The Ingredients for Happiness

Since arriving back in LA after the New Year, her phone had been buzzing continuously. The news was out that San Francisco Beat were free agents and that Sabrina was no longer working for Jones Records either. Her first point of call had been to address the situation and so she had made a statement that she was still very much the manager for San Francisco Beat and that yes, they were on the market for a new record deal.

She sipped her Earl Grey, longing for an Italian espresso, but knowing that over Christmas she had been well and truly spoilt by the fresh Italian coffee her zias made and that here in LA, no matter what Italian brand they used, it just wouldn’t quite be the same. On the other hand, the Earl Grey did satisfy her needs and made her stomach bubble with excitement about getting back to Manchester. She eyed her list of emails, a swarm of potential record labels flooding her brain. When Levi and Dan had asked her to remain their manager she had been thrilled. She had leapt up and down, grateful that she still had a job and overwhelmed and touched that they believed in her. Of course she still felt all those things, but now there was a niggle of nerves partying in her stomach that she was having trouble evicting. This was a huge decision. In this business it was a trying task to stay true to who you were. Record labels could suck the soul right out of a band with the temptation of making millions and making you a star – after all, they knew exactly how to do that. But Sabrina was smart. San Francisco Beat were already a huge success across the USA and were making waves across the pond too, thanks to their last song ‘Need a Little You’ being popular with radio DJ’s. Sabrina had been able to converse with the band’s music publisher on a few occasions without Lydia breathing down her neck. She’d snuck in a few mentions as to what UK radio stations she believed would be a good fit for the band and her moments of bravery had paid off. Sabrina had done her utmost over the last three years to fight for the band and what they represented, despite Jones Records’ best attempts at getting them to strip down to their boxers and create their own perfume; that was wonderful for some acts, but it just wasn’t them. Being their manager, due to her big sister’s meddling, meant Sabrina had a lot of say in their careers. However, with her attachment to Jones Records and working so closely with Lydia as her assistant, Lydia had certainly made this hard for her.

So now she needed to find a label that would complement her vision and best suit the boys and their sound. Her palms were sweaty as she tapped away at her keyboard, opening proposals and reading through offers. They all sounded good, many highlighting the big clientele that already worked for them and discussing the fame and fortune they could deliver. Sabrina ‘umm’ed and ‘ahh’ed, nothing special leaping out at her. Yes, the boys wanted to be successful. Their lives had changed dramatically over the last three years. They were no longer playing dive bars and small clubs in San Francisco, working part-time jobs to get by; they were playing arenas across America and had all been able to buy houses and pay off their parents’ mortgages. For that they were incredibly grateful, but money did not drive them. Sabrina loved that about them. She kept them grounded and they kept her grounded in this crazy world of showbiz.

It was vital to her that the label understood who San Francisco Beat were; artists whose music came first. To them it was all about performing and connecting with their audiences, putting on shows that gave people a sense of belonging, checking their egos at the door and providing for their families.

Thinking of family reminded Sabrina that she had a few texts from her sisters that she needed to reply to. As she picked up her phone to do so, it started ringing – a number flashing across the screen that she didn’t recognize. She hastily accepted the call, keen to stay on top of the requests for San Francisco Beat. Her pulse quickened and the nerves raved on in her belly.

‘Hello, is that Sabrina Collins?’ a man’s voice asked rather loudly and forcefully, causing Sabrina to pull the phone away from her ear. She cleared her throat, wanting to sound confident and professional.

‘Yes, yes, it is. How can I help you?’ she replied, as she played with the string from the teabag that dangled out of her little teapot.

‘I’m Kyle Jennings with Music Life magazine. We’d like to run an article on San Francisco Beat and I want to get the boys in for an interview as soon as possible. They’re in high demand and we want them. You need to be aggressive, love. The boys are hot commodity right now and where are they? Looking at cafés in Manchester and hanging out in skate parks when they should be riding the free-agent wave.’

