by Cassie Cole
“My store is going out of business,” I blurted out.
Both of them looked confused. “But the sale last week went amazing! Didn’t it?”
“It did,” I agreed. “But it wasn’t enough. We haven’t had many customers since then, and Pacifica has been packed. Their prices are competitive with mine. They have a bar inside, with craft beer on tap.”
“You could get a liquor license,” Max suggested.
“My store is way too small. I’m already cramped as it is.” I waved a hand. “But that’s not the point. Pacifica is legit. Their store is five times larger than mine. They have an amazing selection. Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They’re better than me. I’m not going to be able to compete with them. The sooner I accept that, the easier it will be.”
They didn’t try to talk me out of it, for which I was grateful. Finn raised his hand and ordered two shots of vodka. “Make it three,” Max said. “This is more important than my training.”
We got drunk together and commiserated about my store, and the bigger business coming in and taking over. That was what I really needed: to wallow in my sorrows. And as it turned out, having two boyfriends meant twice the support.
They walked me home after that and tucked me into bed. “Cuddles!” I demanded drunkenly. “I need cuddles to make me feel better.”
Without complaint, they both crawled into bed with me. Finn stroked my cheek and whispered happy things, while Max gave me a gentle shoulder massage. I fell asleep with both of their hands on my body.
It was more sensual than sex could ever be.
42
Brody
I was the biggest fool in the world.
As the police drove me downtown, I thought about everything I had done. Accepting the job to come to Denver and evaluate the market for Pacifica. Befriending Kat at the gym. Asking her out even after I learned she was the owner of Vinyl High, and then continuing to date her while I was still running analysis for Pacifica. Then the way she had found out…
I had a lot of regrets.
The police took my mug shot, booked me, and put me in a cell. I laid on the hard bench and stared at the ceiling until the next morning. Then the police informed me that there was no evidence I broke in to steal anything of value. That got my hopes up until they explained I was being charged with third-degree burglary, where a break-in occurred but the motives were not clear.
Then I was let out on bail. I retrieved my personal belongings from the officer at the front desk, changed back into my street clothes, and took an Uber home.
I took a shower. It washed away the stink of the jail, but did nothing for my guilt. After, I sat down at my computer and began plugging numbers into a spreadsheet. I may not have escaped Kat’s store with all the data, but I had seen enough to fill in as I needed.
I felt lost as I ran the numbers. Like I was detached from reality, floating aimlessly through existence. Who was I? The kind of person who let someone they cared about fail, just because it was my job?
I hope Katherine can forgive me, I thought as I hit send on the email. Then I dialed the number to the manager of Pacifica Vinyl.
“Hey, it’s Brody,” I said. “I just sent you the most recent report. We need to talk.”
43
Katherine
Just as I had done in the spring, I poured myself into exercise to escape the grim reality that my business was doomed. But unlike the spring, I didn’t focus on the points contest. I obsessed over the exercise spreadsheet Finn kept updated, watching the numbers climb as I grew stronger. Soon I was able to squat more than my bodyweight on the barbell. My weight steadily dropped, and my muscles looked and felt more toned.
I did my runs outside, not on the treadmill. The fresh air and the wind in my hair made it relaxing and enjoyable, even if it didn’t earn me any points. There was a real satisfaction to moving through the world rather than moving in place. I got to see parts of the adjacent neighborhoods I’d never visited before. It made me appreciate the character of this area in a new way.
But that just depressed me even more, since it wouldn’t be my area as soon as my store went out of business.
Brody had left his thumb drive plugged into my computer. After the police had left, I opened the drive and examined the files. He had been copying financial data, inventory information, and sales numbers from my computer. Data going back two years! I kept the thumb drive and didn’t reveal it to the police, but Brody was still charged with third-degree burglary. That was good enough for me.
Over the next two weeks, things remained slow at the store. After peaking during the sale, things never picked up again. Paul tried to make jokes about it, but I could tell he was worried. I was worried, too.
One day, Darryl swung by the store. “I was in the neighborhood. Can I buy you lunch?”
We went to a restaurant a few blocks away. I ordered a salad, and Darryl got a cheeseburger. “I hope that’s not teasing you,” he said afterwards.
I smiled. “My willpower is strong. Though I may steal a French fry or three.”
Darryl typed something on his phone, then turned it off and shoved it in his pocket. “How are you doing, Kat?”
“I’m fine.”
He gave me a look. The same look he would give me as a child when I wasn’t being fully truthful with him.
“I’m struggling,” I said.
“Paul told me the store isn’t doing so well.”
I groaned. “I knew this lunch was too random. I told Paul not to involve anyone else…”
“I’m glad he called me,” Darryl replied. “The thing is, he said that there’s something else bothering you. You’ve been detached and distant. He thinks it’s more than just the store. Maybe related to the break-in?”
I frowned. “You knew about that?”
“Only because Paul told me. What happened?”
