Waking Up in the Land of Glitter (17 page)

“Wait—this is amazing!” Star dramatically brought her hand to her forehead, as if suddenly struck by a thought. “I have a
trunk full of green glitter! It’s like fate!”

“What?” Ofie’s eyes grew wide with shock. “You bought glitter and didn’t tell me? What kind is it? Where did you get it? How
much do you have? Why is it in your trunk?”

Star stood up. “It’s no biggie. I found it in the storage room at my parents’ place. I think it was leftover from a project
or something. I’ll be right back with it.” She ran to her car to bring in the goods, pleased that the meeting had gone even
better than planned. At this rate, she estimated those centerpieces would be finished in a flash.

Back in the Arizona room, Ofie passed out the pots and pricklies.

“Chloe, do you think you could please jot down a materials list? I don’t seem to have a free hand right now…”

Chloe’s posture stiffened. “No, but I’ll let you use my pen so you can write it yourself.” Crafty Chloe didn’t write lists.
People wrote lists for
her
. Embarrassed, Ofie apologized to the local TV celebrity, set down the items, and took the pen.

Star reentered balancing two sealed shoe boxes over her head. She carefully slid them onto the table. She used her car key
to slice one open and removed two palm-sized plastic bags. “This is very expensive crushed-glass glitter from Germany—a little
goes a long way. I’ll share this between the four of us so we can each make our first centerpiece. It’ll be plenty, but if
you need more, let me know.”

Ofie shoved Star out of the way, practically knocking her over so she could stick her hand in the box and grab a separate
bag. She bit the corner of the plastic with her teeth, and swirled her fingers through the granules. “This is the most beautiful
glitter I’ve ever seen in my life, Star. I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me. You know how much I love glitter!
Please can I have this bag? How much? Can you take a post-dated check? I’ll buy it from you!”

Star knew Ofie didn’t have money to spare. The Fuentes family survived on one income because Larry insisted Ofie work as a
stay-at-home mom for Anjelica’s sake. Star could never accept money from Ofie, so she told her to keep the glitter as a gift
and split up the remaining amount between herself, Chloe, and Benecio.

“Well then,” Star said, standing at the front of the table. “We have our supplies to make our first batch today. Let’s make
these really artsy. If you don’t mind, I’m going to work in private in Ofie’s family room craft corner to make mine. I need
peace and quiet to create.”

Benecio grabbed a TV tray and set up a workstation on the other side of the room. He then went in and out of the house to
search for specific objects. Ofie slid on reading glasses she had decorated with nail polish and rounded up the must-haves
for her piece.

Chloe arranged and rearranged her materials to kill time. She would take them home and have Frances make a centerpiece model
tomorrow. She removed an Aquafina bottle from her bag and watched as Ofie prepped for her soon-to-be wacky creation. Chloe
had never paid much attention to the woman, but now her curiosity bubbled. She wondered why the eager-to-please Ofie seemed
to spend more time crafting with strangers than bonding with her daughter.

“Ofie, your girl is so sweet. Does she ever craft with you?”

“She used to, but I don’t know, around third grade, she lost interest. Now she’s too busy with dance, gymnastics, chorus,
and theater. But she does love for me to make her things.”

“How do you juggle her schedule and still have time for all of this?” Chloe gestured around the room with her hand.

“Nana Chata,” Ofie said with a hint of discontent. “She enrolled Anjelica in all those classes and takes her to every one
of them. She said it’s good for kids to have extracurricular activities. She raised Larry and he’s the kindest man I’ve ever
met, so she knows her stuff. She cooks for us almost every night too. And does our laundry.”

“Do you
want
her to do those things?” Chloe asked.

Ofie squirted purple paint on a paper plate and swirled her foam brush in it. “She does them so well, and I want the best
for Larry and Anjelica. I can’t do any of those things as perfect as Nana Chata. I don’t want to rock the boat by messing
things up, which is what happens every time I try.”

Chloe’s heart softened and she almost felt rueful for the earlier pen comment. She handed Ofie the flowerpot to paint. “Larry
speaks very highly of you at work. I can tell he loves you very much.” In reality, Chloe never conversed more than a few words
with Larry, but the small lie made Ofie’s face light up.

