“I’m gonna need new kitten pictures,” Wes said, looking at me again. “Bring Milo with you. He looks like the kind of man who remembers things. Hayden wants people seated by seven-thirty. Don’t eat beforehand.”
Before either of us had a chance to object, Wes was waving goodbye and slipping back out into the sunshine.
Well, that was interesting.
“You wanna tell me where we’re going?” I asked.
* * *
My phone wentoff the moment I stepped out of Xander’s bakery, but even seeing Dad’s number on the caller ID couldn’t stop me grinning at the thought of what I’d just been invited to.
“Hey Dad,” I said, pushing the door to the florist open and mouthingdadat Dawn when she looked in my direction.
“Did you tell Nakamura we could almost double his order?” Dad asked.
Oh. Right.
I’d almost forgotten.
“We can,” I said. “I ran the numbers, we’ll be fine. We might disappoint some smaller clients, but—”
“But what?” Dad snapped.
I swallowed. When I’d made the decision—and it wasmeantto be my decision to make—it’d felt like the right one.
“Mr. Nakamura is our oldest and loyalest customer,” I said. “He’s opening a new restaurant and expecting a huge rush for the first three months. It’s good business to—”
“Is that what they taught you at your fancy college?” Dad asked.
Yeah, I thought.The one you wanted me to go.
“You can’t just let people walk over you,” Dad said. “You’ll never make it in this business if you say yes to everything. You should have squeezed him for a rush fee.”
“But he’s—”
“This isn’t a discussion, Milo,” Dad said. “I’m telling you what went wrong and I expect it not to happen again.”
I bit my tongue instead of askingwhat, or you’ll fire me?
Some days I wished he would. Right now I wished he would.
Maybe Dawn would let me keep helping out around the florist, and with the babies when they came. She’d need a bigger place soon enough, I could rent the apartment, Xander would be right next door…
“Milo,” Dad barked. “Are you listening, or are you daydreaming again?”
“Listening,” I lied. “I… will personally apologize to any clients we have to disappoint.”
I didn’t want to back down on Mr. Nakamura’s increased order. The success of his new restaurant depended on it.
Besides, he appreciated me. I probably would have given him a kidney if he needed one.
“You will,” Dad said. “And you won’t contradict me in front of a client again.”
Sothatwas what this about. I should have guessed.
“Sorry, Dad,” I said. “I was only trying—”
“Well, you were failing,” Dad said. “I have a meeting to get to. Give my love to your sister.”
