Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“No,” he replied simply, bent and touched his lips to mine, then turned to the group. “Enjoy girl time.” Back to me. “Call me when you’re done.” Another quick kiss and he sauntered out, the bell ringing as his goodbye.
The redhead handed me a coffee. “On the house, I guess.”
“I’ll pay,” I said quietly so Tex wouldn’t hear me.
“Not a problem. Seriously, I’m more ticked about the coffee grounds that I have to clean up again.”
She then took off to clean them up.
I settled in an armchair.
No one said anything for a moment.
Then Kyra cried excitedly, “You’re so loved-up, I could die.”
“He’s hot,” Liane decreed.
I took a sip and glanced at Marcy.
She said nothing.
But she was smiling.
The next Saturday, I was on the couch on Core’s back patio, my laptop resting on my crossed legs.
I heard the French door open.
Nanook, who was lying on the rug in front of me, let out a mini-howl of greeting.
Core, who was hanging out the door, called, “You need anything?”
I didn’t answer him.
Instead, I said, “I’ll be done in a little while.”
“That wasn’t my question,” he pointed out.
My lips curled up. “No, I don’t need anything.”
“Cool, baby,” he said, nonchalantly lifted up his chin then disappeared from the door, and it closed.
I stared at it for a second.
I heard Nanook settle in.
Then I got back to work.
A week and three days later, I was sitting in my office with Xanthia sitting across from me.
Xanthia was my new PA.
She was great.
“A conference,” she said.
“Sorry?” I asked.
“Invite your clients to a conference. Somewhere cool, not Vegas or Orlando. Some quiet spa retreat in Big Sur, or wine, foodie place in Monterrey, or desert oasis in Sedona. Someplace I can get us discounts on rooms and services. We figure out a cost that isn’t crazy that they have to pay, but cover some of it so it seems like a bene of service from you. We do classes, panels, maybe spring for an expert, a whole share-the-knowledge and brainstorm-the-future and create-the-next-trend thing. But not too much so they can get massages. It needs to seem like a vacation that’s a write-off. And while they’re there, you announce your new slate of client features. They’ll be lulled by the surroundings to understand your awesomeness, and they’ll sign on.”
And there it was.
Xanthia was great.
“That’s an insanely good idea,” I replied.
She looked pleased.
“Can you add to your tasks, doing some research to find a venue? Not urgent. I need to tweak the new menu and look at the financials, so there’s time.”
Now she looked excited. “Totally can do that.”
My new-client call brought in five new customers, and I’d mentioned to two I already had I was going to be offering full-spectrum services, and they’d shifted up a level so I could oversee their websites and affiliate links. This was an indication that there might be others who had grown so much, they were ready to outsource those kinds of tasks. Not to mention, Xanthia was still learning the ropes.
So there was a lot of work to be done.
But I had no doubt she totally could do that.
Yes, she was great.
And yes, the decision to hire her was the right one.
I wasn’t only relieved.
I was exhilarated and ready for what came next.
Mom and I had margaritas.
We also had eye candy.
This was in the form of Core, Beck, Eight, Muzzle and Andy carefully erecting a new fence behind the shrubbery at the edge of Core’s yard.
They did this with Nanook’s constant supervision.
Apparently, it was sweaty work.
Hmm…
I’d used the new-fence ploy to sneak a meet-the-parents in that wouldn’t seem overly wrought and would give Andy the excuse to do something Andy, for some reason, loved to do.
Manual labor.
My ploy was a wild success.
By the way, Liane wasn’t there because she was working. And Archie and Jagger weren’t there because apparently Archie and Jagger were taking advantage of the waning throes of summer and were on an extended trip somewhere on his bike. It involved a yurt. After I heard that word, I quit listening. Still, I hoped they were having fun.
Elijah wasn’t there because I didn’t invite him (I really needed to get over that).
I hadn’t understood why Core wanted to tear down that fence, but now that the new one was going up, I saw it. It completed his backyard vision.
Well, that, and the toss pillows and smattering of lanterns I’d gotten, and the rusted, reclaimed steel wall sculpture of a motorcycle Kyra had found and Core had mounted over the fireplace.
Core might argue my contribution was part of that backyard completion, but he didn’t complain when he rested his head on a toss pillow as he was stretched with me on his couch and we were kicking back with the fire going.
I got a text from Kyra. It was a picture with the words, For the dining room.