Ofie smiled triumphantly just before loading the pot up with a glob of paint. She poured the glitter onto a paper plate and
rolled the pot around to pick up the flakes. The method left random bald spots all over the surface—even counterfeit-crafter
Chloe knew that was not a successful application. But Ofie admired it as if it were a fifty-carat diamond. “Gorgeous,” she
said.

Chloe peeked across the room to check on Benecio, who appeared immersed in his project. “Ofie, I’ll be back in a bit. I’m
going to check on our little man over there.”

*     *     *

An hour later, Star came into the room to present her masterpiece. Excited, Ofie swept the creation away from Star and set
it next to hers and Chloe’s. Nana Chata and Anjelica came out with great interest to see the final prototypes.

Nana Chata put her hands on her hips and snorted. “What the heck happened here?”

Star flinched in disgust. “What do you mean? Mine is a wake-up call to what is happening in the world! See, I used a metallic
paint pen to write Bob Marley lyrics all over the base of the pot. And then I affixed images of starving children all over
the cactus. I want each centerpiece to be more than just a decorative accessory that is used only to fill the gap in the middle
of an eating station. This is art.”

“Where is the glitter, Star?” Chloe asked, annoyed.

“Whoops! Forgot it, heh-heh,” Star joked. She picked up a pinch from the bag on the table and sprinkled it on top, like nuts
on a sundae. “There.”

“Look at mine!” Ofie said, pointing to hers. “My statement is that we all need more sparkle in our lives. Therefore, I coated
the entire centerpiece in the glitter—the pot
and
the cactus! People will see these from a mile away.”

Benecio bent over and touched it. “Cool, it looks like it’s moving…”

Star joined him. “I think it
is
moving. It looks like the glitter is sliding off the cactus. Maybe you used too much glue, Ofie. Either that or glass glitter
is superheavy.”

“And what about this one?” Anjelica asked, pointing to Chloe’s, which hadn’t even been made.

“I didn’t make one. I hate glitter. I just had a manicure and I need gloves.”

Dead silence.

“You’re Crafty Chloe. Out of all of us, you should have made the best one!” Star beefed. Nana Chata playfully elbowed Chloe.

“Why are you all staring at me? I need proper tools and for God’s sake, air-conditioning. I’ll make mine at home and e-mail
you a picture. Honestly, I don’t see any potential with any of these designs. Maybe we should hire eager design students and
be done with it. Where in the contract does it state that
we
have to make each and every one?”

“Oh, please don’t get mad, Chloe,” Ofie begged. “We think it will mean a lot that we, Arizona craftistas, created them. We’ll
find the right pattern. If not, there is always my tumbleweed idea…”

“I hate to say it, but Nana Chata is right,” Star said, ignoring her friend. “What the heck happened? Look at these samples!
They suck harder than Paris Hilton singing the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’ We can’t do this! We have to pull out before they throw
us out! I might as well move out of my parents’ house before they get home. These centerpieces are a joke.” Star marched to
her bag and slung it over her shoulder to leave.

“Wait, you didn’t see mine yet,” said Benecio. “It just so happens we are covering desert life in science class right now.
I used red paint for the lip of the flowerpot and purple for the base. I inserted floral foam, then coated the cactus with
decoupage medium and poured the glitter all over it. I lodged it inside and covered the surface with gravel from Ofie’s lawn.
Last, I found a toy hummingbird on the ground, cleaned him up, and glued him to one of the branches of the cactus.”

The women hugged him, except Nana Chata, who put him in a happy headlock. Benecio then provided a step-by-step list of directions
for each member. “Vern Yip says that the most important element of design is to always keep the client in mind. These centerpieces
are not about us. They are about the guests at the awards dinner.”

“I hereby nominate Benecio as project manager,” Star said. She cursed herself for wanting to give up—the exact flaw she was
trying to overcome. She couldn’t let her doubts take over. “Tell me what you need, any hour of the day, and I’ll make sure
you have it. Consider me your loyal assistant!”

Just as Star began to relax, her iPhone rang. She didn’t recognize the number and thought it might be her parents in Rhinebeck.
She excused herself and walked inside to Ofie’s family room. A few minutes later she emerged, her face flushed.

“Is everything all right?” Ofie asked, concerned.

“I just got asked out for a drink by a totally hot fireman I met last Friday night,” she replied, dazed. “And I think I said
yes.”

