A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams

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.

“You don’t want to read it?”

She shook her head. “No way. Can you read it for me and then let me know what it says?”

He chuckled. “You’re a trip, you know that?”

“I’m not a trip. I’m a hardworking dress designer who knows that this particular moment will make or break me.”

“It’s not that serious.”

“It’s pretty close.” She still kept her eyes covered. “My entire career is hinging on this article.” Maya peeked through her fingers. Derek was staring at her with contentment in his expression. “What? Does it say something bad?”

“No. No. Just . . . thinking. That’s all.” Derek shifted his weight from side to side. The corners of his mouth curled up in delight.

“Are you going to read the post?”

“Yes.”

She covered her eyes again. “Good.”

He started to read it aloud.

“Read it silently, please,” Maya said. “Then give me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or something. Like an executive summary.”

“You are really serious, huh?”

“Yes.”

“So when are you going to read it?”

This was so nerve-racking. “I . . .”

“I’ll read aloud if it’s good. How does that sound?”

Relief swept through her. “That sounds excellent.”

“‘Upcoming New Designer Is One to Watch, Blending History and Fashion in Unique Ways.’ This is great, Maya.”

“It is?” she said.

Derek laughed. “Yes, it is. Cat writes: ‘Ms. Heather Gates looked divine in a form-fitting gown that displayed a unique blending of cultures, Filipino and West African. The West African inspiration is a nod to Heather’s great-grandmother, an African American woman who passed as a White woman. It’s unfortunate that Jim Crow laws and racist violence forced Heather’s great-grandmother to pass as White, but Heather’s symbolic dress honors her once-hidden African heritage. Now it’s come to light, and Heather’s wedding was a celebration of it.’”

“The way Cat worded it sounds deep,” Maya said.

“That’s because it is deep.” He continued reading. “‘A junior wedding dress designer for Laura Whitcomb, Maya Jackson’s style sense is avant-garde with a touch of classic form. The way Maya uniquely and seamlessly blends the design styles of two cultures without missing a beat is something I haven’t seen in my thirty years as a fashion critic.’”

A stunned shock overcame Maya. “Wow. Wow. Wow.”

“‘When I interviewed Maya,’” Derek continued, “‘she said that the design inspirations for her work come from being apprenticed to her mother, a Filipina designer who brought indigenous stitching techniques with her to the United States. The craft and skill in the dresses are astonishingly intricate. Laura is lucky to have snapped Maya up. She’ll be even luckier to have Maya take the Laura Whitcomb brand to a new level. Maya’s unique eye and style will be an asset to an already successful line.’” Derek looked up from the screen. “You, my lady, are a hit.”

The positive comments on Cat’s blog were already rolling in. Maya stepped close to read them.

Gorgeous! The dress looks amazing.

So unique.

The comments kept coming.

“I knew you’d succeed,” he said. “Cat didn’t drag Laura Whitcomb on the internet either. She’s much savvier than that. Much, much savvier. You’re brilliant. You know that, right?”

Did she? Now she did. Cat’s blog changed everything.

Jamila emerged from the break room and stepped close to the computer screen. Her eyes widened. “You’re famous, Maya!”

Maya laughed. “Not exactly famous, but thank you.”

“Maya, I—” Derek said.

A cell phone trilled.

“Is that my phone?” he asked.

“Nope. It’s mine.” Maya answered. “Hello?”

“Maya? Hello! It’s Laura Whitcomb. I saw Cat’s post this morning of the wedding you designed for. Do you have a minute to chat?”

Stress-excitement sizzled through her. What did she want? “Can you hold on please?” She placed the phone down and her jaw dropped.

There was some quiet chatter as Derek and Jamila read through more of the comments on the computer.

“That’s Laura Whitcomb on the phone!” Maya’s voice was a shout-whisper. “Laura saw Cat’s blog post, and she wants to talk. I wonder if she’s gonna give some commentary on my design revisions that I sent her too.”

“Better see what she has to say,” Derek said, a note of pride in his voice. “Go on and speak with her.”

