Waiting For Summer. Sherelle Green

veggie and fruit smoothies and she told Nicole and me that she just lost a big client.”

      “Please tell me it’s not the cosmetics company she was excited about. The one with the new organic makeup releasing in two months who wanted her to capture photos of the entire line for their website.”

      “That’s the one,” Danni said with a sigh. “She’s really disappointed so I wanted to see if we had a few hours tomorrow night to spare to take her out and hopefully cheer her up.”

      “I think that’s a great idea. We can always spare time for her.”

      “Thanks, Summer! I’ll let the girls know.”

      Summer was still thinking about Aaliyah minutes after she disconnected the call. All of them were in the fashion and beauty industry and even though they had established careers, each of their careers was still a work in progress and ever evolving. Their work wasn’t easy, and every day Summer thought about how she could highlight her friends’ talents in Bare Sophistication instead of just utilizing their help with getting the shop ready for the grand opening.

      Without focusing too much on what she was drawing or writing, Summer began to let her pen flow across the current page of her notebook. She thought about the Chicago lingerie boutique and the unique way her sisters tapped into the bachelorette and bridal business by incorporating masquerade lingerie parties into the boutique’s services. She then thought about Aiden’s idea to feature Bare Sophistication in his photography exhibit to represent the sexiness of Miami—and the exposure they would receive if everything went as planned.

      Rubbing her locket with her left hand, she let her right hand do most of the work, further thinking about the beauty trade shows she’d attended throughout the years. She leaned over to her small bookcase and pulled out her tablet to view the details she had regarding her budget and photos of the layout of her shop. It wasn’t until her hand stopped moving that she noticed the music on the opposite side of her bedroom wall had actually gotten louder than it was before.

      She stared at the wall as if it were a mirror staring back at her. Glancing back down at her notebook, she looked at the preliminary plan she’d present to the girls tomorrow.

      There was no guarantee that they would be interested in her plan, but if they were, there was no doubt in her mind that Bare Sophistication Miami had just found its niche in the industry. “Well, well, you crazy old man. Guess your opera music served me well tonight.”