“Oh, excellent idea!” Peter said, jotting down notes. “And yes, Carla mentioned you had a contact who was great with social media? Said they’ve already gained a large following in the few weeks she’s been helping them. Nila? Nelly?”
“Nora.” My face warmed, and my heart skipped a beat. God, the woman was something else. Goofy outfits, weird hair, but the best soul in the world. “Nora Atwood is phenomenal at social media and getting your name out there. I can give you her contact information if you’d like? I’m not sure if she has room to help out just yet, but I know she’d be flattered to be asked.”
“Please. Maybe she can direct me to the right person to help or something.”
“Of course.” I wrote it on the corner of his page and gave him a tight smile.
“I think my biggest question for you is how much do you want to be involved? I know you said you want updates, but this is new for both of us, and I want to get this right. Do you want to see the place when I put an offer? Do you want to be part of the design process? I’ve heard horror stories about investors threatening to pull funds if they don’t like something, and I’m not saying you’re like that, I just…want to make sure I don’t piss you off.” He tugged at his collar again.
I tried to look approachable. Palms open on my knees, leaning into the chair, easy smile. He had no real reason to know I wouldneverdo that. “I think we agree to meet once a week and go over anything new. Or maybe we just do a phone call if nothing changed. I assure you, I won’t pull funding because I don’t like the wallpaper. The money is yours to sink or swim. We’ll need to build trust with each other, and I think we will, but until then, we do this. Have a beer and talk shop.”
“Okay then. Should we go over the mock-up of the inside I did earlier today?”
“Please.”
The next hour flew by with pictures and sketches of his Green Café. The list of vendors he wanted to get stock from, the local places he wanted to purchase pastries, and the organic farm that sold coffee beans. It didn’t have the flash and bang ofinstantmoney, but it’d be good. It’d be consistent, and the location he chose was right near campus. Students would visit, and business would be steady. My lawyer thought it was too low to only include ten percent earnings for me even though I fronted the entire start-up money, but it was fine by me.
I wasn’t going to quit being a lawyer, and I’d have that steady income. This side project just kept my soul alive.
We parted ways with an agreement to meet at Carla’s shop the next Monday, and my brain shifted from Peter to Nora. Her presentation was tomorrow, the big day, and so much depended on it. Her general sense of pride, her proving herself to the foundation in a big way, but most of all, the truth. I owed her the real truth, and then we couldbetogether.
My plan was to get a clover plant for good luck, but the first place didn’t have any. Neither did the second. I was standing in line at a nursery three miles out of town when she called. “Hey.”
“I can’t decide on a background. White seems too boring, but it’s clean, and gray washes out the graphics, and black is way too much, and yellow could work, but I’m not sure. What’s your favorite color?”
I grinned so hard the cashier gave me a weird look. I immediately him showed the phone so the poor guy didn’t think I was staring at him like that. “Wow, hello to you too. A forest green?”
“Oh, yes, that could work. Duh! I love green. Did you know that? I feel like the guy I’m sleeping with should know my favorite color is ivy green.”
I snorted and moved up in line. “I feel like I knew that even without you telling me. But by your rapid-fire speech, I can tell you’re nervous.”
“Um, maybe.” She clicked her tongue. “I know I said don’t come over tonight, because well, you’re distracting in a very sexy sort of way, but what if you did? Let me go through the presentation with you? Would you be up for it, please?”
I would’ve said yes, no matter what, but thepleasehad my heart clenching. “You got it. You haven’t eaten anything yet, have you?”
“Nope. Just two pickles.”
What a beautiful weirdo. “I’ll get some burritos and head over. I’d love to hear your presentation, and I promise to try my best to not distract you. I just can’t help you’re attracted to me so much.”
“Ugh. I want you to tear my presentation apart. Tear me apart.”
“Mm, that sounds fun,” I said, setting the plant on the counter and handing the cashier my card. He swiped it, and I signed the receipt all before Nora sighed through the phone. “What? You’re the one who saidtear you apart.”
“My presentation. Not me, well, maybe me. Tomorrow. I don’t know. My mom called to wish me luck, and my dad’s doing better, and they said they’re proud of me. Tomorrow, if I mess up, it’ll all be for nothing.”
“Hey,” I said, my voice firmer. “Knock that shit off. You’re courageous as hell, and I love—that about you.” I hesitated and mouthedwhat the fuckto myself. Was I really about to declare my love for her on the phone when she was mid-freak-out? Not my best moment. “You’re not going to mess up. Not on the important parts. You might stumble on words or spill coffee on your boob to make it look like you’re lactating coffee, but your content will kick ass. Your research. Your plan.”
“Can you just follow me around to give me pep talks forever?”
“Sure thing. I’ll quit the firm now and start tomorrow.”
She laughed, the wonderful sound making me smile even more, and I got into the car with the good-luck clovers safe in the front seat. I put the seat belt on them. I took a picture to show her because her weirdness definitely rubbed off on me.
“I’ll be there soon. Try to relax, would you?”
“I’ll googlehow to relaxto see if that helps.”
I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me and hung up. For someone who didn’t think love would be worth it again, it was a terrifying feeling. Like I was on the drop of a roller coaster and I realized my seat belt wasn’t fastened all the way. I was midair, trying to grab onto something to hold me down, and I just hoped Nora would be that something after I told her the truth. Everything. The thing about Samantha, my reservations about the marriage, and how despite all of it, I fell for her.