Sabrina opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. She didn’t know what to say. The man’s abrupt tone threw her off. While she wanted to appreciate his advice, she was stunned at his rudeness. Then again, she shouldn’t have been. This was LA – where there was money to be made everyone wanted a piece of the action. She sat up straighter in her chair. She currently didn’t have anyone helping her with San Francisco Beat. She couldn’t hide behind publicists or label execs when conflict got too much – she was now the first line of defense where the band were concerned. She certainly didn’t have Lydia’s brazen approach when it came to dealing with people, but she knew she needed to be tougher. She rolled her shoulders back and cleared her throat once more.

‘San Francisco Beat are currently on a break. They have families and lives to live, just like the rest of us, and at this time they are not available for interviews,’ Sabrina said as she tugged at her lip, brows furrowed, not wanting the man to get nasty with her, but well aware of how journalists could talk. After the peace and anonymity that Italy had offered, it unnerved Sabrina that the paparazzi were now hounding the boys. They must have spotted Dan in England with Amanda and caught on to both Dylan and James being back at home in San Francisco spending time with their families before the whirlwind of a new record deal had them on the road again.

‘Suit yourself, sweetheart, but people don’t want to see the boys on playdates with their other halves. They’re rock stars, they best start acting like it. And they’re talented at that. I just hope you don’t run them into the ground.’ With that he hung up and left Sabrina aggressively stabbing at her vanilla cupcake that donned far too much frosting.

She put her phone down next to her barely touched cupcake, suddenly having lost her appetite. Come on, Sabrina, she urged herself. You need to pick one. Though she didn’t care for the man’s patronizing tone, he was right. Sabrina couldn’t dawdle forever and stall this next step. She needed to believe in herself and follow her gut. The band’s fans would be waiting for a new album and a new tour; she had to deliver. She drew her eyes back to the screen before remembering her sisters’ texts. She picked up her phone to reply quickly just as Tyler Wall’s name filled the screen. She had to answer. It was Tyler Wall, international rock god and one of her dearest friends.

‘Bri, how’s it going hon?’ Tyler’s chirpy voice sang down the line.

Sabrina eased back into her chair, happy to hear a friendly voice. ‘It’s going wonderfully Ty, how are things with you?’ she answered, dipping the lid of her laptop so her screen would stop judging her. All isn’t one hundred per cent wonderful the screen shouted at her from its display of never-ending emails.

‘Good good, flower. I need a favour,’ Tyler said, causing Sabrina to sit up. She would do anything for Tyler, he had done so much for her – giving her her first big break all those years ago during the Leeds music festival and keeping her sane while working for Jones Records.

‘Of course, anything,’ she replied enthusiastically, covering her phone-free ear with her hand so she could hear him better.

‘There’s this band currently on the market for a record deal and well, my label wants to snap them up. I would be their golden boy if by chance I was able to sweeten up their manager and get them in for a meeting,’ Tyler said.

Sabrina suddenly felt deflated that without her contacts at Jones Records, she might not be able to help her friend. She didn’t reply straight away but let out a small sigh, trying to think of a plan.

A few moments passed by as Sabrina racked her brain, ready to break the news to Tyler that she was unable to take her contact list with her.

‘Bri, are you still there? Bri, I’m talking about you!!’ Tyler exclaimed with a bark of a laugh which Sabrina could see in her mind. He often threw his head back when something tickled him. She palmed her forehead and blinked back to reality.

‘Gosh Tyler, my brain is totally frazzled going through all these emails and phone calls, not to mention packing up my apartment. I was away with the fairies,’ she said and let out an embarrassed laugh. ‘Forgive me.’

‘Nothing to forgive hon. You’re a doll. So, what do you say?’ The excitement in Tyler’s voice picked up again, laughter still light in his words.

Sabrina sat on the edge of her seat, going over what Tyler had offered and trying to compute it. When her brain clicked, she gasped, almost knocking her cupcake to the floor with her knee and getting a few strange looks and the odd smile from the other occupants of the café.

‘Yes, Tyler. Oh wow, that would be incredible. Yes, thank you,’ she expressed, with sheer surprise and delight in her tone. Tyler’s record label, City Heights Records, had done a fantastic job with Tyler’s career thus far and more importantly than that, Tyler was extremely happy there, which spoke volumes for them in Sabrina’s eyes.

‘Amazing Bri. So, when can you round up the troops?’ Tyler queried, making Sabrina gulp.

