Page 15 of Falling for Autumn
“You’re a great cook. This is tender and juicy,” October admitted, pointing his fork at the steak.
“Thank you. I learned how to cook from my GiGi. She lived with us.”
“Has she always lived with you?”
“As far back as I can recall.”
“You said that you were an esthetician. Was that what you always planned to do? Or did you think that you would become a chef?”
“I never wanted to be a chef. I can cook, and I enjoy it, but I don’t want to be committed to it. I want to do it when I feel like it, not because I have to. But I was always fascinated with beauty. I learned to do makeup in middle school, kept perfecting it in high school, and tried my hand at various jobs. It wasn’t until I turned thirty that I knew this was what I wanted to do. I went back to school for a year to become certified, and here I am.”
“That’s what’s up. I love that you weren’t afraid to start over to pursue what you really loved to do.”
“I was at first, but GiGi doesn’t play that. She always preached to Wynter and me that we needed to be true to what was in our hearts. She always said, ‘Is life really worth living if you can’t be true to yourself?’”
“That’s a valid point. I’m glad that she held you accountable to that.”
“Me too.”
“Are you going to return to doing it after Auburn gets a certain age, or will you start doing them in the house?”
“I’m not bringing anyone into my house with my baby. I might have considered that before she came, but no more. I’ll return to the shop by the time she turns a year,” I explained and rocked her bassinet.
I leaned over and looked at her. Smiling, I rubbed her back softly and then returned to my food. Auburn was sleeping soundly, so I was at peace.
“Are you still in touch with your clients?”
“Yeah. They all tune in to watch my lives on MixTube. They message and text me. I hope they’ll be loyal and return to me when I return.”
“They will. If not, you didn’t need them anyway. But I’m sure you’ll be just fine. What type of content do you show on your channel?”
“I used to do wax removals, facials, and makeup tutorials. I still do everything except for wax removals. I don’t have any clients to do those on, so I’ve eliminated those for now. I hate it, though, because those brought in my highest views.”
“Do you do the makeup tutorials on yourself?”
“Sometimes. But mostly it’s my sister, her friends Nature and Peace, and my friend Delishia. So, tell me. How did you get into the custom car business?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Man, I’ve loved cars since I came out of the womb. I always played with them as a kid, and my dad always bought them for me. Whether they were remote control cars or the pocket wheels, he made sure that he fed my addiction. I learned how to change tires when I was nine, learned how to do my first oil change at ten, and a tune-up at eleven.
“At the same time, I was fully focused on my love of art and taking art classes. My dad had me enrolled in those classes in elementary school. He said that I had a gift for it. It was a no-brainer by the time I hit fourteen what I wanted to do. So when I graduated from high school , I immediately went to trade school to learn automotive repair and maintenance. I earned my certificate within two years and followed up with business management courses at a community college in the evening while working at an auto repair shop during the day.”
“Did you immediately go into business on your own when you graduated?”
“Nah. That didn’t happen until much later. I didn’t go into business on my own until five years ago, when I turned thirty.”
“What did you do before then?”
“Lived. Baby girl, this meal was wonderful, but I’ve gotta bounce now.”
“What about that apple crisp?”
“I’ve already had some at my dad’s. You can have that one.”
“What about your dish?”
“Guess I have another reason to visit the beautiful princess then, huh?”
I laughed. “Okay. I’ll have it washed and ready for you.”
