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“Not really. Listen, I’d get it if I was the only one invested in the business but Cosima is my partner, and she doesn’t want to have to go back to California. She shouldn’t have to pay for my mistake. I know it’s hard to look past me. I have been given every privilege that a woman can have, and yet I still made a mistake.”
He did look over at her. The other woman whose name he’d forgotten had certainly eyed Angelica with disdain. Angelica herself was clearly upset by her behavior and the aftermath of it. He saw a woman who needed a second chance. Maybe that’s the miracle she’d spoken of.
“If we invested in the art center I’d have to be hands-on until I was sure of you,” he said.
“How hands-on?”
He arched both eyebrows at her. She really wasn’t in a position to make demands and she knew it. Still she impressed him with her persistence.
“Just that I don’t know how you’d be at working with creative types. They need space and can be challenging.”
“I think CEOs fall into that category too,” he admitted. “Would Cosima be teaching about the wine industry?”
“She would and my brother Jock is willing to do a chef basics course once a week. Which is a practical skill that many could use to go work in the hospitality industry.”
He liked her idea, yet wasn’t as sure of her and he wanted to be. “Send me your proposal and I’ll get back to you.”
“When would you like it?”
“Soon.”
*
Angelica didn’t push,she’d gotten a better reception than expected. Max was called away and she went to find Cosima. They met in a large room where there was another gorgeously decorated tree and a buffet off to the side. There was a bar and a deejay playing popular music mixed with Christmas songs.
“Where’d you disappear to?” Cosima asked. “Reg likes the sound of our project.”
“Does he? That’s great. Max does too,” she said. “I told him we didn’t really know Logan and then Roxanne told him that I was a bully and other things.”
Strangely, looking back on the encounter, Angelica thought that Roxanne Powell’s attack on her had made Max listen to what she had to say.
“Ugh. That sounds awful. She’s so small-minded.”
“I’d like to think she’s doing what she thinks is best for Whiskey River,” Angelica said. But she wasn’t one hundred percent sure of that. “Anyway, Max asked me what happened and what we wanted to do in The Barrels. I gave him the short version and then really leaned into what we saw the arts and crafts center functioning as. I mentioned Cressida and Jock and talked about that graffiti we saw the other day. He did say he’d have to be hands-on if he agreed. I guess to make sure I don’t go full-on Regina George on anyone,” she said mentioning theMean Girlscharacter that had been associated with Angelica once the video had gone viral.
“Reg said the same thing. He actually recognized you and knew we didn’t know Logan. Mainly because Logan texted him before he came over to our group and said he’d wished he could come or had been able to send someone to represent him,” Cosima said. “I was like mea culpa. But we sort of know him.”
Angelica had to laugh at the way Cosima said it. Her cousin had a breezy way of talking that made even bad news more palatable.
“He was cool with it. I told him we knew that we had a hurdle to overcome and face-to-face was the only way to do it.”
“Wedon’t have hurdles.Ido.”
“Stop it. We’re in this together. We always have been. If not for your idea that I open a wine bar in your already successful shop I’d still be in the vineyard tasting room,” Cosima said.
She hugged her cousin just because it was nice not to feel alone. “So we have to make a kick-ass proposal to wow them. Should I get Nico to do it?”
“Hell, yeah,” Cosima said.
“No, you shouldn’t,” Max said coming up from behind.
She tipped her head to the side. “You’re eavesdropping.”
“I told you I was aggressive. Nico is great at doing proposals and if you want him to put together your numbers that’s fine but the passion has to come from the two of you,” he said. “Reg and I have some extra seats at our table for dinner if you want to join us. I assume you don’t have a table.”
“You assume right,” Cosima said.
“Thank you.”
