Part 25 (1/2)
”How?”
”Tracey redid the logo. My ad guy is on retainer so I didn't pay extra for him to do this. The printing wasn't much-”
”Tracey? But I've been talking to her every day. She didn't say a word.”
He nodded. ”That was the plan.” He sat down and pulled out the seat next to him. ”So seriously. What do you think? Colors? Tagline? Concept?”
”The flyers haven't gone out yet?”
”Of course not. It's your shop, Dane. I would never do that.” He checked his watch. ”I probably need to call and check on Trevor-”
Trevor! ”No. He came by. He got saved-”
”I know. Isn't it amazing? As much as I hate that you got sick, G.o.d really used it to heal a lot of relations.h.i.+ps-namely him and me. He and Josh really vibe, too. They want to do a record together. R&B with some Jewish wors.h.i.+p samples. Isn't that a trip?”
I just stared at him. Suddenly I felt so left out. So out of the loop.
He dropped the ad and reached for me. ”Did I say something wrong?”
Mopping my eyes with the back of my hand, I straightened. ”No. In fact, you've said and done everything right.” Well, not everything. ”I just feel so...out of it. I mean it's nice being home and slowing down. The Lord and I have been having a grand time, but-”
”But you want your store back?”
I took a deep breath. ”Not exactly. I'm seeing that it can't be just my store. You, Dahlia, Austin, even the cousins and Aunt Cheryl coming to help. Tracey on the computer. Renee and Roch.e.l.le's word of mouth. Your marketing and management. It all works together.” Another sniff. ”I just want to get back into it somehow. A few hours a day maybe. And I want to exercise my faith again. Listening to Trevor talk today...”
”That new fire is something, isn't it?”
I nodded. Why did Adrian seem to still have that fire, even if it was a little more contained? ”It's like I've burned out completely.”
He shook his head. ”No way. Sometimes G.o.d just has to stoke the embers some. He's been doing that for me for the past few years we've been apart. You and I both skipped from sinner to superservant because of the expectations of others. There are a lot more pieces to the journey. Just let Him carry you right now.”
He sure knew what to say. My head dropped onto his chest. ”Thanks. I needed that.”
I needed you.
His chest rose sharply at my touch. ”Thank you for being you. For being real. This is the Dana that I've missed.”
Me, too.
With that my head popped up and I lifted the ad to eye level. ”Now about this wedding dress logo...”
Adrian shook his head. ”I told her you'd say that. Before you say anything more, read this.” He reached for the next glossy in the stack, a beautiful sistah with an afro and pink lip gloss sat in a bathtub with a tiara, a veil and pink sundress. She held an opened umbrella over her head with Wonderfully Made across it.
I smiled in approval and read on: Tired of buying wedding gifts for your friends while waiting for Mr. Right? Wondering what it'll take for you to be showered with gifts? Enter now. And bring your umbrella.
My mouth dropped open as I read the details of the Sell-a-brate Yourself contest, where the winner got a shower of bath blessings for herself and six friends-facials, makeovers and a weekend in Chicago. The occasion? Life itself.
The final sentence took my breath away. ”So if being a bridesmaid is getting you down, shower yourself with love-you're worth it.”
”Who wrote this?” My fingers trembled.
Adrian smiled, the line in his forehead filling in. Had it meant so much to him that I like it? ”I wrote it, but Tracey and Roch.e.l.le edited it. It started out as a 'Marry your Maker' contest, but they thought that was a bit much.”
I didn't. ”Tell me more.”
He crossed his arms. ”Well, the concept was for single Christian women to win actual dedication ceremonies-to Jesus. A reaffirmation of her faith and commitment. A renewed understanding of his intimate love toward her.”
Where did he get this stuff? I squeezed his biceps. Definitely real.
He pretended to scowl. ”Hey!”
”You scare me sometimes.”
He leaned in closer. ”I steal all my ideas from you, remember?”
I cringed and moved away. ”Okay. I'm sold. But what about Kick!? You're putting all this energy into my stuff....”
He sobered. ”About that...It doesn't make much sense for me to run back and forth across the street. We've really got the same customer base. Why not put both shops together?”
Breathe. ”To-gether?”
How on earth would this work? Being across the street from him was bad enough. And the cost? ”I can't afford that. And your stuff is so well known. You need your name. I need mine. It wouldn't work.”
He ma.s.saged his temples. I realized now that the ad and contest was meant to sell me ahead of time. ”Money isn't an issue-”
”It is! is!”
”It isn't. I own the whole strip next to you already. I was going to give it to you as a gift.”
I stared at him as though he were speaking an alien language. ”You can't buy people real estate, Adrian.” My heart thudded. Was he trying to send me back to the hospital?
”Why not? Some jewelry costs more than those units. And real estate is a gift that keeps on giving. Not romantic I know, but it's how my brain works.”
And I like it.
”But the names-”
”Not an issue. I just signed for national distribution. My candles will be in lots of stores, in addition to the Kick! stores around here. The warehouse will keep churning them out and I'll commission some special edition just for your lines.”
”That's too much. I've got so much stuff. Too many scents.”
He smiled. ”I've got most of the scents duped at my home lab in case you wanted to branch out into candles later. What'd you think I bought all that stuff for?”
I just stared at him. ”You've been working on this all that time?”
Adrian nodded. ”I want to simplify my life. Smell the roses.” He took my hand and sniffed it. ”One in particular.”