery on the bodice? Should she have made the embroidery a part of the waistband instead? Would it look too in-your-face?
There she went, doubting herself again. I made my choices, and I’ll stand by them, no matter the result.
Just because she stood by her decisions didn’t mean Cat would like them. Cat’s incisive fashion reviews had trashed many a fashion designer’s career before. If Maya got a bad review, then that would be it. She could forget about trying to make a name for herself before dying. Laura would probably fire her too.
Think positive. Think positive. Maya took her seat next to Derek, and he held her hand again. She relaxed into the gesture.
“I saw you talking to Cat just now. You looked worried,” he said.
“I am.” She exhaled.
Before he could say anything else, the violinist played a solo, and the crowd hushed to a quiet.
Maya glanced behind her and smiled as the wedding party made their slow processional. The bridesmaids wore A-line dresses in the same shade of purple as was accented on Heather’s gown. With each person who arrived, Maya grew more and more nervous. This was it. Everyone in this room would see Heather’s dress soon. Maya resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut.
What would her mother think if she saw Maya now?
A Lowcountry Bride Page 17
