Chapter 32 #2
Kenya quieted. “So, what does that have to do with me?”
Althea leaned forward. “I want you to use your gifts and abilities to help us launch well. We want the uniqueness of Hope Springs to shine through. We don’t just need an event planner.
We need a visionary who sees the big picture and knows how to take fragments of ideas and turn them into masterpieces. ”
Kenya blinked. She’d heard these words before, sensed them, felt them. The way her art teacher explained how they would put things together. How nothing had to be wasted, and the most insignificant thing could have value because of the vision of the beholder.
She saw that value now, in Althea’s encouraging eyes.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Althea grinned. “How about you come take a walk with me after we talk. I’ll show you what I’m working with, and then you can decide.”
AN HOUR LATER, Kenya stood in the doorway of a commercial unit on the ground floor of the newest downtown hotel. The entrance was flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows and spilled out into a walkway. “This place is incredible.”
This unit had an unobstructed view of Hope Springs Park, with the blue bridge standing off in the distance.
The park was showing off its brilliance.
The fall leaves—the rolls of red, orange, yellow, and gold—soothing her soul.
What would it be like to work from this place?
To be able to see all the people milling around, constant inspiration to feed all her ideas.
Close to nature, to feel settled and able to see from God’s perspective.
She turned toward Althea. “Did you know that this is only a fifteen-minute drive to Monte Sano Mountain?”
Althea smiled. “I do.”
“Which doesn’t matter for your business, of course, but this is a really great location you picked.”
“I told you I went to college here. Met my best friend, and not only have we kept in touch over the years, but we collaborate on projects from time to time.”
Kenya walked back into the space, lifting her head toward the high ceilings, all the sunlight flooding in.
“This project has been years in the making. Not only did the tour confirm our decision to launch here, but I’ve had a few more confirmations along the way.”
Kenya turned from her perusal to look back out the doors. Althea smiled. “Meeting you has been the biggest one of them all.”
“What?”
Althea beckoned her to follow her back outside. They both leaned against the railing that lined the entrance to this unit and the others waiting for renters. Kenya glanced around. “Do you need me to find you a chair?”
“Now, honey, I have been around for a bit, but I think I can manage leaning up against this rail for a few more minutes.”
Kenya laughed.
“So, my friend has some offices around the country and has been able to offer her services to well-known clients. You should see her designs. They are incredible, but we both see the growth and potential in this area. Huntsville, your big sister a few minutes away, has been voted one of the best places to live for the past few years. And my friend and I have always wanted to go into business together, so here we are. And here you are. We want to combine the best of the bakery-café atmosphere with bespoke boutique creations. Our desire is to create a mini-showroom experience introducing customers to exclusive seasonal lines that they can customize while they sip on teas and house-made pastries.”
“That sounds like my kind of business.” Kenya grinned.
“I was hoping you would say that because the missing piece was who would manage all of that on this end. That is the main reason I came on this tour. I had a sense that the agency that had sent out those creative invitations and organized an unforgettable itinerary would have someone on their team this launch might be a good fit for. Fay will be so excited.”
“What did you say your friend’s name was again?”
Althea beamed. “Fay. Or, rather, Favour Anruchi of Fayson Couture. Have you heard of them? She started off big in Lagos but has since gone global. We met here at Alabama A&M before she moved back home to Nigeria.”
Kenya’s heart sank. “I’m not very good at managing.” And especially trying to manage anything that Favour Anruchi was a part of. There was no way Solomon’s mother would be okay with her involvement.
Althea leveled a no-nonsense look at her.
“Young lady, you are a creative woman who can see the big picture. Your gifting then helps you to take those big pictures and make them experiential and tangible for people from all walks of life. That is what we want our brand to be. I want you to be our brand designer and ambassador. Not only do I see you infusing this launch with your creative ideas, but we want you to help tell the story. I want you to have fun, dream big, look out at the people in the city, and help us design with them in mind.”
Kenya opened her mouth, closed it again. Her thoughts were a jumble and a mess. How did one pray or even think about something like this?
Althea looked at her like a woman who’d had struggles of her own. She took Kenya’s hand and patted it. “You can say no, but baby, you also have the permission to say yes.”
Kenya gazed out over the park a few moments after Althea walked back into the building. Saying yes felt like a dream, but if she left her agency, would she be running away again?