Wind and rain battered the windows as they shielded their eyes and peered into the darkness.
“It sounded like a tree hit something.”
“The amphitheater! I have to go see if it got hit!” She ran toward the hall to get her coat, and he grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.
“I’ll go.” The lights flickered, and he said, “Looks like we’re in for a big one. Where do you keep your flashlights and candles?”
She ran across the kitchen and pulled open a drawer in a curio cabinet, retrieving a flashlight. “I’m not sure if there are more, but I have candles.” She pointed to a candle on the counter. “The lighter is in the drawer.”
“Great. Why don’t you light that and look for more while I check things out?”
“I hope it didn’t hit the theater.” She followed him to the front door. As he put on his coat, she said, “Be careful. What if another tree falls? What if you get hurt? What if the theater is demolished? I’m going with you.”
She took a step toward the coat closet and he swept her into his arms, calm as could be, and said, “If you think I’ll let you go outside in this, you’re wrong. This is where I get to be a dick and tell you to stay inside. I know you’re worried, but trees fall, property gets damaged, and there’s nothing you can do about it during the storm except stay safe. You need to focus on finding the flashlights and candles.”
“But what if you get hurt?”
“Don’t worry, sunshine. Nothing will stop your FWB from performing his beneficial duties.”
“I’m serious. It’s awful out there.”
“If I get hurt, you’ll just have to nurse me back to health.” He smacked her ass and said, “And I expect a sexy little nurse’s outfit, complete with fishnets and heels.” He winked and opened the door. Gusts of wind and rain bullied in as he stepped outside and closed it behind him.
Tegan ran around the house collecting flashlights and candles, slowing only to read a text from Chloe. Just got your message. You okay? Need me to send Justin to help with your car? Tegan sent a quick reply—No. I’m good. All taken care of. Staying inside and out of the storm.
By the time she got back downstairs, Jett was coming through the front door. She set everything on the floor as he shrugged off his coat, then reached for her hand. He reached for her often, and she found it reassuring.
“There was no damage to the amphitheater, but it was a close call.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” She put her hand over her chest. “I can breathe again.”
“A big tree fell, taking down a number of smaller ones. Luckily, they landed a few feet from the amphitheater. But the storm is a lot worse than it was before, and other trees could fall.”
“What if one hits the amphitheater?”
“Then we’ll call the insurance company and get the ball rolling on a claim.”
“It would have to be a speedball. The children’s programs start Memorial Day weekend. What if the theater is hit and the insurance can’t fix it in time? I’d hate to cancel the productions and let the children down. The kids’ shows sell out a year in advance, with a large number of returning families every summer. With a storm like this, there will probably be tons of insurance claims. By the time they get to mine, it could be the middle of April.”
He began taking off his boots. “Do you always borrow trouble? You don’t have any storm damage yet.”
“I know,” she said. “But I could, and if they take forever to get the claim approved, it might delay the opening. I can usually take things as they come, but this would devastate me.”
“That would be the biggest shame of all, such a beautiful woman, devastated. What would I do for an FWB?” He winked, and in a more serious tone he said, “If that happens, and it probably won’t, it doesn’t have to take that long. We would find out who the insurance adjuster is and see if we can get them out here fast.”
“Is that even allowed? I guess I could just forget a claim and use my uncle’s money to fix it.”
“That’s the biggest mistake small businesses make.” He slung an arm over her shoulder and walked toward the kitchen. “Stick with me, overthinker. I’ll teach you to bypass all those rookie mistakes.”
“In one night?”
“Don’t underestimate the master.”
He said it seductively, and her pulse quickened for a whole new reason.
“Now, can you stop thinking up trouble?”
“Yes, sorry,” she said, realizing she’d been rambling. “You have an answer for everything. No wonder you were featured in a magazine. Which one was it again?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Liar,” she said as they set their supplies on the counter.
He chuckled. “Come on, sticky-note girl. We’ve got work to do.”
Chapter Ten
CANDLES CAST DANCING shadows across the kitchen table as Jett reviewed Tegan’s business plan. They’d long ago polished off the cracker sandwiches, downed a pizza, finished the six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and they were working their way through a bag of M&M’s. The tow truck driver had texted Jett when he picked up Tegan’s car, and she was hopeful the repair shop would be able to fix it. The storm raged on beyond the strong walls of the house, but inside, Tegan was toasty warm and more intrigued than ever by the handsome man beside her. Jett had worked through each and every one of her notes. He’d asked questions that led to answers she hadn’t realized she’d had and to discussions about more of her ideas that she worried were too big to even entertain. He didn’t thrust his opinions on her or make her feel naive or disorganized. She had never felt so completely accepted by, and in tune with, another human being. He’d taken a couple of work calls, but Jett’s calls hadn’t consumed him by any means. If anything, he’d spent less time on them than she’d spent FaceTiming with her parents and fielding texts from Jock and her friends back home. She had no idea why Chloe had said he was married to his work. He’d turned his phone off last night, and he’d told her he’d spent the day helping their friends because a tree had hit Desiree and Violet’s gallery. Tegan liked imagining him jumping in to help, and she was glad no one was hurt. Maybe Chloe had the wrong impression of him. Either way, nothing had slowed him down. He made creating a business plan look easy as he reorganized her thoughts and ideas into a fashion that would make sense to anyone.