A
fter the meeting, Star thought of every reason under the blaring Arizona sun to bail on Harrison Delta. At First Fridays he
bought a lot of glitter from her for his mom. He called during the centerpiece meeting to not only ask to buy more, but also
to invite Star for a drink that night at George & Dragon, an English pub on Central Avenue.

Star still pined for Theo—when she woke up every morning, when she drove in her car, in between writing press releases for
her clients, with every chew of her food. If she dwelled on the subject too long, tears flowed. One month had passed since
she last saw him and the pain had yet to subside. She hoped a new guy friend would give her a break from the chronic heartache.

She arrived five minutes early to find Harrison, a husky and tall muscleman with a short brown crew cut, waiting for her outside
the front door. Not at all her type, but why would that matter if she only wanted to hang out? As it was, she only vaguely
remembered him from First Fridays because she’d had glitter to hawk and had perceived every person as a walking dollar sign.

“Nice blouse, did you make that?” he asked, his warm brown eyes centered on hers.

Star bashfully half-smiled and pinched her Mexican peasant top at the waist. “No… it’s from Ensenada. I just like the colors.
Thanks!”

He opened the heavy door and The Smiths’ “
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
” blared from the jukebox. Tiny tables lit by small candles were sprinkled throughout the small club, surrounded by sixties-era
red vinyl couches.

They sat in a private booth away from the tunes, and ordered drinks. After one bottle of Sam Smith Pale Ale, Star loved that
she felt relaxed with him. She explained all the gory details of the Great Glitter Fiasco. After the second bottle, she reenacted
the popo busting her for illegally soliciting glitter in the parking lot. A chucklefest broke out over the Lucy-esque episodes,
and settled down once the waitress brought over their plate of sausage rolls. Harrison slowed down the mood with his tragic
tale of a cheating wife in Chicago. He explained the details of the betrayal and ultimate divorce, and how in the end, he
threw a dart at a map and—hello, Arizona! He even traded in his career as an accountant to become a fireman. Engaged by his
storytelling, Star didn’t notice two hours had passed. The conversation flowed with ease and for the first time in weeks,
she felt like maybe, just maybe, she would be okay.

Still, when Harrison reached for her hand, Star’s nerves got the best of her.

“Yikes! What time is it?” she said, reaching for her purse to check her phone.

Harrison accepted the hint. “I didn’t mean to move too fast,” he said, clasping his fingers behind his head. “I just think
you are the most adorable woman I’ve met in a long time. Do you mind if I ask if you’re seeing anyone?”

Star took a sip from her water, set down the glass, and let her head rest heavy in her hands. “Trust me, Harrison, you don’t
want to date me. Everywhere I go, I set off car wrecks and explosions behind me.”

“I don’t believe that. Maybe because you are so sweet, they’re in awe…”

“Sweet rots teeth,” Star said as she spun the straw around in the glass. “And trust me, there are a few toothless folks wandering
around in a daze, thanks to me.”

Harrison cracked up with laughter.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Star continued. “You seem awesome, but I need to get my act together. I know the glitter ordeal sounds
like something from an old
Ugly Betty
episode, but it’s serious. My parents’ business is at stake because of me, and I have to fix it. In fact, I should probably
be getting back home,” she said, doing her best to make a polite exit.

“It’s cool. Friends it is. No pressure.” Harrison paid the bill, and helped Star out of her seat. They chatted on their way
to the exit, and he opened the door for her.

Star looked down and combed her long curls behind her ears before stepping out.

“Estrella?”

Her head, ears, chest, face, and spirit all perked up at the same time. “Theo?”

Theo eyed Harrison and then Star. “How’s it going? I haven’t seen you around. What’s up, girl? Everything okay?”

Star couldn’t believe his question. After the way he severed her heart from her soul at Sangria that night, did he really
expect to see her around? Of course everything was not okay!

“Sure! Everything’s great,” she said with a forced, megawatt smile.

The three of them moved to the outside entryway, and Star’s pulse raced just to see Theo’s facial features up close again.
She stared at his full lips and wondered if they had kissed anyone lately. She pretended not to notice his new chiseled physique.
Not only had he lost weight since moving on, but he also must have picked up Billy Blanks as a new friend. He rubbed his hand
over his head. “Yeah, I’m meeting some friends here for a drink. Hey, I’ve been meaning to call you to say thanks.”