by Alexa Davis
“Yeah, sounds great.” He gave me a smile that was so sincere, I actually started to believe it. Maybe this was all going to work out after all…
My brother was a good guy, really, and I was sure that he’d do well at my company, if only he would give it a real shot. Sure, he was lazy and acted crazy right now, but that was because he didn’t have any desire, anything to be passionate about. As soon as he worked out that having a purpose could make you feel better than any short term quick fix ever would, he’d really throw himself into it.
I just needed him to give it a try.
***
“Boss? I just wanted to warn you that Anita is here,” Lucia hissed at me the second I walked through the door. “Apparently she has some new opportunities for you to look at.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I shot back with a grin. It was common knowledge in the office that Anita was always finding ridiculous excuses to come in and talk to me; it had been going on for far too long to be undetected. It was my fault that things had gotten worse, though, because in my intoxicated state at the Christmas party, I ended up going home with her. She had been throwing herself at me, and I just couldn’t resist. However, the last thing that I needed today was to get drawn into a long and involved conversation with her. “You got anything else for me?”
“Erm, actually, I do,” Lucia replied whilst searching through the paperwork in her hands. “Here are your phone messages; there is one from a Mr. Larkin that sounded pretty urgent.”
“Roy?” I gasped in shock. I hadn't heard from my good buddy Roy in a long while, but he was always good to talk to. “Did he say what he wanted? I think I’ll call him back now, before I face Anita.”
“He didn’t say, just to call him back the moment you get into the office. Do you want to use my phone? Anita’s already sat at your desk.”
I rolled my eyes and nodded. I knew it made me a bit of a bastard to treat her that way, but I’d made it perfectly clear to Anita for years that I didn’t want to get involved with her. Even after I’d caved to temptation and we’d had sex, I let her know that it was a onetime thing only. I never wanted to leave a trail of confusion behind me, which was the reason I always made a point of being honest. But Anita…well, she didn’t quite seem to get it.
There was nothing wrong with Anita, per se; she was a great girl with a rocking body and a wild side like nothing I’d ever experienced before, but she just wasn’t a long term investment for me. If I couldn’t see things going the distance, I didn’t bother to devote any of my precious time to it.
As the phone rang, I couldn’t help but wonder what was so desperate with Roy. It had to be a business deal – that was mostly what we talked about; and considering Harry only just told me yesterday that I had to start investing in new businesses, this could be the perfect thing for me. Roy Larkin always knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Hello, Justin?” he sounded a little out of breath as he answered the phone. “You all right, buddy?”
“Yeah, what’s going on with you? Things sound a little crazy where you are,” I asked curiously.
“Oh, just work, you know how it is,” he chuckled. “Anyway, I have a new business venture that I think would be perfect for you.” Of course he did; I’d suspected as much. “It’s something a bit different, but I really think it’s perfect.”
“Go on…” I continued curiously, grabbing a notebook and pen to write everything down. Different was something I could get on board with. If done right, different could make the most money of all.
“Well, it’s only small at the moment, a local place called Boffees. It sells books and coffee—”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I stopped him in his tracks. “I thought this was going to be some established, technology-based business, or a product with some solid market research…but books? Aren’t books a bit…obsolete?”
I hadn't seen anyone reading actual books for years, and surely some pokey coffee shop in some tiny town wasn’t exactly a solid investment opportunity; even Roy could see that. So why did he want me to invest? What benefit would it be to him?
“Is this a woman’s business?” I asked him curiously. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” He had to want to get into her pants…that was the only logical explanation.
“It is a woman’s business, and she’s a good friend of mine, but that has nothing to do with it. I just think…I think what she does is amazing, what she does for the community is great.”
“Okay, look I get all of that,” I told him curiously. “But that isn’t a solid investment, is it? You know that Harry won’t agree to anything unless it’s going to make me loads of money.”
Especially now, I thought. But I didn’t say that part aloud. I didn’t want to trouble my friend with my brother and his nightmarish issues. “How the hell am I supposed to pass off some coffee and bookshop in Florence to him?”
“Okay, I understand your reservations,” he told me with a slow and considered tone of voice. “But I really think that you should listen to me. I think you should understand that I have your best interests at heart…” He paused for a moment before landing his main argument. “Plus, you know…you do owe me.”
He didn’t use that one a lot, but he was right. When I was first starting out, his oil company was one of my very early investments, and it paid off big time. If it wasn’t for Roy and his success, I probably wouldn’t be doing so well myself, so really, I did owe him. But was I willing to risk everything because of that?
“Look, just take Annie’s number, give her a call, and see what I mean. You don’t have to invest; I told her that it wasn’t any guarantee, but it would be good if you could just talk to her.”
I couldn’t deny him that, after all he’d done for me, so I agreed quickly. “Yeah sure, give me her number. I’ll call her later on and set up a meeting.”
“Thanks. You won’t regret it, honestly. Annie is a great girl, and her dedication to the business is something else.”
“Okay, okay, you have me convinced,” I laughed. “I need to come down to see you, anyway, so it’ll be good to come and visit.”
