“So how far along are you in your planning?” Josh asks, sipping his Scotch.
“I’ve got a business plan drafted and I’mthisclose to having enough capital to get going,” I reply. “I just gotta close a few big deals this year and I’ll be off to the races.”
“Well, if your only impediment to getting started right away is cash, I’ve got plenty of that. You interested in taking on a partner?”
My heart leaps. “Fuck yes,” I say. “I’dloveto partner with you, Josh.”
“Fair warning, though: if I were part-owner of Captain’s, I’d wanna get behind the bar and play bartender every once in a while. I recently did that at The Pine Box for a shift, and it reminded me how much I used to love it in college.”
“You could play bartender at Captain’s any time you like, Lambo,” I say. “Any time.”
Josh laughs. “Okay, well, first things first. Shoot me your business plan and I’ll take a look, and when I get back from my honeymoon in a week, we’ll talk again.”
“Fantastic. I’ll send it to you the minute I get back to my room.”
“Would you mind if I share it with Jonas? If I were to go in on Captain’s, I’d wanna pull Jonas in on the deal, too. Don’t worry, I’d cut Jonas in on my share—but I’d definitely want Jonas as a partner.”
“Yeah, that sounds great. I heard Jonas speak at the Climb & Conquer party. He’s one impressive dude.”
“He’s the smartest guy you’ll ever meet, hands down. Seriously, I’ve got the brain of a toddler next to that guy. Make a point of getting to know my brother, if you can, Ry. There’s no one like him. He’s a prince among men and his business instincts are stellar.”
“I will,” I say, and, instantly, my stomach tightens. God, I hate the fact that Jonas thinks I’m a fickle little bitch. Fuck. I’m dying to shout from the rooftops about my feelings for Tessa, especially to clear my name with Josh and Jonas, but the rational side of my brain knows I’ve got to cool my jets for just a little while longer. I’m so close now with Tessa, I can feel it—why fuck it up by jumping the gun?
“Hey, you know who else I should show your business plan?” Josh says. “Reed. He’s got a bunch of different business holdings besides his music label, including some high-end nightclubs he co-owns with an investment group. I bet he’d have some helpful advice for us.”
My stomach clenches at the thought of Reed Rivers laying a pinky on my business plan. “Thanks for the thought,” I say evenly, “but I prefer to keep this completely in the family. Plus, now that Reed’s signing Daxy’s band, I think I should keep the fate of my dreams completely separate from my brother’s.”
“Yeah, of course. I just meant I wanna pick Reed’s brain—nothing more than that.”
Okay, I’m being a jealous little bitch right now and I need to stop it. Reed’s a kazillionaire-mogul for a reason—and Josh obviously trusts him with his life. “Sure,” I manage to say. “I’d be grateful for Reed’s thoughts about my business plan, of course. Thanks.”
“Cool. The big thing I wanna ask Reed is how to possibly scale Captain’s to other cities. If it turns out your concept works the way I think it will, why stop with Seattle? Maybe down the road, we could open Captain’s in L.A. and San Francisco and who-knows-where?”
My entire body feels electrified. “That’d be amazing,” I say, forcing myself to stay in my seat, even though I suddenly want to leap across the table and bear-hug Josh and tell him he’s the answer to my fucking prayers.
Josh smiles. “The sky’s the limit, Captain. But first things first: send me that business plan and we’ll talk when I get home from my honeymoon.”
“Will do. Thanks so much, Josh.”
My phone pings with an incoming text and I look down at my screen. “Go to the bar near the main pool,” the text from Tessa says. “Say hello to the brunette in the blue dress sitting at the bar. Introduce yourself as Ulysses.”
I look up at Josh, my heart in my mouth. “So, hey, man, thanks again. I know you wanna head over to the nightclub and get your karaoke on with Kat, so I’ll let you go.”
Josh stands. “You’re not coming? Kat told me you two do a mean ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ together.”
“No, I think I’m gonna call it a night. I didn’t get much sleep last night and I killed myself today doing every conceivable water sport known to man.”
“Okay, sleep tight, Captain. Rest up for tomorrow. T-Rod tells me we’re zip-lining and then going on some spectacular hike to a secluded beach for a picnic?”
“Yeah, she was telling me about that. Sounds incredible. I’ll see you at breakfast. I’m just gonna sit here and finish my martini and then head off to bed.”
I watch Josh leave and, the minute I’m sure the coast is clear, I pop out of my chair like a jack-in-a-box that just got cranked, and sprint at full speed out the door, straight toward the woman of my dreams.
54
Ryan
There she is at the bar—the sexiest woman alive—looking particularly gorgeous in an electric-blue mini-dress that showcases her long, tanned legs.
