by Tif Marcelo
Her conscience whispered a sad phrase: It would only get worse.
She pressed the Send button with force. No. She wouldn’t transfer her experience to Hazel, because it was hers alone. Hazel wasn’t Mari, and Brad wasn’t Saul.
But the suspicion she held close to her heart rooted itself in her belly. From here on out, she would watch this Brad closely.
“What is this, a noon party?” Mari arrived at Rings & Roses after her brunch with Brad and Hazel, surprised to find her family in the foyer. Mari ruffled Pio’s hair. “Hey, buddy, what’s going on? Why aren’t you in school?”
Jane held a tissue up to Pio’s nose as he blew into it. The boy’s eyes were swollen and red. “I’m sick,” he croaked.
She glanced up at Jane, who, too, looked worse for wear in her favorite oversized and worn Georgetown sweatshirt. “You okay? You’re a little green.”
“I think I’m coming down with something, too. It was probably from all those hands I shook last night.” Jane rolled her eyes at Pearl.
“You know you loved it.” Pearl laughed. “Number Fourteen already texted you. He might be your Prince Charming.”
Jane covered Pio’s ears. “Hush.”
Pearl’s eyes widened. “Sorry.”
Mari took a step back from the group; she couldn’t afford to get sick. “Why didn’t you all stay at home?”
“Crisis with the Johns.” Jane looked over her shoulder toward the shop’s reception area as she took Pio’s coat off. “Carli, do you mind heading to Barrio Fiesta for some arroz caldo?”
“Of course.” Carli picked up the phone to preorder.
The thought of chicken and rice porridge sent Mari’s taste buds into full salivation mode, but it was eclipsed by her concern. “Crisis already? Their wedding is over a year out.” Grooms John Kolb and John Avant had just been signed a month ago, and their wedding wasn’t until next August. “That doesn’t bode well.”
“I think we need to have a sit-down about expectations and what is a crisis and what isn’t a crisis. Over chat obviously, because my lungs got a workout coughing last night, and I’m a hot mess. After I take care of this issue, I promise we’ll head home.”
“There’s my boy,” Amelia said to Pio as she floated down the stairwell. “I have a chocolate bunny for you. Keep me company while your mommy works.”
Pio clasped his hands under his chin. “Please, Mommy?”
Jane’s expression softened. She nudged him. “Go. He’s sick, Amelia. You’ve been forewarned.”
“I’m a tough old lady. C’mon, buddy.”
Pio bounded up the stairs, leaving the three in the foyer.
“All right,” Mari said to Jane warily. “If you need backup, let me know.”
“I might take you up on it. My mind’s a little fuzzy from cold medicine.” She sniffed.
Mari did a double take at Jane’s shoes—she was still wearing her house loafers.
Jane’s health was always, for lack of a better word, susceptible. She was born a preemie. Sick more often than the rest of the sisters, she’d caught the flu every other year despite the vaccine. Her seasonal allergies had required allergy shots until she was nineteen years old. She’d lost a lot of blood when she gave birth to Pio and had to be transfused.
“Before we go our separate ways, can we have a quick meeting in my office?” Pearl asked. Only then did Mari notice that she had a bundle of magazines in her arms.
“Okay. Sure.” Dread bloomed in Mari’s gut. She ascended the stairs after her sisters, but called back down to the main floor. “Carli, give me a few minutes, and I’ll be back and relieve you so you can go to Barrio Fiesta.”
“Got it!” she answered back.
Mari had just entered Pearl’s office when she announced, “Read it and rejoice!” From in between the pile of magazines, she pulled out a stapled packet, which she tossed on her desk. A triumphant grin spanned the width of her face. “I’m still in major shock. I did it—I have my own top client.”
“What the hell, really?” Mari blurted out, but at Jane’s pointed look, the one that said, Let her speak, she regrouped. She picked up the packet and scrolled through the electronically signed document. Sure enough, Daphne’s initials were next to their policies and one large signature was on the last page. “I mean, wow!”
