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“Well, when you finish with your next job, I want to book you for something else. We were talking about how beautiful the design is and how everything just flows and how open it is. They want to invest in more property. We are thinking a restaurant somewhere down in Miami, but we need to do the scouting, surveying, and all the boring things first. Are you in?”
I look to Kara for her opinion because it means she will go from one place to another, and I’m not sure if she wants to do all of that traveling. I’ve grown accustomed to it, but I do hope to settle down one day, and I intend on it being with her.
“I need some time to think about it. I have a lot planned.”
“Sure, sure. Take all the time you need. Once we have all of our ducks lined up, I’ll call you, and you can let me know then if you’re in or not. Suena bien?”
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Maravilloso! Now, drink, dance, have fun! Esta noche celebramos. Tonight we celebrate!”
Glasses raise and clink, and we talk amongst ourselves. The DJ comes on the mic and begins a round of shout-outs.
“Welcome to club Ambience, where tonight we are doing what the industry calls a soft launch. All the people here tonight either sponsored, catered, designed, or built this establishment, maybe even delivered here. The club owner, Marcos Hernandez, wanted to say thank you in grand New Orleans fashion. So here is the Sunbeam Brass Band with some good ol’ second line music.”
Music plays, and Kara’s eyes light up. True to her New Orleans roots, she begins to groove and joins the line of dancers gathered in a circle on the floor.
“So, is it official now?” Darlene asks while looking towards the crowd.
“I think it’s always been official. Neither of us knew what fate was putting together.”
“Mmm-hmm. Did she tell you about the lady she met at the diner?”
“No, she didn’t tell me anything about meeting a lady.”
“You should ask her. It’s a wonderful story, and it will kind of give you goosebumps. I know it did for me.”
Kara dances her way back over to where we are standing and grabs us both, taking us to the circle. We join in for the end of the song, and the DJ brings the energy level back down with a slower jazz track. I take her into my arms and wipe the sweat from her face with my pocket square.
“We have to get a little Bluetooth speaker while in Jamaica so I can play my music loud when I get homesick. I hope the hotel doesn’t mind,” she states.
“Oh, we’re not staying at a hotel. I rented a beach house. I mean, if you’re going to be in the tropics, you should stay on the beach. That’s my motto.”
She smiles at my comment, and I think about the conversation Darlene and I had.
“So, you met a lady at a diner?”
She looks puzzled for a moment, then it seems to come back to her.
“Well, yes, I did. I was having lunch one day, and this nice lady was in the diner down the street from here. She was having lunch and picking up an order or two to take back to the office. She saw a few of my drawings I was working on and asked if she could see them closer. I always like showing my designs, so I didn’t mind. They were nothing fancy, but she said the colors stood out and it was unique. She told me that she normally doesn’t speak a prophetic word to people, but she had a feeling I was going to get a job working with a developer and find love all at the same time. Who knew?”
Her story intrigued me, and I wanted to know more. I always heard of New Orleans having people who dabble in spells and fortune-telling and what have you, but never thought it would affect me in some way.
“Wow. Was she a tarot reader or palmist or dabble in the hoodoo I hear about?”
“Not that I know of. She was a normal lady. Pretty brown skin with eyes to match. Wavy hair like she has Indian in her blood. Dressed smart, very professional. I had never seen her around before that day.”
“Wow, I wish I could meet her and tell her thank you. She brought you into my life, and I could never repay her for her kindness.”
Kara begins to laugh hysterically, and I’m confused.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, not sure why she’s laughing as such.
“Baaby, you are quite easy to fool. Ms. Darlene was the lady in the diner. She saw me in there with my sketches and asked for my résumé. She put a red circle with a star on the top left so that she could make sure mine got top priority. She knew you and your other designer were on the outs and that it would only be a matter of time before she quit or you fired her. Oddly enough it was the same day.”
I look over to Darlene and Charles who are sitting at one of the VIP tables, and they raise their glasses to us. I smile in response as Kara and I sway to the next slow song playing.
“You know she’s like a second mom to me. She’s been working with me since I started my company back in Kansas.”
