Page 36 of It's a Widow Thing

Sabrina and Michael strolled through the first floor, which was busy with party guests mingling and lining up at one of several bars. A gallery of artist’s renderings of what the Echo Beauty space would eventually look like were displayed on the walls.

“I can’t even believe how beautiful it’s going to look,” Sabrina said. “I’m going to be finding every reason imaginable to sneak up here.”

“I’m just thinking about the money they’re going to be printing. This place is going to be raking it in.”

“Exactly. I still need to work through the projections, but it could easily double my business. Or more.”

“Are you ready for that?” Michael asked.

“I don’t really have a choice, right? I’ve signed the agreement. We’re doing this, whether I’m fully ready or not.”

“My mom always says that if you’re presented with an opportunity that inspires you, you should always say yes, even if you aren’t totally sure how you’re going to do it. You can always figure it out as you go.”

Sabrina mulled that over as they looked at another set of drawings. That advice could easily apply to Michael’s invitation to spend a night with his parents, which she still hadn’t given him an answer for. Was she completely ready for that much familial scrutiny? No. But would she ever be 100% ready? No. Sometimes, you just had to leap. “Your mom sounds like a very smart woman.”

“She is.”

“Come on. Let’s go check out upstairs.”

They rode the escalator up to the second floor, where there were even more renderings, plus a 3D architectural model of the full design. She’d once had no problem visualizing her future, but when Andrew passed away, that ability was hampered. It clouded her vision. Tonight was the first time in a long time where she felt as though she could see a clear path forward, at least when it came to her business. She knew she’d made the right decision. She knew then that she’d made the right choice for herself.

She turned and saw a woman with a stunning head of gray hair getting off the escalator on their floor. “That’s Lela Bennett.” She grabbed Michael’s arm. “I guess I should go introduce myself to her.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Feeling wholly confident for once and with Michael at her side for back-up, Sabrina marched right up to her. “Lela. Hi. I’m Sabrina Kelly. From Chelsea Mayhem. We spoke on the phone.”

Lela’s face lit up. “Oh my God! Hi!” She opened her arms wide then hesitated for an instant. “Can I give you a hug? I’m just so excited that you’re going to be a part of this, but I know not everyone is a hugger.”

“I would love a hug.” Sabrina’s heart felt like it was swelling to twice its normal size as she and Lela got caught up in an embrace. She’d read so much about Lela and had admired her from the start. It was such a thrill to meet her face-to-face and to have such a warm reception.

“I want you to meet my husband, and his daughter, Echo, and my beautiful granddaughter.” She turned and cupped her hands. “Donovan! Echo! Come here!” She waved them in her direction. “Sorry. It’s always chaos when we’re all together.”

“Oh, no. I love it.” Sabrina spotted a tall man with dark shaggy hair and a little girl on his hip walk toward them. Behind him was a gorgeous young woman with dark rolling hair, who seemed to be in demand as everyone she walked past said hello and tried to grab her attention.

“Donovan and Echo, this is Sabrina Kelly. She’s the woman behind Chelsea Mayhem,” Lela said. “And Sabrina, this is my granddaughter, Skye.” The little girl turned her face into Donovan’s chest, hiding from Sabrina.

Sabrina shook hands with everyone, feeling a little overwhelmed when she realized that Michael was standing patiently by her side, not saying a peep. “Please, I want you all to meet my… uh…” Her what? Michael was far more than a friend. “My boyfriend, Michael Wright.” Despite bungling the word choice, she was pleased. It felt right.

“Hello, Lela. Donovan. Echo. It’s really nice to meet you all.” Michael shook hands with each of them, including Skye, who stared at him with wide brown eyes. She might not have taken a shine to Sabrina, but she was fascinated by Michael.

“Sabrina, we are so excited about you joining us for this project,” Echo said. “If everything goes according to plan, we’d like to talk about a possible acquisition, too. I realize that’s probably a lot to take in at one time, but we’re always looking to expand our corner of the beauty world.”

“In case that sounds scary, don’t let it,” Donovan said. “Lela can tell you. It was one of the best things she did for her company, Lela B. The distribution and marketing we have in place can really take a brand to the next level.”

“Also, Echo is so good about keeping each of the brands autonomous and preserving their company cultures and identity. It’s a win-win for everyone,” Lela said. “Of course, I’m biased.” She reached out and touched Sabrina on the shoulder. “And I’m sure that’s way more than you wanted to hear from us tonight.”

Sabrina could hardly believe what she was hearing. She hadn’t considered becoming a part of a bigger company, but then again, she’d never thought she’d be invited to participate in a project like the flagship Echo Beauty retail space. “No. It’s all amazing. So much to think about.” She turned to Michael who was quietly grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Thank you so much for your interest. It’s really humbling.”

“Oh. One more thing,” Lela said. “Do you know Brooklyn Monroe and Posh Post?”

“Not only do I know of Brooklyn and her company, her mom Aurora is in a club I’m in.” Sabrina didn’t want to open up about her status as a widow. It would only make this otherwise amazing conversation awkward.

“Wow. What a small world,” Lela said. “Brooklyn really wanted to meet you tonight and talk to you about putting some Chelsea Mayhem products in some of their future subscription mailings. It could really help to build a buzz.”

Tonight was only getting better and better. “I would love that. Tell her to call me any time.”

“Will do. As for our end, we’ll focus on the opening here for now. A lot has to happen in the next thirteen months. If all goes well, we’ll open by Thanksgiving of next year. That’s the goal at least,” Lela said.