A Lowcountry Bride Page 18

Her mother would probably be proud of Maya’s design style. She had remembered and incorporated almost everything that her mother had taught her. Mom would probably be giving her the side-eye too, wondering what she was doing on a date with a man in South Carolina when her calling was in New York City.

  Or was it Maya’s calling? Laura detested Maya’s design style. Sheesh. This was complicated.

  Yet Maya’s mother would definitely push Maya back to the city. Her mother would definitely tell Maya that Laura Whitcomb was top-of-the-line, and that after Maya worked her way up the career ladder, she’d be free to be more creative with her design aesthetic.

  In a way, Mama was right, but even the thought of sacrificing her creativity until she was promoted saddened her. Revising those designs for Laura’s tastes nearly sent Maya into a low-grade depression. If it wasn’t for Heather’s dress project, Maya probably would’ve ended up really bummed out. Despite that, it was better to wait until she was promoted and then take baby steps of going out on her own.

  The bridal party finished walking down the aisle, and then the flower girl followed. The cue notes began, and all the guests rose.

  A chill prickled across her forearms. Oh my goodness. Maya could see only the top of Heather’s veil, not the rest of her.

  Then a collective gasp came over the room, along with the quick clicking of cameras and videos from the guests and media alike.

  Many of the guests near her were beaming.

  “Heather looks so beautiful.”

  “She is divine in that dress.”

  “Oh yes. The gown is definitely something different. I love it.”

  A thrill went through Maya. Heather walked down the aisle and passed Maya, and even she had to give herself a moment to take it all in. The dress was gorgeous.

  Derek whispered, “See? I told you they would love it.”

  He definitely had said that. Maya nodded and then quickly scanned the room for Cat but couldn’t find her. What did she think of the dress?

  Heather stood next to her groom, and the ceremony began. A whole mix of emotions overwhelmed Maya. All at once, she felt both happy and worried.

  Maya had agreed to a long-distance relationship with Derek, but what if it was too much for Derek? What if she wouldn’t be able to balance life and this new relationship? She sighed, and the bride and groom exchanged vows.

  “I do,” Heather said, gazing up at her groom with eyes filled with love.

  Heather was a lucky woman—lucky to have found her heritage and her past, lucky to have been able to join them together with this momentous day. Lucky to have found someone to love.

  A heaviness came over Maya once again as the groom said, “I do.” Derek nestled close to her and wrapped his arm around her. A half-smile formed on her lips. No need to think about the what-ifs rolling around in her mind. Today, she’d focus on being a guest, and she’d focus on that dress.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the pastor said. “You may kiss the bride.”

  They kissed. Everyone clapped and cheered. People stood and smartphones appeared all over the place.

  “It was a beautiful ceremony now, wasn’t it?” Derek leaned over and asked her.

  “Yes, it was gorgeous.”

  The newly wedded couple made their slow processional down the aisle. When Heather passed Maya, she whispered, “Thank you,” and winked.

  Maya nodded and mouthed the words, You’re welcome. She was so grateful to have made her day special, but now Maya had to face Cat.

  The guests slowly filed out of the mansion, and so did Maya and Derek. When they stepped outside, the noise of the photographers and guests filled her ears.

  “Maya!”

  Cat’s voice made her feel nervous. Maya turned and greeted her.

  “Darling! Dah-ling!” Cat said, her voice high-pitched and chipper. “That dress is uh-mazing.”

  A feeling of glee quickly overtook Maya. “You liked it?”

  “Did I like it? Lady, I loved it! I loved it so much. It didn’t seem as overdone as the other dresses I saw. It was just the right mix of fresh and timeless. The purple accents were gorgeous.”

  Joy filled her. Maya cheesed so hard her cheeks hurt.

  “I took some photos of the dress, but I hope to snap more and ask Heather some questions for my write-up, but first, I wanted to ask you a few questions for the blog post.”

