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Christopher nodded and walked out.
I dropped into my office chair and rested my head in my hands. I’d spent the weekend relaxing when I should have been focused on the store and the grand opening.
When the business was successful, I could take breaks. My stomach tightened painfully. I’d come here to create a new life for Cammie. But to be more present in her life, I needed to make sure her future was secure. That started and ended with the success of this coffee shop that I’d sunk my savings into.
I couldn’t afford to be distracted by my childhood crush. I might have lusted after Brooke as a teenager, but things were different. I had Cammie to worry about.
Lifting my head, I knew I had to pull myself together because Gia from Happily Ever Afters would arrive soon to discuss the grand opening.
I researched repairmen in the area for the coffee machine. There weren’t many, and the one I found couldn’t come until the next day. It would have to do.
Christopher leaned on the door jamb. “Ben, Miss Giovanni is here to see you.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “You can bring her back.”
Christopher returned to the front to get Gia, and I could hear them talking as they walked down the hall toward my office. “Is that Giovanni name related to the pizza parlor, Giovanni’s?”
“That’s my family’s place.”
I hadn’t realized it was her family who ran Giovanni’s. It was the most popular pizza place in town, which was saying something since there were about eight others.
When Christopher walked in behind Gia, I said, “You can stay.”
I stood up and shook Gia’s hand before motioning for her to take a seat on the couch. “Thank you so much for coming in today. I could really use your help.”
I knew nothing about throwing a party to draw in customers, so I was relieved to have someone to lean on. It was even better that she had a business background with her family’s pizza shop.
Gia removed a file from her bag and sat next to Christopher. “That’s what I’m here for. What are your goals with the grand opening?”
“I want to make people aware that we’re opening the store, give people an opportunity to sample the coffee, and get a feel for the place.”
Gia nodded. “The opening really sets the tone for your store. You’re inviting your customers to get to know you and your brand.”
“My brand is selling quality coffee beans. I’d love to draw people away from their convenient K-cups to consider grinding their own, whether I do it here for them or they buy a coffee grinder for their home. They’ll get one taste of a perfectly roasted coffee and never brew one of those one-cup things again.” I was a bit of a coffee snob, and I was ready for the quick brew trend to be done.
“A quality cup of coffee, one you can brew at home with the right equipment,” Gia observed, taking notes.
“That’s right.” I still offered popular lattes and Frappuccinos, but I wanted to be known for serving quality beans.
She looked up at me and smiled. “I can work with that.”
She finished writing and had me walk her through the photographs on the wall and the antique grinder I’d borrowed from my grandfather. “I think your customers would love to hear your backstory, so feel free to tell them where you got your passion for beans from.”
“You think they’ll be interested in it?” I wasn’t sure I could be as sociable as Brooke, but I could talk about my love for beans and my affection for my grandfather.
“They’ll love it.” Gia was so confident that I made a mental note to bring it up at the grand opening as much as possible.
“I don’t want to make any promises, but I can submit your history to the paper and have my photographer, Abby, take some pictures. There’s no guarantee they’ll publish the story, but—”
“Do we need a photographer?” I knew the store needed attention, but I wasn’t prepared for my face to be shown outside the store.
Gia tapped her pen against her chin. “A new coffee shop is a big deal in a small town, and we want to capitalize on every avenue of exposure we can.”
“Whatever you think will help.” I felt a little out of my element, but that was why I’d hired her. To fill in the spaces that I couldn’t.
Gia resumed her seat at one of the tables and said, “Let’s talk about the party. I was thinking you could serve samples of some of your best coffee beans. Train your employees on the origin and flavor so they can tell your guests, maybe even have a little card with the highlights for your customers. Feel free to tell them you grew up here and why you came back to town.”
“Isn’t that too personal?” Speaking about my inspiration for the store was one thing, but my daughter felt like too much.
