Chapter 4

chapter

four

Summer

After our conversation with Carter and Cooper, my sister Harmony and I hastily pack up our booth and leave the expo, unloading a trail of free boozy treats in our wake.

We hit the Gold Hill shopping mall, where we try on outfits we can't afford but might be suitable for dinner.

I'm so tired of wearing my skimpy bottle girl outfit that I'm fine with going into debt for some comfort and coverage.

"I would have been fine with a tee shirt and leggings," Harmony says, frowning at the casual dresses and pantsuits I load her up with as we head to the dressing room.

"Dress for the money you want, not the money you have," I chirp.

"I don't think that's how the saying goes," she says.

For dinner with our potential investors, I choose a flowing maxi dress with smocking across the bodice. I twirl in the mirror, admiring how that detail gives good coverage, yet makes my tits look fantastic.

Harmony sidles up next to me in the outfit she picked—an oversized color block tunic and black palazzo pants.

She sees the aghast look on my face.

"What?"

"It's a business meeting, not a funeral," I remind her.

"Exactly. Who wears a strapless maxi dress to a business meeting?"

I could argue that plenty of people would…with a blazer. But I have no leg to stand on because there's no way I'm wearing a blazer over this amazing dress.

"You don't have to dress hoochie, but you could try something that doesn't make you disappear into the scenery?"

Harmony looks down at her too-big outfit. "It's comfortable."

I have to tread carefully here. I like to show off my figure but my sister does not. I'm the girl at the club who smiles, looks pretty, and upsells high-rolling clients. And Harmony is a teacher's aide with a scarred heart.

"You don't have to show your skin. But you could, at some point, try on something that actually fits you," I say gently. "Would you like me to pick something?"

Her face is resolute. "It doesn't matter."

Judging by the look she gives me, she won't budge and I'm dangerously close to pushing her too far. Pushing her as far as I did today was already a big step. I'm going to have to let it go.

"Okay. You're right," I say. "This isn't the club. If these guys don't want to invest in Little Spoon because of what we're wearing, then we don't want to be in business with those kinds of people anyway."

Besides, I wouldn't want to partner with the wealthy or faux-wealthy clientele I serve at the nightclub. Too handsy.

Harmony's tight-lipped smile is all I'm going to get.

The drive to the twins' home takes us through a woodsy neighborhood dotted with one inconspicuous, gated lane after another. I'm worried I'll miss the address and get lost, but then I spot a gilded gate bordering on kitsch, and I know we've arrived.

I laugh in delight as Harmony clicks her tongue.

"Rather gauche, isn't it?" my sister comments.

It takes me a couple of tries to input the gate code correctly. The longer it takes me, the more I can sense my sister tensing up. I know her vibe without even looking.

"I don't think I've ever had to enter a code to get to someone's house. It's so pretentious," Harmony says as I lean out the driver-side window, trying not to wrinkle the expensive sundress I bought on credit, which I fully intend to return tomorrow if this deal doesn't go through. It takes two or three tries, but the gate finally swings open. I cheer.

"What's pretentious about it?" I ask. "The family has a lot of assets to protect."

I grunt as I get myself situated behind the wheel once again.

"And they wouldn't want to live like normal people and do something for the greater good with all that money."

I squawk as I watching the gate swing open. "Do you hear yourself? They're trying to help entrepreneurs start small businesses."

Harmony sighs. "That's what I love about you. Always believe the best about people."

The last leg of our journey takes us up a winding tree-lined path. The house is not yet visible, but the grounds are beautiful. A strange thought floats into my mind about what this place would look like at Christmastime. This slope would make for some kickass snow sledding. Kids would have a blast exploring the terrain, making forts, and playing in creeks.

Not that I'm thinking about moving in and having babies with anyone. Not in the least. And not anytime soon. Just thinking hypothetically, Carter and I would make adorable babies. I'm not giving it any real deep consideration but with my hair and his eyes? I'm just saying. Adorable.

What Harmony just said finally hits home.

"You're right. I always think the best of people until they prove otherwise. And I think the MacKenzie twins are good people."

"They invited us to their house after knowing us for five minutes," Harmony says. "You don't think that's a little unusual?"

"I'll admit that was surprising. But very generous. We didn't meet them at the club, Harmony."

I steer the car around a hairpin curve and wonder how much longer until we see the house. Five more minutes and Harmony is going to call this whole thing off. I can feel it.

"For someone who works the VIP room at a nightclub you are oddly optimistic about human nature," she says.

Where is this dang house?

"Carter hates crowds. You heard him say it; he likes kitchen table conversations much better."

Harmony snorts. "Yeah, I can see why that worked on you."