‘How soon are we talking?’ she asked, a slight wobble in her voice. She picked up her pen and tapped it anxiously against her notebook.

‘They were thinking the day after tomorrow. You know what it’s like hon, the ride never stops.’

‘Okay, I’ll see what I can do. Thank you so much for this Ty. I owe you one. In fact, I probably owe you like three now,’ she said, making Tyler guffaw again.

They said their goodbyes and Sabrina immediately looked to her calendar, having promised to send Tyler a time for the meeting. It shouldn’t be too difficult, she hoped. Dan was due back from England late tomorrow evening anyway, and she would just have to message Dylan and James and hope she wasn’t interrupting any important family events and that they could fly back tomorrow too. And Levi, well she could just tell Levi the great news when she got home later that day. The excitement bubbling in her stomach tripled with that thought.

Chapter 3

Almond Torta

Ingredients:

Flour

Ground almonds

Butter

Slivered almonds

Eggs

Sugar

Pretty sure Nanna adds a dash of some liquor (ask her what it is)

What to do:

Next time write it down, might be a nice one for blog, and not everyone can read your mind.

The smell of almond crema pasticcera lingered in the air, mixing with the rich espresso that Louisa and Giulia had indulged in over lunch. Louisa could eat one after another and she didn’t think she would ever tire of the sweet and crunchy pastry filled with the most flavourful crema she had ever tasted. Compared to her often-rushed lunches when working back in England as a receptionist, lunchtimes with Giulia here in Italy were like a long weekend. All work was put aside while the focus was placed on the meal they were about to enjoy.

Sometimes they ventured out for lunch, other times Luca, Louisa’s boyfriend and Giulia’s brother, would whisk Louisa away for a lunchtime adventure, and then other times Giulia and Louisa would set up a picnic in the office, concocting an array of antipasti with fresh meats and breads they picked up from Giulia’s family pasticceria in the morning before their ten-to-fifteen-minute commute to Amalfi from Orzoro. It could take longer when the summer season kicked in, due to the coaches and buses carrying tourists from town to town and fighting over the narrow spaces on the mountain sides. It was one of Louisa’s favourite times of the day and made her love her job even more.

It had been a month since her sisters and parents had gone back to England after the holidays and staying in Italy had been a dream thus far; though she had to admit there were days when she missed her sisters terribly. She couldn’t help but think of Amanda as the thought of what tomorrow’s lunch would bring danced around in her mind. Right now her big sister would no doubt be mulling over menus for her café. There was scarcely a time when Amanda wasn’t thinking of food; she’d been dreaming up menus since she was a child. Louisa shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking about food right now; she had actual work to do, if she could call it that.

Giulia’s boutique was an honest-to-goodness fairytale. Louisa knew she had made the right decision in accepting Giulia’s job offer, upon meeting her and the rest of Luca’s family over Christmas, when she had first laid eyes on the exquisite shop. Gold and pink lettering glazed the shopfront with mannequins dressed in such eye-catching bespoke pieces that they made Louisa’s sketching hand itch. Every day brought a new challenge, be it repairing clothes, working on her own designs or serving customers in the shop and helping them pick out the perfect outfit.

More recently came the added challenge of preparing five impeccable outfits for Italy’s Young Designers Fashion Showcase that was now only a few months away. Giulia had worked her magic and Louisa was the youngest designer on the bill, not to mention the newest. No pressure. Louisa hadn’t been expecting this. Giulia had brought her on board initially to help her with Milan Fashion Week in the autumn but when Louisa had shown Giulia her sketches, Giulia had waved her hands dramatically in the air in typical passionate Italian fashion while shouting ‘Bellissima, bellissima!’ Giulia then proceeded to busy herself with phone calls that Louisa was not to overhear – she would receive a wagging finger if she was caught earwigging – for a few days before she announced the news about the showcase to Louisa. It had all been extremely hush hush with the showcase being a prestigious event and difficult to get a spot at. Louisa felt eternally blessed to have Giulia on her side.

Now Louisa stood with pins in her mouth, eyes like slits, concentrating on getting the perfect fold to the hem of one of the pieces she was making for the showcase – a beautiful crochet-covered, contrasting-collared black and pearl dress – when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She gave a slight jerk as it tickled her thigh and plunged her hand into her cardigan pocket desperate for it not to cut off.

