Lily had her hands over Sophia’s eyes as she guided her forward. “Only a few more feet. There’s a bolt of fabric leaning against a chair on your right, don’t trip on it.”
“You have your hand over my eyes. If I trip it’s your fault and I’m taking you down with me. No one will be able to explain how you and I ended up tied in a bolt of fabric together on the floor.” Sophia shuffled along a little more slowly.
“A fantasy come true,” Lily whispered seductively in Sophia’s ear.
Sophia shivered away the heebie-jeebies. “Ugh. You find the worst times to do that to me. Let me see this big surprise already.”
“I know I’m not the one you want whispering in your ear. Can I come on a double date with the two of you next time? I’ll bring an extra napkin to clean your chin when you drool all over yourself.”
Sophia shook herself free from Lily’s grasp over her eyes. She had a sharp retort at the ready when she took in where they were.
“Is this… Did you finally… Am I standing in… Lily, really?” Sophia opened her arms for a hug.
Lily nodded and hugged Sophia tightly. They rocked back and forth as they embraced. “I finally did it. This is my place. I have a shop of my own. Can you believe it?”
“Of course I can because you’re amazing. If you get one of those little bells over the door it’s going to be ringing constantly.” Sophia held Lily at arm’s length, then pulled her back for another quick hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Can I tell you about it? I mean, what I have in mind?”
Lily walked around the small store explaining her vision and the layout of her dream clothing boutique. Sophia knew she’d been planning for this day since childhood.
“So, what do you think?” Lily popped the top on a bottle of champagne that she’d magicked from somewhere in the near empty room.
“I think it’s amazing. I can’t wait to make my first purchase. But I also have to set the record straight. I do not drool over Reggie.” Sophia sat against one blank wall and patted the floor for Lily to join her.
“I say you have since the moment you saw her and Mama told me you brought her to the restaurant.”
Sophia knew bringing Reggie to Mrs. Medeiros’s restaurant would raise questions she didn’t know how to answer, but she didn’t regret it. She waved her hand as if shooing a pesky fly. “I don’t want to sidetrack from all of this.” She pointed around the room again. “Tell me more.”
Lily shook her head and pointed at Sophia. “Oh no, you don’t. I know what you’re doing. You know everything there is to know about this place. We have plenty of time to talk about you. So get talking.”
There was a long silence while Sophia tried and failed to sort out her jumbled feelings. She thought about her walk with Reggie in the fading daylight and her confusion about Reggie’s dislike of politicians. How the feelings of attraction and revulsion could orbit one person, she didn’t know.
“Do you know who Bartholomew Northrup is?”
“Sure, who doesn’t. Corrupt son of a bitch who’s in prison for being a corrupt son of a bitch.” Lily looked confused by the seeming subject change.
“Well, everything you’ve heard about him is only the half of it. He took bribes, doled out favors, took regular payments from local businesses to stay on his good side, helped move drugs throughout the city, and apparently also had a violent side. He’s suspected in numerous assaults and is a suspect in at least one murder. That’s Reggie’s father.”
Lily looked interested now. “Whoa. She lost the parenting lottery. He sounds like a joy to introduce on father-daughter day at school.”
“She’s hinted that they aren’t close and he’s the reason she doesn’t like politicians.” Sophia spun the champagne flute between her fingers.
“Can you blame her? What’s really going on here? Who cares who her father is?” Lily took her hand.
“What do you mean who cares? Everyone cares. I’m a state rep. Bartholomew Northrup is in prison for being a corrupt politician.”
Lily pulled her hand away. “Are you planning on dating him? Has Reggie killed anyone? You’re going to have to lay it out for me, Sophia, because I really don’t understand. You’re into her, aren’t you?”
Sophia nodded and looked down at her hands. “I don’t think Reggie’s corrupt. Of course not. She’s caring, kind, thoughtful, completely the opposite of her father from the sounds of it. But she was a teenager and around him a lot at the end, right before he was arrested. People talk. They say she should have known what was going on, and there’s even talk that she’ll take his throne one day, if she hasn’t already.”
“Oh, bullshit. What throne? He’s a crooked politician, not a king and he’s in jail where he belongs.” Lily reacted so strongly her champagne sloshed over the edge of her flute. “She was a kid. How much did you know what was going on with your parents when you were that age? How much did you give a flying fuck? You’re really going to let the opinion of other people decide whether or not you get a chance at happily ever after? Maybe you crash and burn with Reggie or maybe it’s meant to be, but you’ll never know if you’re too scared to find out. This is one of those times you flick the ghost of your mother right off your shoulder. She has no business giving you advice.”
Sophia put her drink down, stood up, and started pacing. “There are a lot of factors here. The Speaker has already warned me about what could happen if I’m seen getting too close to her, and the governor is expecting a lot from me. Not to mention she made her opinion about Reggie pretty clear as well. My reputation is at stake. A lot of people vote based on nothing more than reputation.”
“I’m going to cut you off.” Lily stood too and put her hand on Sophia’s shoulders. “What happens in your stomach when you look at her?”
“It misbehaves.”
“And what do her eyes do when she first looks at you?”
“They dance like the sun on the ocean at dawn.”
“And you brought her to Mama’s place, which is like bringing her home to meet your family. From where I’m standing, it seems like those are the only factors that matter, sweetie. Do me, and you, and Reggie a favor and ask that woman on a date. I say this with as much love, respect, and affection as possible, but politics can fuck itself in this instance. Now, I’d like to tell you about a love story, a wedding, and some beautiful clothes I’ve been asked to make by Valencia’s sister-in-law.”
Sophia stared at Lily, not sure what to say. Could she put aside politics and the risks to her career and focus on what she wanted? The concept seemed foreign. She’d always looked at minefields to achieving her goals and looked for ways to mitigate them. Blindly strolling ahead seemed reckless. What if she took a chance and she and Reggie didn’t work out but her career was irreparably harmed? The career she’d been dreaming of and building since childhood. What if she shunned Reggie and she was the one? Was any career, even her dream career, worth that? What if she drowned herself in a pile of “what-ifs”?
Sophia picked up her drink and linked arms with Lily. This problem didn’t have to be solved in the next few hours. Tonight she wanted to hear Lily’s love story. Love stories were hard and wonderful. They took work and choices and faith. Her faith was shaky. She’d never questioned her commitment to her career and her dreams. Bedrock was not supposed to move beneath your feet, especially not for someone who purported to hate everything you held closest. But how was she supposed to give up on something that was supposedly wrong and yet felt so right?