  The blog post. The one that would be shared with thousands of people. She had to make an excellent impression. “All right. What do you want to know?”

  “A lot of the dress was inspired by Heather’s recent discovery of her ancestry. I think that’s such an interesting story. It makes you think about how we’re all connected to one another. Don’t you agree?”

  Maya glanced over at Derek, who was amid the crowd of people and basking in the joy of the wedding. He winked.

  Her heart warmed. Connected. She and Derek were connected too. “We’re all more connected than we think. That’s so incredibly true. Did you know that Heather is taking donations to New Life Church’s Black History Society and the Black history museum? It’s a way to preserve her great-grandmother’s story.”

  “That’s so intriguing. I’ll have to look into those organizations for this piece.”

  “You definitely should,” Maya said.

  Cat scribbled down some notes on her tablet. “I noticed that beyond the elements of Heather’s predecessors that you weaved into the gown, like the purple embroidery, which was her great-grandmother’s favorite color, and the West African cowrie shells, there were also some other elements in there that were so incredibly unique. I hadn’t seen them before. Like the handwoven silk fabric and the different style of stitching. Can you tell the readers about that?”

  Maya smiled again. Those were the same types of patterns that her mother had taught her all those years ago. Maya shared the story of how she apprenticed under her mom before she worked for Laura Whitcomb.

  “Interesting.” Cat pursed her lips. “In all of the designs that you shared with me, I’ve never seen that type of style in Laura’s line. Has Laura seen your work before?”

  Maya took a breath. “Yes, she has most definitely seen them . . .” She quieted, unsure if she should say anything more.

  “Will we get to see your designs in Laura Whitcomb’s line next season?” Cat asked.

  I don’t know. Will pigs fly?

  This. Was. Hard. No way was Maya going to tell Cat about the behind-the-scenes back and forth that Maya had with Laura over the design vision for her work. If Maya did, then she’d look like she was bad-mouthing Laura and could possibly lose her job.

  Maya remembered her mother’s admonition—make it to the big time first, and then get creative.

  An inner tug-of-war formed inside Maya. If she said nothing about the back and forth with Laura, if she made it appear as if everything were peaches and roses with Laura, then she’d look like a huge pushover, possibly like one of Laura’s robots who didn’t have any spine of her own. Maya would also be tying herself even closer to Laura, strapping herself into Laura’s well-styled straitjacket.

  Yet Maya did have her own design sense, and she definitely had her own sense of individuality, but Laura wasn’t having it. Remaining silent would essentially tie Maya down. By not saying anything, Maya would symbolically cede her creative autonomy to Laura.

  If Maya told Cat the truth, then this article could turn into another one of Cat’s gossip columns, not a column that would showcase her work. A gossipy article on this event would definitely get Maya fired.

  In the end, Maya would have to be silent. It was the only way to hold on to her dream of being head designer. “Laura has seen these styles and the stitching patterns that I created, but . . .”

  But she hates them.

  But she doesn’t think they’ll succeed.

  But she’s made a biting assessment of my work that has caused me to descend into doubt time and time again.

  “But what?�
�� Cat asked, her voice questioning.

  “But she didn’t think this would fit the brand. Of course, as a pioneer in the bridal industry, it’s Laura’s classic styles that make her stand head and shoulders above the rest.”

  There, she said it.

  She ceded.

  A slow, painful rip formed at the tip of her heart. Maya had chosen Laura over herself.

  The rip deepened and brought with it waves of silent pain.

  Maya had compromised herself.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Shortly after finishing up her conversation with Cat, Maya headed out of the governor’s mansion to meet up with Derek.

  She was intent on enjoying the rest of the day. She was also intent on enjoying the upcoming reception too, but she couldn’t get her conversation with Cat out of her mind.

  Maya could’ve used that time to step out of Laura’s shadow and promote herself, but she didn’t. It wasn’t like Maya could turn around and tell Cat any different, since she’d left for New York already.

