“Please? You run your own business. Obviously, the store is much bigger, but at least it would give me something to do. Plus, I can do it from anywhere, so I can take it wherever I find a job.”
Not in Sleighbell Springs.
Only a few nights together and I’ve already come to think of this as a permanent arrangement. Not the part about sharing a small apartment, but hanging out together. Being friends.
“You should do it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, there’s minimal start-up, so you don’t have much to lose. You already have one potential client, and I suspect you could get at least a few more with minimal effort.” He’s got like a millionFacebookfriends, most of whom are runners. Not that I’ve stalked him or anything.
“Yeah.” He doesn’t sound convinced.
“How about this? You tell me what your concerns are, the things that would stop you from going all-in on this. Then we’ll troubleshoot how you would respond if they happened.”
“How did you get so smart?”
“Russ, actually. He did the same thing for me when I was opening the bookstore. We spent a whole night on the phone, with me going through every single reason why I couldn’t do it.” It’s one of my favorite memories. I sat on the sidewalk outside this building, staring at theFor Salesign, trying to figure outif I could take the leap. The sun was coming up by the time we finished. An hour later, I put in an offer.
“Figures. He’s always been the level-headed one.”
I don’t know if I agree with that. Russ is also the one who talked me into sneaking out of my room—repeatedly—in high school. We never got in much trouble, but the risk was always there. If my parents had found out, I would’ve been grounded until I graduated.
“Alright, so start with the biggest one, the one you can’t stop thinking about.”
“Okay, well, I know a lot, but I don’t have any real credentials other than my own running. I’d need to get a certification.”
“What exactly does that entail? Are we talking about going back for a new degree or something that takes a few hours?” Not that it would change my advice, but if he does something virtual, it means he’ll likely stay here a little longer. It’s selfish, but I haven’t had enough of Chase yet.
“There are a few options, but basically, it’d mean taking an online course. It’s a lot of hours, but given my current schedule, I’d probably get it done in a week or two. After that, I’d have to take and pass an exam.”
“As you said, your schedule right now is pretty easy. Given your background, you’d probably sail through the material quickly. I can help you study if you need it. The only thing I know about running is that I hate it, but I’m excellent at making flashcards.” Real life doesn’t have nearly enough opportunities to buy colorful index cards.
“Well, the course isn’t cheap. It’ll probably be $700. I have some money in savings, but…” Anytime we talk finances, he gets quiet. A few months ago, he probably wouldn’t have thought twice about spending the money. Probably didn’t think about any of the money he spent.
“I’ll cover it,” I offer before giving it any thought. Sure, it’s a decent chunk of money, but I have it. If it would help him get back on his feet, I’d be happy to. The store does well enough, and even with the plumbing repairs, I have enough saved up.
“Nix—”
“No, it’s an investment in you. You can pay it back once the business is up and running.”
“I don’t want to owe you any more than I already do. You’ve given me a place to live, a job, and now this? It’s too much.”
And yet, to me, it’s not enough. If there’s something I can do that will make him happy, that would bring back that smile and passion that I saw earlier today, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Chase Haywood might never be my boyfriend, but I’ll always love and care for him.
“It’s not a big deal. Russ is like my brother, which makes you my family, as well. At least think about it.” There’s no use arguing right now, not when he likely has a laundry list of other concerns.
Chase goes through a list of potential issues, though it’s not nearly as intense as I imagined. By the time we get to the end, I think he’s ready to pull the trigger on the whole thing.
“What if I screw it up? It wouldn’t be just me. I’d be the reason someone else didn’t reach their goals.”
“First of all, that’s a huge amount of weight to bear. Have you ever lost a race?”
“Of course.” He shrugs as though it’s no big deal. “I’m pretty sure I’ve lost more than I ever won. It’s really more about beating my own time.”
“Okay, and how many of the times you didn’t make your goal were your coach’s fault?”
“I see what you’re doing here.”
