8. Connor
8
CONNOR
“S o the expansion is on track,” Dad says, looking at us all from where he sits at the head of the boardroom table. I tap a few buttons on my laptop, bringing up the numbers.
“We’re on budget. A little under, actually.” I review the figures carefully.
“I have most things secured for the interior. Once the build is complete this week, I can start,” Victoria, my dad’s fiancée and my soon-to-be new stepmom, says. My eyes flick to Dad quickly, and I see him looking at her with hearts in his eyes. He was alone for so long, I’m glad he finally found someone. The fact that she’s younger than me threw me for a little while, but seeing them so happy now makes me happy for them.
“How did it go at the Sunshine Space Wellness Clinic?” Lacy asks me, taking notes. She has a lot on her plate at the moment, probably shouldn’t even be here, given her mom is about to go in for a minor operation soon. But she had a great weekend in the city with Hudson, and I’m pretty sure the two of them are headed for the wedding chapel themselves one day. A perfect pair.
“Oh yes. Fiona goes to get her chakras cleansed there monthly. She swears by them. Mother-daughter duo who have been treating her for years apparently,” Victoria says, and I did wonder how they found the place, Victoria’s best friend from New York now the obvious connection.
“What the hell is a chakra?” Dad asks.
“Like, your aura…” Victoria says, and I frown, looking at Dad.
“What the hell is an aura?” I ask, getting confused with all this terminology. Daisy made it all make sense to me, giving me the information in business terms and not getting too woo-woo. Now all these words are flying around, and I feel like I need to read up on it all, be well versed. I look at my phone. It’s Monday morning, and I still haven’t heard from her. I’m not used to people not jumping at the chance to work with us. And while I did say I would give her the weekend, I thought she would’ve called before now. I run my hand over my beard, this unsettled feeling something new. I will give her until five before I call her.
“Kinda like your playboy, hot lumberjack vibes. It's the energy of a person,” Lacy says.
“You think I'm hot?” I tease her. We have a sibling-like relationship, more so than boss and employee, so she gets my humor.
“Shut up,” she says, throwing a pencil at me as Dad rubs his eyes, obviously frustrated.
“How was the sound massage and yoga flow?” Victoria teases, trying to hold in her laugh, and even Dad has a sly grin on his face now. Should’ve known he would know all about it.
“It was actually pretty good,” I say with a smile. The thought of the red-haired woman hasn’t been far from my mind for days. Lacy spits out her coffee.
“Shit, sorry, I think I burned my tongue,” she says quickly, mopping up the mess with a tissue as I throw the pencil back at her.
“It was relaxing. I don’t know… healing?” I ask myself, not sure that’s the answer I’m trying to convey. It certainly made an impact, and while I’ve learned a lot from college and years in the business, I lean on my gut instinct too, and my gut is telling me that Daisy is the perfect person to build our spa. “It got me thinking…”
“Go on,” Dad says, interested, knowing that I have some thoughts and everyone looks at me. I lean back in my chair, feeling relaxed. Offering her the job was one of the best things I’ve done. If only she would accept it already.
“Well, what if we made our spa here more than just a fancy spa? Maybe more like a wellness retreat?” I say. I’ve thought about it more and more since the weekend. It’s the perfect business move.
“It’s not really what we’re going for…” Dad says, frowning, thinking about it.
“I know, but a fancy spa isn’t really Whispers either. I think something more for well-being. Like sound healing and yoga could be good for our visitors and the locals.” As I look at everyone, they stare back at me like I’ve grown a second head.
“I could do with a bit of yoga and stress relief in my life,” Lacy mumbles, tapping her pen on the table.
“Exactly!” I say, and Dad rubs his chin in thought.
“Daisy, from Sunshine, told me that the vibrations of the sound massage promote stress relief and healing. I thought it might be good to also incorporate some tonics and teas. We might be able to find something complementary to Whiskey, which could be a good marketing tactic. I mean, I fell asleep during my treatment,” I say, shrugging.
“You fell asleep?” Victoria says, looking at me quickly.
“Yeah.” I nod, still not believing it myself. I’m always on. At the ready for anything. While Whispers is a small town and a little sleepy at times, that doesn’t mean the distillery sleeps. It never has and never will. Dad and I have big growth plans, and I’m going to make them happen.
“Wow… Connor Whiteman has a kryptonite, and it comes in the shape of a Daisy…” Lacy murmurs, and I ignore her, even though now all I can visualize is Daisy and her kissable lips.
“At Sunshine, they offer shiatsu, acupuncture, sound healing, and yoga. We could also have relaxation massages and body wraps, like we originally thought, and no doubt, they’ll be popular… but we should think about incorporating the two. Beauty and wellness together, so to speak. Daisy also said that there are less issues around stock and products, so it seems fiscally sound to go in that direction.”
“Daisy sounds like she knows what she’s talking about,” Dad says, and I almost hum in agreement. I thought he might appreciate it. He hates waste, likes to reclaim old timber and make furniture and things. He likes ensuring that everything old is new again. So the fact that some wellness treatments can produce less waste and consume less water makes it all sound really appealing from a business perspective.
“If they can make you fall asleep, I think it would work. You’re one of the busiest, least likely people to even go for a massage, let alone fall asleep during one,” Lacy says with a shrug.
