Touched by Antoinnette’s story of success, stemming from her genuine friendship with Tess’s grandmother, an intriguing thought took root in Jasmine’s mind. She’d taken an instant liking to Tess, drawn by the younger woman’s heartfelt compliments and appreciation for Jasmine’s craft. Perhaps a jumpstart and a little inspiration were all Tess needed to launch her own career. And Antoinnette’s deeply sincere account of waiting decades to honour Gwen lingered with her. Could inviting Tess to join the team be a meaningful way to honour the woman who started it all?
Jasmine: “My brain is still ironing out some of the wrinkles. Can I get your take on a quick thought for a moment?
Antoinnette: “You always have such insightful thoughts. Please… proceed with you idea.”
Jasmine: “The whole idea really depends on Tess, if she’s even interested, that is. I’d love to bring her into the mix, maybe collaborate. She could be …’my … protégé … for lack of a better word.”
Tess: “Ummmm…..” Tess, slightly confused…. “What’s this now?”
Jasmine: “Hear me out: What if Tess spent some of her free time here? Between classes and the tea shop, I could mentor her, help hone her craft, and
maybe even learn a thing or two myself from her along the way.”
Antoinnette: “As I said, you always have insightful thoughts. I’m intrigued. Tell me more dear, s’il vous plait.”
Jasmine: “Certainly, thank you. Think about the holidays. Envision the magic we could create for Christmas and New Year’s with an extra pair of hands. Tess could learn the ropes of event planning and help me juggle more clients. It’d be a great way to grow both her skills as well as the salon.”
Tess: With some excitement in her voice, “Oh my gosh!!! Are you serious about this?”
Jasmine: “I most certainly am. Imagine this… Miss A could honour your grandmother by helping you start your career, just like she did for Gwen years ago. I’d love to mentor you part-time while you finish school. By next May, you’d graduate and already be steps ahead.
Tess: “Oh my…. I am utterly… speechless!”
Nelson: “I like the thought indeed. Expanding payroll now would be premature. It would make more sense to optimize what we have now and empower the team we’ve built, including Tess, if she agrees. Doing this now will be beneficial when we do expand our payroll later on.”
Jasmine: “Nelson… That makes sense, and may I be so bold as to offer a slightly different take?” Jasmine continues without waiting for a response from Nelson. My ‘take’ is this; she comes in for training, no different than watching my videos. This training won’t be on the books. Tess will only get paid for any jobs where I request her assistance. Simply put, Tess would be an ‘on-call’ employee….for now.”
Mindy: “It makes total sense Nelson. With Tess, Jasmine would be able to take on more clients right away. That would certainly equal more income for the salon.”
Renata: “Jasmine also has a point. If all goes well, just think of how accomplished Tess will be on graduation day.”
Oleg: “Actually, this is quite clever. It’s really a win, win situation when you look at it with the big picture in mind.”
Dio: “Tess tiene ese sparkle, Miss A, y esta idea? Fuego Let’s run with it, imagine her helping us during Navidad.”
Nelson: “I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and input and certainly puts this opportunity in a different light that I had not thought of. I do admit this new ‘take’ has potential…. Antoinnette…. I am all for it, if you are?”
Jasmine: “Miss A, with respect and putting everything into perspective, in my opinion, I can’t think of a better way to honour Gwen than having Tess right here in front of you? It is, of course, up to you.”
Jasmine smiles and nods as she turns her attention towards Antoinnette. Antoinnette appears to be slightly teary eyed, and somewhat choked up.
Antoinnette: “All of you…. That was quite touching… and I’m very moved. Tess darling, there is nothing more I would like to see than that of you becoming a success and flourishing as your grandmother did.” Antoinnette paused, her gaze shifting between them. “Let’s be clear: I’ll help pave the way, but only if we do this right. Jasmine, can you draft a proper mentorship plan for Tess? And Tess, darling… are you certain this is the path you want?”
Jasmine: “What do you think Tess?” She continues with a light hearted giggle, “I could certainly use a ‘mini- me’.”
Tess: “Oh! Oh! oh! A thousands times yes! Thank you, all of you! You are all very kind. I won’t let you down. Jasmine, can I give you a big hug?”
Jasmine: “Awww …. bring it in!”
Antoinnette: “Welcome aboard. I’ll call the McAllisters to see if they’re open to sharing your talents. No promises, but we’ll aim for a win-win. In the meantime, Tess, you need to get there quickly for your shift so that you are not late. Nelson, fire up the suburban and zip Tess over s’il vous plait. I’m taking a 
tea order for everyone, and I will send the order to your phone.
Nelson: “I would be glad to. Come on Tess, hop in and I will run you over there.”
Jasmine: “I will come for the ride too so Tess and I can chat a bit. I can also help Nelson carry the tea order.” She turns to Tess, “Tess, I can feel your energy, just want to make sure that you are truly ‘cool’ with this idea?”
Tess: “I’m still on cloud nine… and busting at the seams.”