My defensive reply is thankfully cut off when we angle around the next turn. Both of us gasp at the sight.

"Holy shit," I say. "Look at this place!"

The stone structure rises three stories tall, dwarfing the century-old oaks and pines dotting the manicured landscape. Roman columns rise along the front face of the house, where an expansive front patio boasts expert whimsical topiaries and a cherub fountain. At the fountain's base, a manmade water feature flows into a moat that spans the side of the house. It's Las Vegas, but in the woods.

"Is this real?" I laugh. "Am I on drugs?"

"Turn the car around," Harmony says. "We are not having dinner at the Playboy Mansion today."

Snorting, I reply, "What do you know about the Playboy Mansion?"

"Anybody with a cherub fountain and a fucking moat definitely has a grotto. And I don't know what happens in the grotto but I know it isn't good. People with grottos also wear smoking jackets, sleep in a waterbed, and install mirrors on their bedroom ceilings."

I shift the car into the park and stare at my sister, who is close to hyperventilating.

"First of all, quit making up stories. Second, you do realize that these guys inherited their money from their eccentric aunt, don't you? The house was most likely the way the old lady decorated it. You can't fault the guys for this. Anyway, it would be rude to turn back now after we already accepted their invitation to dinner," I say.

"I don't see how an inheritance is supposed to make me give someone the benefit of the doubt. My experience with trust fund guys tells me it's an enormous red flag."

Oh boy, she's spiraling. "Nobody said you had to date them," I remind my sister gently. "We're here for business."

"You used your feminine wiles on them. Also you joked about dating them, but now I'm wondering if that's the actual motive. I saw the way you and Connor were looking at each other."

"Carter," I remind her of his name. "And my motivation is to make our dreams come true. The last partner we had lined up backed out. We need a partner with deep pockets to co-sign if we want a bank loan. Please don't judge these guys because of their aunt's cheesy house."

Harmony lets out a long sigh. "I'm trying not to put politeness ahead of my gut feelings…but you are right about the house. Maybe it's not their taste."

I reach over and pat her hand. "I'm sure they've removed all the mirrors from the bedroom ceiling."

Harmony blows out a breath and nods her head. "You're right."

"And I'll be right next to you the whole time. You think I'd let a manwhore have his way with you when I'm right there?"

"I guess not."

"Right. So can you unclench now?"

I look at her hand, where she's white-knuckling her seat belt.

"K," she says.

"Sounds like my shy little sister is a little sex obsessed, though," I tease.

"Shut up."

"Just saying, you want to talk about furtive looks? Cooper would not say no if you jumped his bones."

"Summer!"

I smile to myself as we head inside.

The door opens as we climb the broad front steps. Both Carter and Cooper are there. I don't know why I'm surprised they answered the door themselves. I guess I was expecting a butler. I decide it's good that they don't have a huge staff doing things for them. The money hasn't gone to their heads.

"You look different," Carter says.

I smile at him. "Different in a good way or a bad way? I can't tell by your face."

"Good. Definitely good. Better than before. Not that you looked bad before, but …"

"I know what you meant," I say, reaching out and squeezing his forearm.

Cooper leads the group through the foyer into another room with cozy but expensive sofas and a fireplace. The art on the wall speaks to an enviable private collection. But I don't know much about art. And is this a sitting room? A waiting area? A library? A fully stocked bar and a credenza with a dozen crystal cocktail glasses sit off to the side.

"What do you ladies like to drink?" Cooper asks.

I eye the various bottles and request a gin and tonic with a twist. Harmony tenses up beside me, and Cooper clocks it. "You can help yourself to whatever you like," he says to her.

She and I exchange a look, and her shoulders relax a little. She doesn't trust men to pour drinks for her.

"I appreciate that," she says.

We chat quietly while we make our drinks.

"I'm not ready for this," Harmony says. "I'm going to mess this up."

I glance backward at the twins. They speak close together, but nothing about their body language gives me red flags.

"I can read people pretty well, and you'd have to do something totally out of pocket to make this deal fall through, Harmony."

"I don't trust myself around him," she says. "He's too cute, and I'm all mixed up inside."

"So, you are attracted to him!" I whisper.

Her shoulders lift to her ears. "Half of me wants to touch his stomach and the other half wants to fight him. Something is wrong with me!"

I think I know what she means. She's nervous. She doesn't enjoy small talk, and it's been two years since she felt comfortable around any man. Also, she's probably hangry.

"No talking until you've had something to eat," I tell her.

The boys lead us through the main hallway into the kitchen, where the food has been prepped.

While the sitting room was dark and moody, the kitchen was bright and cheerful, with splashes of color from the art on the walls, potted plants, and sumptuous fabrics. The moat and the fountain outside might be cheesy and over the top, but this kitchen is sexy.

