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“I do.”
Gabi’s stomach fluttered. She wasn’t as good a cook as Nana, but she had thrown together a few Spanish omelettes over the years. They were perfect for a hangover. “Monday it is.” She ripped a scrap of paper from a packet, wrote down the address, and handed it to Aisha.
Aisha turned towards the door as it opened and slipped the note into her skirt pocket. She sipped her tea and smiled at Matías. “Thanks for the tea,” she said.
“Freshly picked this morning and made this afternoon,” he said and headed towards Gabi. “How did you get on with the spiral?”
Gabi held up her effort, her cheeks burning hotter than a welding iron. “It’s a start,” she said.
“This is very good. Very good. A little more pressure to the wood before you stretch will help keep the shape you are aiming for.”
Gabi wiped the perspiration from her lip.
“She has a good eye,” Aisha said.
Matías turned to her. “Yes.”
“You were looking for someone to help you,” Aisha said.
Gabi shook her head.
Matías rubbed his chin and frowned. “I was.”
“Don’t hesitate because she is a woman, Matías.” Aisha slapped him on the back and laughed. “Women are equal to men, you know.”
Matías nodded. “Yes, yes. I know. I know. Ana-María was more skilled than me.”
Gabi frowned.
“Matías’s sister,” Aisha said.
“She was the inspiration in our business. I stopped making real art when she went to live in America.”
Gabi wondered if that was the woman pictured on the wall in his house. “I would love to help, if you’re happy to teach me to use these tools.”
Matías looked from one woman to the other and grew in stature as his smile broadened. “Why not? If you have the time.”
“I have plenty of time. One condition.”
He nodded.
“Anything we sell, the money comes back to you and the business.”
He shook his head. “We must work as a proper partnership.”
“You teach me, and I’ll help to make the jewellery. I gain new skills, and you grow the business. That’s fair.”
“And maybe later, when things are working well, you can review the plan,” Aisha said.
There it was again, that “she knows what she wants look,” that would easily slip through Gabi’s defences if she had any left. Matías stared at Gabi, and she wondered if he’d noticed the effect Aisha had on her. She held out her hand. “Deal.”
Matías shook hands and beamed. “This is something I never dreamed of,” he said and hugged Aisha.
They stood for a while, looking at each other. Matías raised his finger in the air. “I have some drawings you might like to see.” He left the workshop in a hurry.
Gabi smiled. “You just got me a job,” she said.
Aisha walked across the workshop and leaned towards Gabi. The warmth kissed Gabi’s ear, and she held her breath, her heart racing.
