Four years later, Stephanie graduated from Wilson College of Textiles with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion and Textile Design, with the highest grades in the program. Designing and wearing the clothes she sewed appealed to her professors, earning her bonus marks for wearing what she created. She received an internship with a company in Miami. Stephanie could have accepted the offer in Milan or LA, but those designers wanted their brand on Stephanie's creations. She took the offers to a lawyer, who advised her against signing with those companies. It didn't take much to negotiate to own the Michaela Stefania line produced through Gabriel Elliott Designs.
Gabriel loved Stephanie's designs and offered to help launch her business. He specialized in business attire, cocktail dresses and women's shoes. As she indicated in the interview, Stephanie wanted to create dresses and casual clothes for women and men on a budget. Gabriel thought Stephanie's dream held merit. His dream became a reality when another designer took him under her wing. Gabriel was paying it forward.
"Are you planning to design lingerie?" Gabriel asked as he reviewed Stephanie's latest sketches. Gabriel had his tightly curled hair cut in the same style one would see on Richard Simmons during the height of his career. Unlike Richard Simmons, Gabriel was six foot two, with caramel-coloured skin, muscular and very masculine. His name was Gabriel Elliott Santos, but he removed the Santos from his company name. Despite his masculine persona, Gabriel was gay and kept it private; very few people in the industry knew, though they suspected it. Gabriel flirted with the women he encountered to keep people guessing. Stephanie uncovered his secret when he had forgotten she was in the studio the day his partner stopped by with dinner.
Gabriel's partner, Kevin, was flamboyant and instantly loved Stephanie. She thought Kevin was hilarious and appreciated them keeping their PDAs to a minimum. Kevin loved her curly hair and wanted advice on improving Gabriel's style since the Richard Simmons look was tired. Stephanie's advice was to consult a hairstylist. She wasn't an expert on curly hair despite having tightly curled hair. The humidity in Miami was murder on her hair, and she needed to find better, yet affordable, products to tame the locks.
During one of their discussions, Kevin mentioned he wanted Gabriel to design underwear and lingerie. Gabriel thought other companies, like Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein, La Senza and GapBody, had saturated the market by producing those items.
"Only sportswear bras and panties. The ones on the market are uncomfortable, making the sweat pool beneath your breasts. They flatten your breasts too much and are too difficult to take off when they're damp. Whoever designed them thought clasps would only come undone during a workout and eliminated every way to remove the bra easily," Stephanie explained, speaking from experience. "I don't see any textiles currently available to allow the fabric to absorb the sweat and appear dry."
"Kevin would be thrilled to hear you're making underwear. Remember to design some for him so his balls don't sweat on the job site. Why not have the synthetic blended fabric, which is breathable and allows the moisture to evaporate?" Gabriel suggested. He joked about making underwear for Kevin but wanted to see what Stephanie could design.
Stephanie giggled at the "sweaty balls" comment and considered designing underwear for Kevin once she found the ideal fabric. She could use him as one of her test subjects, and the thought thrilled her as she imagined ridiculous prints to use, knowing Kevin would humour her and wear them. "Does that exist?" Stephanie asked.
"There's something available. It's fairly new; only a few companies use those synthetic blends. Nobody owns the fabric, so we can try working with it and see how it holds up to the hype," Gabriel replied. "We'll need someone to test it."
"I can do that," Stephanie laughed. "But I need to design the sports bra first."
"You can use Velcro instead of clasps. Have it wrap from back to front, using the Velcro to keep it sturdy. The woman can loosen or tighten as much as she needs for her breast size," Gabriel suggested. He tapped his perfectly manicured finger against his lip as he considered other options. Stephanie thought Velcro would hold too much lint or catch in the woman's hair. The thought of a bra tugging her long hair made her consider other fasteners. "What about magnetic or adhesive closures?"
"Magnetic might work," Stephanie said, smiling at Gabriel for the wonderful idea. She drew a few designs using clasps and others using Velcro and magnets, as Gabriel described. All closures would work. Stephanie designed a mesh bag for the bras, except the magnetic ones needed hand-washing. Gabriel raised a brow and grinned when he realized Stephanie's intention. Washing the bra inside a mesh bag would prevent the clasps or Velcro from snagging on the other clothes. Stephanie modified her sports bra design. Some had enough padding to prevent pebbling nipples from showing through the fabric. Women could wear the bra beneath a tank top or alone. Gabriel chuckled and left Stephanie to her work. He couldn't wait to see how the prototypes looked.
