Elly nodded. “Won’t we have to go to your house?”
“Nope. I have everything in my car.”
“You bring curling irons and makeup in your car?”
Snarky Teenager looked horrified. “You don’t?”
The rest of the afternoon flew by as Elly finished up some arrangements with Anthony and made sure everything was absolutely perfect. When it was time, Snarky Teenager stepped out of the bathroom with a dramatic flourish. She was wearing a short silk yellow dress with a green dragon dancing across it. With her light-blond hair pulled sleekly across her forehead and bright-red chandelier earrings, she looked absolutely the part of their new store: chic, young, and modern. Elly, on the other hand, didn’t look bad, she thought as she looked in the mirror. The gray dress with a thin cranberry belt hugged her curves in all the right places, and the strappy black kitten heels suited the outfit well. Snarky Teenager had created a sophisticated up-do for Elly, sweeping her hair back from her face with a thin black headband. She also accented Elly’s wide eyes with copious amounts of gray powder and painted her large lips a pretty nude.
They lit the candles and turned on the music—an eclectic selection of Chinese flute and violin with a beat-box background. It sounded like something you would spin a glow stick too. Elly lifted her lip. “What is this?”
“It’s cool,” said Snarky Teenager, lighting a wall sconce. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Elly rubbed her temples. Her bed sounded so attractive right now. For half an hour, there was a deafening silence as they waited for the first guest to arrive. Luckily, it was Kim and Sean, who were always able to put a smile on Snarky Teenager’s face, and occasionally, when she wasn’t moping about, Elly’s. The guests poured in a half hour later, and soon the entire store was filled with an excited buzz as people mooned over the arrangements, the beautiful lines of architecture, and, yes, even the golden Buddha. Elly greeted about twenty of her regular clients with a big smile, but everyone else was a stranger. Snarky Teenager, on the other hand, knew almost every person who stepped through the door. Greeting them with a kiss on both cheeks, she led them through the store, pointing out the design and the arrangements and making sly jokes. The men stared at her with lust, the women desiring her friendship. She was totally in her element with the business elite, exactly the kind of clients Elly had imagined patronizing the store. What kind of world was it, where Snarky Teenager was the person people came to for flowers? Nothing made sense anymore.
Elly felt a soft hand on her elbow. “She is rocking this thing,” whispered Kim. Her toffee hair glowed in the track lights, her teal and pink wrap dress oozing elegance.
“I know. I hate to say it,” whispered Elly, “But I’m impressed.”
Kim gave a nod. “This place is her, you know? El, I think it’s going to be a huge success. I just feel it.”
Elly could, too. As much as she loved Posies—and so did many other people—Posies never had this kind of primal energy. She had lovely, sweet, and rich clients, but none of them were the kind of men or women who employed thousands, who controlled a significant little corner of the stock exchange. Posies catered to rich housewives, Store B catered to the women who ran this city and their husbands. They meandered through the store in their expensive vintage suits straight out of the fifties, with their cell phones and frameless eyeglasses. It was kind of, well, awesome. A flicker of satisfaction surged in Elly’s chest, the first blossom of hope in a week. Maybe things would be okay. “I’m sneaking to the bathroom,” she whispered. “When I get back, let’s eat some dim sum in the corner.”
Kim grinned. “It’s a date. Sean is talking urology with some Barnes-Jewish Hospital doctors.”
Elly walked swiftly to the bathroom, which was hidden behind a linen curtain. She went quickly, checking herself in the mirror on her way out. She allowed a tiny smile to creep across her face. This night wasn’t so bad after all. Actually, it was kind of magical. Opening two stores was a major accomplishment for this one-time personal secretary. Even though doubting herself was a terrible habit that consumed her easily, she was seeing the truth right now, in this mirror: Elly Jordan is a good businesswoman. She was building a brand that would endure. She should let herself enjoy it. Elly grabbed an arrangement that someone had left in the bathroom and turned the corner, back into the store area. She was waving to Ms. Sunny Kepke, the most-wonderful mother of the bride she ever worked with, despite her having spawned a floozy. Sunny was now her ex-husband’s mother-in-law.