Page 152 of Just for the Plot

“Huh, I never looked at it that way.”

“And that’s why I’m here,” he says with a very cocky but cute attitude.

“I do like the whole aesthetic of the fancy tires. I think it could bring a vintage retro vibe that I’m going for, but then again, could I still achieve the same vibe if I went with the regular tires?”

“Depends on what the rest of the setup is going to be. What’s the look you’re going for?”

“Well, I was thinking about getting the truck wrapped in a vintage teal, even though I thought it would be pink. I think the teal would be more eye-catching with the rest of the look. And then I would have touches of mustard yellow and pink.”

“Nice. I like that. What’s it going to be called?”

“Umm, I was sort of thinking about calling it The Whimsy Wagon.”

“The Whimsy Wagon,” he says, testing it out. “Shit, sweetheart, that’s cute.”

“You think so?”

“Hell yeah.”

“I have a logo. Do you want to see it?”

“You do?” His eyes light up. “Fuck yeah, let’s see it.” I grab my computer and pull up the logo I had made a couple of months ago. It’s the first time I’m showing anyone, and frankly, I couldn’t care less if Cougar likes it, because I like it.

I turn the computer toward him and watch his smile grow as he reads the tagline out loud. “Whimsy, spice, naughty, and nice.” He nods. “That’s solid.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah, that shit is good.”

Would prefer for him not to call it shit, but I get it.

“Thank you.”

“And sure, the retro tires would look good with the logo, but you can get away without that shit. Maybe add something to the logo so it’s not just words.”

“I thought about that, but I couldn’t come up with a good mascot, if you will.”

“Sweetheart, it’s right under your nose.”

“What? A book?”

He shakes his head. “The wagon. Once you pick out the one you want, use The Whimsy Wagon as the mascot. That shit will sell.”

Dear God in heaven, he’s right.

Something I’d never expect to say about Cougar.

But there he is, a marketing genius.

“And the merch could be so cute.”

“The cutest.” He winks and then sips his coffee.

Huh, he has been surprisingly helpful.

Bower:Did you really send me cupcakes?

Bennett:Yeah, I don’t want you forgetting about me.