Maya jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas Day. “I’ll take this call in the back.”

Maya stepped into the break room of Always a Bride and sat down at the round table, holding the cell phone up to her ear. “Hey, Laura. You still there?”

“Yes. What were you doing?”

The nervousness didn’t leave. Laura could also be calling to rail on her, as usual. “Just looking for a quiet place to talk. That’s all,” Maya said, trying to keep the calm in her voice.

“I didn’t know you were working on the wedding for the governor’s daughter.” Laura said this with a note of incredulity in her voice, as if Maya were beholden to her for every move she made while down south.

“You said I could sell some of my designs while I was down here in Charleston since I would not be paid after two weeks, remember?”

There was silence on the other end, and all of a sudden Maya grew nervous. Should she have said something to Laura about Heather’s wedding too? Was she supposed to check in or something? Oh Lord. Last thing Maya needed was to get on Laura’s bad side.

“I was so impressed with your design of Heather’s dress. I loved it. I wish you would’ve shown me these styles earlier, so we could’ve worked something out under the Laura Whitcomb brand.”

Maya’s blood boiled. She’d been trying to get Laura to recognize her designs since she had started working there. All Laura did was dismiss them as “not marketable.” Now she wanted to claim Maya’s designs under her brand?

“Did you see the revisions I sent you? The ones that are more aligned with your style?”

“Oh yes. I saw them. They were okay,” Laura continued. “But I was thinking about all the press you’ve been getting, and I think it will be great exposure for the Laura Whitcomb line. It’ll show that we’re a progressive, forward-thinking, and diverse company.”

Diverse? What was she talking about? Laura disliked Maya’s design aesthetic. Now Laura wanted to be “diverse”? Humpf.

“I want to offer you the position of head designer at Laura Whitcomb Inc.”

Maya’s heart pounded. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. This was what she’d dreamed of. “You do?”

“Yes, I do. As soon as you return to New York at the end of the month, I’d love to discuss your new position.”

Her new position. Yes. Her new position. Laura said it as if it were a done deal, as if she had accepted it already.

Maya would, wouldn’t she? Taking this position was a no-brainer. Yes? Yes. Now it was actually happening. Now it was actually real.

“This will be an exciting new turn in your career, Maya. It’ll be challenging, but fun too. And the travel! Oh, you’ll love the travel. You won’t be all cooped up in the New York office. This job will be about eighty percent travel. All expenses paid by the company.”

How would she see Derek? “Eighty percent travel?”

“Yes. Mostly international too. You’ll spend a lot of time in Paris and Milan attending fashion shows, meeting with our designers who are based in Europe, and consulting with our international clients. Oh, you’re in for a glamorous life, darling. A glamorous life.”

Fireworks crackled in her spirit. If she could’ve, she would’ve squeed, hopped, and cheered like a crazed spectator at a football game. But then something else tugged at her too. The idea of traveling sounded great, but it could also put a huge strain on any type of long-distance relationship she had with Derek. They’d hardly see each other. And her health. Could her body take the stress and toll of travel? She never even told Laura about her sickle cell, and Laura wasn’t the understanding type. “Can I have some time to think about this? Before I make a decision to accept or not?”

“Why wouldn’t you accept?” Laura asked, her tone incredulous.

“I just want to think it over.”

“You didn’t get another offer already, did you?”

Laura was concerned about competition, huh? Perhaps Maya could use that in her favor if she accepted and negotiated a salary. She wouldn’t lie about a competing offer, but Maya could play up how much of an asset she would be now that she had all this buzz. Then there was Derek. “I want to think about it. That’s all.”

“Okay. Great!” Laura said. “We’ll talk about the details of your new position when you return.”

“I haven’t accepted,” Maya reemphasized. “I need time.”

“Oh, right. Time. Take all the time you need, but I am looking forward to seeing you soon.”

They said goodbye. Maya hung up and took a long, deep breath. First thing was to tell Derek. She was thrilled about the job offer, but she wanted to tell Derek how this new position could affect them. Being head designer could take a toll on their new relationship and her health.

And that didn’t feel right.