Chapter 48
Gail
I ’m standing on the corner of 7th and Nicollet, heart hammering like a drum solo at a rock concert, and there’s Lucia, her red hair a fiery beacon in the crisp Minneapolis morning. She’s a vision in a navy blue dress that hugs her curves in all the right ways—a perfect contrast to my own split-thigh black number. Our eyes meet, and it’s like we’re the only two people in the world.
“Look at you, buttercup,” I say, my voice laced with excitement and a hint of mischief. Lucia rolls her emerald eyes but grins, feeding off my energy.
“Only for you would I get up at the crack of dawn and freeze my tits off, Gail,” she retorts, her breath clouding in the chilly air. We both laugh, our breath mingling, creating our own ephemeral mist.
“Come on,” I beam, linking my arm with hers. “We need to see the first one.”
We’re here to witness the first tangible sign of EduSync making its mark on the city—our baby, our leap of faith. And, damn, we look good doing it.
“Two minutes until showtime,” I say, checking my phone. It’s way too early for champagne, but rules are for the boring, and today is anything but ordinary. Lucia pulls out her secret weapon—a mini bottle of champagne—and pops it open with a practiced flick of her wrist.
“Got your cider ready?” she asks, waggling her eyebrows.
With a huff, I lift my bottle of sparkling cider. It doesn’t scream celebration as much as champagne does, but hey, when in Rome—or rather; when knocked up.
The sound of traffic crescendos, and then, like a chariot from the gods, the taxi rounds the corner. EduSync emblazoned on its side in bold, unapologetic letters. Our dream, screaming to the world from the side of a cab. It’s surreal, a punch to the gut in the best way possible, and my throat tightens with emotion.
“Cheers,” Lucia grins, holding her bottle toward me, her voice a mixture of pride and nerves.
“Cheers to us.” I clink my cider against her champagne. The bubbles tickle my nose, and I take a sip—the sweet tang of apple bursts on my tongue, marking this moment.
We watch as the taxi drives past us, part of a fleet now circulating through the city, each one a moving billboard of our creation. Our eyes follow its path until it’s just another vehicle in the river of morning commuters.
“We did it, Luce,” I whisper, the magnitude of what we’ve accomplished settling over me. There’s a gleam in her eye, fierce and proud, and I know she feels it too.
“We did, Gail. We really fucking did.” Her use of “fucking” is like a verbal high five, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Let’s make today our bitch,” I declare, my chest swelling with a cocktail of anticipation and adrenaline.
“Damn straight,” Lucia agrees, and we exchange a look that says we’re in this together, come hell or high water. Let’s hope for the water.
We down the rest of our drinks, toss the empty bottles into a nearby recycling bin because we’re classy like that, and head off to conquer the day—one that’s bound to be filled with new users, notifications, and the electric buzz of success.
“Here’s to EduSync,” I say, more to myself than Lucia, “and to whatever crazy shit comes next.”
“Bring it on,” Lucia replies, echoing my thoughts exactly.
We stay on the corner until my feet hurt from being cramped into uncomfortable but pretty stilettos. Then we hail one of the cabs with EduSync’s picture, letting it drive us to our new office.
The office is minimal but functional, like something out of a startup Pinterest board come to life. Whitewashed walls, a neon sign proclaiming “EduSync HQ” in hipster script, and a pair of oversized bean bags tucked in one corner for those “creative brainstorming” sessions Luce swears by.
We’re both perched on the edge of our seats, our laptops open like modern-day treasure chests waiting to be filled. We’ve poured everything into EduSync, and now it’s like we’ve unleashed it into the wild—a digital beast ready to devour the market.
“Do you think it will work?” I ask, biting my lip as I boot up my laptop. The words are barely a whisper, but Lucia’s always been able to read me like an open book.
“It’s going to be a wild ride, Gail, but who the fuck wants boring?” she shoots back, and I can’t help but smile. She has a point.
We’re in this together, the two of us, like we have been since our freshman year of college when we bonded over our shared love of heavy makeup and bottomless tequila nights. We’ve been through the ringer and come out stronger for it, so why should launching a new business be any different?
“Look at this,” Luce breathes out, her eyes fixed on her screen where she has all of EduSync’s social media accounts open. A symphony of pings and dings filling the space between us as notifications roll in like waves crashing against the shore. My gaze flicks to my phone, watching it dance across the desk with each new alert. My heart races, adrenaline pumping through my veins with every vibration.
Since social media is Luce’s forte, I focus on the emails, tapping the icon and watching the unread count skyrocket. Each one is a siren call, beckoning me to dive into the sea of users, exploring what we’ve created. I feel like I’m on the cusp of something monumental, teetering on the edge of an abyss, ready to plunge into the unknown depths of success or failure.
