Even more so when she brought the clearly labeled glass jars and their brightly colored fillings back to the table.“Here they are.
“Perfect timing,” he said, having rolled out the dough by the time she’d come back.“Can you treat this glass like a cookie cutter?”
She nodded, taking the glass from his hand, brushing his fingers with her own, before she took the glass in both hands.He watched as she carefully made circles in the dough using the glass.
Then he separated the dough from the circles and grabbed a spoon.“You want to do this?”
She smiled.“You do it.”
He carefully dipped a spoon into a jar and placed the jelly filling into the center of one of the circles of dough.He continued, going back and forth between the different jars until he’d filled each one, the tray a vision of multicolored happiness.
“Can we do this step together?”
He beamed, quickly washing his hands before pulling her close.“Absolutely.”
He placed his hands on top of hers and carefully guided them through the process of folding the dough, creating triangles where there had been circles.He felt the warmth of her body against his, the soft pressure and the smell that could only have been her.
This made the favor, the hamantaschen baking, something…more.Something special.
And as they continued to fold, his hands holding and guiding hers, he felt her lips against his cheek, following the path of his cheekbone.
And then she stopped, her breath against his hair, her lips whispering in his ear.“I love you.”
*
Charlotte insisted onfinding them lunch, which apparently wasn’t on Jason’s agenda, but as Naomi told him, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when it comes to extra talking time with someone who has a unique perspective on things.”
“When a mogul who finds time to be in her favorite part of the business offers advice, and food, you take it?”
“Ding ding ding.”
And over a lunch of some amazing food, Charlotte smiled at them.“I like your contract,” she said much to Naomi’s complete and utter relief.“I’ve signed it.My contracts people are going to send you something soon, Naomi.”
“What should I be looking out for?”
“Basically,” Charlotte said as she put her spoon into a steaming hot bowl of soup, “a right of first refusal on planning some of the events I do.There are a few other things I’m offering you, but you’ll have to make those choices yourself.”
“Oh wow,” Naomi said.“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Charlotte replied.“I come with a ton of red tape.You’ll make your choice when you’re ready.And Jason—I realize I should have clarified much earlier if you thought I just gave you my number for fun.If you want to learn things, my door is open.”
Jason nodded.Contrary to how he was acting earlier, Naomi knew that Jason was many things; stupid was not one of them.“Thank you.Your time is valuable,” he replied.“I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to share some with me.”
“Again,” Charlotte said with a laugh, “don’t thank me yet.I come with a lot of red tape, and you haven’t seen what I want in exchange.”
“I have a question,” Naomi said.“More advice, I guess?”
Charlotte nodded.“Well before you ask, I think the most important thing someone starting out in business, no matter how old they are or what they think they know, needs?Is people they trust.Partners, friends, but also coworkers.Team members.You hire people, you need to trust them.Quite frankly, it’s how I stay out on the Island for so much of my time.People I trust are back in the city; in the offices, doing accounts, taking care of HR, watching the restaurants.I’m there to cook when I want to be there.I’m doing a business the way I want it, because the people who are doing the back-end operations are people I trust.”
That was when Naomi smiled and looked at Jason.“Actually,” she said.“That was the question I wanted to ask you.”
Charlotte smiled.“I figured that’s the best advice that someone starting a business would need.And it’s the kind of thing that’s hard to ask.So.There you go.”
“Thank you,” Naomi said.
And yet she could see the half-dazed, half-fascinated expression on Jason’s face.Which was when she knew Jason was puzzling something out.
But all the same, they said their goodbyes to Charlotte, heading out the door to the parking lot.And Naomi knew that when Jason was ready to talk, he’d tell her what was going on.