“Estimated four hundred guests for a late-August affair, with a six-figure budget. No expense spared—Daphne wants the full experience, from engagement announcements to honeymoon planning.”
Mari swallowed at the written numbers on the page. “I see.”
“I already jotted down some notes.” Pearl lifted her iPhone for emphasis. “There’s so much potential, and the great thing is that she’s open to suggestions. As soon as we’re done here, I’ll start my phone calls . . .”
Her sister continued to speak and all Mari envisioned was a waterfall of potential issues showering upon them. “Pearl—”
“Don’t worry. I’m planning to use your checklist. To a T.”
“Good.” Mari’s train of thought twisted into a pretzel. She should’ve practiced what she was going to say, but she hadn’t expected the contract this quickly. Or, if she was being honest with herself, she had avoided thinking about it. “How would you feel about partnering with me or Jane?”
“No. Can’t do it.” Both their gazes swung to Jane. “The Johns wedding is late summer. They’re my top for the season.”
“And I don’t need a partner. I’m ready to go solo.”
“It’s a big client, Pearl. You should have someone around to help in case you mess up.” Mari jerked at her own words, instantly regretful.
Stunned, Pearl reared back.
“That came out all wrong.”
“Yeah, it did. Especially coming from someone who’s screwed up herself. And more than once.” Pearl walked out of the office, a fierce expression on her face. Unlike Mari, Pearl had meant what she said.
Ouch. “Okay, I deserved that, and it’s true, I did screw up.” She swallowed her pride and followed Pearl to the hallway, aware of the presence of other people in the building. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled with discomfort at their history launched into the open. But she refocused. This was about Rings & Roses, and she had to deescalate the conversation. “But I wasn’t given my first big client until I straightened myself out.”
Pearl laughed, sardonically. “That. That is funny.”
She raised an eyebrow at the comment, chest thudding. “Why is that funny?”
“It’s nothing, okay?” Pearl pressed her fingers to her temple. Her voice softened. “Ate Mari, I’m ready. So ready I can taste it. So ready it’s all I’ve thought of since I spoke with Daphne.”
Movement to the right alerted Mari to Amelia, who’d come down from the third floor. She rested a hand on Jane’s wrist as if preventing her from interfering. “Ladies.” Her voice was firm. “Maybe take this elsewhere? Like in a room, with a closed door. We have a building full of customers.”
This was when business and personal got messy, when Mari herself didn’t know what kind of a meeting this was. Was she speaking to Pearl as a business partner, or as a big sister? Was the torn emotion inside her because Pearl was a less experienced planner, or was it from this indescribable need to keep everything the way it was?
No matter what, Mari would look like the bad cop. So she fortified her logic, which had begun to waffle. “Managing a client this big is less about feelings and more about skill. And you’re a novice.”
Pearl placed her hands on her hips, and her head lolled forward. “So that’s it? You’re saying no.”
Relieved and wary at her level tone, Mari nodded.
“You’re saying no—you, who’s claiming to be better than me because you’ve straightened up? Because you’re an expert and you’ve had more years under your belt? Someone who’s so responsible but hanging out in secret with your top’s brother.”
Mari’s breath caught in her belly. “I . . . it’s not what you
think . . .” Yet, despite her poor excuse of a rebuttal, Mari understood that Pearl was right. Mari had been wrong. And foolish.
“As usual, you are the biggest hypocrite I know. Classic Ate Mari: do as I tell you not as I show you. Well, I’m done doing what you tell me to do.”
Mari’s eyebrows scrunched down. “I don’t understand.”
“I want out of Rings and Roses. Obviously my third share doesn’t get me a damn thing when it comes to my thoughts on client assignments. I’m giving you my notice. I’ll speak to Daphne and give her the option to sign with me or to sign with you all. I’ll finish out my summer commitments. That will give you guys time to buy me out.”
“What? No. Absolutely not.” Mari chased the tail end of her sister’s words as if yelling for a bus that had left her at the stop. Astonished at the trajectory, blindsided by the turn of the conversation. “You’re not allowed to leave us. We are a family business.”
