Page 65 of Neap & Spring

“We got this. Okay? We present a united front. We show them we have a plan. We buy ourselves more time.”

“And if they don’t buy it?”

I don’t have an answer for that.

He doesn’t wait for one. He just disappears toward the back hallway where his apartment is.

I grab the presentation files and run to the office. I hit print on the ancient printer that takes thirty seconds to warm up and makes sounds like it’s dying.

Come on, come on, come on.

The pages start feeding through. I grab them as they print, still warm, and shove them into a folder.

When I get back to my table, Callum is there. He’s changed into clean whites, fixed his hair, and looks almost put-together except for the barely concealed panic in his eyes.

“They’re here,” Frannie announces, suddenly appearing at our table. “Three guys in suits just pulled up.”

My hands go to the papers before my brain catches up, straightening something that’s already straight. “Okay.” I cue the laptop to the right slide. “Okay. We can do this.”

Callum is gripping the edge of the table. “Vivi —”

“Smile. Look confident. Let me do most of the talking unless they ask you direct questions.” I’m running on pure adrenaline and caffeine now. “And whatever happens, don’t let them see you sweat.”

The front door opens.

And three men in expensive suits walk in.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Vivienne

Brad Henderson looks exactly like he sounds on the phone. He’s in his mid-forties and is aggressively fit. He’s sporting the kind of tan that comes from weekend golf trips and multiple tropical vacations a year. His suit probably costs more than I make in a month, and he’s got that finance energy that sets my nerves on edge. Too much confidence. Too little empathy. And a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

Frannie beams and steps forward to welcome them to the restaurant, but Brad walks straight past without a single glance in her direction, like the hostess stand is just an obstacle.

“Vivienne!” He strides toward our table, hand extended. “Great to finally meet in person.”

I stand and shake his hand. His grip is firm almost to the point of aggressive. “Brad. Good to see you.”

“And Chef Reid.” Brad turns to Callum, sizing him up in that way men do. It’s quick and competitive. Brad’s eyes snag on his tattoos and mustache before slowly meeting Callum’s gaze. “Brad Henderson. Long time no see.”

Callum shakes his hand, his expression carefully neutral. “Welcome back to Neap & Spring.”

“Jim Kozlowski.” The second man steps forward. He’s older than Brad, maybe mid-sixties, with graying hair and wire-rimmed glasses. There’s something very calculating about him. He shakes both our hands mechanically. “Good to see you again, Chef.”

“And I’m Cameron.” The third guy is much younger. Late twenties, maybe thirty, with styled hair and a suit that’s trying just a little too hard to fit in with the older men. He’s got an iPad tucked under one arm and the eager energy of someone who hasn’t been crushed by corporate life yet. “We’ve never met. I’m newer to the team but super excited to see what you’ve been working on.”

At least one of them seems human.

“Should we sit?” I gesture to the table where I’ve arranged everything. My laptop is open with the presentation queued up. The printed financials are in neat folders.

We all sit. Callum and I on one side and the three investors across from us. It feels like a negotiation.

Or an interrogation.

Frannie appears almost immediately, three menus in hand and that bright smile she gives everyone. “Hi! Welcome! Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?”

“Just water for now,” Brad says dismissively, barely glancing at her.