Prodding the mannequin with the pins she was holding, careful not to prick herself, she quickly swiped the green answer button.

‘Amanda, hey,’ she said, loudly, excitement in her voice at being able to speak with her big sister. It had felt like forever, when truthfully it had only been two days, but with Amanda being busy at the café and Sabrina still in LA trying to get the boys a record deal, she hadn’t been hearing from them much.

‘Hey Lou, how’s it going? How’s galivanting around Italy with a drop-dead gorgeous Italian and eating cake the size of a football going?’ Amanda asked. Louisa could almost see her sister playfully smirking down the line.

‘It’s going swimmingly,’ Louisa noted, a smile creeping up on her face as she leaned back, resting against her office chair and eyeing up the dress in front of her. It seemed Amanda had been checking her Instagram – that was at least a good sign where her sister’s blog was concerned. Hopefully Amanda had actually started to understand how to use it.

‘Happy to hear it. So, what’s new?’ Amanda asked. Louisa hopped up on her chair, turning away from the dress that was distracting her from being one hundred per cent present with her sister. She had been waiting patiently to talk to Amanda over the past couple of days, excited to share the showcase news with her. The difficult hem on the dress could wait.

‘I’ve got an incredible opportunity coming up actually that I’ve been dying to tell you about,’ Louisa started, absentmindedly picking up a red pencil crayon and shading in a flared skirt on another design she was working on.

‘Oh yeah, me too, but you first. Tell me, tell me,’ Amanda sang. Louisa smiled; she sure did miss her sister – even the sarcasm and teasing she so often dished out.

‘So, Giulia got me this amazing opportunity to take part in Italy’s Young Designers Fashion Showcase, I still can’t believe it to be honest, but being here, well … I’ve been designing nonstop, it’s like all my passion has coming flooding back, inspiration is everywhere,’ Louisa gushed, pausing in her drawing to gaze out of the office window and into the pretty shop glittering with stunning fabrics and extraordinary pieces. She could just make out the edge of the Pasticceria Pansa sign to the right across the way from their shop. How was this her life now?

‘Lou that’s awesome. Oh, I’m so proud of you. Wow,’ Amanda said, a little breathless, which made Louisa’s smile grow wider. It meant the world to have her sister’s support. She hadn’t realized how much she had needed Amanda’s words to give her that extra boost of confidence. The dress she had been working on today had been bugging her, she just couldn’t get it right. Amanda’s words encouraged her. ‘Maybe if things are going according to schedule here, I can come and watch,’ Amanda added. Louisa shrieked at the thought of her sister coming back again soon. She knew Italy wasn’t far but understood work could get in the way. They had been used to Sabrina living across the world for four years and accepted each other’s dreams. Though Louisa’s cheeks flushed at remembering the times she hadn’t been so understanding of Sabrina being so far from home.

‘Thanks Amanda, that would be lovely. I’d really like that,’ Louisa replied, twirling her crayon between her fingers. ‘So, go on, tell me your news?’

‘Well …’ Amanda paused. If Louisa knew her sister this would be for dramatic effect. ‘I think everything should be set for March 23rd – our opening day, can you believe it?’ Louisa could have sworn her big sister actually squealed. ‘I mean the place is still a mess and I don’t have electricity yet, but you know, that’s the plan.’

‘That’s amazing Amanda, wow. This is a great day for good news. Wait …’ Louisa suddenly felt sweaty as she reached out for her desk calendar. March 23rd, March 23rd, why did it ring a bell?

‘Is everything okay Lou?’ Amanda questioned, her voice holding a hint of concern.

‘Yes, everything’s fine. Just one second,’ Louisa said hastily, flicking through the sheets on the calendar to a month from now. She cast her eyes on March 23rd. Staring back at her, written in bright pink marker and circled with stars either side, was ‘Italy’s Young Designers Fashion Showcase’. Her heart sank.

