Chapter Twenty-Six
EveryDayGlam!BeautyTip
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health in determining your beauty. If you feel blue on the inside, it will show. Not every day is glitter eye shadow and rock-hard nail polish. Some days you poke yourself in the eye with a mascara wand or have lipstick on your teeth. It happens. Life happens. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t royally beautiful. Remember your worth and that will carry youthrough.
* * *
The next coupleof days flew by as Daisy fielded phone calls from new sponsors and managed the business side of her channel. The conference always brought in new business and new viewers. Beckett’s makeover was still trending, so she bought a few ads on social media networks to help it stayhot.
“Okay, I’ll tell Mark to watch for those contracts. Thanks again.” Daisy hung up the phone and sat next to Vivian at the computer desk. “That was USA Organic Popcorn—we’ve added anothersponsor.”
“Yes!” Vivian gave her a fist bump. “That’s three big ones in as many days. You must have hustled your butt off at theconference.”
Daisy ran her finger along the edge of the desk. “I have other big news. At least, I hope you’ll think it’sbig.”
“Shoot.” Vivian gave her the go-ahead to lay it outthere.
“I’ve decided to turnEveryDayGlam!into a partnership, and I’d like to offer you the other share.” She hadn’t made a 50/50 split because she wanted to keep control of the content. “You’d get seventeen percent and we wouldn’t change a thing about your job description, but you’re a big part of why my channel does so well and you should have profit sharingrights.”
Vivian’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I don’t know what tosay.”
“It’s long overdue. That’s what you shouldsay.”
Vivian choked a laugh and shook her head, all while covering hermouth.
Daisy laid her hand on Vivian’s arm. “I have to say something else. This isn’t the reason I decided to reorganize, but I’m hoping it’s a by-product. I thought maybe, if you felt more financially secure, you wouldn’t be so hesitant to dateQuinton.”
“Daisy.” Vivian’s protest was weak atbest.
“Hear me out. If money didn’t exist in the world at all and there was no such thing as debt, would you wanthim?”
The tears poured out the corners of Vivian’s eyes, dousing her cheeks. She noddedsilently.
“Don’t let fearwin.”
Vivian nodded again. Daisy couldn’t tell if she nodded because she agreed and would go for it or if she was just saying that fear was afactor.
Her phone lit up and she saw Teri’s name on the screen. Her fingers tingled with anticipation over taking the call from KPaka. “I have to take this. Here.” She snatched a box of tissues off the nightstand. “You take these and applyliberally.”
Vivian laughed even as she continued to cry. Daisy made her way into the hallway, where there were less sniffs and nose-blowing to hear over. She answered the phone and they exchanged pleasantries; all the while, Daisy held her free hand in a fist and pressed it to her chest. This was the phone call she’d been waiting for—she could just feelit.
Teri got straight to the point. “We want to thank you for all the time you’ve put into working with us and for being patient as we considered our options, but we’ve decided to pass on theEveryDayGlam!cosmeticsline.”
Daisy fell back against the wall. “I’m sorry, did you saypass?”
“Yes. We have decided to pursue another area of the market at this time. But thank you so much foreverything.”
“I—you’re welcome?” Daisy pulled the phone away and stared at it. This felt like the wrong number or a crank call. This wasn’t her life. In her life, she had the deal in the cute little pink bag with a big bow on top. Where was her bow? She didn’t remember saying goodbye or hanging up, but her screen went dark. She stared at it, willing it to ring again and for Teri to say she’d been mistaken, or kidding, or had called the wronggirl.
A while later, Vivian nearly tripped over her in the hallway. “What happened?” She hooked Daisy under the arm and hauled her to herfeet.
“I didn’t getit?”
“Didn’t getwhat?”
“KPaka. They decided to go another direction?” She couldn’t help but phrase everything in the form of a question—the whole situation was a question mark followed by an exclamationpoint.
Vivian’s mouth fell open. “Did she saywhy?”
