Page 84 of Never To Be Mine

“This is a big moment for the partnership.”

“Do you think it’ll drive sales?” He leaned back in his chair, giving me his full attention, genuinely interested in my professional opinion, not just making small talk. I liked these conversations with my father. It gave me a chance to prove my business skills.

I considered the question carefully, running through all the data points I’d gathered over the past few weeks. “Yes. I do. Hollis has built a substantial following online. His engagement rates are impressive. People actually interact with his content, not just scroll past it. He doesn’t even have to pay for ads. He just has to post and he gets a ton of reposts and comments. And now with Jack Montana attached, I know it’s going to perform well.”

“Good.” Dad nodded, satisfied. “And what about Hollis himself? Does he have your stamp of approval to continue working with Young at Heart?”

The question should have been simple. A straightforward yes or no based on business metrics and professional assessment. But my mind immediately went to Hollis on his knees with his magic tongue. And the way he could make me laugh even when I was trying to stay mad at him.

Was I basing my decision on personal feelings?

I took a breath and forced myself to think objectively. Strip away the attraction, the incredible sex, the way my heart did that stupid flutter thing when he texted me. What was left?

A good businessman who’d built something from nothing. A quality product that actually delivered on its promises. Decent brand recognition with room to grow. A work ethic that matched my own. Someone who genuinely cared about helping people, not just making money.

He was perfect in more ways than one.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “He has my approval. His business model is sound, his product is legitimate, and I think he has the drive to see this through. He’s got a lot more ideas. He’s a good fit for us. Once he gets this product launched, he can expand. That’s what we would be helping with.”

Dad smiled, that proud expression that still made me feel like I was ten years old showing him a perfect report card. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I’ve been thinking. Once this shake business is on track and running smoothly, Hollis might be able to help me on another project I’ve been considering.”

Before I could ask what project, my phone lit up with a notification. My heart jumped.

“It’s live,” I said, already pulling up Instagram.

Dad wheeled his chair around his desk so he could see my screen. We both leaned in, watching the video load.

The screen filled with Jack Montana’s face, all chiseled features and movie-star charisma. The production quality was incredible. Micah had outdone himself. The lighting made Jack look even more godlike than usual, if that was possible. He delivered his lines with perfect timing, took a drink of B Well Balance, and sold the hell out of it.

The B Well logo faded in, clean and professional, with a link to the B Well online store.

“Damn,” I whispered. “That’s good.”

“Very good,” Dad agreed. “Professional. Polished. That’s exactly the kind of content we want associated with our brand.”

“I can’t begin to imagine what that would have cost if we had to pay for that commercial.”

Dad chuckled. “It pays to have friends in high places.”

“Brothers,” I corrected. “That’s the other thing about Hollis. He’s got an army of powerful, influential people standing behind him.”

I scrolled down to check the engagement. The video had been live for less than two minutes and already had thousands of views. Comments were flooding in.

“OMG JACK MONTANA”

“I’m buying this right now”

“Hollis Blackwell really got Jack Montana for a commercial??”

The views kept climbing as we watched. Five thousand. Ten thousand. The engagement was insane.

“This is going to be huge,” I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. “Look at these comments. People are already saying they’re buying it.”

“Let’s see if the numbers back that up,” Dad said, ever the pragmatist.

My phone buzzed with a text. I pulled it up, grinning when I saw Hollis’s name.

It was a screenshot of his website traffic chart.