her over to the studio.
Jasmine felt like her feet wouldn’t move. Her heart was in her throat, and she was sure if she blinked she would dissolve into tears on the spot. Such kindness.
After the glaring spotlight of her father’s financial sins and suicide, the press painting a portrait of her as a spoiled rich kid who had received everything she’d had in life illegally and at the expense of others, she’d not only developed a phobia about being in the spotlight, but also had forgotten how kind people could be.
Very, very few people had been kind back then. With her father gone, dead, she and her mother had borne the brunt of much more cruelty than had been their due. She’d even changed her name for a while; it was the only way she could get a job.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Jazz?” Amanda prompted, elbowing her as Jasmine realized she was standing there, staring.
“It’s…amazing.” She snapped back to the moment and accepted hugs from Meryl and Kayla.
“We wanted to help in some way until you have it all fixed up. We’re doing the other two shops too. Manny is giving out free ice cream since his freezers were broken, so we’re going to go help him with that as soon as we’re done here.”
“Oh no! They broke the ice cream freezers?” Jasmine said on a sucked-in breath. She cursed in a very un-yogi-like fashion. No one was shocked. They all felt the same way.
“Yeah, whoever did this, there must have been a bunch of them,” Kayla said.
“I’d be happy to help with the ice cream, or anything else,” Jasmine said, and Amanda agreed.
Jasmine was ashamed of herself. She’d been so wrapped up in her own worries that she’d forgotten her neighbors were suffering similar troubles, or worse.
“That would be awesome. I think a lot of local people are kicking in to help,” Meryl said. “And anything we can do for you, let us know.”
Jasmine couldn’t fight the tears again and found herself wrapped in hugs as the girls all offered comfort.
It made her feel more connected to everything around her than she had felt in a long time.
“Well, we should go. We’ll see you at Manny’s.”
Suddenly, she realized she’d solved the problem of her scarred brick walls, as an idea formed out of the blue.
“Meryl, Kayla, this mural is so pretty. I think when the windows are up, these panels are going to be used inside the studio. They’re too beautiful to tear down. I’m going to have them put up over the brick,” Jasmine said, the inspiration feeling right. “So don’t forget to sign them. And charge me for them.”
Kayla and Meryl tackled her with more hugs, and then she and Amanda headed toward Manny’s to offer help there.
“Wow, I didn’t think I could ever feel good about this situation, but seeing how everyone is coming together and how everyone is so kind…it’s really amazing. And it never would have happened if this terrible thing hadn’t happened.” Jasmine thought a lot about balance, but this was karma in action.
“Definitely. By the way, I went by your house last night to check in on you, and you weren’t there. And you didn’t answer your phone. I was worried. Where were you?” Amanda frowned in concern.
Jasmine walked a little faster, hoping to get to the ice cream store before she had to have this conversation, but Amanda was far too intuitive.
“No! You were with him . The amnesiac stockbroker!”
Jasmine wished she could lie, but she couldn’t fib to her best friend.
“It was a weak moment. He offered a distraction.”
Jasmine experienced a pinch of guilt describing Leo that way. He’d been kind too. Supportive.
She’d pushed him away that morning. He’d been disappointed and less chatty over breakfast. She’d didn’t know how to handle it. She’d enjoyed being with him, but didn’t want to let it go further than it had.
“I’ll bet. So how was it?”
“It was great. Hot, amazing, and now it’s over. It was only a night, Mandy, that’s
Jasmine felt like her feet wouldn’t move. Her heart was in her throat, and she was sure if she blinked she would dissolve into tears on the spot. Such kindness.
After the glaring spotlight of her father’s financial sins and suicide, the press painting a portrait of her as a spoiled rich kid who had received everything she’d had in life illegally and at the expense of others, she’d not only developed a phobia about being in the spotlight, but also had forgotten how kind people could be.
Very, very few people had been kind back then. With her father gone, dead, she and her mother had borne the brunt of much more cruelty than had been their due. She’d even changed her name for a while; it was the only way she could get a job.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Jazz?” Amanda prompted, elbowing her as Jasmine realized she was standing there, staring.
“It’s…amazing.” She snapped back to the moment and accepted hugs from Meryl and Kayla.
“We wanted to help in some way until you have it all fixed up. We’re doing the other two shops too. Manny is giving out free ice cream since his freezers were broken, so we’re going to go help him with that as soon as we’re done here.”
“Oh no! They broke the ice cream freezers?” Jasmine said on a sucked-in breath. She cursed in a very un-yogi-like fashion. No one was shocked. They all felt the same way.
“Yeah, whoever did this, there must have been a bunch of them,” Kayla said.
“I’d be happy to help with the ice cream, or anything else,” Jasmine said, and Amanda agreed.
Jasmine was ashamed of herself. She’d been so wrapped up in her own worries that she’d forgotten her neighbors were suffering similar troubles, or worse.
“That would be awesome. I think a lot of local people are kicking in to help,” Meryl said. “And anything we can do for you, let us know.”
Jasmine couldn’t fight the tears again and found herself wrapped in hugs as the girls all offered comfort.
It made her feel more connected to everything around her than she had felt in a long time.
“Well, we should go. We’ll see you at Manny’s.”
Suddenly, she realized she’d solved the problem of her scarred brick walls, as an idea formed out of the blue.
“Meryl, Kayla, this mural is so pretty. I think when the windows are up, these panels are going to be used inside the studio. They’re too beautiful to tear down. I’m going to have them put up over the brick,” Jasmine said, the inspiration feeling right. “So don’t forget to sign them. And charge me for them.”
Kayla and Meryl tackled her with more hugs, and then she and Amanda headed toward Manny’s to offer help there.
“Wow, I didn’t think I could ever feel good about this situation, but seeing how everyone is coming together and how everyone is so kind…it’s really amazing. And it never would have happened if this terrible thing hadn’t happened.” Jasmine thought a lot about balance, but this was karma in action.
“Definitely. By the way, I went by your house last night to check in on you, and you weren’t there. And you didn’t answer your phone. I was worried. Where were you?” Amanda frowned in concern.
Jasmine walked a little faster, hoping to get to the ice cream store before she had to have this conversation, but Amanda was far too intuitive.
“No! You were with him . The amnesiac stockbroker!”
Jasmine wished she could lie, but she couldn’t fib to her best friend.
“It was a weak moment. He offered a distraction.”
Jasmine experienced a pinch of guilt describing Leo that way. He’d been kind too. Supportive.
She’d pushed him away that morning. He’d been disappointed and less chatty over breakfast. She’d didn’t know how to handle it. She’d enjoyed being with him, but didn’t want to let it go further than it had.
“I’ll bet. So how was it?”
“It was great. Hot, amazing, and now it’s over. It was only a night, Mandy, that’s
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