“Too bad business school didn’t include courses on how to not be a douchebag,” Finn barks back. “You want us to get on board with one of your ideas, try talkingtous, notdownto us.”
“And bringing up your brother’s incident is completely out of line,” Ma adds sternly.
“No one outside of family is supposed to know about what happened, Declan,” Dad says, a scowl on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest. “We didn’t even tell Jake, and you’re mouthing off to these strangers?”
“I didn’t tell them anything specific,” Declan replies. “I just said we had to help out a family member financially a couple years ago and it set us back. A lot.”
“It wasn’t a couple years ago. It was five years ago,” Terra tells him furiously. “That’s half a decade, and you refuse to let the past be the past.”
“Because half a decade later and we still aren’t out of the financial hole!” Declan barks, his frustration impossible to hide, not that he’s even trying.
I walk toward the back door, giving a short, hard whistle for Chewie to follow. “I’m outta here.”
“No you’re not!” Declan says, like he has any say in what I do. “You know they won’t make any business decisions without you.”
“I’m declaring Finn as my proxy, he can vote for me,” I tell Declan, anger and humiliation pumping fast and furious through my veins.
“I vote for a new Director of Business Development,” Finn says immediately.
“They want to get our products into grocery stores,” Declan announces, and the bickering instantly stops. “The chowders, the seasoned lobster meat, even the mayo. And they want us to make a commercial that would air on across the tri-state area to draw more people into the restaurant. They have storyboards to show you and a budget we can handle.”
“A television commercial?” Terra says, confused. “With actors and scripts and stuff?”
“No,” Declan sighs. “A TV commercial, yes, but not with actors. Just let them do their damn presentation. Please.”
“What grocery stores?” Mom asks, and she doesn’t seem completely annoyed, which is shocking.
“All the local chains in the tri-state area,” Declan says. “Eventually. Just hear them out. They’re smart, Ma.”
“I already don’t like the idea of a commercial, but we have to hear them out,” Dad says begrudgingly. “They came all this way, and we’re not going to be rude. Can you all just grin and bear it please?”
Everyone grumbles their okays. Dad looks at me and his face softens a little. “A couple minutes, Logan.”
I sigh and walk back into the room, dropping into a seat next to Terra. Chewie circles twice and drops down in front of the side door. My hands are in fists in my lap, but Terra reaches over and squeezes my shoulder. “Relax, Logan. This too shall pass.”
Ugh. It will, but not soon enough.
12
Logan
Twenty-two minutes later,once the agency is gone, Declan turns back to the group. “So…it’s good, isn’t it? The commercial idea and the supermarket plan. It’s great. Someone admit it.”
“It’s worth thinking about,” Mom admits, and her face, with its delicate features so similar to Terra’s, scrunches up like it’s painful to admit. “Later. First we need to brainstorm ideas for the New Dish Competition at the Festival in January. It’s creeping up fast and so far we got nothing.”
“Mom, with a commercial and your chowder in supermarkets, we don’t need a silly title from a local event,” Declan says, and Mom instantly scowls.
“It’s a state title, and our customers love seeing the plaques in the restaurant. And that fool Stan doesn’t deserve to win again. You don’t think ‘Best Chowder in Maine’ or ‘Best Dish in Maine’ isn’t a great tidbit for the commercial? Because I think it is.”
They continue to bicker, and I think of Chloe again and the brunch she put together using lobster in her hollandaise. My mouth waters at the memory. I’ll bring it up to Mom or Dad later. Alone. Because all Finn and Terra will focus on is the fact the recipe came from my date and they’ll hound me relentlessly. So instead of saying anything, I just think about the kiss. It was amazing but also reminded me of my drinking days, when I would do reckless things with abandon. Kissing my landlord, a woman who still seems to have some sensitivity around her divorce, is probably classified as reckless, right? Isn’t this behavior I’m supposed to avoid? I am shit with fine lines, which is why I made my boundaries so big when I left rehab. No dating at all. Besides, I have this huge secret to keep, forever, and if I can’t be honest about who I am and my past, is it even worth trying to be with someone?
“Logan?”
Declan says my name with a bite, and I realize everyone in the room is staring at me. “Sorry. I like the commercial idea.”
“We were asking about new recipe ideas,” Terra informs me. “You okay?”
Declan’s eyes land on me, wide with excitement, and probably a little disbelief. “So you like the agency’s plan?”
