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“Hey, at least I made a splash,” I joked, joining in on the laughter.
“You definitely did that,” Gin said. “But let’s try to keep you out of the fountains today, okay?”
“Definitely,” I said. “Now, let’s go find some deals before all the good stuff is gone.”
“Ooh, look at those!” Mercedes pointed excitedly at a display case of sparkling crystal unicorns. “I want one!”
“You do realize that the point of Christmas shopping is to buy things for other people, right?” Rocio teased, raising an eyebrow.
She grinned at him. “Then you buy it for me.”
Mercedes linked her arm with Rocio’s and led him inside the store while Gin lingered with me. We browsed through a rack of silk scarves, each picking one up and examining it closely. I ran my fingers over the soft material, trying to decide if my sister-in-law would like the plum-colored one or the one with the pink roses.
“You seem like something else is bothering you,” Gin said, catching my eye.
I shook my head, trying to brush it off. “It’s nothing.”
But Gin could tell there was more to it. “You’ll get something soon,” she reassured me, giving my arm a squeeze.
“Maybe,” I replied, feeling a wave of discouragement wash over me.
“London, listen to me,” Gin said, her tone firm. “You are an incredible actress, and you have the drive and passion to make it in this industry. You’ve already accomplished so much, and you have so much more to offer. Don’t let one setback bring you down. You will get another opportunity, and when you do, you’ll knock it out of the park.”
“But what if I don’t?” I asked, feeling a lump form in my throat.
“Then you’ll try again, and again, and again. Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a part of it. Every successful person has failed countless times. It’s how you learn, grow, and become better. And you, London, will become better. You’ll get that next role, and it’ll be even better than the last one. And one day, you’ll be standing on that stage, accepting an award, and you’ll look back at this moment and realize that it was just a minor setback in your incredible journey.”
Gin could always give me a renewed sense of determination and confidence. “Thanks Gin, I needed that,” I said, giving her a grateful smile.
“Anytime,” she replied, giving me a hug. “Now, let’s go buy some unicorns and take over Broadway!”
We laughed and headed back to join Mercedes and Rocio, ready to tackle the rest of our shopping head-on.
* * *
“I havethe perfect guy for you,” Mercedes declared, a twinkle in her eye as we made our way to the checkout.
“Oh no, not another one of your blind dates,” I groaned, already imagining the worst.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Mercedes feigned offense, but her laughter gave her away.
As we stepped out into the snowy morning, I explained, “Let’s just acknowledge that your track record with men is, shall we say, less than impressive.”
Mercedes shrugged, her red hair bouncing with the movement. “I beg to differ. I’m a matchmaking pro.”
“Hardly,” I grinned. “Remember that guy you set me up with who called his mom from the restaurant to ask what he should order for dinner? Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
Mercedes shrugged nonchalantly. “I thought you’d appreciate a guy who was close with his mother.”
“There’s close, and then there’s his mom still setting out his clothes for him every morning,” I pointed out with a laugh.
“Alright, alright. You got me there,” Mercedes conceded with a grin. “But please, give me one more chance. I promise, this guy is different.”
I hesitated, “I don’t know, Mercedes. Right now, I’m focusing on my career.”
“And what’s wrong with having a little fun on the side? It’ll help you relax before those auditions,” Mercedes said with a sly smile.
I shook my head, “I don’t just sleep with anyone, Mercedes. I need to have a connection with the person, not just physical attraction.”