As we said our goodbyes, I had a great idea form in my mind – one that I hoped could satisfy Roy and myself. I would make the call, but I wouldn’t set any specific dates. I could simply head down to Florence, go and see my friend and this store, then make my decision about going through with the meeting with the owner at that point. That way, I wouldn’t have to set up anything too official, and I wouldn’t have to go through the intense awkwardness of having to say no. My business could run without me for a few days without any problems, so it wouldn’t be an issue.
Okay, so I might have to put off bringing Garrett to the company for a little while longer, but that would be fine. As long as he kept up his enthusiasm for starting work with me, then everything would be all right.
“Right, Lucia,” I said to my PA. “I need to go away for a while, so I’ll have to discuss the schedule with you for while I’m not here. I might need to move some meetings around. But before all of that, I suppose I better go and face Anita before she does anything crazy. My office might already be completely upside down!”
“Whatever you say, boss,” she smiled back at me, before making a note in her pad, doing a much better job of running my life than I ever could. “And, erm…good luck in there. I think you’re going to need it!”
Chapter Four
Annie – Wednesday
“Can I help you cook this morning?” Rae asked, standing under my feet as per usual. She was such a nightmare for doing that, and I found myself constantly tripping over her in the mornings, particularly whenever I was in a rush. “I want to make Nancy some bacon.”
Poor Nancy!
“Oh, lucky Nancy!” I exclaimed, pretending to be excited for my friend, whilst shooting my daughter a loving smile. “Of course, let me get you a chair.” I might have been busy, and it might not have been what I needed, but I would do anything for my l
ittle girl…anything to keep her happy.
I stood her up on the seat and allowed her to do the bits of cooking that weren’t too dangerous. I would never let her deal with hot food on her own, but under my watchful gaze, she would be just fine. Rae was a very switched-on kid, acutely aware of the world around her.
“Ooh, that must be Nancy here already.” I grinned brightly at a knock on the door before switching everything off and stepping away from Rae. “I’ll go and let her in; why don’t you dish up some food for her?” None of it looked particularly appetizing, but I didn’t think Nancy would mind. At least, I hoped not…
I let her inside and raced up the stairs to get dressed as Nancy and Rae chatted downstairs. By the time I got back down, I could tell from the pale expression on my friend’s face that something had taken a turn for the worst. My heart raced as I surveyed the scene in front of me, trying to work out exactly what had happened, but I couldn’t see anything obvious to cause the atmosphere that was clinging in the air.
“I’m sorry,” Nancy mouthed at me. “I didn’t think.”
I shot her a curious look, but she didn’t get the chance to explain anything because Rae jumped in with the question that she’d clearly just asked Nancy, the one that had caused so much tension. “Mom, where is my dad?” Oh my God, I froze deep inside, trying to work out how the hell I was supposed to answer that one. “Nancy has a dad; why don’t I have one?”
Oh no…this was too much. This was a subject that I was never going to want to cover, and Rae had never asked.
I glanced up desperately at Nancy, but she simply made her excuses and left the room, leaving me alone to deal with the awkwardness of this. It was the right thing to do, of course. This was my story to share with my daughter, and Nancy didn’t really know the full details of what had happened, anyway, but still it left me feeling afraid and alone.
I took Rae’s hands in mine and stared lovingly into her eyes, tears affecting my gaze. This really wasn’t what I’d been expecting to talk about today. “You do have a dad, sweetie,” I told her kindly. “He just…well, he isn’t here anymore.” I should have planned for this; I should have known that the question would come eventually. It was naïve of me to think that I would have more time.
“Well, where is he? Can we go and visit him?” she asked with such a childish innocence that it broke my heart. Now I was going to have to shatter a piece of her youth, and I hated to have to do that.
“We can’t, I’m afraid.” I did my best to gulp down the massive ball of emotion that lodged itself firmly in my throat, but unfortunately, it wasn’t going anywhere. “He’s…in Heaven.”
“Does that mean dead?” Okay, so she knew more about the world than I had given her credit for. Underestimating her had been my first mistake! “If he’s dead, why don’t we have any photos of him in the house? I want to know what he looks like. Do I look like him?”
Oh God, so much…too much…
This was all becoming too intense, too overwhelming for me, so I slid my chair back quickly before the tears consumed me totally. I didn’t want my daughter to ever see me crying, especially not over this subject. Once I started, I might never be able to stop. “I’ll have a look for some pictures later on, darling, but I need to go to work now. I’m almost late to open up the shop.”
“Okay…” I could tell from the spaced out look on Rae’s face that she was already distracted, her brain already thinking about something else, but I wouldn’t be able to move on from this conversation so easily. It was very likely that I would feel haunted for a very long time. “See you later, Mommy.”
***
The day whizzed past much quicker than I’d expected it to, considering how unsettling my morning was. I did my best to forget about Rae’s little face as she asked me why she didn’t seem to have a daddy, but I couldn’t shake it. I just had the strong sense that now she’d started along that line of thought, she wouldn’t let it go. It wouldn’t pop up all the time, but every now and again she would mention it, and it would break my heart every damn time.
