“That should give you and your coalition plenty of time toprepare.”
I bite down on my frustration. He’s controlling the timeline, holding the cards close to his chest—and he knows it. But I’m not about to give him the satisfaction of rattling me.
“Fine,” I say, keeping my tone light. “We’ll see you next Wednesday at one. Bloom and Brew cafe.”
There’s a short pause, like he’s considering his next move. “I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to hearing your spirited opinions.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“Until then, Ms Ng.” His voice dips slightly on my name, just enough to send an unwanted ripple through me.
The line clicks off, and I lower the phone, breathing through the rush of adrenaline that leaves me slightly unsteady.
That was not how I expected this conversation to go.
The date is set. Time to make sure we’re ready for whatever slick corporate spin he tries to throw at us. My hands feel shaky as I place the phone back on the counter.
“Wednesday,” I mutter to myself, tapping my fingers on the counter. “Bring your best suit, Mr Ashcroft. This isn’t going to be a friendly coffee chat.”
In the back room, my mum hums softly again, snapping a stem and tucking it into an arrangement. I walk over, past the rows of neatly trimmed roses and tulips, and watch her work for a moment. She glances up with a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“You’re thinking too much,” she says.
“How can you tell?”
“Because you always get that little line between your eyebrows when you do.”
She studies me for a moment, her gaze soft but searching,then asks, “Was that the developers on the phone?”
I hesitate just a second too long, but nod. “Yeah. I managed to organize a meeting. Next Wednesday.”
Her smile falters, and she presses a flower into the arrangement. “Oh,” she says quietly. “That’s… soon, then.”
I can hear the worry in her voice, see it in the way her fingers still against the petals. It twists something deep inside me. She shouldn’t have to worry about fighting to keep her own shop standing.
I reach over, squeezing her hand. “Mum, I’ve got this under control,” I say firmly. “I promise.”
She nods, but the tension in her shoulders doesn’t ease. She tries to hide it, to be strong, but I see the worry in her eyes, the way her fingers hesitate over the flowers she’s arranging and that’s what hurts the most.
I’ve been handling things like this for as long as I can remember. Translating letters, filling out forms, making calls, because English wasn’t my parents’ first language. Even as a kid, I was the one making sure nothing slipped through the cracks, the one standing between them and the bureaucratic mess that always seemed stacked against us.
I’ll do it again.
If saving Bloom and Brew means stepping into the lion’s den, I will.
2
Ben
“You’re telling me you can’t manage a cafe owner?”
I lean back in my chair, arms crossed, watching as James pinches the bridge of his nose like he’s seconds from losing his shit. James lets out a short, sarcastic laugh, shaking his head. “Plus she’s a florist, Ben. Don’t forget that.”
James exhales sharply, rolling his neck like he’s trying to shake off the irritation. He’s been with me since the beginning, back when we were just two broke apprentices in steel-toed boots, laying bricks for someone else’s paycheck. We worked on other people’s projects, building houses we could never afford, until I decided I was done lining their pockets.
I took the risk, left the security of working for someone else and threw everything I had into my first deal. James didn’t hesitate. He was there, just like always, backing me up even when it made no sense. And when it paid off, when the business grew and I needed someone I could trust at my side, there was never a question. It was always James and yet, here he is, looking like a florist has just wrecked his entire week.
“She’s persistent. Every time I think I’ve handled it shecomes back with something new, an environmental assessment, now a bloody business coalition.”
