7. Chapter Seven

There was a soft knock on my office door followed by my business partner, Saoirse, strolling in. Her gaze dropped to my lap, and she pursed her lips, unimpressed.

"You stole my cat."

I stroked Clementine's back and grinned. There was no denying the big ball of orange fluff parked in my lap. "Is it stealing when your cat walked into my office, climbed onto my lap, and fell asleep? I didn't choose this life, this life chose me."

Saoirse perched her ass in the chair in front of my desk, all attitude. "I know about the treats you keep in your drawer. This is bribery."

"You don't have to bring your cat to work, you know. Most cats stay home and nap all day."

"You try leaving her when she's pouting. Not possible." She jutted her chin. "But…I guess you can keep her in here for a while longer, if you really want."

I leaned forward, instantly on alert, which Clementine did not like. She let me know by digging her claws into my thigh and meowing like I was murdering her instead of slightly shifting her.

"What do you need me to do for you?" I asked.

Saoirse's mouth formed an O. "I don't know what you mean."

"You would never voluntarily give me your cat. Tell me what you want in exchange."

Saoirse had married my brother Weston's best friend Luca a couple years ago. Us going into business together had started with a casual conversation over drinks. Saoirse had needed funding, and I'd had it in spades. I'd needed a change and new direction, and Saoirse had provided that in our partnership. She'd always been good at helping people set up their businesses, and as it'd turned out, I had something of a knack for it too. Graphics and visual marketing were my main areas of expertise, but I did a lot of everything for my clients. It made the work interesting. No two days were the same.

"Okay, there might be one thing."

I cocked my head. "Give it to me. I'm ready."

"Clara sent me a lovely woman who wants to start a small catering business. We can help her, but I am stretched to the max and can't take her on as a client right now. I looked at your schedule, though, and you can for sure."

I picked up my pen, wobbling it between my fingers. "A catering business? Aren't there enough of those in Denver?"

"It's not quite catering, but I don't know what else to call it. You'll have to hear her explain it."

"So, it's a foregone conclusion I'll say yes, huh? Did you schedule her an appointment with me?"

She rubbed her lips together. "Even better. She's in my office. You can talk to her right now."

I groaned, further disturbing the princess napping on me. "You want me to walk in there blind?"

She dismissed my concern with a wave. "This is an informal meeting, so don't worry about it. Besides, I told her I'm springing her on you. She won't expect you to have a PowerPoint presentation prepared."

"Holy alliteration, Batman," I said, earning an eyeroll.

"If you're reducing me to a comic book character, I'd like to be Catwoman—the Michelle Pfeiffer version."

"Fine, Catwoman, come get your feline friend so I can meet this—what's her name? Or am I not allowed to have any information about her?"

Laughing, she scooped her cat off my lap and started for the door. "Her name is Daisy Dunham. Isn't that the cutest?"

Daisy? There was no way…

Denver was small, but not that small. The chances of this being the same Daisy I'd met at High Bar were low, but I found myself hurrying after Saoirse, brushing cat hair off my trousers as I went.

When Saoirse finally moved her big, blonde head out of my way as we entered her office, my suspicions were confirmed. Sitting there like a little ink splotch in Saoirse's pink haven was grouchy-mouthed Lydia-Daisy-Cupcake.

"Miles, come meet Daisy." Saoirse placed Clementine in her fluffy pink bed and stood behind her glass desk with a wide smile.

"Actually, I believe we've met before." I walked around the chairs in front of Saoirse's desk and propped my ass on the edge. Daisy raked her eyes up the length of me, the full-on frown on her face a sharp contrast to Saoirse's expression. It made me sort of giddy.

"Oh. I had no idea you were Saoirse's partner." The look she gave me was more than her previous wariness. It was almost…scathing. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea."

"You two know each other?" Saoirse asked. "How did you cross paths?"

"We don't know each other," Daisy rushed. "We've only met briefly, when Miles was at the bar where I work."