The only problem was I didn’t think that she was anywhere near old enough to hear the full truth just yet. I hadn't expected it to come up so soon.
“Bye, Mr. Smith,” I smiled at one of my newer customers. He was an older gentleman who had lived in Florence for a long time, but had just come back from a worldwide trip to find solace in Boffees and the other people that hung out here. “I hope to see you tomorrow.”
I let out a deep sigh as I closed the door behind him, locking the world out. Much as I loved the people of Florence, for tonight, I just needed some time alone. I just wanted a moment to myself, but of course, I wasn’t about to get that lucky.
“Damn it,” I muttered before grabbing my phone from my pocket as it rang. When I noticed a number on the screen that I didn’t recognize, I rolled my eyes, but answered anyway, just in case it was something important. I couldn’t ever seem to ignore calls, even at my lowest ebb. “Hello, Annie Driscoll, how may I help you?”
“Hi there,” came the chocolaty-smooth reply, instantly grabbing my attention. “My name is Justin Gains. I don’t know if you’re expecting a call from me, but I got your number from Roy Larkin.”
Justin Gains?
Roy Larkin?
It had to be the investor – that was the only option. My heart raced in my chest, and I could feel a perspiration starting to form on my face. I stood up straighter and smoothed my clothes down, despite the fact that he couldn’t see me. This was potentially the biggest moment of my career…and again, I wasn’t really prepared for it. I knew Roy had suggested it, but I didn’t think that it would come around so quickly.
“Oh, erm, thank you for calling me, it’s…it’s great to hear from you.” Stop stammering! Don’t screw this up!
“Yes, well, Roy speaks very highly of you and your coffee shop, so what I want to do is come and see you, if that’s okay?”
Oh my God, this is too much, this is too soon, but it’s all I’ve been wanting for so long.
“That would be wonderful. I mean, I don’t know what Roy told you about me, but I have a solid business plan behind me. Expanding Boffees isn’t something that I’ve just decided to try; it isn’t an idea that I’ve come up with on a whim. I’ve sat down and thought about it, studied the numbers, and I know that with the right investment, I can succeed.”
I got the impression that the concept of Boffees didn’t impress him and that I needed to show him some of my business acumen to help get him on board. I wouldn’t be able to do that properly over the phone, but I could start. “I want to expand way past Oregon, and I know I have what it takes to make a success of that.”
“Okay,” he jumped in quickly before I could get into a full-blown rant. “Obviously, I can’t get too much of an impression of the business over the phone, so what I need to do is come and see you at some point. I’m not totally sure when I’ll be in Florence, but I’ll come and see you when I am.”
I glanced around the shop, noticing a mess everywhere. It wasn’t dirty, but it was a little disorganized, which it couldn’t be if I had someone who actually might want to put some money into the company coming around. It was fine for everyday use, for the customers who came in here all the time, but not good enough for Mr. Gains. I would have to make it better for him! I didn’t know when he was coming, but I wanted to be prepared.
“Of course, that sounds wonderful,” I replied distractedly. “I look forward to meeting with you.”
Shit. This is real. This is actually happening. With everyone turning me down for investment, I had been starting to feel like it might just be a pipe dream, the sort of idea that could never come true, but now I actually had a shot and I needed to make it work.
With that one thought in mind, I hung up the phone to Justin and put in a call to Nancy, my entire body trembling with anticipation the whole time. I needed her now more than ever, and I knew that she would be there for me no matter what.
�
��Nancy, I need your help,” I started happily, not even giving her the chance to greet me. “I’ve just had a call from a potential investor, and he might be coming to visit the store tomorrow—”
“Are you serious?” she squealed, happy for me and understanding just how much this meant. “That’s incredible news.”
“I know, I know.” I was actually shaking now. “I just need to clean the place up. Will you be all right with Rae for a little while longer? I hate to put you out.”
“Of course! Don’t you worry about a thing,” she exclaimed, just as I knew she would. “You just worry about your shop. I’ll do dinner, bath time, bed time…”
“How has she been?” I asked curiously. “After this morning, I mean? That was heavy. I really wasn’t prepared for it.”
“If it helps, she hasn’t mentioned it again,” she told me, the apology obvious in her tone. “I’m so sorry about that, I just started telling her about something my dad used to do with me, and she took off with it.”
“Oh don’t worry, it had to come eventually. It just took me by surprise, that’s all. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. I’ll find something better, though. I’ll talk to her again.”
I wasn’t sure how I would face it again, but I hoped to do better the next time Rae asked. I hoped that with a little more preparation, I would be able to find the right way to tell her the truth about her father and what happened to him. I would have to take a timeout to work out exactly what I intended to tell her and how I would word it. I had no intention of getting caught off guard like that again.
I’d spent far too long just putting my head down and getting on with it. I had tried so hard not to think about things, and now I would have to stop that. For Rae’s sake, she needed to know the truth.