There are a lot of empty spaces inside, and I’ll need to get either pictures or décor—or both—to complete the look. It’s more money out of my pocket, but I’d rather put it toward making this place cozy and feeling like a place that would have saved me during all those late nights studying and needing a change of scenery than risk losing the business altogether.
Which reminds me, I haven’t gotten those invoices to Max. I groan. It needs to go on my list for today.
“Which one of these names do you think would be good?” I ask Sarah, who has come in for the first time in a couple of days. I didn’t really need her again before now, but I’m grateful for her flexibility.
“Harbor Grounds, Driftwood Coffee, Second Tide Coffee. Oh, I like the last one,” she says. Then, “If you want, I can come up with some logo ideas for designing things. It would be something super fun.”
I smile. “That would be amazing. I’m not the best at logo designs. Or any designs, for that matter.”
Sarah laughs. “That’s okay. You’re a lot better at running a business than I am.”
I let out a little laugh. “That’s questionable these days.”
“I haven’t seen Lila in here in a while. Is everything okay?” Sarah asks.
“Yeah, she’s just sick of doing all the things down here. She was excited when we first opened the shop, but now it’s lost the newness. I think she’s finally found a new friend, though, which makes me happy because she needs one.”
“Absolutely. Having a good friend is one of those things that can make some of the harder experiences in life bearable.”
“Who’s your best friend?” I ask her.
“Randi, but she had to move away. We keep in contact, andwe have a lot of great memories together. Once a year we try to plan a trip somewhere, but, because of lack of funds, she’s had to come here a few times.”
“I totally get that,” I say. “It’s one of those things where you just try to make the best of the situation.”
“What about you?” Sarah asks. “Do you have a friend you can lean on?”
I hesitate, trying to come up with a good answer to this.
“I was in a career that pitted most women against each other. And before then, I mostly grew up in a neighborhood where there were a lot of little kids, or ones that were graduating high school, so I never really felt like I had a close friend near me. My sister is the closest thing, but she’s eight years older than me.”
“That’s so sad,” Sarah says. “I know you’re my boss and all, but if you ever need anything, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to chat with, you know you can come to me.”
“Thank you, Sarah. That means a lot.”
While it might sound like a typical thing to say, I believe it with my soul. It’s not often that I’m lucky enough to have people in my corner outside of my family. I’ve always kind of felt like I was going up against the world, hoping it would all work out.
“And if it means anything to you, I think you should go out with Mr. Max.” She lets out a little giggle, and I roll my eyes.
Maybe I’ve been spending way too much time with Lila, because I feel like I’m taking over all of her mannerisms.
“He’s a nice guy,” I find myself saying, and several memories fly through my brain that verify it. Then a sliver of doubt creeps in. Despite holding my hand and asking for my phone number, would he want me for longer than a few dates? “I worry that once he finishes this project, he’ll go back to New York and move on with his life.”
The sharpness of the admission hits me in the chest, making it difficult to breathe.
Sarah gives me a brief grin. “I take it you have thought about him in that way.”
Her comment causes me to take a step back.
“Maybe. I come with a lot of baggage I haven’t worked through quite yet.”
“I get that, but sometimes we have to give people a chance. We never know the final answer if we don’t ask the question.”
She leans in to give me a hug. It gets me choked up, and I pull her a little closer before taking a step back. I swipe at a tear in my eyes and smile at her.
“Sorry about that,” I say.
“What do you mean? Everyone needs a little help and comfort and support now and then. I’m totally here for you.”
