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Even if this thing with Sam didn’t work out, I’d be okay.
CHAPTER24
ALICE
My body was humming from the success of the workshop for the rest of the day. We packed my car with the boxes of leftover supplies and then met Gray and Amelia at the local pizza restaurant for a late lunch.
“How’d it go?” Gray asked as soon as he saw us.
“Amazing,” Elle answered for me.
“Yeah?” Gray asked.
“Everyone showed up, and they seemed really into it. It was great.” I loved sharing my love of art with others. It was a release. It certainly had been for me, and I wanted to share that with others.
“You think you’ll do it again?” Gray asked.
“I want to offer as many workshops as I can, but I wonder if I’ll tap out the interest. How many people are interested in creating mosaics?” I knew other forms of art, but this was the one I was best at.
“You can advertise at the local inns, B&Bs, and the ski resort. Pitch the idea that tourists want another option for entertainment. Those kinds of places love listing things in the to-do section on their websites.”
“Like yoga classes?” I remembered the yoga classes that always seemed to be offered at those places.
“Think about it. The ski resort has outdoor sports and indoor games, like pool, shuffleboard, and foosball, but not everyone likes that. Yoga and art appeal to potentially different people.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Ideally, I’d like to open a shop in town, but I could offer workshops weekly at a place like the ski resort.” The more I thought about it, the more I loved it. “Sam is friends with the ski resort owners’ family. Maybe he could get me a meeting.”
I didn’t like to ask for favors, but the reality was, connections were everything in business, and now that I’d gotten a taste for it, and cash in my bank account, I wanted more.
“I love this for you. It’s perfect,” Elle gushed.
“I’ve been telling you for years to pursue your art,” Gray said.
I reached across the table to touch his hand. “Thank you for supporting me. I wasn’t ready to take that leap before now. But you’ve been there for me when I wasn’t—”
“No, no, no,” Elle interjected. “No more talk about the past. It’s done.”
“I can get on board with that.” I was done beating myself up for my mistakes. It was draining, and I swear it limited my forward momentum. I felt hopeful and positive about the future. Like nothing could bring me down. Even remembering that Sam and Maggie couldn’t make it to the workshop.
“I can be your assistant,” Amelia said, looking up from her coloring sheet, which doubled as her menu.
“I’d love that.” That offer was bittersweet because I could easily see Amelia and Maggie helping me as they got older, working side-by-side at workshops, and even assisting in my shop. “I never thought I’d be a business owner.”
For a while, I thought being a nanny was my calling, but now I think I was meant to love my niece and Maggie. And if I had my own children, I’d do it differently than how my parents raised me. I could turn things around. My past didn’t have to define me. “It sucks it took me this long to figure things out.”
Elle waved a hand at me. “Hey, you’re still young.”
Gray tipped his head slightly. “Look at it this way. You’re mature enough to make the right decisions.”
“How am I going to get enough money to open a store?” I hated to think negatively, but it was a barrier. Sam paid enough for me to put a little away, but he was also providing room and board.
“You just need to rent a space, not buy a building like I did,” Elle pointed out.
My shoulders dropped. “I can’t afford an apartment in this area, much less a space to lease.”
Elle tapped a finger on her chin. “We have to find the right place. It has to be big enough for displays, with a room for the workshops.”
I huffed. “And someone willing not to charge the market rate.”
