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“Not too bad,” Cosima said. “We didn’t have to go to plan B.”
Angelica groaned as her cousin said that.
“What was plan B?”
“Do you know that old movieSingin’ in the Rain?”
“Not really. Why?” he asked.
“See. It would have worked,” Cosima said.
“She wanted us to pretend to be some kind of entertainment for the evening. Though it’s really a loose interpretation of how Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly meet in the movie,” Angelica said.
“Now, I’m sorry that plan A worked,” Max said. Admiring the fact that they had more than one way to get to talk to him tonight. It spoke to their determination even though it really didn’t clear up Angelica’s motivation.
“I’m not. I heard the trio and the deejay you have hired. Trust me when I say Cosima and I are not in that league,” Angelica said with a smile.
“You haven’t heard the headliner yet,” Max warned.
Reg joined them and soon the tables were filling up around them.
“So we’d love some advice from you before we send in our proposal. I know you’re going to get a lot and we want to stand out,” Cosima said.
Reg looked over at him and Max realized he had no suggestions. He was usually just the money behind these projects. Reg was sometimes more hands-on but the truth was they liked things for these Second Start projects to be organic and each community they went into had different needs.
“I think you’ve got a good start,” Max said.
“Thanks, but you did say you wanted to be hands-on. So what can we do that would work with your strengths?” Angelica asked as she took a sip of her sparkling wine.
“I did say that didn’t I?”
Reg laughed and shook his head. “Max’s strengths are his indomitable will—the man just never gives up and nothing is impossible. So I’d say if he’s going to be hands-on then you should dream big and make sure that comes through in your proposal. Don’t be limited by the fact that the area is run-down. Show us how your community center will draw the talent out of The Barrels and invigorate the entire town of Whiskey River.”
Max nodded. Reg was better at these kinds of things than he was. “The truth is I’m better at saying what I don’t like than what I do. I think you two are onto something. I just am not sure if we can trust you to stick with it.”
Cosima glanced over at Angelica and something unspoken passed between the two women. After a moment Angelica nodded and then turned to him and he caught her gaze and noticed that she seemed very intense as she reached over, putting her hand on his.
“I think what you’re worried about is, if my reputation is repaired and our business starts booming that we’ll abandon the arts center. But Cosima and I aren’t like that. We stick with our commitments. Always.”
Max turned his hand under hers and closed his fingers around her hand. It felt small and delicate in his but he also saw the strength and determination in her face.
“Why aren’t you still in New Orleans?”
He felt her stiffen and she tried to pull her hand back but he kept hold of it. He leaned in so that he could see her eyes more clearly. He wanted to see the truth in her when she talked to him.
“I wasn’t welcome anymore. I served that artistic community with my shop and mentoring until I was asked to leave. I tried to continue on but it was impossible,” she said. “I’m not a quitter and I’m not someone who shies away from admitting my mistakes. If you take a chance on us, I won’t let you down.”
He believed her. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and looked over at Reg who had that faintly amused look on his face. He was tempted to shoot his friend the bird but instead turned the conversation to the upcoming holiday season.
Chapter Three
Jax and J.T.Williams played a great set after dinner. The tables were cleared and a dance floor set up. Angelica took off the jacket of her white wool suit and set it on a chair when Max asked her to dance. She wore a cream-colored silk camisole underneath it. There was no way she was going to dance in that wool suit. She saw a woman in a gold sequin sheath and regretted that she wasn’t wearing something like that.
Well sort of regretted it. Her heart felt different tonight as she looked around the party. When Max had challenged her at the table, she’d almost let herself sink into the guilt and moroseness that she’d been living in since she’d had to leave New Orleans. But then she’d felt a little spark of her old self. She wasn’t a quitter.
She’d left New Orleans behind when she’d realized she was starting to tear apart the community she’d been a member of. People were choosing sides and lines were being drawn. The video might have been edited to only show her rant at Veronica but the truth was Angelica owned her part of it.
She’d screwed up but she was ready to move on. And dancing with Max was a definite step in that direction.