“The good that has done for me. I haven’t advanced at all. I have stalled.”
“What are you talking about? You became the director of social media two years ago.”
“Because I thought it was a stepping stone. And quite frankly because it was pathetic how deep in the dark ages the shop was. It was Mommy’s idea, not yours, to even do that.” She met Mari’s eyes. “I’ve worked really hard.”
“I know you have.”
“Then give me Bling.”
No! Mari’s heart yelled. It screamed from her chest, from the insult Pearl had thrown her way, from their history that spurned fear and anger, from her need for stability. But her brain. Her brain reeled her back. She had to pull Pearl off the ledge. “This is not about working hard. Working hard doesn’t mean entitlement. And I don’t get why this has to be black or white. You can take the lead, but I can mentor you throughout. We need you for social media, more than ever. You’re amazing at it, and now with Heartfully Yours coming up around the corner, it only makes sense to put our talent to its max use.”
“No. Nope.” Again, Pearl laughed Mari off. It was a move that pushed Mari’s buttons, but she kept calm. Pearl crossed her arms. “First of all, this isn’t about entitlement. This is about you giving me a well-deserved and well-earned chance. Secondly, everyone in this building knows that you are incapable of being a partner. You’ll end up taking over. It’s me alone, or I’m out. And third—”
Incapable of being a partner. Those were fighting words. Hurtful words. And underlying the meaning of that phrase was the absolute truth that Pearl was right. Mari had been unable to be a partner, find a partner, keep a partner without hurting others. Without hurting herself.
The underhanded insult stung. Instantly, the sting grew to anger, and pain spread through her nerve endings, rendering her limbs weak. Pearl’s argument was indecipherable from the overload of emotions. “You want Bling? Fine, you can have her, but not under our banner. You want out? Then you’ve got it.” Mari took two steps toward her office, tight-lipped, then decided she had one thing left to say. She turned. “I hope you have thought long and hard about this, because once this is all said and done, nothing will ever be the same.”
Jane and Amelia launched into the conversation; they rushed at the two of them.
Pearl pushed past the crowd and voices, and went into her office and shut the door, leaving Mari to deal with the fallout of their fight.
fourteen
Mood: “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan
Pearl entered her office and shook her body out like she was coming down from a prize-winning fight. Finally, she’d said her piece. She’d revealed what she’d harbored in her heart since their mother had announced her retirement. Hadn’t Pearl given her sisters enough of herself? What more could she have shown to Mari? The hours she’d clocked at work exceeded full time. Her effort was reflected in the satisfaction of her clients. Damn—she brought Rings & Roses to the twenty-first century. And she procured a top client. A top.
Jane walked in after her. She must’ve been right at Pearl’s back. Of course, per the de la Rosa style, no one left their feelings in cliff-hanger status, nor was anyone allowed to walk away.
Jane closed the door and spun around, arms crossed. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“How could you have made this decision without speaking to me first? I could have helped you. Guided you on how to approach this. Maybe I could’ve fixed it for you.”
“That.” Pearl pointed a finger up in the air, because she was taught that it was rude to point at a person, despite her desperate need to accentuate her point. “That right there is why I need to go. Are you even listening to yourself? You’re talking about guiding me and helping me and fixing it for me. What I need is support. Support because we are all equals. Support because you respect me.”
Jane’s shoulders slouched. As if defeated, she sank into Pearl’s upholstered wine-colored wingback chair. “Of course we respect you.”
“Conditionally.”
“No.” Jane shook her head. “Always. But we’re talking about something else entirely here, something tangible, involving experience and—”
“I can’t right now.” Pearl put both hands up, resigned. Out of the two, Jane was supposed to come to her aid. “You of all people should know how hard it is to be under a shadow.”
Jane’s face darkened at the dig—she had been perfect because she had to be. When Mari had decided to be a teenage rebel, all their parents’ worry and attention naturally shifted toward her. Jane and Pearl had no choice but to stay the course and fly under the radar, with Jane scooping up the big sister role and squaring it on her own shoulders. Protection from parents? Jane. Who Pearl went to when she lost her phone and needed to pay back her parents? Jane. The person she called to sneak her into the house when she got drunk for the first time at a party? Jane.
