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Since the paris shoot in December, Holly’s been too busy to think about Heather’s worsening situation, let alone how to tell Jack that even if housing prices were to stabilize, Heather won’t be able to repay his $25,000 loan for eleven years at a minimum. And San Jose prices probably have further to drop, further extending the payoff time frame. Meanwhile, Jack’s been quickly running through the $10,000 earned from the Paris shoot buying everything listed in Bruce Smith’s camera bag to gear up for another project with Yuri: exotic swim wear photographed in dramatic outdoor settings.
To top it off, it’s her birthday–Valentine’s Day–and Jack completely forgot. Holly is sitting alone in the apartment by the window overlooking Haight Street, having just read her only eCard Valentine from Craig with the personalized message “just kidding,” followed by a note explaining that he’s accepted a full-time position at another firm. From the moment Craig passed the remaining CPA exam sections, he’s been hinting at needing a raise, which Holly can’t quite afford at the moment given a slowdown in business. How much longer will Craig’s crush on Holly last if he doesn’t see her anymore? It’s not that she meant to encourage him, but she was kind of enjoying the attention, and thinking of Craig as a possible suitor helped her sort out her feelings about Jack’s money issues. Like Jack, Craig is ambitious but more financially savvy. He will succeed financially, whereas Jack’s prospects are dicey.
It will be up to Holly to build and protect her own independent financial future. She has decided to keep their finances completely separate, and to adjust her own lifestyle such that she and Jack can live inexpensively enough as a couple for Jack to be able to share 50% of their shared expenses. No more subsidizing a lifestyle Jack cannot afford. It won’t be easy to make the transition–it’s quite possible they’ll have to move to a cheaper apartment–but Holly can’t think of another way to deal with their completely different approaches to money. Holly intends to buy a home someday and since Jack has already essentially prioritized providing a home for his mother, she will need to save for her own home from her own income. After lots of sleeplessness nights debating the pros and cons, Holly’s decided to throw the dice and deal with what comes in her future with Jack, because deep down, she doesn’t really have a choice. Holly loves Jack.
And why not? Jack is talented, handsome, ambitious and totally funny and interesting to be around. Sure he forgets things like her birthday and Valentine’s Day, despite these being on the same day and it being nearly impossible to avoid a plethora of commercial reminders targeted at men so as not to forget that important someone, but when he is present, when he does turn his full measure of charm in her direction, he’s warm, attentive and interested in her: her life, her plans, her successes and disappointments. No detail is too small for Jack. It is this lovableness that makes up for, well everything.
Holly also needs Jack. If weren’t for Jack, there would be no inspiration or ready market for Holly’s planned line of cosmetics for fashion models. Together, Holly and Jack function as a kind of optimized business duo, with Jack thinking creatively, very big picture, and Holly focused on marketing and finance. They make things happen: it’s exciting and it’s fun.
Holly’s email dings with a new message from Julie: it’s a link to a review of this clean packaging design for Brazilian Est Natural Cosmetics. Julie’s cosmetic packaging design proposals feature a similar combination of elegantly spare typefaces and soft colors. Holly writes back “Thanks Julie, Happy Valentine’s Day!”
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I feel for Holly! Your characters, Holly and Jack, are eerily familiar to me. Except I was not as financially savvy as your Holly, and my ‘Jack’ has become more wise with age!