“Damn,” Lucia chuckles, her voice thick with emotion, “it’s like Christmas morning, but instead of presents, it’s validation wrapped in user engagement.”
For the first time, I feel like I finally understand her passion for PR and social media. Seeing the numbers, the comments, and the content being shared is addictive—a natural high I never knew existed.
“The best kind of gift,” I agree, grinning like a Cheshire cat. My thumb swipes through the emails, each one a testament to the hunger for what we offer. A connection forms, invisible threads tying me to each stranger who’s taken a leap of faith on our platform. It’s intoxicating, heady, and so much sweeter than I ever imagined.
“Check this out,” Lucia nudges me, dragging my attention from my own device to hers. She’s already scrolling through an endless feed of posts, all hashtagging EduSync into the stratosphere. The influencers—our hand-picked cavalry—have launched their assault, and the internet is eating it up with a silver spoon.
For hours, we do nothing but refresh, watching the numbers climb, and climb, and… “Holy shit!” I exclaim when I refresh half an hour after the Sabertooths official account posted about our business, showing their support. “We’re trending. We’re fucking trending!” Disbelief and excitement lacing my voice.
This is it—the moment where dreams morph into reality, where abstract concepts solidify into tangible triumphs. As much as I love having Luce at my side, I really wish Mickey and Soren were here too. I’ve unblocked their numbers, and was kinda hoping I’d hear from them today, but so far it’s been crickets.
I know that’s my own fault; I really do. Firstly, how are they to know I’ve unblocked them when I haven’t told them? And… they both told me they loved me without hearing it back.
“No!” Luce’s harsh voice tears through my thoughts. “I know that face, and we’re not doing that today. You can pine for them all you want tomorrow, but today you’re mine.”
“Right.” I snap back to the present.
My phone chimes with another sale, and I can barely keep up with the flashing notifications. The numbers on our live sales dashboard are spinning fast, quickly soaring past the goals Lucia and I scribbled on a napkin at a strategy session. Each ding is like a shot of adrenaline straight to my heart, pumping me full of this intoxicating mix of pride and utter disbelief.
“Luce,” I breathe, my voice a cocktail of awe and excitement, “we’re killing it.”
She’s grinning, her eyes sparkling with victory as she watches our empire build, click by click. “We’re not just killing it, Gail—we’re annihilating it.”
As the late afternoon creeps in, Luce makes her excuses to leave, promising me she’ll see me soon. “Here’s the address. Don’t be late.”
“Sure, sure,” I agree, not even trying to get any details from her about the party I know she has planned. While she might think I believed her when she claimed it would just be a small, intimate event, I don’t. Luce doesn’t do anything half-hearted.
Knowing I have a couple of hours to kill, I stay in the office, refreshing every five minutes, feeling giddy as the numbers go up. Gah, what a freaking day.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it was even possible to launch a company in five months, and I know for sure it couldn’t be done without someone like Luce at my side. Not just because a lot of these ideas are some she’s been working on for years, but because that’s how talented and gung-ho she is.
It’s almost time to leave, so I order a car from the app on my phone before grabbing my small handbag. Then I walk into the spacious bathroom so I can touch up my makeup, before heading out. When I walk out of the building the white car is already waiting for me, which is handy. Since the driver already knows where I’m going, I just lean back and enjoy the ride.
The venue Luce has booked is alight with colors that dance across the walls, laughter bubbling from clusters of excited guests milling about. The scent of gourmet appetizers mingles with the soft clinking of glasses—a symphony of success.
The air is thick with the scent of success and expensive cologne as I weave through the crowd. Everyone’s decked out, shimmering under the warm glow of crystal chandeliers. My brother, a beacon of pride in his sharp suit, gives me a thumbs up from across the room. My parents are mingling with the Sabertooths, hockey gods turned tame socialites for the night. Lucia glows, her laughter a melody above the chatter.
And then—there they are.
Mickey and Soren stand like statuesque embodiments of every dark fantasy, their presence alone commanding attention. Mickey’s white hair is a stark contrast to the deep gray of his tailored jacket, while Soren’s tattoos play peek-a-boo under the sleeves of his jet-black shirt. They’re talking to Sawyer, but their silver and green gazes find mine, pinning me in place.
I can’t help but remember the last two nights I’ve spent with them. It’s more than the press of their bodies, the heat of their breath, the fervent words spilling from their lips. The way they both opened up to me, took me on a wild ride to show me what they’d previously hidden from me… it was both intoxicating and humbling.
What I’ve never told them, never told anyone, is that it’s thanks to them I jumped on the EduSync adventure with Luce. Before my first night with them, I would never have dared to take such a leap. But after fucking the New Year in with them, I felt empowered; like I could do anything.
I need to tell them that.
As I look at them, their declarations of love echo in my chest and mind, a reminder of what I’m too scared to voice. But fuck, how I love them. It’s a truth that courses through my veins, undeniable, yet unspoken.