Jett stood back and pushed a hand through his hair, the candlelight catching his blue eyes. They’d lost power an hour ago, but they’d been having so much fun, and making so much progress, they’d barely noticed the disruption. His brows knitted in concentration, and it was easy to imagine him taking over a boardroom as he said, “We’re missing a few things, but we’re almost there.”
“I can’t believe you did all of this in one evening,” she said with awe.
He blinked a few times with a confused expression. “What do you mean? I told you what I do for a living.”
“Yes, but this is fantastic.” She pointed to the reorganized table and the notebooks in which he’d written concise notes and schedules.
“Babe, you had most of the pieces. You just needed some help organizing them.”
“You really think so?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be interested in seeing the website when it’s up and running.”
“Evan Grant from the Geeky Guys is handling it, but he can’t finish until I come up with a new name for the amphitheater.”
“Right. We’ll brainstorm on that. But there are a few gaps we need to close first.” He took her hand, pulling her into a sweet, soft kiss. “Like that one.” He cradled her face with his warm hand, brushed his thumb over her cheek, and said, “You’re incredible, Tegan. Do you know that?”
She was too busy melting to think straight.
He lowered his hand, all business again as he said, “I work with a lot of business owners, and most of them have spent years following what seems like a wikiHow guide to developing a business plan, with zero originality. Even the company I
’m working on taking over right now isn’t up to par because the family members who are running it don’t think outside the box. It’s worth about ten million, and it’s losing money every month. But if it were run correctly, it would be seeing huge profits and could easily be worth five times that in two years. You’re creative, innovative, and from what I’ve seen here tonight, you’ve got a brilliant business mind. You just go about things in a roundabout way.”
Fifty million? Her initial instinct was to tease him about blowing smoke up her butt to get her in bed, but the honesty in his eyes kept those words at bay. “Thank you. I know my brain works in weird ways. I can’t get anywhere if I try to think in a linear fashion, but my sister is as organized and efficient as you are. She always goes from A to B to C, while my brain goes from A to Z to C to K and, well, you get the picture.”
“I get it. Is that why you use the clock image?”
She nodded. “That was my uncle’s idea when I was in school, and it really helps me get my thoughts started. As long as I know where I’m starting and where I want to end up, I can add ideas and things that I need to accomplish along the way. I usually have to draw five to ten renditions before I get all the pieces right because I don’t only use that, as you saw. I’ll forever be a sticky-note girl, but eventually I get there.”
“It sounds like your uncle understood exactly how your brilliant mind works. You’re lucky to have had him. Lots of people who think unconventionally don’t have that type of support, and they flounder.” He picked up the notebook and said, “Let’s talk about these last few items. The most important is your partnership with Harper. This is a cutting-edge endeavor you’re working on.”
“I know. It’s exciting, but Harper is the brilliant one. The idea of bringing live episodic romcoms to theater was all hers.” She’d already explained that if the soft launch went well, then next summer they hoped to run a different show every month, with three episodes each week. “As I mentioned, if this goes well, Harper wants to eventually run programs during the winter for locals. But we’d run only one production every other month since there are so few people in the off season. I’ll have to hire someone to handle the winter administration since I’ll be in Maryland during those months, but she knows people who might be interested.”
“That’s all great, but I meant the actual partnership, legally speaking. Who owns what percentage and how profits and expenses are going to be handled.”
“Oh, I see. We don’t have a legal contract, if that’s what you mean. We’re running this like the children’s program with a few tweaks. Harper is paying a fee for the use of the theater. She’s the one writing and producing the episodes, so she’ll own all those rights, pay for those expenses, and keep the profits. I’ll handle and pay for the marketing and administration of the theater. Easy-peasy.”
“If only it were that easy, Tegs.”
Tegs. She tucked that away in the things-not-to-overthink space she had started stocking with his furtive glances and tender touches, which he seemed to dole out naturally. “What do you mean?”
“The plan you have outlined is much bigger than just marketing the theater. You’re marketing her shows exclusively. Is that what Harvey did for the children’s shows?”
“No. The production companies handled all of their own marketing. In fact, the theater is so well known for the children’s productions, he really didn’t have to market at all. He just nurtured his relationships with the production companies, and he was friends with them all, so that wasn’t a hardship for him. The buffets he hosted after the shows were his gift to the children, on his own dime. He was very wealthy, and like I said, he was all about paying it forward.”
Jett blinked several times. “Tegs, you’re talking about putting out big marketing dollars on a weekly basis. You’re basically building Harper’s name, her brand, handling all the marketing and PR. You should be compensated for that.”
“She’s my friend. I want her to succeed.”
“I know you do, but I think you’re listening to your heart a little too much here. Just for a second, take off your friend hat and put on your business hat. Do you want to remain friends with Harper?”
