Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 299(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
But when Cameron popped his head in the office and I got one good look at him, I saved my work and spun around in the chair.
Cameron’s face looked stormy as hell. Whatever was bugging him, it was enough to make his normally tan face red. He yanked at the tie around his neck to loosen it.
“Don’t. Buy. Anything.”
“Well, alright,” I said. “Is that like a general statement, or do you have something specific on your mind?”
Cameron sighed heavily, throwing his hands up in the air and then running one through his hair.
“There’s a problem with the bank accounts. Now I have to go down to the bank and fix it. I am extraordinarily pissed off.”
“I can see that,” I said. “What kind of problem?”
Cameron opened his mouth to explain and then seemed to think better of it. He shook his head.
“If I explain it, I will be here all day doing it, and then that will give me less time to chew their heads off,” he said. “Just suffice it to say someone down there fucked up, and I am going to let them know just how much I appreciate it.”
“Fair.”
“So, no buying anything for a while, capiche?”
“I got you,” I said. “How often do I buy anything anyway?”
“Rarely,” he admitted, “but when you do, it’s always extremely expensive.”
“Also fair,” I said. “Just to make you feel better, I’ll even clock out for the day. Once I got done, I was supposed to head down to the high school.”
Cameron laughed and shook his head. Of all of us, I was probably the last one to be expected to spend time as an adult at our old high school. When I left high school behind and embraced who I really was, I flourished. But I still had a soft spot for old Mr. Proctor. He had been, for the lack of a better term, my mentor in high school, pushing me to advance my education and keep moving in tech and applications. He was my biggest supporter when it came to taking over the family business’s tech and website work but was also encouraging me to continue moving forward too.
“Just make sure you don’t use the company card on anything, alright?” Cam said. It was technically a question, but the tone suggested that it was really more of a demand. Without waiting for a response, he left with a heavy knock to the doorframe.
Shrugging, I turned back to my work. I had to finish the month’s social media plans and then head out. Once I was done twenty minutes later, I saved my work, logged out, and shut down.
Derek and Kane were in the kitchen as I walked through it, heading out the restaurant doors instead of the back door. I never left without saying goodbye to whoever I could come across, and I knew those two would still be around.
Kane, Cameron’s twin, had been in the kitchen all day with Derek. As chef, Derek had been working on different pairing options with the wines Kane was developing out of the vineyard’s grapes. The two had been working on and off for weeks, but today had been a day full of small plates coming in and out of the office where the two of them sought out further opinions. It meant I was going to have to hit the gym a little harder, but I was fine with it. Most of the stuff Derek came up with was incredible.
“You headed out?” Kane asked as I approached. I nodded and saw through the door to the restaurant that his girlfriend, Danica, was out there with their baby, Jonah.
“Yeah,” I said. “Did you call in reinforcements?”
“Danica?” Kane asked. “Sort of. I just knew I’d be here late and figured they should join us. Ally is rather full and done doing tastings, and I assumed you’d want to go home eventually.”
“Not quite home, but yes. I will take one of those beignets though.”
Derek slapped my hand as I reached for it.
“Not without the pairing, and if you’re driving, then no more wine,” he said.
“Come on, I don’t need the wine. I’ve had everything Kane has made in the last three months. I know what it tastes like. Gimmie the pastry,” I said.
“Hell no,” Derek said. “Feedback is the price for food. You know this.”
“Dammit,” I muttered.
“Are you going to see Mr. Proctor?” Kane asked.
“Yeah.”
“That man’s getting up there, isn’t he?” Kane asked. Kane had taken a few of my old teacher’s classes as well as he had once thought he might want to create an app about wine making and pairing. I offered to help, but his interest waned not long after. I always wondered if the app was a viable idea, though, and toyed with it occasionally in my off time.
“He’s rather old,” I said. “But he’s still the smartest man I’ve ever met, so I’m glad he’s doing something with it. I still help out occasionally with normal class stuff when he asks.”