I looked out the window. I’d been trying not to think about any of this. Darryl crossed his arms and calmly waited me out. Neither of us said anything for several minutes.
I broke first.
I told my big brother everything. He had been there way back when Brody first asked me out, after all. I went through our dates, and the points contest, and then how I had discovered that he worked for Pacifica.
“My wife said you were seeing that trainer from the gym,” Darryl said. “The big guy. Finn.”
I sighed. “I’ve kind of been seeing a few guys at once. That’s a whole different conversation.”
Darryl laughed, but in a comforting way. Not teasing. “Alright. So you’re heartbroken on top of the store closing?”
“I guess so,” I admitted. “But the store closing is what I’m dreading the most. I allowed our sale to get my hopes up. It was a Hail Mary, and we scored a touchdown off it, but we’re still going to lose the game.”
He patted my hand. “I’m sorry. Have you considered hiring a lawyer?”
“For what?”
“Well, if Brody broke into your store on behalf of Pacifica, you could sue them for damages. I think Colorado has pretty broad corporate espionage laws.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said, but the idea of dragging things out in a lawsuit wasn’t appealing. If my business was going under, I would prefer to have a clean break.
As time went on, I focused more and more of my attention on my workouts. They were the only thing going right in my life at that point, aside from my weird double-relationship with Finn and Max. I woke up in the morning dreading going to my store, so I spent more time at the gym.
RMF had changed my life for the better. I was a new person. I exercised daily, I planned my meals, and I ate healthy even when I was tempted to chow down.
This was who I was now. That felt good, regardless of everything else failing around me.
Near the end of April, Max officially left the gym to begin triathlon training. They threw him a big going-away party at RMF, although the gym manager didn’t look excited about it. He was still unhappy with Max over
the free points he had given out to people on the day of my big sale.
“I got my second sponsor this morning!” Max told me while I was at his place one evening. We were half-clothed in bed, and his hair was sweaty from the sexual workout we had just gotten.
“That’s awesome! Who is it?”
“A new sports drink startup. Pretty much the same as Gatorade, but marketed toward triathletes.”
“What do you have to do? Wear their logo on your kit during races?”
He grunted. “If only that was it. I’m also contractually obligated to mention their product four times a month on social media.”
I barked a laugh. “You? Social media? Do you even have Facebook?”
“Starting next week, I’ll have to expand my influence.” He groaned. “I hate that kind of thing. I’ll look stupid.”
“Oh, be quiet. You’re very photogenic.” I kissed his bare chest and relaxed onto his body. “What’s your training look like?”
“Three-a-days,” he replied. “On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I’ll swim in the mornings. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll do a brick workout first thing in the morning: a long bike ride followed by a short transition run. Saturdays are for long bikes rides in the mountains. Sundays are long runs. Plus two days a week lifting weights to maintain muscle mass, and a bunch of other sprints and runs mixed-in.”
“What constitutes a long run to you?” I asked.
“Twenty miles,” he replied.
I almost choked. “That’s practically a marathon!”
“Yep.”
“Max, you’re insane. You know that?”
His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “They haven’t committed me yet. So keep my insanity to yourself.”
I giggled and teased him as we fell asleep together.
One afternoon, the building manager who I leased my store space from stopped by to check on the air conditioner unit and replace the air filters. He was a nice old man named Frank, and he had always taken care of anything I needed in the store.
“Frank?” I said while he was on a ladder. A lump formed in my throat when I tried to say the words. “I wanted to give you a heads-up that… Well… My store is probably not going to make it.”
He sucked in his breath and stopped what he was doing. “Miss Delaney! No!”
“Afraid so,” I said as he climbed down the ladder. “Pacifica Vinyl is killing me. It’s only a matter of time. I wanted to let you know now, so it doesn’t come as a surprise when you have to find a new tenant.”
He shocked me by hugging me. “I’m sorry. I know how much this place means to you. Life ain’t fair.”
“It’s alright. I’ve known it was coming for a while.”
“You were always the perfect tenant,” he bemoaned. “Paid your rent on time. Never complained. And I liked seeing a record store here. Makes me feel young.”
“Well, you’ve got another record store right down the street now.”
“It ain’t the same. That place has no character, especially after all the renovations they did to the building.”
“Preaching to the choir. I’ll send you written notice that I don’t intend to re-sign my lease when it expires in September, but I might be gone before that. At least you’ll be able to find a new tenant quickly.”
He hugged me again. “Here’s hoping they’re as great as you.”
For some reason, his reaction touched me more than anyone else’s. It reminded me that it wasn’t just my friends and family who cared about the store. I was part of the neighborhood.
Was.
I walked by Pacifica every day on the way to work. I could have circled around from the other direction to get to my store, but I made myself go by Pacifica to see how they were doing. They always had a good crowd, whether it was a weekday morning or a Saturday night.
As time went on, I begrudgingly accepted defeat. It was a when now, not an if. I would probably keep running the store for another month or two until I had a full quarter of financials to base my decision on, but it was just a matter of time.
