RugbyFletch: He doesn’t strike me as the type to hire a life coach and mean it. No offense. You’re clearly good at your job.
CoachGoldie: Oh, he doesn’t KNOW he’s hired me. It’s pro bono volunteer work. Plus, his kid is stinking cute as hell, and I can’t see her if I’m a dick to him.
RugbyFletch: Rather than comment on the horror that is your brother procreating, I’m going to suggest we take over one of the big red tour buses that run through downtown Copper Valley and give our own commentary.
CoachGoldie: Already did that with a client whose dream was to drive a bus. Try again.
RugbyFletch: There’s a weird-ass pirate town an hour or so away. Good photo ops.
CoachGoldie: You’d have to shave first, because I’d insist we go to the bakery, and the owner has the cutest little kid who’d cry in terror at the sight of you. In my weaker moments of wanting to write my niece’s future for her, I secretly ship the two of them. Don’t tell anyone or else you’ll find out the lengths I’ll go to in order to protect my secrets.
RugbyFletch: You are not giving the ’Stache the credit it deserves. One day, you’ll realize how wrong you are.
CoachGoldie: I’m okay with being wrong. Also, I think we should do this. *link to a local restaurant’s special events page*
RugbyFletch: Hold on. I have to go wipe the drool off my phone. Why are there still dates available for private classes?
CoachGoldie: It’s brand new and they haven’t started advertising yet. ALSO, it should be a team event. Since you’re doing this for team publicity.
RugbyFletch: You’ve been sitting on this since before I slid into your DMs, haven’t you?
CoachGoldie: I have a little over three weeks left to enjoy my time here. I’m booking this for myself one way or another. If you want to join me for your own purposes, you can, provided you invite teammates. But also, you have to include Silas.
RugbyFletch: Are you Coach Goldie-ing me?
CoachGoldie: Sure. Let’s go with that.
RugbyFletch: That wasn’t a yes.
CoachGoldie: I have a client call in fifteen minutes and I need to prep. So you can either agree my idea is the best idea and set it up, or maybe I’ll see you around sometime, but probably not.
RugbyFletch: You’re not just a badass. You’re also a hardass.
CoachGoldie: Seize the day, Fletcher. I want to do this before Ileave, and you have way more at stake than I do if you want to join me.
RugbyFletch: Which day should I seize?
CoachGoldie: Tuesday’s best for me.
RugbyFletch: Consider it done.
CoachGoldie: Great. See you then.
6
Goldie
I’m late.I’m late, and I hate being late, but when a client is having a breakthrough about exploring a career track that they’d never thought possible, and their dreams are blossoming before their eyes, I stay on the video call to see it through.
My life is a series ofI can’t have it all so I’ll deal with the complicated feelings that come with hating being late but loving why I sometimes am.
I told Fletcher I’d meet him at All Clucked Up, a local farm-to-table restaurant that recently started offering cooking classes, so when I tumble out of my apartment building and find him leaning against the wall, I stop so fast I almost trip.
It tweaks my hip, and I grimace before I can catch myself.
“Okay there?” He clutches my elbow, steadying me, his grip sending a very unwelcome jolt through my arm.
“I told you there was no reason for you to pick me up.” I pull my arm back. I’m in a coat, and this is Fletcher Huxley. There iszero reason for my body to react like an attractive man touched me.
