“Yeah, I did.And some of these videos are already making money!Griffin!This is insane to me.I’m technically making money from talking about books!What is this life?”
The excitement in her voice is contagious.I’m grinning like a fool as I pour Juan’s addictive homemade Italian dressing on the salad.
“I love this, Case.You’re killing it.Keep it up.”
“I plan to.I wonder how much money I could make from something like this.I don’t expect it to amount to that much, but I could buy a coffee right now!Several coffees, actually.And that’s better than zero coffees.”
“So what’s the goal, a thousand coffees?”
“Yeah.A thousand fancy coffees, let’s say.If I could make that from my videos…wow.I might not need another job in corporate America.Which reminds me—I have news.”
“Yeah?Good or bad?”I stab into a cherry tomato and pop it in my mouth.
“Somewhere in the middle, actually.I mean, technically good?I got a callback from one of the Chicago companies I interviewed with.They want to see me for a second interview.”
I blink a few times, letting the news settle in.“Hey.That’s awesome.”
“Yeah.”She doesn’t sound excited.Not like she did when she was talking about her TikTok account.“We’re trying to set something up now.”
“Why do you say that’s both good and bad news?”
“Well…I guess I just…don’t want to go back to the nine-to-five grind,” she admits with a laugh.She pauses, and it’s the perfect moment for me to add more.To tell her that maybe she could stay in Bayshore, be closer to me, see where this thing between us goes.
But I say nothing.Because I can’t go there.I already know what’s at the end of that road.Disappointment.Heartbreak.Loss.
“It’s cool you’ve made the first cut, though,” I finally say before grabbing the trays from the microwave.I take a quick taste of the Tuscan salmon.I sigh with pleasure—Juan isgood.
“Everything good over there?”
“Super good.It’s Juan’s lunch for today.I wish you were here to try it.”
“Man, you hockey players are living the dream.Private chefs, downtown condos, free ice baths…”
“With 4:30 wake-up calls and zero time for family eight months of the year,” I finish for her.
“Yeah, there’s that too,” she concedes.
“I got some good news though this morning,” I tell her, tamping down my excitement.“Dex gave me the green light to return to the ice for next season.If they renew me, that is.”
Casey gasps.“Griff!That’s incredible!”
“Yeah.”I try some more salad.“Mmm.There’s pine nuts in this salad.”
“Oooh, pine nuts?What else?”
I push the leaves around.“Cranberries.Feta.Carrot.Dang, Juan is a salad beast.”
“Well, thanks for calling to let me know how good your salad is,” she teases.
“Anytime,” I laugh.“Hey, you’re working tonight, right?”
“Sure am.Book Rec Bartender at your service.”
“All right.”I stab another cherry tomato, feeling my heart swell.“I’ll pick you up.”
I can hear the smile in her voice as she says, “I’ll be waiting for you.”
Pushing through the doors of Brews on the Bay is practically a ritual by late July.I’ve done this so many times, the place feels like a second home.Immediately the hooting begins.