  “What’s up? You’re doing that scrunchy thing with your forehead. You look distracted,” Derek said.

  “I’m not distracted. Okay, well, yes, I’m distracted.”

  “Cat didn’t like the dress?” he asked.

  “She loved the dress. Loved it a lot.”

  “Then what’s up?”

  “She asked about Laura.” Maya then explained the rest of the conversation and how she relented on an opportunity to showcase her work. Derek’s mouth formed into an O, which told Maya that she wasn’t imagining things. She should’ve said something.

  “You could’ve delved into the indigenous origins of your design aesthetic. Why did you hold back?” he asked.

  Now Maya really wanted to kick herself. How did she forget her history?

  It would take the entire evening to probe the depths of that question. She wanted Laura’s acceptance, and she didn’t want to let that acceptance go. She valued it too much.

  Even more than herself.

  Her self-assessment stung.

  “Maya? You okay?”

  She nodded quickly. “I’m okay. I just don’t know how to answer your question, that’s all,” she said. Her voice quivered, but she maintained composure.

  “Don’t worry about it. I know these things can be tough.” He kissed her forehead, his eyes filled with gentleness and empathy. “Now let’s go and enjoy this reception. I also want to get second dibs on the dance floor, after the bride and groom, of course.”

  She laughed, and her worries about the conversation with Cat slowly eased away as they approached the expansive ballroom where the festivities had begun. Maya decided to take Derek’s advice and enjoy the wedding reception.

  “Have fun. Enjoy yourself,” she whispered to herself as she made her way across the dance floor. “Heather loved your dress. Cat loved it too. That’s all that matters now.”

  The guests were gathering inside, and they all had assigned table areas. Derek picked up their number from the welcome table. “We’re table fourteen,” he said.

  Maya nodded and followed him. The place was über-fancy, with multiple chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, and the tables were tastefully decorated with purple-and-white orchids as centerpieces. “This is gorgeous,” she said.

  She sat at a table with a three-by-five-inch framed picture of Heather’s great-grandmother with a caption about her heritage and history. Other wedding guests filled the empty seats opposite them.

  “That’s so wonderful, how Heather’s sharing this part of her family story with the guests in this way,” Derek said.

  “I know.” Maya looked at the other tables and she saw the pictures of other people, all of Heather’s great-grandmother’s side of the family, the family she had left behind. Seeing how Heather had displayed the photos and reading a bit about each person’s story gave Maya something to aim for—the courage to talk about her designs as a designer in her own right, not just as Laura’s designer.

  Could she do it? Maya glanced at the picture of Heather’s great-grandmother. How much had she hidden and buried over the years, and what effects did it have on her identity? On her psyche?

  Maya would never know the answers, but she could guess that the effect on Heather’s great-grandmother wasn’t altogether good. And she died hiding a part of herself.

  How would Maya die?

  The question hung there, unanswered.

  After the introductions and the first dance for the bride and groom, the music started and people started dancing. Derek leaned over to her and whispered, “Let’s dance.”

  “Sure.”

  Derek gently grasped her hand, and they walked toward the dance floor. That’s when Maya spotted a selfie area with a backdrop of a castle and carriage, like a fairy tale. “Wanna take a selfie?” she said.

  “Definitely.” Derek’s mouth quirked into a smile, and then he stepped back to take their picture.

  Maya glanced at the display. “This reminds me of the display at the boutique. Heather must’ve been taken by our design aesthetic at the trunk show.”

  Derek nodded. “You have a way of inspiring people, Maya.”

  She did a double take. “I do?”

  “Yes. You inspired me. Before you came to Charleston, before you showed up at the bridal shop, I had been struggling, but I’m not anymore. You gave that to me.” Derek wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. “Now if it wasn’t for your policy of no PDA, I would kiss you right now.”

  She chuckled.

  “You have a special way about you. I wish you’d see that for yourself. Who knows? Maybe the reason you’ve had problems with your boss is because she sees that in you too, and she wants to hold you back. Laura could be jealous.”