“Of course.”
“Then you need to think about this a little differently. If you were hosting other shows and just marketing your theater, that would be different. But there are all sorts of complications that could result in hard feelings with this scenario. What if you do all of this and it takes off, and Harper gets another offer like the one from Movietime or to take her productions elsewhere?”
“Then good for her.”
“Is it? Or will you feel like you’ve helped her build this amazing business. You brought it to the public, and she walks away with millions. I know you don’t care about the money. But won’t you feel hurt that suddenly this business that you built together is gone? That Harper gets to live her dream and that you were part of that dream, but now you’re not. What then, Tegs? Who’s watching out for you in this scenario?”
“I don’t…I didn’t think about that.”
“I know. That’s your big heart clouding your business smarts a little, and that’s okay. I’m only making suggestions. You don’t have to take them. I just want you to think about these things. What if Harper gets pregnant and decides to be a stay-at-home mom instead of writing and producing shows? What if she gets a deal she can’t turn down and wants to franchise her ideas? That would involve how the business is run, too, and you’re going to be a big part of that. What if you have a following here and want to continue after she leaves? Can you hire writers and producers and maintain the same episodic structure without her involvement? Or if you decide you’re sick of running this big house and the theater and you want to sell it? Have you thought about how that would impact Harper after both of you worked hard to grow a business she wants to continue running?”
“I’ve thought about some of those things, and although we haven’t talked about them, I’m sure we’ll work something out.”
“Will you? You have other businesses and a whole life in Maryland, but it sounds like Harper’s putting all her eggs into this basket, and it’s a good one. Tegs, the best friendships, marriages, and partnerships often fall apart over differences of opinion, goals that change, or unspoken assumptions. No one ever sees them coming.”
“You’re kind of a buzzkill,” she said, though she knew he was right. Her sister had mentioned something similar when Tegan had first told her about the partnership, but Tegan had brushed it off.
“I don’t mean to be a downer, but I’d just hate for either you or Harper to put your heart and soul into something only to have it ruin your relationship down the line. If you have these things worked out ahead of time, you can avoid possible problems.”
“So, you’re basically suggesting a prenup agreement, but for business, one in which I am compensated if I promote her shows exclusively. I guess that’s a good idea. I’ll talk to Harper about it.”
“Great.”
“What’s next?”
“Marketing. You have a solid plan and budget for marketing on Cape Cod and the islands, and I completely agree with your new demographic of twenty- to forty-year-olds. Your idea about pulling in people from Boston, New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut was spot-on. But why was it in the Dreaming Big section of your clock?”
“Because I’m not sure I can pull it off,” she said honestly. “I’ve never done anything on this big a scale, much less with someone who was counting on me not to screw things up. I don’t want to disappoint Harper, so I thought starting slower was better.”
“Tegs, are you kidding me? Your ideas have the ability to double not only the income, but the value of the business. I know you’re worried about the desire for profit overshadowing everything else, but I think if you and Harper are aware of that up front, it’s something else you can discuss and put into writing so you never lose focus on those goals. Increasing the value of the business can only help Harpe
r, which is why you should have that legal agreement in place.” He stared deeply into her eyes and said, “Partners complement each other in different ways. She’s got the creative side down, but you’ve got impeccable business sense and vision. Don’t ever sell yourself short.”
She didn’t need approval from anyone, but his praise made her feel all sorts of wonderful. “You’re not just blowing smoke to get in my pants?”
“I don’t play games with business. Trust me, I’d have no problem telling you if I thought you should think smaller, or even back out of the deal, if I thought you couldn’t handle it. Business comes first and last in my book. You’re good, Tegs. Own it.” He winked, and then he said, “But there’s always room for improvement. You might want to consider shorter programs, for those people who come up only for the weekends.”
She told him some of her other ideas, like hosting special shows for girlfriend/couple getaways. “But this is episodic theater. The idea is that there are three episodes to each romcom. We run the same three shows every week, so if a couple is here for two weeks, they don’t have to cram their viewings into one week, although the option is there. Weekends are too short to make that happen.”
“I understand, and that makes perfect sense. But at some point you might consider expanding to include one complete show on a Saturday to capture that audience, too. You never know what will entice a person into coming back. It’s just a thought. Maybe hold on to it for the future.”
He grabbed a notebook and opened to a blank page. He drew a circle and bisected it with a line. On one half he wrote TO-DO, and on the other he wrote FUTURE IDEAS. She pressed her lips together to keep from telling him how much she loved that he drew her a circle instead of trying to change the way she worked to his way of thinking.
“Did I do it wrong?” he asked.
“No. It’s perfect. Thank you.”
They talked about a few more things as they filled out the circle. When they were done, he said, “We’ve covered all the bases except one. Contingencies. What about rain? It can be pretty rainy here in August. You might have light rains that last an hour or two, it could pour for days, or you could get wicked storms that roll through fast and furious. What happens to the productions in those cases?”
Bayside Fantasies (Bayside Summers Book 6) Page 13