Page 28 of Christmas Wishes

“Nice job!”

I gave a small bow. “Thank you, thank you. Women can’t resist makeup advice from a gay man.” I laughed. “Oh, I want to get this eyeliner.”

“Just take it.” She sat in her chair.

“Oh, hell no. I want to support a small business.” As I reached into my pocket to grab my wallet, arms wrapped tightly around me.

“Thank you so much. I’ve been doubting myself with all this, but you’re making me feel like I might have something here.”

I returned the hug, then pulled back and grabbed her shoulders. “You absolutely do. The product I’ve worn so far competes with some of the most popular brands. Half of the products out there are shit but have great marketing teams. You actually have a solid product. Don’t give up.”

Evie’s eyes turned glassy. “Thank you for saying that.” She shook her head as though she were clearing the emotion. “Have time to hang out for a bit? I want to know more about you. I rarely get to chat with people who love makeup as much as I do.”

I plopped into her guest chair. “I’ve got all the time in the world. How long have you been creating makeup?”

“Off and on for about ten years, but seriously for the past two. I dabbled in lotions and lip balms for a while, then eventually expanded.”

“Do you sell online?” I held out my peppermint popcorn bag toward her.

She took a handful. “Not yet. I do tables like this at local events. I’ve been thinking of trying to get into the Flagstaff farmers’ market, but I’m not sure.”

“Why not?” Evie would make a killing online.

“It’s a lot of product to make and store. Big financial investment for the supplies, too, and I’m not sure…cleaning keeps me busy.” She smoothed out her plaid skirt over her thighs.

“I get that. If you sold online, you could control the pace better, but that requires more admin. I could help set you up if you want.”

Evie laughed. “You’re here on vacation. I’m not putting you to work. Well, beyond covering for my break.” She grinned.

“If you change your mind, you know where I’m staying.”

“What’s your IG?”

I gave her my username and pulled out my phone to follow her back.

“Do you make beauty content? You’d be great at it. Oh, you do!” She pointed to a video on my profile where I made a silly video showing the difference between liquid and powder blush.

“I’ve been thinking about doing it more frequently,” I hedged.

“Like as an influencer?” She swatted my arm playfully. “You’d be so good at that!”

I wanted to believe her. Hell, Ididbelieve her. I knew the content would be decent, but it was all the other parts I wasn’t sure about.

“Yeah, considering it. I’ve been getting some ideas, but I’m still waffling.”

“If you do it, I’ll be your first follower.”

“Gotta pick a username first.”

She grimaced. “Why is naming things so hard? It took me months to come up with Foxglove Cosmetics, and I’m still meh about it.”

“I like it. Aren’t foxgloves poisonous? Edgy.” I shimmied my shoulders. “What’s your cleaning business called?”

“Fresh Start Cleaning and Organization. Boring, but it’s direct.”

“That totally works. How long have you been cleaning for Riggs?”

Her shoulders slumped as she frowned. “I cleaned for Nico for years. When Riggs inherited the house, he kept me on to clean between Airbnb stays.”

---