Saoirse's gaze narrowed on me. "You were at a bar?"

"Working," I clarified. "I filled in for Nick for two nights, that's all."

Granted, a recovering alcoholic spending any time in a bar wasn't the wisest decision, and Saoirse's icy glare was all I needed to know about her opinion on the matter. I'd certainly be hearing words about it later.

Saoirse recovered quickly, plastering on her professional smile. "What a coincidence." Then she snapped her fingers. "You have to be the baker of the cupcakes Miles keeps whining about."

I scowled at her. The betrayal in this room ran deep. "I didn't whine." I turned back to Daisy. "I didn't whine. I might have mentioned I was jonesing for one, but there was no whining."

Daisy looked down, and I followed her gaze to the canvas tote at her feet. "Well…" her eyes flicked back to mine, "I may have brought some samples."

I sank into the chair beside her. "For me?"

"They were for Saoirse, but if she wants to share, she can."

"Nah, Sersh doesn't like sugar. You can give them to me."

Saoirse scoffed. "That's a bald-faced lie. Excuse Miles, he gets feral in the face of sweets, and I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I've heard about your cupcakes multiple times over the last week."

This was making me sound really fucking uncool. Like I had nothing going for me besides this woman's cupcakes—nothing else to think or talk about.

"I mentioned them once. Possibly twice. But that's not why Daisy is here, is it?" I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "You're thinking of starting a business?"

She shifted in her seat. If I'd been a more sensitive fellow, I would have said she was putting distance between us. Since I was aware I smelled good and looked decent, I couldn't think of a reason she would want to get away from me.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time, but that's all it's been—thoughts. Then I met Clara and Shira, and they encouraged me to make an appointment with Saoirse, so here I am. I guess…I want to start a business."

I cocked my head. "You guess?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I exhaled, tapping my index fingers together. I did not like her ho-hum attitude, mostly because I recognized it from myself. I knew what a recipe for disaster not being one-hundred percent committed to my goals was. I couldn't allow Daisy to follow that same path. Even more, I would not go down that path with her.

"Let me be frank, Daisy-daze. If you're all in, I will go balls to the wall with you. I'll work tirelessly to make a plan and bring it to fruition. But you need to be all in or it's not going to work. Saoirse and I can attest, running your own business isn't for the faint of heart. I tried to half-ass it for the first year and ended up with a partner who wanted to murder me. You don't have a partner, so it's going to all be on your shoulders. This is where you have to decide: are you in or out?"

Saoirse wound around her desk, perching on the edge I'd vacated. "Daisy's here because she wants this, right?"

Daisy nodded, though there was nothing in her expression or body language I could interpret as hungry.

Saoirse went on, using a much softer approach. "I understand what it's like to shift from having this ephemeral idea you've tossed around and around your head for a long time to making it real. It involves changing your entire mindset. Why don't you and Miles sit down, really lay out what you want to do, then decide if you are ready."

Daisy glanced at me then back to Saoirse. "I'm sorry, I just assumed I'd be working with you."

"I would take you on in a heartbeat if I could move anything around, but I can't at the moment." Saoirse nodded toward me. "Miles and I are a team, and I know he'll do right by you. Wait until he designs a logo for you and tell me you have doubts. You won't, I promise."

"What do you say, Daisy? Want to bring your cupcakes to my office and have a chat?"

Her big brown eyes slid to mine, eyebrows disappearing beneath her bangs. Her jaw was as rigid as her spine. I thought she was going to turn me down, but she nodded once.

"All right. We can talk." Leaning down, she pulled a pink box from her bag and handed it to Saoirse. "These are for you. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Of course. Anything for Clara and Shira."

Saoirse gave Daisy a hug on her way out, which was really fucking cute since Saoirse was a foot taller and had to bend in half. When Saoirse let Daisy go, her cheeks were red. Even cuter.

"Come on, Daisy-daze. We have plans to make."

And cupcakes to eat.