He glanced at her, startled.
Her expression clouded; her lids shuttered.
“I was thinking Cannes. Did you know that Cannes gives out a Grand Prix for Good?”
She looked as if she had recovered from her too-honest faux pas. “As in the Cannes Lions awards?”
“Yeah. They’ve partnered with the UN to give out Sustainable Development Goal Lions. You should come.”
“You know,” said Orchid, “you’re giving me an idea. To build my creative chops. I’m going to ask Joan if she’ll sponsor me to go to Cannes.”
“Speaking of creative chops, do you want to pitch me your brief?”
“Let’s eat first. You were starving.” She offered him a ceramic plate.
“Real chinaandcutlery?”
“Serving spoons, too.” She handed him a ladle. “This is eggplant parm with cashew cheese.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Bless you.”
She cuffed his arm with the back of a lid she’d just removed. Her bracelets jangled against her slender wrists. “Cashew cheese is delicious. Don’t judge until you try it. I also brought Caesar salad and bruschetta.”
He offered her a scoop of eggplant. “Can I serve you? You’re really thoughtful for bringing all this, you know that?”
“Well, thanks but I’m here for your brains.”
He laughed and settled a rectangular serving onto her plate. The sauce scented the air with oregano and basil.
She dropped some greens and two crusty bread rounds onto his. They stood close to each other. She smelled sweet, like something bright and clean. Making sure she had food filled him with satisfaction.
Then he looked up, remembering where he was, and who he was to this woman who’d come to him for career help. He circled the wide table and sat on the other side.
She carried her dinner to a spot near her bag and sank into one of the swivel chairs.
He waited for her to start her meal and then tried a bite. Then a second. “The eggplant is delicious.”
“Yeah, this is vegan on training wheels. Something familiar, without too many substitutions.” She polished off her salad.
He chuckled. “Maybe I can graduate to kindergarten next time.”
“The ricotta is made from almonds and the parmesan is nutritional yeast.”
“Yeast?” He paused mid-bite through the bruschetta.
“Nope. You’re not ready for kindergarten yet,” she said with a teasing tone.
He grinned. An idea struck him. “You’d be a great consultant on the business we want to win.”
“Oh, yeah?” She chewed and swallowed.
“It’s a beverage made with roots, extracts, berries, and botanicals.”
“REBBL,” she named the elixir brand. “Plus love. The l is for love.” She lifted a hand to her neck, like the last word had taken her by surprise.
“You’re exactly right,” he said.
“That would be a cool brand to work on. A strong point of difference and hugely motivating.” The rings on her fingers flashed with her gestures.