I broke the news to Paul. He hugged me tightly and even cried a little bit. He was more sad for me than for the potential loss of his own job.
“You can work for Pacifica,” I said gently. “You have the experience.”
“No way!” he said fervently. “I’d never join the dark side.”
“As happy as I am to hear you proclaim your loyalty, it’s an easy decision. This is your passion, Paul. You shouldn’t give it up just because Pacifica put me out of business.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Although they might not be as cool about your weed habits as I am.”
“They would totally ruin my vibe,” he muttered, but I could already see him thinking about it.
I told Finn about it while we drank smoothies at the RMF Nutrition Bar. “That sucks, Kat. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. If you know of anyone hiring, I’ll probably be looking for a job soon.”
His dark eyes lit up. “What about here?”
I chuckled. “What would I do, sell smoothies? Or man the front desk?”
“You could become a personal trainer,” Finn replied. “RMF has a training program to get people certified. You’d get paid to do what you’re already doing: hang out at the gym all day. The only difference is you’d have to occasionally help some members not crush themselves in the squat rack.”
I frowned at my smoothie. “You know, that’s not a bad backup plan.”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
I thought about it for a few days. The more it swirled around in my head, the more appealing it was. Rocky Mountain Fitness paid their personal trainers twenty bucks an hour, plus benefits. Yet as good as it sounded, I still felt saddened at the thought of not running a record store anymore. I would be surviving, but as a failure.
And then one day, I walked by Pacifica and the lights were off. The sign on the door was flipped over:
CLOSED
I did a double-take. It was eight fifteen. They should have been open by now. The manager must have been running late or something.
That’s when I realized someone was waiting for me outside my store. I recognized him immediately. His blond hair was combed perfectly on his handsome face, and his blue eyes watched me approach. He was clutching a hot chocolate and marshmallow ski mask in his hand, and there was an apologetic smile on his face.
“I can explain,” Brody said softly. “But only if you promise to listen.”
44
Katherine
I didn’t know what to say to Brody. I’d been rehearsing this moment in my head for weeks, fantasizing about how I would tell him off. The perfectly witty response to his betrayal of my trust.
But in the moment, I just numbly unlocked my store and held the door open for him.
“I shouldn’t even let you in,” I said dryly.
“I deserve that,” Brody replied as he went inside. “But you’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“I doubt it.”
“It’s about Pacifica being closed.”
I blinked. “You have my attention.”
Brody shed his light jacket and tossed it on the counter. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, like he suddenly wasn’t sure what to say. I stayed a safe distance away and crossed my arms, waiting.
“Everything you accused me of? It’s all true,” he finally said. “The company I work for was hired by Pacifica to evaluate the Denver area for a new store location. Magnolia Street is one of the fastest growing areas, making it an ideal location. I reported this to them in my initial report, back in November.”
“It’s ideal even though Vinyl High is here?” I asked skeptically.
“Especially because of that,” he insisted. “Have you ever noticed how Home Depot and Lowe’s are always right next to each other? That’s because they choose their location based on demographic and demand, not whether there is competition nearby. Your success here is proof that there is a demand
in this area for vintage records. Based on the data I gave Pacifica, at worst they would be able to co-exist with you. At best, they would push you out of the market entirely.”
“What part of this do you think I want to hear? Get to the point, Brody, or I’m calling the police.”
He waved a hand. “Looking at store location data wasn’t the only reason I was hired. I’ve been running data on the market and Pacifica’s sales post-launch to evaluate whether the decision was valid. Comparing Pacifica’s sales to what they projected, and compared to your estimated sales, and then projecting future growth. That’s why my contract extends through the summer.”
“You’re awfully dedicated to your craft if you broke into my store just to get sales data,” I muttered.
“That’s what I wanted to tell you,” he insisted. “What I was trying to do…”
Finn walked through the door with two cups of coffee from the shop down the street. “Hey Babe, did you see that Pacifica is…”
He trailed off when he saw who I was talking to.
Finn let go off the coffee cups. Before they had splattered to the ground, he had grabbed Brody by the neck and shoved him against the wall. With his massive hand gripping Brody, he lifted the smaller man off the ground two inches. Brody made a choking noise.
“I told Kat that if I ever saw you again…” he growled.
I broke out of my shock. “Finn! Stop! We were just talking!”
Finn looked at me without lowering Brody. “Talking?”
“He’s admitting to everything. Put him down! Please!”
Finn hesitated, then dropped Brody. He crumpled to the ground and coughed while clutching his neck.
“I can’t believe I ever trained you,” Finn snarled down at him. “I even liked you, bro. You’ve got five minutes to finish telling Kat whatever lies you made up, and then I’m throwing you out the door and into oncoming traffic.”
Brody nodded vigorously and crawled to his feet.
“Shit, the coffee.” Finn ran to the back room to get a mop to clean up the mess he’d made.