Page 185 of The Temporary Fiancée
When Shane arrivesat our daily meeting, he comes bearing a Styrofoam tray full of coffee. He sets it down in the center of the table, offering me a cup.
“A pour over with no cream, no sugar, extra hot, as requested,” he says.
“Thanks.” I give him a nod and reach for my cup.
After the past couple weeks of working together, we’ve memorized each other’s coffee orders. There are no interns or assistants at our fledgling company to handle the coffee runs, so we’ve taken it on ourselves. Shane likes a vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso, I’ve found.
So sweet,I told him sardonically when I learned this fact.Just like you.Which earned me an eye roll and a sharp elbow jab to the side, as if we were thirteen again.
Ever since we started this venture, and each day since, we’ve gotten along great. I feel more like his brother, and less like his coworker.
Part of it, I think, is that we’ve gotten away from the toxicity of Eastwood and our upbringings. I confronted my father a week and a half ago. Told him what a fucking asshole he was for whathe did to Olivia, and haven’t spoken to him since. As far as I can tell, that tie is permanently broken.
I couldn’t be more relieved. It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
“Don’t burn yourself on that,” Shane says, nodding at my coffee cup. “It’s hotter than the surface of the sun.”
I grin. “Better brush your teeth once you finish yours, or you’re gonna get cavities.”
“Oh, shut up.” Shane takes a nonchalant sip of his sugary latte. His voice is quiet and monotone, as always, the words more dry than caustic. “You’re just jealous that mine actually tastes good.”
“So I’ve been going over our projections,” I say, turning my laptop to face him. “It seems like our first step is to get some investors. We should start pulling strings. I’ve made a list here of all of the people we can reach out to who might help us. Take a look.”
Shane reaches across the table to take the laptop, studying the screen with a focused expression. Then he looks up at me and nods. “Looks good. I have a couple to add.”
“Great. If you don’t mind expanding the list, I’m going to look into some marketing options.”
“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think?”
I shrug. “Better early than late. Why not get a jump on it? We’re going to need a robust website, and I’d rather have it ready now than scramble for it later.”
Shane gives me a dubious look. “You know, Reed, I can handle a little more of the workload today.”
“You can?”
“Yeah. Let me handle marketers.” He raises an eyebrow. “I know you have something important to do today.”
I take a deep breath, nodding. He’s right. I do.
“If you’re sure,” I say, getting up from the table slowly.
“I’m sure.” Shane leans in to scrutinize the list on the laptop screen more closely. “Just leave this with me. I’ll bring it by your place tomorrow, if that works.”
“That works.” I tap the table, suddenly excited, and shoot him a grin. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
He waves a dismissive hand. “No, you don’t. You’d do the same for me.”
I pick up my phone off the table and head out of our rented conference room, feeling suddenly lighter than I did when I arrived. Meetings with Shane always seem to go that way lately.
On the drive home, from the backseat of the SUV, I put in a call to Olivia. The phone rings only twice before she picks up.
“Hi,” she says breathlessly. “You’re calling early.”
“Yeah, we didn’t have that much to do today,” I say. “What time are you gonna be home?”
“I’m still out at the shop,” she says. She’s been working hard to get the knitting store I bought for her up and running, putting in plenty of late nights. I’m so proud of her, and so excited for her. Soon, even more people will be able to have her custom knitwear. She’s been selling online, but the brick and mortar location is going to really drum up business.
“No worries,” I tell her. “Take your time. Do what you have to do.”
