She made him nervous. Jessie knew all the signs. He’d tucked his hands in his pockets and was jingling the keys. Todd Walker had asked to walk around the back of the building, she was sure there was a different reason than just checking on the lot. Was he embarrassed to stand next to her?
It wasn’t anything new. Her height intimidated every man she had ever encountered, professionally or privately. She’d been 6 foot tall in middle school, two more inches followed in high school. Only boys on the basketball team would ask her to prom. And wasn’t it funny, that the smallest of boys where the ones that always had crushes on her?
None of that mattered, it was so long ago. But every time she met someone new, those thoughts crossed her mind. Her height had given her an entire career. They threw full scholarships at her feet from notable universities. She rode that basketball train all the way to a bachelor's degree in business. Photography had always been a hobby. Though, it made her a nice income on the side.
She did senior portraits for her sister’s friends. A few friends who had gotten married, and couldn’t afford a real photographer, had scraped enough money to pay for Jessie to take their pictures. During tournaments, when she wasn’t coaching, she would take action shots and some of them sold.
Now, here she was considering renting a space and making it more than a hobby. If she took this on, it would be a career. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t use her degree, after all this would be business. And, when she had majored in business, she wasn’t sure what that even meant.
There were other factors too. Lydia Morgan’s businesses were well known in the area. If you could get Lydia to recommend your business, you were golden. She knew everyone. She did business with everyone, and everyone liked her. Even with a reputation like that, Jessie still had gone home and looked up the Bridal Mecca just to see what everyone else said about it.
Usually when you looked up a business online, it was full of negative reviews. One thing Jessie had learned over the years was that people who didn’t like something spoke much louder than those who did. She was always careful to base her opinions solely on a review. If she had done that she never would have tried the Mexican restaurant up the street which was now one of her most favorite places to eat. The Bridal Mecca, and all of its independently owned stores, had nothing but stellar reviews. Audrey’s hair salon was one of the most beloved salons in the area. She came across an article where they had gone from four stylists to eight. Perhaps it didn’t hurt that Audrey married some hunky movie star, who often frequented her business. But Jessie knew well enough that just having a famous person in your midst didn’t speak for the quality of work. The reason Audrey’s salon was so popular was because she hired quality stylists.
The reception hall had the most reviews. The one stars came from people not served alcohol. Those were easy enough to see through. One man was angry because they wouldn’t serve him after having had six drinks already. By the belligerent language, Jessie surmised that the man had probably been a liability when he walked into the reception hall.
All the other reviews were stellar. And, all the other reviews mentioned Lydia Morgan by name. If you booked your social event in her reception hall, you were not disappointed. She hoped that would be the case for her sister. She and her mother had had nothing but good things to say about Todd and everyone they had met.
Todd’s other sister, Pearl, owned the bridal shop. She’d had many of her friends buy dresses from Pearl. She supposed, when the day came, she too would choose Pearl. The store was known for being well-stocked, well decorated, and had fair prices.
There was the flower store. She’d ordered a few pieces from there and had them delivered to her mother occasionally. They’d never disappointed.
Jessie hadn’t been in the Italian store. Perhaps before she left today she would stop in. Having looked through the window, she knew there was a set of wineglasses she wanted to look closer at.
As they turned the corner, Jessie glanced at the small space at the end of the building. There was a small sign in the window that said Ella Mills-Walker Attorney at Law.
“Are you related to the attorney?” She asked as Todd fished the keys from his pocket.
“Of course. Ella just married my cousin Gerald.”
“It seems like this corner of town has everything a blushing bride would need for her wedding.”
Todd stuck the key in the lock and turned it. “That would be their business model. And, it seems to work. Rarely does Perl sell a dress, and the bride does not buy flowers, have her hair done, or book the reception in Lydia’s hall. Oh, and my other cousin’s wife, she’s the caterer.”
“Susan?” She asked as Todd pushed open the door.
“You’ve met Susan?”
Jessie nodded as Todd turned on the lights. “She catered a bridal shower for one of my sister’s other friends. She’s the one that told us about all these businesses. She’s the one that sold us on the reception hall.” She laughed. “Us. As if I had anything to do with any of the decisions made today.”
Todd turned to her and smiled. “It seems as if your mom and sister had that all planned out.”
“They did. I’m not sure why they drug me along. Maybe it was fate. I was supposed to see this space.”
Todd looked around the room. “It sure doesn’t look like much, does it?”
“I suppose that depends on who’s doing the looking. You see an empty space.”
“A dirty empty space. Seriously, did that photographer move out and leave dust?”
Jessie laughed. “Main road. Cars kick up dust.” She shrugged. “No, I see something bigger. I see light colors on the walls out here. I don’t know if I would say eggshell, or if I might want to go more pastel. Portraits in the window.” She opened her arms as if to direct his attention in front of them. “A sofa, a couple chairs, and a coffee table filled with books of portraits.”
Jessie took a few more steps into the room and faced the wall. “I would cover that wall with baby portraits and young children.” She turned to the next wall. “Over here I would put senior portraits and engagement pictures.” She turned to the final wall. “Over here I would showcase weddings and big families. I really need to decide if weddings are something I want to throw myself on."
“You’re not sure about weddings?”
Jessie turned back toward Todd. “I am sure you could ask your sisters about this. But, every little girl has their wedding plan from the time they are five years old. I’m just not sure I want to be the person in charge of capturing that image.”
Todd tucked his hands into his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Did you plan your wedding at five?”
Jessie shook her head. “I don’t think I did. I was too busy outside being a tomboy. I would have much rather been playing flag football, swimming, or shooting layups in the driveway. I can’t say I ever gave any thought to a wedding.”
“Ever?”
Jessie clasped her arms behind her. “Ever.”