The showcase was everything her heart desired, but she hadn’t accounted for missing Amanda’s opening day. Just like Amanda had been dreaming of the day, so had Louisa. She couldn’t wait to witness her sister make her dreams come true and honour their grandpa’s dreams too. But she had been working on the pieces for the showcase day and night for a month now and had eagerly, and nervously, been counting down the days to make her entrance into the fashion industry. An opportunity like this was like gold dust. She was an unknown in the fashion world, but with Giulia’s help her designs had slowly been making their rounds within Giulia’s well-connected circle. She couldn’t possibly blow this opportunity and skip out on the showcase and nor did she want to – well, maybe just a little bit now that she had heard Amanda’s news.

‘Lou?’ Amanda’s concerned voice asked again.

‘I’m so sorry Amanda, but I won’t be able to make it. March 23rd is the day of the showcase,’ Louisa informed her big sister, feeling deflated, not only because she wanted to be at Amanda’s grand opening but because she had well and truly been floating on cloud nine at the thought of having her sisters at the showcase with her.

‘That’s okay, Lou,’ Amanda said, though her voice lacked the same enthusiasm as before. ‘You’ll just have to take lots of pictures and we’ll Facetime so neither of us miss out.’

‘Yeah, I guess,’ Louisa replied, shuffling off her stool and tugging the pins from out of the mannequin.

‘Sorry Lou, but come on, you’re going to kick butt at the showcase and my café will hopefully still be here when you’re able to come and visit,’ Amanda said. Louisa noted the slight wobble in her voice though Amanda tried to keep her voice strong. Louisa imagined her sister had plenty to be anxious about with opening her café so she didn’t want to sulk too much or burden her sister with feeling bad about not being able to get to Italy as soon as she had hoped.

‘Sounds good, Amanda. I’m certain it will be. They will be queuing for miles to get a taste of your food,’ Louisa said, a touch spritelier.

‘Thank you, Lou. Right, give my love to that Italian god of yours and I’ll catch you soon.’ They hung up after a chorus of love yous and Louisa willed herself to focus on the task of the disobedient hemline instead of the pity party her brain was conjuring up over not being able to be in two places at once.

*

‘Amore, you are tired no?’ Giulia’s perfectly shaped brows were creased in concern as she took in Louisa. Louisa had spent the past few hours trying to get the correct hemline on her lace piece, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to be missing out on a big day in her sister’s life.

In comparison to Giulia, who rivaled Sophia Loren with today’s choice of updo and fitted black dress with blood-red kitten heels, Louisa’s eyes were now dreary, her concealer creased from squinting and wiping at her eyes too much. She had kicked off her heels two hours ago and the chill that ran through her bones over what she was feeling had lent itself to her grabbing one of Luca’s giant hoodies that now hid her demure blouse.

‘Si, ma I’ll be okay,’ Louisa smiled at Giulia. Giulia wandered over to the dress Louisa had been working on and allowed her hands to caress the material as she studied Louisa’s work.

‘E bella. These judges at the showcase are going to be blown away by your pieces,’ Giulia breathed, in admiration of the outfit. Louisa felt inspired by Giulia; everything from her Italian fashion, the way her words came out like a song when she spoke and her girl boss attitude, made Louisa love her that little bit more. She could see so much of Luca in her and was starting to understand their family traits. Since starting work with Giulia a month ago, she had been taken aback with her kindness, her relaxed yet businesslike manner and how much passion she had for her work. It was contagious and something she also caught when spending time with Luca. Their upbeat attitudes and joy of both life and work had been rubbing off on Louisa. Compared to the stress of her old nine-to-five reception job – the harassed looks on her co-workers faces and the constant countdown for the weekend – working with Giulia was complete bliss. Every day was cause for a celebration of amazing food and adventure. Louisa felt calmer than she had ever felt and truly more motivated with her creations.

Giulia stepped back from the garment Louisa had been working on and looked up at the clock.

‘We must get going,’ Giulia said with a sweet smile, the clock having moved to ten past four. It was family time now or time to grab a coffee with friends or prepare the dinner. Work for the day was done, if Louisa could call it work; she loved what she did. As Giulia stepped back, Louisa noticed the pins on her hem had moved. She did a double take as she watched Giulia move towards the door and she herself grabbed her bag. Casting another look at her dress before she followed Giulia’s shouts of ‘Viene, viene, come, come,’ she shook her head. The woman was like her guardian angel sent down by Grandpa to guide Louisa and put her on the right path.