Satisfied with the sports bra designs, Stephanie moved to the boy-short panties. She designed some for women to wear beneath shorts or pants and others alone, which contained extra fabric in the crotch to prevent leaving sweat stains on seats. The marketing department had to distinguish the two. She added a design for yoga pants for women who preferred wearing something more comfortable than underwear. Stephanie grinned as she set those aside and worked on the design for Kevin's boxers.
When Stephanie set the perfected designs aside, Gabriel scooped them off the table for his team to make. He grinned upon discovering the designs for boxers for men, which kept the man's sack from sagging. Stephanie chewed on her bottom lip as Gabriel handed the drawings over to the man who created the templates to cut the fabric. "How many pairs?" Peter asked.
"Two in every synthetic fabric type we can get our hands on," Gabriel replied. "Including the newest fabric on the market."
"Yes, Sir," the man said. He smiled at Stephanie as he sized her with his eyes, correctly assuming Stephanie would test the products before mass-producing them. Stephanie would never make a woman wear clothes she was uncomfortable wearing. She thanked Gabriel for assisting with the designs and promised to credit him when the sports bras sold. Gabriel didn't mind; he made twenty percent of everything Stephanie sold under her Michaela Stefania line until she opened her business. It was the price of learning the ropes and connecting with suppliers and manufacturers. Designing and selling clothes was a cutthroat endeavour. The fierce competition required re-inventing the designs to align with current fashion trends.
It was Friday night, and Stephanie wanted to celebrate her first successful month as Gabriel Elliott's intern. She loved her job and couldn't wait to share her newest designs with Hector. His enthusiasm pushed her through college when she wanted to quit after suffering through the boring lectures about textile history.
If Stephanie were honest with herself, she would admit that she missed Hector's company, though she talked to him nearly daily on the phone. It wasn't the same. She missed her brother and friend.
Stephanie climbed into the Buick, a graduation gift from her father, and called Hector's mobile number, but he didn't pick up. She worried about Hector ever since he moved back to Trenton to work. Hector could have moved to Miami for a similar job. Her Krav Maga lessons weren't the same without Hector being her partner. As she learned in Raleigh, the men were reluctant to really fight Stephanie to give her a satisfying workout.
Hector's phone went to voicemail. When the answering service prompted her to leave a message, Stephanie said, "Call me," and hung up. She was frustrated that he didn't answer her call. It was unlike him. Stephanie prayed he wasn't getting himself into trouble, like joining the gang that tried recruiting him nearly five years ago. She considered he might be working and unavailable, convincing herself he would eventually return her call.
Hector felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He removed it to see who called. Instead of answering Stephanie's call, Hector sent it to voicemail. Stephanie didn't need to know what he had done. "Are you ready?" the man asked.
"Yes," Hector replied. He followed the man into the procedure room and sat on the chair. The needle stung as the tattoo artist created the teardrop below Hector's left eye. "Can you change the one on my neck?"
"What do you want?" he asked, cleansing the tattoo on Hector's neck.
"Incorporate a blue lighthouse in the gang tattoo," Hector said. "For my sister, Stefania."
"She must be special," the man reasoned.
"Stefania is my light. The beacon that brought me home," Hector replied. He remained silent as the tattoo artist altered the tattoo. Getting the gang's logo branded on his neck was a necessary evil. It was part of infiltrating the gang to eliminate Dante and make it look like an attack from a rival gang.
"How will she react to your tattoos?" the man asked after applying the solution to prevent infection.
"Stefania will understand," Hector replied, praying his sister wouldn't be too angry about his need to seek retribution. If Stephanie ever had to set foot in Trenton again, she would be safe from the gangs. Nobody would dare to harm those who Hector loved.
Stephanie drove to Little Havana, where a lovely woman named Rosa Mañoso rented her a room. She knew Rosa would have dinner waiting for her when she got home. When Stephanie tried to pay more for rent to cover the cost of food, the woman refused. Rosa used the rent money collected from Stephanie to pay for their groceries. She loved to cook and appreciated having someone living with her again.
When Stephanie had enquired about the previous tenant, Rosa giggled. "He's my grandson, Carlos Mañoso," Rosa said, pointing to his picture on the mantel. Stephanie smiled at the memory. She thought Rosa's grandson was handsome, even more so while wearing an Army uniform. Stephanie was a sucker for a man in military fatigues. While sharing meals, Rosa told Stephanie many stories about her grandson. Everything Stephanie heard made her fall in love with the man. She wondered how that would translate when they met.