The kitchen opens onto a huge backyard patio with an outdoor kitchen, barbecue, and a brick firepit. A flagstone path leads toward the lake, bordered by an infinity pool with a waterslide, waterfall, and a jacuzzi.

"Shoot, I should have brought my swimsuit," I say as the men lead us into the covered kitchen area. "This is gorgeous, isn't it, Harmony?"

My sister cannot resist drooling over the pool. Ever since we were kids, she's always wanted a swimming pool in the backyard.

"It's nice," she says tightly.

Trying to break the ice, I add, "This looks a lot like the one you pinned on your vision board."

"Vision board, huh?" Cooper says, beaming at Harmony. "Interesting."

Harmony thinks he's poking fun, but I don't think he is. I think Cooper is genuinely interested in what she has to say.

"I went to college on a swim team scholarship," she says, opening up more than I thought she would.

"Cool! You'll have to come over and show me how to do the breaststroke."

Harmony blushes, and I'm sure she's reading the whole situation wrong again. Well, she knows what's at stake and she's a grown adult. If she doesn't want to be engaging or entertaining, that's fine. I can handle the sales pitch on my own.

Cooper and Carter prepare a meal fit for royalty: fresh salmon on the grill, asparagus, and fruit cut into a dazzling array of pretty shapes.

Harmony and Cooper wander off to the pool area with their after-dinner drinks to talk about swimming while Carter and I walk down a winding path to a bench overlooking a koi pond.

"Dinner was delicious. You and your brother make an excellent team."

"Thanks."

"Harmony and I would return the favor, but I'm afraid we only know how to make dessert."

Carter blinks at me. "You don't make the yogurt yourself, though, do you?"

I tell him everything we plan to do for the shop. We have suppliers bringing in raw materials from small family farms in the area, and at least half of our toppings are custom. We bake fruit crumbles and pies with made-from-scratch crusts. We jar our own syrups, compotes, and jams. Cookie pieces and dough come from our own recipes.

"Why put all that work in when you could just order all that?" Carter asks.

"So we can charge more," I say with a wink.

He laughs.

I add, "But seriously. Would you rather eat homemade pie made with love, or something shipped frozen, made in an anonymous factory?"

"You have a point. So…what's your business plan?"

Without Harmony here, I have do a lot of digging to remember facts and figures. But fortunately, I brought documentation in my handbag. I always keep a folder with our business plan with me — for opportunities just like this and as a constant reminder that I don't have room in my life for anything that stands in the way of my dreams.

Carter takes the folder I give him and reads over the business plan for Little Spoon. The next ten minutes while he reads is the longest ten minutes of my life.

"You're quiet," I say.

"That's because I'm nervous," he replies.

"I don't know why you're nervous. I'm the one whose entire future hinges on tonight."

He looks up from the folder. "Your entire future?"

"Kind of. If we fail at this, I'll have to find a new career quick. I'm almost too old for bottle service."

His brow furrows. "Bottle service?"

"Yeah. You know that spangled outfit we both were wearing earlier today?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, it's not like I thought of that myself. That's the kind of thing we have to wear at the nightclub."

"Nightclub?"

Is he going to keep repeating the last word I say to buy himself time?

I tell him where I work and what I do.

Then, Carter goes quiet for a long time.

Finally, he speaks up.

"No."

"No, what?"

"No, you're not going back to being a bottle girl." He clutches the folder in his hand and shakes it for emphasis. "We are making this happen. This is gonna be the best damn frozen yogurt place that ever was."

"Let's not go crazy, friend," I laugh.

"I don't really care what Cooper says. If he decides to pass on it, I'm going in myself. I want this for you. And I want in."

I think he's getting a little too excited. "You do realize in that agreement that you'll be a silent partner."

"Fine. I looked into it, and Gold Hill doesn't have any place like this, so we can make it work. We just need the right marketing plan…"

Gold Hill?

"I don't know. I'd have to talk it over with Harmony if we're going to reconsider the location."

"Of course. But Cooper and I talked about it and we're all in."

Does the location matter that much if we have the right partners?

No…no, I don't think it does.

What happens next is an impulsive response to utmost excitement. I'm too affectionate, too excitable.

I reach out and kiss Carter on the lips.

It's a quick, friendly little peck. But it's nice. And I'd really like another one.

"Sorry," I say, catching my breath and laughing. He lets out a nervous chuckle. "I got too excited and when I get excited, I give hugs."

"And kisses?" Carter says.

"Apparently," I chuckle.

"Cool."

Just when I think he's the bees knees, everything goes unexpectedly south.