“So do you think this Daisy might be interested in coming to Whispers? Maybe she can consult. Start the spa, hire the people?” Dad asks.
“I offered her a job already,” I tell the table, and they all look up at me, shocked.
“A job?” Dad asks, expression turning serious. His eyes burn into mine. He knows that I never make a business decision without running it past him. This is new ground for us.
“To come to Whispers to consult; my thoughts mirror your own. Help us bring the spa to life.”
My dad eyes me intensely, giving me a small nod, almost like he’s proud of me for taking the reins on it. He’s been doing that more and more lately. I’ve been ready to step up in the business, and he’s ready to step back a little more. The switch is happening organically, and we can both feel it.
“It isn’t a bad idea. There’s no one here in Whispers who has experience in this type of thing. We would’ve either needed to hire from the city or train local people, so it fits within our plans,” Victoria says, looking at me curiously.
“What about Williamstown?” Dad quizzes again, asking about out neighboring town and I frown.
“I want Daisy. She’s the best.”
“We’ll have to offer her a good fee. I mean, she’s used to city living, and she’s an expert,” Lacy says, looking at me. I clear my throat and glance back at my laptop, getting my head back into the numbers.
“We can make it work. I can fly her here on the jet; she can stay in Dad’s old place next door to mine. I can have Sawyer draw up the contract today.” I nod as I move in my seat, my body feeling antsy as sparkling blue eyes and red hair fill my vision, and I tap out the email to Sawyer right now to get it done.
“Sounds like you have it all planned out, son. Are you feeling alright?” Dad asks, as both women start talking about the spa.
“Fine. Why?” I ask him.
“Just look a little flushed is all,” he murmurs.
“No. I’m good,” I say, smiling. My grin is feeling brighter than it has in a while.
“Hmmm. Must be all those vibrations to your chakra,” Dad says with a smirk.
“So you’re on board with this?” I ask him.
“I trust your judgment, and I think Daisy sounds like she could be a nice addition to the team, albeit for a month or two. Let me know if she agrees to your offer.”
I look at my watch again. Still no word from her. I roll my head on my shoulders, the tension building all over again.
“I should go call Sawyer, organize the contract.” Shutting my laptop, I gather my things.
“Anything else going on with you?” Dad asks as I stand, and I balk.
“No. Everything’s fine,” I tell him, wondering what he’s thinking.
“Hmmm. Tell Sawyer I said hello.” Leaning back in his chair, he watches me as I walk out of the room, grabbing my cell and hitting Sawyer’s number.
“Connor. Miss me already?” he says, having just seen me in New York over the weekend.
“No, asshole, I need you to actually do some work today.” I make my way down the hall to my office. Sawyer has become a firm friend these past few years. A top lawyer and one who we want here in Whispers with us. Yet another thing we’ll need to start moving on. I push through the door, the morning sun filtering through my large windows.
From here, I get a view of the entire back of our distillery. Green grass, our rose garden off to the side that my grandparents made. I also see my place and Dad’s old place sitting at the back. It’s completely private and lush, like my own private oasis.
“What do you need?” he asks.
“A contract drawn up. I made an offer to someone in New York to come consult and build the spa business for us. I just emailed you about it,” I tell him, rolling my head on my shoulders, wondering why I feel so edgy.
“Great move. A city professional is exactly who you need.” I can hear him tapping on his keyboard.
“I will fly her in, accommodate her here, and pay for everything. I’m thinking six figures,” I tell him, and he’s quiet for a beat.
“Six figures? Plus relocation costs?” he confirms.
“Yes. For a month, with an extension for another month, maybe two. Timing is yet to be solidified on the project.”
“That’s a pretty generous offer,” Sawyer says, and I swallow.
“It’s an important move for the spa, for the business. She’s a professional, has a lot of experience.”
“Well, fine. I’ll get it done today.”
I sigh, not realizing I was holding my breath.
“She hasn’t actually verbally accepted yet.”
“What? You offered her relocation and six figures, and she still hasn’t accepted?” Sawyer sounds gobsmacked. Glad to know I’m not the only one.
“Maybe we need to send her something to sweeten the deal?” I murmur to him as I look out at the garden, spotting a small daisy bush among my grandmother’s roses.
“Is she worth this much?” he asks, and I answer without hesitation.
“Yes.”
“Maybe a ten grand sign-on bonus can be sent with the contract?” Sawyer suggests, and my brow crumples, knowing money isn’t the answer. Not for a woman like Daisy.
“No, it needs to be something more… meaningful,” I think out loud.
“Meaningful? Well, you seem to know her. What do you think?” he asks as I grin, coming up with just the thing.
“Organize a donation to the wilderness society. One that covers us for any trees that were chopped down for our business stationery requirements and put the donation in her name. Send her the certificate.” I’m smirking as I think about her quip about how many trees died making my business cards.
“You want to buy her trees?” Sawyer asks, confused.
“Yeah. I want to buy her a fucking field of them.”
“You know, I’m too busy to go down this rabbit hole to even question what the fuck is going on here. Leave it with me. I’ll get my team to organize it. We’ll send it to her today,” Sawyer says, no doubt shaking his head at my antics.
“Thanks, Sawyer. Speak soon.”
As I end the call. I’m hoping those trees get her over the line.