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“It’s probably because I’m always in such a rush when I’m in New York––my days are so crammed––but I never notice the stars,” I note. “Here, in LA, I do. I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad you’re home too,” she smiles up at me, her fingers walking about my abs.
My eyes travel the length of her bare legs before meeting her gaze. “You say that because I made you come three times,” I tease.
She swats my stomach. “Hey.”
I wink.
“I hope one day I’ll be able to visit New York,” she says, changing the subject. “I’ve never been.”
“Our little project is going to do so well, you won’t have a choice but to travel to New York to promote the hell out of the Fit Thonix line of products.”
Her eyes sparkle with wonder. “Oh, I love the way you think.”
“It’s in the cards, baby,” I say.
She smiles shyly before pulling her lower lip between her teeth. She does that when she teeters between belief and disbelief.
“Everywhere I turned, I could see dollar signs––so many possibilities. I predict, we’ll have a billboard in Times Square or outside Penn Station within a year.” Even though I was in New York for the business I share with Linc, our venture was always at the back of my mind.
“What?” she exclaims.
“Imagine how many eyeballs we’ll get from a day or two of promotion?”
“You’re crazy, Levi,” she scoffs. “It must cost a fortune to get a billboard ad anywhere in New York, let alone Times Square.”
“It does. It’s ridiculously expensive. I already checked. Within a year we’ll be able to afford it. If all goes better than planned, then we might actually cut that timeline in half.”
She sits up, angling her body so she’s staring straight at me. “You’re shitting me?”
I shake my head.
“In no time, we assembled a dream team––you, Alice, Collin, Shane, Shane’s venture capitalist former consultant, Dominika, and yours truly. Everything is falling into place. There’s nothing stopping us from dreaming big, Jules. Really big.”
Her long, dark eyelashes blink a mile a minute, her mouth gaping open.
“It’s a lot to take in?” I ask.
“I was thrilled by the prospect of getting into the black and not having to dodge creditors all the time. What you’re talking about isn’t even on my radar.” For a few beats, it seems like she’s having a conversation with herself. “But now, it is. New York City, hear me roar!” She lifts her hand into a raised fist over her head.
“You’re stepping into your boss lady role,” I tease.
“I am and I like it,” she says.
“You’re sexy when you’re bossy.” A hint of red touches her cheeks. “I didn’t know boss ladies blushed.”
“Well, this one does,” she says, squirming in her seat.
“I got some good news on the ride back from the airport,” I announce.
“Do tell.”
“The leasing agent called. One of the warehouses we visited last week in Culver City has free space. It’s the one that has a glass door and a large glass paneled window that looks like it’s a garage––”
“Oh, the light gray building with the window decorated with funky wrought iron bars?” I nod. “That building is perfect!” she exclaims. “What a treat to have an office space in a safer neighborhood. I won’t have to look over my shoulder anymore when I leave the office.”
That’s one of the reasons I was so eager for us to get started with the search. Jules’s current office isn’t located in the most crime-infested neighborhood in Los Angeles, but lately it’s been going downhill. I know Jules has been taking defense classes for a year now and she carries a can of mace anytime she leaves the office at night. That said, it’s not enough to deter an asshole looking to do her harm.
