Mel grins. “You tell us, babe.”
“This is happening,” I say. “We’ll need to come up with a payment plan so I can pay you both back.”
Carter gently grabs my arm. “Stop worrying about that. You saw we can handle the investment. This isn’t a handout; it's an investment. We believe in you and we are investing in you.”
Mel nods in agreement, placing her hand on my shoulder.
We start walking back home, but Mel stops suddenly. “Guys, I’m heading home. I need to let Indigo out; she hasn’t been feeling great and has been shitting all over my apartment. But I’m excited for Friday. You two, me, and Paul are gonna rage all night.”
“Love you, girl,” I call as she walks off.
As Mel walks off, I turn to Carter and say, “I’m going to spend today and the next two days working on a full game plan for this cafe. Name, branding, marketing. All of it. This is happening, and I am not going to make you regret believing in me.”
Carter smiles. “If you need anything from me, I’ll literally be in the room with you.”
I glance back at him. “I might have to work in the guest room. You being around is always a distraction.”
He smirks and winks. “Just be ready by 5:30 on Friday. The plan is dinner at this Italian place in Hell’s Kitchen, then we’re meeting Paul and Mel at a nearby gay bar to celebrate.”
“I thought we were going to Spiral, where Paul bartends?”
“Spiral’s a more chill vibe,” Carter says. “I’m looking for something with dance vibes. And FYI, the plan is to make out with you in public at the restaurant, so I really don’t care who sees me.”
I grin as we step into his building.
Carter throws a playful look at Henry, pats him on the back, and says something sarcastic to try to break the guy’s usual stone-cold demeanor.
Henry lets out a small sigh and the tiniest smile.
We head into the elevator, still smiling.
Before we walk into Carter’s apartment, he looks at me, a little sheepish. “I know it seems like I’m making this into a big deal, but…I kind of want it to feel like a party, and I want to be around people I love. ”
He pauses, then adds, “I already told Marcus, Becky, Josh, and Lisa to meet us after dinner. I was thinking maybe you could text Evan and Christina? They don’t live far. What, an hour and a half by train? They can sleep over in my guest rooms.”
I smile. “Of course! They’ll be down. They love to party.”
Carter grins. “Babe, this is exciting. You’re finally going to go out, party, and with no care in the world.”
“Let’s get fucked up,” I say, smirking.
Carter looks at me with that big, goofy smile and says, “Fuck, yeah. Ten drinks, let’s go!”
***
“Babe, normally I’m the one who takes forever,” Carter says, standing in the doorway of the guest room I’ve been working in. “But it’s 5:30 and it’s Friday. Remember, our date?”
“Hold on,” I say, still hunched over a folder on the coffee table. “I’m finishing the business plan for the cafe. I’m trying to streamline it and make it quick and efficient, but I also want it to be perfect.”
Carter crosses his arms and smirks. “I love that for you. Truly. But I told you to be completely ready by 5:30.”
I stand up, flash a smile, and gesture at myself. “I’m ready! Can’t you see this beautiful blue henley I’m wearing?”
Carter raises an eyebrow. “What else is new?”
“But don’t you like these skinny beige jeans? They make my ass look amazing.”
He grins. “They do. Now turn around. I wanna kiss it.”
