Page 116 of Never To Be Mine

“My place?” he asked hopefully, a smile on his face.

I grinned. “I’d like that.”

“One more question?”

“Yes?”

“Does your dad know about us?”

“I don’t know. Yes. Maybe. Not officially.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Yes?”

Kari popped her head in. “I’m sorry, but your dad wants you both back in there. He’s very excited. You know how he gets.”

“Of course,” I said.

“Oh, and he wants me to get the champagne ordered,” Kari added with a big grin.

I laughed. “Of course.”

“Got a craving for anything special?” Kari asked. “Bossman wants a real party.”

“Not burgers,” Hollis blurted out. “Healthy. Veggie platters.”

Kari and I both laughed.

“I’ll figure it out,” Kari said. “And I’ll ban all cameras.”

“Except mine,” Toby said quickly.

Hollis, Toby, and I followed Kari back to the conference room, my mind already shifting into work mode. The personal stuff would have to wait. Right now, we had a deal to finalize.

My father was already on his laptop when we walked in, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “I’ve got our legal team drafting the partnership agreement,” he said without looking up. “They’ll have something ready for review within the hour.”

“That fast?” Hollis asked.

“When opportunity knocks, you don’t make it wait.” Dad finally looked up, his eyes bright with the kind of energy I hadn’t seen in months. “Kari, get me the production team on the phone. We need to start running numbers on scaling capacity.”

Kari nodded and disappeared, already pulling out her phone.

The next two hours were a blur of phone calls, emails, and spreadsheets. Our production manager joined us via video call to discuss manufacturing timelines. The legal team sent over draft contracts that my father and Hollis pored over, marking changes and negotiating terms. I coordinated with our marketing department, already thinking about how we’d position this launch.

Toby set up in the corner, filming everything. For once, I didn’t mind the camera. This was the kind of content that would show people what really happened. Not the controversy but the solution.

Kari returned with enough food to feed an army. Veggie platters, hummus, fresh fruit, grain bowls, and yes, even some of Hollis’s smoothies. Champagne was served as well. She’d outdone herself.

“Figured we’d be here a while,” she said, setting everything out on the side table. “Might as well not starve.”

I grabbed a plate and loaded it up, realizing I hadn’t eaten anything substantial all day. Hollis appeared at my elbow, reaching for the same serving spoon.

“Sorry,” he murmured, pulling back.

“It’s fine.” I handed him the spoon, our fingers brushing. The contact sent a jolt through me that I tried to ignore. “Get some food. You look like you haven’t eaten either.”

We ate standing up, plates balanced in one hand while we continued to work. My father was on his third call with Curly’s corporate team, hammering out distribution logistics. I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice, the way he always sounded when a deal was coming together.