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“Yes.” She grabbed Jamie’s hand and placed a kiss on the back. “Is there any chance she might be my future daughter-in-law? That could be fun. We could go to gardening shows. I have friends I could introduce her to.”
“No. Sorry. Not in the cards.”
“And why is that? You have a good give-and-take between the two of you. You smile so much more when she’s in the room.” Her mom tapped her temple. “I notice.”
“Because we’ve moved beyond that part of our relationship. There are some people you’re simply meant to be friends with. Plus, we have this past that I can’t just erase.”
“You’re holding a grudge.”
“I most certainly am not, or I wouldn’t have agreed to her investment. I wouldn’t spend so much time hanging out with her.” But underneath it all, she knew her mother was right. There was a grudge dangling between them, and Jamie was beginning to feel like it was time to let it go. Leighton had shown herself to be dependable and forthright. Now it was up to Jamie to take note and do the work.
“Who are you spending so much time hanging with?”
Oh damn. Jamie whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice. Leighton. Her cheeks flamed. “We were not talking about you. At all. Want a drink? You likely had a long day.”
“It’s not wine time yet,” her mother said, consulting her watch. Leighton was already kneeling down in her navy pants and pink top, making eyes at Pronto. They might have been a stock photo, she thought, staring at them. She could imagine the search terms now:beautiful business woman bonds with adorable pup.
“It is now,” Jamie said to an amused stare from Leighton. “You’re off early today.”
Leighton had developed a habit of swinging by after work most days of the week. The ones she skipped always left Jamie feeling a little adrift. It was nice having someone to bounce ideas off of, and generally just spend time with. She and Leighton had something unique. She could admit to that.
“I wrapped a project and decided not to leap into the next one until tomorrow. What are we drinking?”
“Yes, what?” her mother asked. “Leighton, you can sit with me if you’d like.”
“Best invitation I’ve had all day.” She looked over at Jamie. “But I don’t mind getting the drinks. Just tell me what you want and—”
She patted Leighton’s shoulder. “Nah. You just got here. Be right back with a couple of glasses of this new blend we just got. California.”
“Ooh la la,” her mother said. She was certainly enjoying herself more these days, and after the difficult time she’d been through with the loss of Jamie’s father, it was a relief to see a small bit of joy return.
Jamie moved inside, soaking up a bit of warmth, as she went about assembling their drinks and a couple of orders of warm doughnuts with extra seasoning and a chocolate dipping sauce she was trying out.
Since the opening of the second store, she’d gotten into a good rhythm with the two locations, spending the mornings in Chelsea and the afternoons and early evenings in Hell’s Kitchen. She had Leo and George managing each location respectively, overseeing the schedules and employees. She was finding that delegating more of those responsibilities freed her up to focus on big-picture issues and make sure her customers received extra attention. She worked the counter, moved through the dining areas, even played an occasional game or two of chess with the customers. She liked being as present as possible, getting to know her guests without being pressed to make up every order personally, like in the early days. Yes, the hours were long, but the reward was worth it. She loved her job, her brand, and everything that came with coffee and wine, even the occasional drunk person she had to call a cab for.
“You’re getting pretty good at this whole two-store tango,” Leighton said as Jamie slid an oversized oval wineglass in front of her. “You seem less stressed. Dare I say, serene?”
“Dare to. Because I am.” She sent Leighton a soft smile and received one back. Part of her serenity definitely had to do with the company. That part, she didn’t share. Leighton surely knew their friendship was becoming more and more important to Jamie. They spent tons of time together these days, sometimes under the pretext of going over numbers or buys for the store, but inevitably those meetings turned into dinners out or a movie at one of their places.
“You’re slumming tonight,” Jamie said, handing Leighton a large metal bowl full of popcorn popped in coconut oil, Jamie’s secret recipe.
“No, I’m not. This apartment is expensive. I used to work in corporate real estate, remember? I learned a lot about this neighborhood.”
“Did you pick a movie?”
“I can’t.”
Jamie grabbed two beers and headed over. “You must. It’s your turn, and I made you watch that cop movie you hated.”
Leighton slid her feet beneath her on Jamie’s couch, staring intently at the screen. “There are too many to choose from. I’m overwhelmed.”
“What does your heart tell you?” Jamie asked.
Leighton’s eyes went wide and she paused. “About what?”
“Just what kind of movie you’d like to watch.” She felt the smile fade from her face, understanding that there might have been something to that answer she didn’t want to dive into. Her stomach went tight and she moved right out of it. She had to quit doing that. She and Leighton needed to have the ever important talk and define what they were becoming. The only problem was, she tended to lose her courage whenever the moment presented itself.
“Oh. Something that doesn’t make me think. Let’s start there.”
