small service that we’re providing and consider what we could do on a larger scale.”
I nodded, humbled by the suggestion. “You could be onto something. Do you have any ideas?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really a twenty something female. I just feel like we’re looking at the problem from the wrong angle. You’re the one who came up with this concept, and I think if you can get past the panic and forget about what PinDeelz is doing, you can take us to the next level. Put them in the rearview.”
“Thanks, Sid. I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Sure. Let me know if I can help.”
“Of course.” I leaned back into my chair. “How is Cady?”
“Good. We’re good.” His cheeks reddened.
I fought a smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
He unfolded himself from the chair quickly. “I’m taking off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I waved him off and got lost in thought. I doodled on my notepad until the loss of revenue I’d tallied a few minutes earlier was surrounded with an ornate design. Maybe Sid was right. Why couldn’t the answers be easier to find? Every major decision I’d made lately seemed to be reactionary. What happened to the time when we were driven by ideas, not survival? We’d secured the finances from Blake to grow and carry on, but if I didn’t figure my way through this, his investment would dwindle quickly. I cringed at the thought of failing him. He’d opened so many doors for me, and all for what?
I was about to give up when a thought occurred to me. I shuffled through my desk drawer until I found a card. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and dialed the number on it.
* * *
We stepped into the cool air of Abe and Louie’s, the heavy door closing out the light that flowed in with our entrance. My arm hooked around Blake’s. The steak house’s maître d’ disappeared to prepare our table, and Blake turned me, pinning me to his chest. My breath hitched at the sudden contact, our closeness in plain view of anyone nearby.
“Bring back anything?”
I smiled as the memory of our first chance meeting came back to me. Even then, he’d taken my breath away.
“A few. I was ready to haul you into a coat closet and kiss that smirk off your face.”
He hummed, tracing my lower lip. The hunger in his eyes had my heart beating against my chest. “Not too late for that.”
“True. But I don’t want to get kicked out before Marie gets here.”
“You think they’ll kick us out for this?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. He cupped a hand at my nape and planted a chaste kiss on my lips. The other slid around my waist to hold me as he dipped me back. I smiled under the soft press of his kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“You’re quite the romantic these days, aren’t you?”
He grinned and pulled me up, not loosening his hold around me.
“Still celebrating, I take it?”
My loving gaze shifted toward the door, the voice there reminding me that we were far from alone. Marie walked closer, a dark-haired man behind her. Curiosity, pride, and love shone from her eyes, and the look hit my heart. Blake loosened his hold so I could go to her. She pulled me into a warm hug. `
She whispered in my ear. “Congrats, baby girl.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped back and looked up to the man who was at her side now. He was tall, nearly six-feet, with short black hair and olive skin. His dark eyes captivated me for a moment.
“Erica, I’m Richard Craven. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
He captured his hand in mine as I reached out.
“Likewise. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Tall, dark, and unwilling to commit. I looked between him and Marie. Marie, the woman who could be my mother but always seemed to strike me as too youthful and vibrant for her age,
I nodded, humbled by the suggestion. “You could be onto something. Do you have any ideas?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really a twenty something female. I just feel like we’re looking at the problem from the wrong angle. You’re the one who came up with this concept, and I think if you can get past the panic and forget about what PinDeelz is doing, you can take us to the next level. Put them in the rearview.”
“Thanks, Sid. I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Sure. Let me know if I can help.”
“Of course.” I leaned back into my chair. “How is Cady?”
“Good. We’re good.” His cheeks reddened.
I fought a smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”
He unfolded himself from the chair quickly. “I’m taking off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I waved him off and got lost in thought. I doodled on my notepad until the loss of revenue I’d tallied a few minutes earlier was surrounded with an ornate design. Maybe Sid was right. Why couldn’t the answers be easier to find? Every major decision I’d made lately seemed to be reactionary. What happened to the time when we were driven by ideas, not survival? We’d secured the finances from Blake to grow and carry on, but if I didn’t figure my way through this, his investment would dwindle quickly. I cringed at the thought of failing him. He’d opened so many doors for me, and all for what?
I was about to give up when a thought occurred to me. I shuffled through my desk drawer until I found a card. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and dialed the number on it.
* * *
We stepped into the cool air of Abe and Louie’s, the heavy door closing out the light that flowed in with our entrance. My arm hooked around Blake’s. The steak house’s maître d’ disappeared to prepare our table, and Blake turned me, pinning me to his chest. My breath hitched at the sudden contact, our closeness in plain view of anyone nearby.
“Bring back anything?”
I smiled as the memory of our first chance meeting came back to me. Even then, he’d taken my breath away.
“A few. I was ready to haul you into a coat closet and kiss that smirk off your face.”
He hummed, tracing my lower lip. The hunger in his eyes had my heart beating against my chest. “Not too late for that.”
“True. But I don’t want to get kicked out before Marie gets here.”
“You think they’ll kick us out for this?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. He cupped a hand at my nape and planted a chaste kiss on my lips. The other slid around my waist to hold me as he dipped me back. I smiled under the soft press of his kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“You’re quite the romantic these days, aren’t you?”
He grinned and pulled me up, not loosening his hold around me.
“Still celebrating, I take it?”
My loving gaze shifted toward the door, the voice there reminding me that we were far from alone. Marie walked closer, a dark-haired man behind her. Curiosity, pride, and love shone from her eyes, and the look hit my heart. Blake loosened his hold so I could go to her. She pulled me into a warm hug. `
She whispered in my ear. “Congrats, baby girl.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped back and looked up to the man who was at her side now. He was tall, nearly six-feet, with short black hair and olive skin. His dark eyes captivated me for a moment.
“Erica, I’m Richard Craven. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
He captured his hand in mine as I reached out.
“Likewise. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Tall, dark, and unwilling to commit. I looked between him and Marie. Marie, the woman who could be my mother but always seemed to strike me as too youthful and vibrant for her age,
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