“That’s the great thing about the gaming industry. I’m not chained to the office. We have a lot of people working remotely. I’ll simply be more remote than most.”
“You’re going to juggle your company and your grandmother’s? Are you crazy?”
He explained how with the time difference between California and Texas, he could knock out Ginny’s business first thing in the morning. When his office opened in LA, he’d have some juggling to do, but after five Texas time, he’d have a couple hours with the Big Stake Games office still open.
“I hope it goes that way for you, pal,” Ty said.
“Sounds like you’ve thought this through, and it should be simple,” Cooper said, rubbing his knuckles along his jaw line. “But that would make me nervous because it’s usually the simple things that catch us.”
“Especially when women are involved, and the wedding industry is full of ’em,” AJ added.
“Apparently you weren’t listening when I said I’m the behind the scenes man. I won’t be dealing with brides, mothers of the brides, or bridesmaids.” As long as Ginny’s assistant proved capable. “Speaking of the business, how’s McKenna doing handling tonight, AJ?”
“McKenna gets things done,” AJ said. “Grace and I told her what we wanted, picked out the food, and she took it from there. All we had to do was show up. She’s definitely a type A personality.”
“Good. That’s exactly who I need so I can steer clear of receptions and clients,” Zane said.
“What did McKenna say when she found out you were taking over?” Ty asked.
“She doesn’t know yet.”
“Why not?”
“I only got here a day before Ginny’s surgery. I couldn’t get her to change her mind about putting me in charge until we were on the way to the hospital. Then with her being in the hospital for a couple days, and this party, I figured it best to save the news for the office on Tuesday.”
“Boy is your first day going to be rocky.”
“I don’t see why,” Zane said.
Ty clapped him on the shoulder. “You say that now but working with a strong-willed woman when it’s just the two of you is different than managing geeky gamers.”
Cooper nodded. “I found that out when I hired Cheyenne.”
His friends had lost their minds if they thought he couldn’t manage one woman. Supervising staff was the same no matter what the company, and he appreciated strong, driven employees, female or male. “If she does her job, we won’t have a problem. You can’t think I’ll have trouble dealing with a woman?”
AJ tilted his head toward the bar across the room. “See that woman coming out of the back toting a bucket of ice?”
When Zane turned, a tall woman dressed in a full denim skirt stopping at her cowboy boots, a long-sleeved white blouse with a red bandana and a baggy denim vest stalked toward the bar. He cringed. His grandma showed more skin than this woman.
Between the way she dressed, her no-nonsense stride, and wearing her mousy brown hair in a tight spinster bun, she looked like she’d stepped out ofLittle House on the Prairie. The woman had no fun written all over her. “That’s McKenna?”
Ty nodded. “You still want to stick with the you-won’t-have-trouble-with-her answer?”
“Absolutely. She’s a woman, and I haven’t met one I can’t charm with a little sweet talk and a smile.”
His friends glanced back and forth between each other, shaking their heads, grinning and looking at him like he was too dumb to know what day it was.
“You want to put money on it? Say ten bucks, because I say you’re wrong,” AJ said.
Zane chuckled. “You’re on.”
“What’s the specific criteria? How do we judge being able to ‘charm her’ or ‘not having trouble’ with her?” Cooper asked, his brows furrowed in thought.
“Ask her for a date? If she says yes, you win. If she turns you down, we do,” AJ said.
“No way.” Zane shook his head. Dates indicated a man was interested in a woman romantically. Afterward came expectations of a call and a second date, neither of which would happen. “Asking her out would give the wrong impression.”
“Ask her to dance,” Cooper suggested.