"Rosa, I'm home," Stephanie said as she stepped inside. She closed and locked the door behind her. The hook beside the door held a lightweight leather jacket. Stephanie touched it, surprised with the softness of the leather. It looked well-worn and comfortable. She couldn't resist removing it from the hook to try it on. The owner took excellent care of the jacket. She sniffed the collar, which smelled faintly of coconut oil mixed with the intoxicating scent of musk from soap and surprisingly free of body odour. "Why would someone use coconut oil on a jacket?" Stephanie wondered. She thought he likely hated the rancid stench of mink oil.
"I'm in the kitchen," Rosa replied. Stephanie shrugged off the jacket and returned it to its hook. She touched the smooth leather one more time.
"Do we have company?" Stephanie asked, walking through the house to the back, where she could smell dinner cooking on the stove.
"My grandson, Carlos, stopped by for a few minutes. He's out with his friends," Rosa replied, drying her hands on the apron before hugging Stephanie.
"Oh. Carlos left his jacket behind," Stephanie said, enjoying how his name rolled off her tongue. She blushed when Rosa smiled.
"He'll pick it up before leaving in a few days," Rosa replied, intrigued by Stephanie's fascination with Carlos' leather jacket. "Sit."
Stephanie sat at the kitchen table in her usual spot, where she could see anyone entering the kitchen. She patiently waited for Rosa to carry the serving bowls to the table, having learned Rosa preferred catering to her. "Everything smells delicious," Stephanie said as Rosa placed the ropa vieja closest to her. Stephanie served herself and waited for Rosa to fill her plate before saying grace. They ate and discussed Stephanie's latest clothing designs. Rosa smiled, thinking Stephanie would be the perfect woman for her grandson. She hoped to introduce them over breakfast in the morning.
"What are your plans for tonight?" Rosa asked.
After swallowing the food, Stephanie replied, "I'm checking out the new Cuban nightclub. A few girls from work mentioned it last week, but I've been too busy to party."
Stephanie noticed the glimmer in Rosa's eyes after mentioning the Cuban nightclub. Would Carlos be there with his friends? If so, would Stephanie recognize him? Stephanie dismissed the thought. She was an average-looking woman. A man as attractive as Carlos would never want to be with her.
"And you're not too busy tonight?" Rosa asked, sounding rather amused.
"You know I'm always busy," Stephanie laughed. "I promised Dad I would go out to mingle with other people my age, and shopping with my friends on Saturdays doesn't count. He also said I won't meet a man unless I put myself out there. It's time for me to start dating."
"That makes me happy. You work too hard," Rosa said.
Stephanie was too nervous about the nightclub scene to accept a second serving of dinner. Rosa smiled and stored the leftovers in glass containers with plastic lids. As they washed and dried dishes, which was the only chore she allowed Stephanie to do, Rosa asked, "Have you decided what to wear?"
"My blue wrap dress or the deep red one with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt," Stephanie replied. The blue dress showed more cleavage but added no support for her breasts.
"Which did you design?" Rosa asked.
Smiling, Stephanie answered, "Both. I'm partial to the wrap dress, but I thought the red one might be better for Salsa dancing. It has a matching purse that blends into the dress."
"Show me," Rosa said. Stephanie dried her hands on the towel and hung it over the oven's handle to dry. She ran upstairs to change into the blue dress. Rosa smiled when Stephanie returned. "Spin," Rosa ordered. Stephanie followed her instructions. The dress opened, showing off Stephanie's lean legs. "Now, try on the other one."
"Sure," Stephanie said. She returned a few minutes later, wearing the red dress. Stephanie spun on the spot, making Rosa clap.
"That's the dress," Rosa said. "I left hair products in the bathroom for you."
"Thank you," Stephanie replied. She returned to her bedroom to prepare for the night. Carefully, Stephanie pulled her hair up and showered. After towelling herself off, she released her curls to add more products, attempting to keep her hair from going frizzy. It took over an hour to get her hair to cooperate, which only happened after Stephanie used Rosa's expensive products. She was pleased she didn't have to pull her hair into a ponytail, which would have taken away from the look she hoped to achieve.
Stephanie used the copper-toned eye shadow, making her blue eyes pop. She smiled while applying the mascara and eyeliner. Stephanie debated using blush, quickly dismissing it since it would melt off her face while dancing. After slipping on her robe, Stephanie returned to her bedroom to finish her preparations for a night out with Vanessa and Chloe, two women she met through Rosa. Stephanie stepped into the red dress, pulled it up her thighs and slipped the spaghetti straps over her shoulders. She had placed the invisible zipper below the left arm, making her access easier without assistance.
The doorbell rang as she slipped into the three-inch red heels matching her dress. Rosa called, "Stephanie, your ride is here."