AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So notyou?” That made her nervous. Who would be the keeper of the culture?
“I’ll be around, but I do have other businesses to look after.” He held up a hand. “Doesn’t mean I don’t have a very vested interest.”
“Understood.” She nodded and pressed on, tiptoeing the line between remaining his friend and protecting her legacy and reputation. “You seem to have a portfolio of many different businesses. Are any of them coffee shops?”
“No. That would be a conflict of interest. But I plan to just lift your system and apply it to the new store, which I imagine to be very similar to this one.”
Part of her relaxed, hearing that last section. “Really?”
“With an added edge for the uptown clientele, of course.” He added a knowing smile.
“Right.” She hesitated. “What kind of edge?”
“Well, your blackboard menu for example. Very raw. Very hip. It works for Chelsea, but it doesn’t have that uptown sophistication that Joe Trustfund on his way to the brokerage is looking for. Thereby, I’d want a more permanent menu.”
“But that’s part of the charm. There’s nothing truly sophisticated about Bordeauxnuts.”
“Yet.” He waved her off. “But we’re getting caught up in the details. All of that can be hashed out later.” He tented his hands. “I want to be in the Bordeauxnuts business. That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. You have a reputation in New York, and we can blow that up and make a lot of money together.” He slid the envelope her way. “I think my offer reflects that.” He must have seen the hesitation come over her face. “Listen, we both win. And the world gets the best damn coffee, wine, and doughnuts ever made. Do you trust me?”
“Not really,” Jamie said. “I don’t know you that well.”
“I’m an open book. Google me. Stalk me. Fuck, ask around until you’re comfortable with the kind of businessman I am. I’m up for it.” He tapped the envelope. “Look these over, show ’em to your lawyer, and get me an answer within thirty days. That’s how long my offer is good for.” He stood. “Can I get one of those blueberry lattes iced?”
“Um, sure. Leo, can we get an iced blueberry?”
“You got it,” Leo called.
“I really like the cinnamon doughnuts, too. Can we toss in a bag for the ride uptown?”
“A bag of cinnamon, Leo. Anything else?” She passed him a smile, actually counting the moments until he was gone. She found Michael to be stressful and a tad annoying. Their energies didn’t match. At the same time, he was her only option at the moment, and she couldn’t discard that important little detail.
“Nah, that’ll do it. Thanks, Lyle,” he said, swinging by the bar. Leo didn’t correct him, but it was another careless misstep to add to the unlikable column.
She wasn’t sure what to do about that. She needed Michael almost as much as he needed her, and if it went well, who knew what one store could lead to? Expansion had always been her dream, which meant she had to examine this thing from every angle, even though the gnawing in her stomach told her this was all wrong, wrong, wrong.
“Interesting guy,” Leo said, coming around the counter. “He was here for maybe eight minutes. What the hell?”
“I thought we’d have more of a chance to feel each other out.”
“Guys like that don’t do touchy-feely. Always late for someonemore important.” He touched his temple. “Keep that in mind. He’s never gonna hold your hand.”
“Which is exactly the vibe I don’t want my business to come with. We’re personal and fun and warm. We value people and good conversation over a glass of wine.”
He held up his hands as if to say don’t shoot the messenger, which of course, she shouldn’t.
Jamie spent the next ten minutes stress scrubbing her countertops until a ping on her phone snagged her attention. Jessica Lennox had invited her to The Lennox Group’s office for a committee meeting for the charity event that night. She checked her watch. If she did a quick wine inventory and got her order in for next week, she could sneak out early and might be able to swing it. Monique had hot yoga that night and would be unavailable. Why not? She needed a worthy project, and this one fit the bill.
* * *
It was already early evening and Leighton hadn’t come up for air since lunch. In fact, she hadn’t even had one, working right through the break, lost in a report. She sat back in her soft black leather desk chair and exhaled slowly. She’d noticed herself spending more and more time at the office, most notably on the partnership portion of her job as the new Community Outreach Director. She valued her work but no longer wanted it to be her sole focus, and lately, it had been. She also valued her big-picture career and the journey she was taking with Carrington’s, a company she’d truly come to care about under Courtney’s leadership. However, she didn’t want to wake up fifty years from now and look back on a lifetime of memories spent in front of a laptop or in a business meeting on her fourth cup of stale black coffee from the break room. She longed for a family, Christmas traditions, and lingering kisses before she left for work. Those were the things that mattered most in life, and though she casually dated, it was becoming more and more clear that she wasn’t finding what she was looking for, and she had to ask herselfwhy.
So, instead of calling up a friend, or using her dating apps to find a potential dinner companion, she was off to the Hope and Help committee meeting, which—double sigh—honestly felt like an extension of herjob. Another meeting in a boardroom. Another agenda. Another set of tasks to complete. The cause was a good one, but she now had nagging regrets about agreeing to serve despite how wonderful an idea it seemed when Jessica had pitched her months ago. Time to pay the piper.
The Lennox Group was located in Midtown East, only two train stops from her own office in the heart of the city, which made getting to the office building easy enough. When she approached the bank of elevators in the lobby, she spotted a woman in jeans and cute slingbacks waiting there. She secretly checked out her ass because it was a thing to behold. Dark hair that fell in subtle layers, making the slight waves look shiny and full. What was it that she was just lecturing herself about an hour ago? Focus less on work and more on making those important connections. Well, here was someone smack in front of her that pulled her attention, and she didn’t plan to let the moment slip away.
“These things sure take their time, don’t they?” It wasn’t her best opener, but a decent jumping off point. The woman turned, lips blossoming into a radiant grin. Just when she was about to speak, their eyes locked.Jamie. Again.Twice in one week? It now made sense why she’d been so taken. Dammit all. Leighton let her head fall to the side. “I swear I didn’t know it was you. Nor am I stalking you.”
Jamie nodded. She’d yet to speak, but the radiant grin had dimmed its wattage. To her credit, she’d been nice enough not to drop it entirely. “These things do take a while.” She turned back around and resumed waiting.Okay, then. Leighton took the cue and waited silently as well. When the elevator arrived, they stepped inside, just the two of them. Jamie selected the twelfth floor and turned to Leighton, expectant.
