“I took it.”Jenset down her palette knife and wiped her hands on a rag. “Iwas watching you both from the barn door, and” – she gestured vaguely at the canvas– “well, you looked like that.”
“Looked like what?”
“Like you were in your own little world.Likenobody else existed.”Shestudied my face carefully. “Itwas too good not to capture.”
“But why did you post it without asking me?”
Jen had the grace to look sheepish now. “Iprobably should have asked first.Butit was just sitting in my camera roll, and whenIsaw how well your honey tasting videos were doing,Ithought … well, people clearly respond to seeing the two of you together.”
“You mean they respond to thinking wearetogether.”
“Are you?”Thequestion was gentle; curious rather than prying.
“No,”Isaid insistently; definitively. “Evenif the internet thinks we are.Orshould be.”
Seemingly accepting my answer,Jenpicked up a brush and dipped it, adding a careful stroke of green along the edge, whereIknew from memory the greenery of the nearby border was in frame. “Forwhat it’s worth,” she said, “Ithink they’re seeing something real.”
“I bet you do,”Isaid, not about to argue with her, but also not admitting anything.
“At least you’re getting on, whatever that looks like,”Jensaid, as she added to the flowers in the foreground. “Therewas a moment there whenIwasn’t sure it would work out based on how antagonistic things were.Shetold me about theRenFaire, you know.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that wasn’t my finest moment.”
“Nor hers, from the sound of it.”
A weak smile tugged at my lips.Eventhen,Teddyhad been so intense.
Jen bringing that up brought to mind the other reasonTeddyhad been antagonistic whenI’dstarted.
“Well, you know,Idon’t think theRenFairewas the only reason she was less than enthusiastic.”
Jen straightened, meeting my gaze, her shoulders sinking. “Yeah, she didn’t love thatI’dhired someone.”
Sure,Jenwas my boss, but she struck me as the sort of woman who appreciated candour.Andafter sharing the photo,Idecided she owed me enough thatIcould push further thanIotherwise might.
“AmIright in thinking that you hiring me is why you can’t hireTeddy?”
She tapped the end of her paintbrush against the table, pursing her lips in thought. “Inan immediate sense?Yes.”
I sucked in a tight breath– part of me had hoped it wasn’t true. “Animmediate sense?”Itried to suppress the hope that there was a big ol’ caveat coming.
Jen put the brush down now, crossing her arms. “Imight have been able to hireTeddy, but we need to be growing the business for me to keep her on.Itgets more expensive every year to be a farmer, andIdidn’t want to hire her only to have to drop the sponsorship in a year or two when things get tight.Iwanted to flesh out our profit margins a bit more before bringing her on.Icouldn’t do that to her, giving her what she wants only to take it away again.”
I slowly let out the breathI’dbeen holding whilst she explained.Itwasn’t quite the caveatI’dbeen looking for, but it was good news. “Whichis why you hired me.”
Jen nodded. “Whywe’re working with the council, and whyIhired you, yes.Becauseif we can grow the business, especially in a way that scales better than our mead production,Ican hireTeddymore confidently.”
My exhale turned into a full-on sigh of relief. “DoesTeddyknow all this?”
“She knows enough,”Jensaid noncommittally, “though, ifI’mbeing honest with you,Ithink she’s avoiding the issue.Shehasn’t asked me outright, andIdon’t want to bring it up untilIknow better whether things will pan out.”
“WhetherI’llsucceed, you mean.”
Jen nodded, andIfelt myself gulp.Nopressure.
“But,Chloe,” she added, “Ihave every faith in you.Andyou’re not doing it alone.Youknow that, right?”
I nodded, andImeant it–Ididn’t feel alone.Yes, there was a lot of pressure on whatIwas doing, but for the first time in my life,Ifelt confident thatIwas moving in the right direction.Anda lot of that was down to how willinglyJenandMaggieand evenTeddyhad jumped in; how enthusiastic they’d been about everythingI’dput in place.They’ddone the hard work building something amazing here, so if they thoughtIwas doing the right thing, it was easier to believe thatIprobably was.
