“I’m very open about my control issues. I fully admit to it.”
“And that’s admirable. But acknowledging it doesn’t mean jack if you don’t do anything to make it better.” Lela pressed her lips together tightly, almost as if she didn’t know what to say next. “And I worry about what might happen if and when you finally get pregnant. Stress isn’t good for a baby, and it’s not good for you. But I also can’t see you quickly handing off responsibility. If you’re really serious about having a family, especially if you’re going to do it on your own, you need to start laying the foundation. That means cutting down on your workload.”
Brooklyn’s plan had always been to slow down after she was pregnant, but she could see Lela’s point. “I don’t want to hire a CEO. I know what happens. You get a board of directors, and too many layers of bureaucracy and then the next thing you know, I’m being ousted as founder.”
“Then don’t do that. Hire a COO.”
“Technically, operations is Virginia’s job. So that won’t help.”
“That might be true, but you still end up doing a lot of it. Maybe think about you and Virginia sharing the CEO job, then bring on someone for operations.”
Brooklyn wasn’t sure why there was something buried deep inside her that told her to fight this idea. Alec had expressed similar sentiments, more than once. Maybe she needed to get serious about a change. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”
“I’m no expert on structuring a business. All I’m saying is there are lots of ways to do it and I think it would be good for you if there was a little less on your plate.”
“Make room for other stuff.”
“Like a baby?”
Brooklyn grinned and leaned in to give Lela a hug. “Yes. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Lela got up from the couch. “We should probably talk about the segment. The producer wants me to ask you about your baby plan. How much do you want to talk about it?”
Brooklyn was worried Jerome was just going to start another pool. “Exactly enough to satisfy the viewers. Then I think we move on. If that’s okay with you.”
“Perfectly fine with me. The beauty of live TV is they can’t make me go back and change it. Now let’s get out there and do some makeovers.”
Lela and Brooklyn made their way down the hall to wait until they got the okay to go inside the studio. A few moments later, the subjects of their makeovers arrived, with partners and little ones in tow. With two babies in such close proximity, Brooklyn had to make a point of keeping her hands to herself. The urge to squeeze tiny feet and make little faces light up with a smile was too great.
One couple, Kurt and Flora, had a three-month-old boy, and the other pair, Tasha and Leslie, had a five-month-old girl. Neither child was particularly excited about being there, what with the harsh fluorescent lights overhead and non-stop grown-up chatter. They fussed and whimpered, while Brooklyn tried to put herself in these parental shoes. In light of the conversation she’d just had with Lela, Brooklyn truly saw—for the very first time—that she wouldn’t want to be standing in that hall, bouncing her little one on her hip while thinking about work. Or worse, stressing about it. Lela was right. And Alec had been right, too. Brooklyn didn’t need to merely figure out her baby-making situation. The career she’d once thought was everything needed a makeover of its own. Stat.
Stacia opened the door to the studio and waved the makeover moms in, while the partners and babies were escorted down to a viewing room to watch the taping. Lela and Brooklyn went to get settled with the matching workstations set up by the stagehands, complete with makeup kits, hydraulic chairs, mirrors, and some extra, softer, lighting.
They were counted out of the commercial break and the show went live, Tilly Ann introducing both Brooklyn and Lela. “These two marvels of the makeup world are doing makeovers today for two very lucky new moms, then at the end, we have an amazing treat for everyone. The special guest we’ve been hinting at over the last few days will be here with an exciting announcement.”
Brooklyn’s mind immediately went to Jason Adams. But what in the heck was the connection between him and the segment she was doing with Lela? Moms and makeup and superheroes? She had no clue about the answer, but Alec was always complaining about the harebrained stuff they did on the show. Apparently, this was one more example.
Lela took the segment reins into her very capable hands. “Thank you, Tilly Ann. We look forward to our special guest. Let’s go ahead and get started,” Lela said. “Brooklyn is working with Flora today and I’ll be doing makeup for Tasha. We’re going to focus on two looks, but since they’re for women who are juggling a lot, they’re both incredibly fast and simple. One is a very natural daytime look, and then we’ll dress it up for a night out.”
“I volunteer to babysit.” The words just popped out of Brooklyn’s mouth, probably because being in front of the camera made her so nervous. Luckily, Flora and Tasha laughed.
“For anyone who missed Brooklyn’s first appearance onGood Day, she made quite a stir by openly sharing her hopes to have a family, even if that means moving forward without a partner,” Lela said, not missing a beat. She swirled a contour brush in a blush compact. “So, while I highlight Tasha’s lovely cheekbones here, do you want to give us an update, Brooklyn?”
“First off, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me after my last appearance. It’s nice to know people are in my corner.”Some people, at least.“I’m afraid that not much has changed yet. I still want to have a baby and I’m still exploring my options.” Brooklyn hoped her vague answer would be sufficient. She didn’t want to close any doors, but she also didn’t want to leave any glaringly open. There was no telling who might walk through it. “Now, I really like a waterproof mascara for daytime. It’s great if you’re running around and sweating. Or maybe you’re giving your baby a bath and get water splashed in your face.”
Lela cast her a smile. “That’s a great tip.”
“Also,” Flora interjected. “Sometimes babies make you cry. So it’s good for that, too.”
“Amen to that,” Tasha added.
Brooklyn made a mental note:You’ll probably cry.From there, the four women had a very fun chat about beauty and babies while Lela and Brooklyn completed the makeovers. It was sheer heaven, like the cameras weren’t even there. The first look was received very well by Tasha and Flora, but it was the second one that really left them happy.
“I’d forgotten what it was like to look pretty. Or feel good about my appearance,” Tasha said, her voice cracking. “Having a kid isn’t always great for your self-esteem.”
“Oh, my God. Yes. You go from the chaos of pregnancy to the hurricane of a newborn. There’s no time to worry about what you look like.” Flora nodded as she looked into the mirror and turned her head from side to side. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
Tilly Ann wandered over to their corner of theGood Day USAset. “You both look absolutely gorgeous. Thank you so much to Brooklyn and Lela for doing such a fabulous job. Now that we’re all done, I want to bring out our special guest, the star ofLavaman, which is coming out this weekend, Jason Adams!”
