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"Cheyenne." Auden shook it and smiled. "I've been on the other end of your correspondence. You are extremely efficient. I like that."
"I know. Can I get you anything? We have water, juice, and coffee." She practically beamed at the praise.
Well, crap.Were they both going to be drooling this whole time?
"Whatever Grizzly's having," Auden said, glancing toward me with a grin.
I raised the juice bottle in my hand. “Good ol’ OJ.”
Auden's mouth curved. "Juice it is."
Moseley had appeared from the back hallway at some point, his attempt at being casual that wasn't entirely convincing. Standing near his desk with his hands in his pockets, he looked more like an eager puppy waiting for a treat.
Auden turned to him.
Moseley squeaked out, "Hi."
"Hi," Auden said. They looked at him for a long moment. "Moseley."
"Um, yeah. That’s me. I’m Moseley.”
"Yes, I know. We've exchanged several emails as well."
"Right." He nodded. "I knew that."
Auden looked at him for one more beat, the corner of their mouth tipping up before they returned their attention to me. "Ready when you are."
I glanced at Cheyenne, who was looking at the ceiling as she fought back a laugh. Clearly the exchange had amused her as well. At least she was no longer thirsting over my potential new business partner.
"Conference room is this way."
I’d chosen to go with something less formal for my meeting with Auden. They were younger, part of a generation whose attention spans were shorter than the ones before them. I also suspected they appreciated people not wasting their time.
Just a vibe I picked up.
So it made sense to assess them while explaining the company and what I was looking for. “You’re one of the people I’ve found to be the better fit. It’s tricky planning to bring someone into this space. I’ve done it alone for so long. Having to share the decision-making is a tough pill to swallow.”
Auden was good. Sharp on the contract side of things, which I had expected from their reputation, and good with things I hadn’t already learned about them. Their questions, the pace they moved at, the way they listened when I was talking rather than preparing their next point all made a big difference in my book. I’d been in enough rooms with people who were waiting to talk to spot impatience a mile away.
Moseley took notes on his laptop while Cheyenne manned the phone lines. I’d originally considered having her in here, but I knew Moseley would be too curious to actually pay attention tothe phones. If he wanted to know more about Auden, then I needed to give him a front row seat.
Surprisingly, Auden glanced at Moseley once, briefly, and then looked back at me. It appeared to be part acknowledgement, part curiosity.
We went back and forth talking about clients we had, projects we wanted to pursue, and how we thought we could blend the work. I was confident they were the one. My instinct said as much.
The only drawback was how much of a distraction they’d be for Moseley. He’d been looking at Auden for longer bursts, the notes on his laptop ignored. It was kind of adorable.
I had been that young once. I remembered what infatuation felt like.
We moved to lunch after my stomach let out an embarrassing growl. Auden had shaken their head, a grin in place like it was cute rather than unprofessional. I knew I’d turned beet red from the interaction.
“I’ve been feeling a bit peckish myself. Really, I should have mentioned something sooner. Let’s all grab a bite together. Maybe Cheyenne could come too?”
The four of us strode down to Bellport Eats, since Auden said they weren’t picky. It would be the best place to get a table quickly. Plus it would give them an idea of what Bellport was truly like—a midsize city that functioned more like a small town.
Multiple people greeted us along the way. Some by name, others with just a smile or hand in the air. Auden’s shoulders dropped with each step. Like they’d expected to find judgement or something and instead found acceptance.
The restaurant was busy as usual. We were pointed to a table in the middle of the chaos – perks of being a regular who tipped well. I looked to Auden to make sure they were fine with it. They shrugged indifferently.