Guilt overcame Pearl, but she pushed it aside. “I’m sorry, but I have tried. God, this morning I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she was going to say yes. I was hopeful that bringing Bling to the shop was enough.”
Jane sighed. “For what it’s worth, I weighed in that you should take Bling.”
“But you don’t really think I can handle it.”
“That’s not it. I think you need help.”
A maniacal giggle bubbled through her lips. “You can’t play both sides.”
“I obviously am. I’m being logical. What Ate Mari says is true. This is a big client to go at alone. You read the contract—the budget is six figures, her guest list expansive. I trust your skill, but it hasn’t been tested like this client will test it. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand Ate Mari wants to take over a client’s wedding, a client that I brought into the shop, a client that she doubted I could sign.” Pearl’s neck heated with impatience at this convoluted conversation. She needed space to think. “It will be up to Daphne and Carter to make the decision. Until then, my ultimatum stands. But please. I need some time to myself. I’ve got a full day—a full week prepping for the ‘Kento’ wedding at the Tidal Basin this Saturday. Oh, and I even scored an interview with Northern Virginia News to discuss weddings at national monuments. Cool, right? I’m so damn awesome, but no one wants to give me any credit for it. Anyway, I have to get my shit together.” She turned away from her sister and went around to her desk.
“Fine.” Jane’s voice softened. “One last thing: Did you tell our mother this was on your mind?”
“Why, does she have pull in the situation?” With the slight twitch in her sister’s eyebrows, Pearl knew she had her. “Exactly. Our mother has no say in this. I tried my best. You know I’ve felt trapped for a long time.”
“So why not fight Ate Mari?”
“I’m tired of fighting. I’m a third owner. If she isn’t going to budge on something I deserve now, she’s never going to give me what I want in the future.”
Pearl pressed her laptop’s spacebar just to do something. Her screensaver p
opped up and the de la Rosa sisters appeared on the screen, from a recent photo shoot for their web presence. They’d all decided to wear a version of a white outfit, and their interpretation reflected their distinct styles. Mari’s, an ivory pantsuit, was by far the most conservative. Jane had donned a short-sleeve sheath dress, and Pearl posed in a sleeveless romper. Collectively they were a triple threat. Under the supervision of their mother, their clients got the mix of passion, precision, and energy. Now, left on their own, their differences clashed and brought out the worst in each of them.
One would have never known it from the photo, but once upon a time, Mari would have worn the sleeveless romper, too. She might not want to admit it now, but Mari had been like Pearl once.
Which pissed Pearl off to kingdom come. Their mother had given Mari another chance. Who was she to not give Pearl a first?
Jane stood and put a hand on the doorknob. “Well, don’t get too comfortable designing your logo. I’m not down with this.”
Pearl nodded and watched her sister walk out. From downstairs, the door jingled with another customer. If she could’ve, she would’ve run home, jumped into her workout clothes, and spent the afternoon at Ohm. But, right now, she had a wedding to work on.
It probably wasn’t a good idea to schedule a wedding at the height of cherry blossom season, but Pearl’s clients had been undeterred. Tonia Nguyen and Ken Akingtola, or Kento, had their elaborate plan to marry at the National Mall already laid out by the time they’d hired Pearl four months ago. And despite her warnings that their ceremony could be interrupted and photobombed by the tourists who flooded the Tidal Basin to take pictures of the lush blooming pink and white cherry blossoms, they were optimistic and hell-bent on their decision.
Because of the chaotic tourist-laden outdoor venue, that Saturday, Pearl had donned her headset and two-way radio with direct connection to Carli. Jane’s cold kept her from assisting today, and while Pearl had the option to call Mari for help, her pride prevented her from reaching out. The week had passed without any communication between them at home or at work, and Pearl refused to take the first step to reconciliation. Too much had been said, and her intention now was to show her eldest sister she could execute a wedding perfectly.