  Maya’s eyes widened. “Jealous? How could she be jealous? I’m just a junior designer.”

  “No, Maya. You’re a top designer. You are.”

  Maya shifted her weight from side to side, uncomfortable with Derek’s comment. Of course, she was a designer, but she wasn’t successful or anything. This was getting too complicated to think about. “Want to take another selfie?” she asked.

  Derek tilted his head to the side, studying her. “Of course.”

  They snapped a second one and made their way back to the reception hall. This time the DJ was playing a slow song and more couples were dancing. Derek grasped her hand. “Do you care to dance?”

  “More than anything in the world.”

  They made their way to the dance floor and she wrapped her arms around him. They slow-danced to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” She inhaled the scent of his cologne. The tension in her muscles released.

  Who would’ve known that all of this would’ve happened during a trip down south to help her father? She got buzz for her designs, and she found a guy who was special. This was a real-life fairy tale, and she didn’t want it to end.

  Maya headed to the boutique on Monday on a mission: to read Cat’s write-up of Heather’s wedding.

  Well, she wasn’t going to read it for herself. She needed Derek to filter the article for her. Maya’s heart couldn’t take it if she read Cat’s super-bad review. Derek would be a nice buffer.

  As soon as she turned the corner on State Street, a school bus pulled to a stop and opened its doors. Jamila hopped out.

  “Hey, Jamila,” Maya said, waving.

  A smile spread across Jamila’s face. “Maya!” She ran to greet her, and they hugged.

  Maya relished the embrace. “Wanna walk over to the boutique together?”

  “Absolutely. I have great news, but I’ll wait till Dad is present to say it.”

  “Can’t wait to hear.” Maya clasped Jamila’s hand, and they fell into a natural step with each other. Minutes later, they arrived at Always a Bride.

  “Hey. I didn’t expect the two of you here at the same time,” Derek said.

  “I had parked near the shop, and I saw the school bus drop off Jamila at the corner. So I
ran up to meet her,” Maya said.

  “Nice seeing the two of you together.” He didn’t take his eyes off Maya, and her stomach flipped. Since their time at the wedding, Maya had been floating on an invisible cloud, and she didn’t want to get off the ride.

  Derek smiled.

  “Look at this, Dad. I have a surprise.” She held up a piece of paper in the air, breaking through Maya and Derek’s moment. “It’s the grading rubric for my dress project. I got an A-plus! Can you believe it?”

  Jamila’s joy melted Maya, and her heart pebbled at Jamila’s feet.

  “This is amazing, dear. I’m so proud of you,” Derek said.

  “Really?”

  “Definitely.”

  “If Maya wasn’t here, then I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” Jamila said.

  Jamila was crediting her? “You did all the work,” Maya said. “I just gave you some advice.”

  Jamila shrugged. “I’m going to post this in the break room. You know Karen’s mom is picking me up in half an hour, right, Dad?”

  He glanced up, apparently thinking. “I remember. You guys are going to the movies this evening.”

  “That’s right.” Jamila then walked to the rear of the store.

  That left Maya and Derek standing in the store alone. Their eyes locked on each other. An electricity buzzed between them that she couldn’t deny. Maya let it filter through her and fill her up.

  This was love.

  Love? Did Maya just think this was love? No way. Couldn’t be. Focus, Maya. You want him to read Cat’s article for you.

  “I wanted to—” they both said at the same time. Derek laughed.

  “You can go first, Maya.”

  “I wanted to know if you could do me a favor. Could you check to see if Cat’s post is up yet?” Maya twisted her mouth. “I’m nervous.”

  He gave her this endearing look that made her feel even more self-conscious. “I’ll pull up the site on my laptop and we can check.”

  “Thank you.”

  They walked over to the counter and pulled up the site. Cat’s blog post was there.

  Maya’s skin tingled, and she let out a gasp. “I can’t look!” She immediately covered her eyes.