“Looking good, sweetheart,” Mickey drawls, that cocky smile playing on his lips when I approach. He leans in, and his scent wraps around me, a mixture of citrus and something uniquely him. A kiss lands on my cheek, soft yet searing.
“Congratulations.” Soren’s voice is deeper, a rumble that vibrates through me. His lips meet my other cheek, lingering just a second longer than necessary, sending a jolt straight to the pit of my stomach.
“Thanks,” I manage to squeak out, my skin tingling from their touch. God, why does everything with them feel like a prelude to something more illicit? No, it’s more than that. I mean, sure, heat and wetness gather in my core, but my heart also skips a beat or two.
“Let’s grab a drink later, celebrate properly?” Soren suggests, his eyes searching mine for an answer.
“Definitely,” I reply, breathily.
“Nice party,” Mickey comments, his hand settling on my lower back, just above my ass. He gestures to Jo, who’s chatting animatedly with Luce. “It’s weird seeing our PR guru outside Sabertooths business.” I laugh at that.
Seeing as Luce used to work for the Sabertooths PR team and got on well with Jo from what I understand, it made sense she invited her here. I guess I never thought about how weird it could be for the team.
Just as I’m about to ask how they’re both doing, Soren cups my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Do you have something you want to tell us?”
“What do you me—” I cut myself off before I can ask, because I know exactly what he means, what he wants to hear. Shaking my head, I say, “I… I… no.”
Disappointment and hurt flash in his green eyes as he lets go of me. “Laters then.” His hand ghosts over mine before he turns away, leaving me.
I turn to Mickey, but he just shakes his head and shrugs. “Laters,” he echoes before he follows Soren.
Should I have told them that I love them too? That they’re so deep under my skin that I can barely breathe when I think about them? Not right now, not tonight.
I turn, plastering a smile on my face, ready to play the part of the triumphant entrepreneur. But inside, I’m a mess of tangled nerves and unsaid words. The night stretches ahead, filled with potential—for business, for celebration, for… nope, I’m really not going to say it tonight.
I’m buzzing with a cocktail of triumph and anxiety, the edges of my reality blurring as I navigate through the crowd, exchanging smiles and nods. The air is thick with celebration, but it’s a question from my mom that yanks me back to earth.
“Those two men,” she discreetly nods toward Mickey and Soren, who are hanging out with the other Sabertooths, “Are they the ones? Fet’s dads?”
I might never know how Mom picks up on those things, but I secretly hope I’ll be just as intuitive with Fet one day. “Yes, Mom,” I breathe out, feeling the weight of the moment as our private world collides with my family sphere. “They are Fet’s dads.”
There’s an audible gasp, and when I turn around, I notice my dad standing so close there’s no way he didn’t hear what I just said. “Dads? As in plural?” he asks, looking so confused I almost laugh.
“Yeah,” I admit. “They’re kind of a package deal.” I don’t know any other polite way to put it. When Dad just nods without saying anything else, I know Mom has said something to him—prepared him.
“So, do we get to actually meet them?” Jamie asks, as he joins us. I shoot him a glare since he’s supposed to be on my side, but my brother just smirks. “Come on, Gail. Tonight is the perfect time since everyone has to be on their best behavior.”
Okay, so maybe he has a point. “Fine,” I agree, pinning my dad with a look that tells him to be on his best behavior. “But you have to be nice. This is my party, and I’ll kick you out if I have to.” I don’t actually mean that, but when Jamie snorts, I know he caught the pop culture reference.
As I turn around, I find that Mom has already left our little family grouping, walking directly toward Soren and Mickey. Shit, should I have warned them first? Well, too damn late now. Scurrying after her, my eyes briefly land on Luce, who’s pointing at me and whispering something to Sawyer, who looks way too happy for my liking.
Catching up with my mom, she’s already in the middle of introducing herself to the two hockey gods that own my heart. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Gail has told me everything—and I do mean everything —about you,” she smirks.
“Oh?” Soren retorts, cool as a damn cucumber. “Did she tell you we love—” he’s interrupted when Mickey punches his shoulder, and judging by the “oof” he lets out, the silver-eyed devil didn’t hold back.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mickey says, holding his hand out to my mom, but she ignores it and instead hugs him briefly. “And I’m glad she told you all about us.”
“You are?” my mom asks, surprised.
He nods. “Yes. Because then you know just how serious we are about her.”
“And how serious are we talking?” Dad harrumphs, not looking too happy with what he’s hearing.
“How about we keep this civil?” I suggest, pinching the bridge of my nose. “We’re here to celebrate EduSync, not interrogate anyone.”
Jamie chuckles and squeezes my shoulder. “Hate to break it to you, sis, but this is what happens when you bring people together.”
Everyone ignores my grumbled protests blaming Luce since she’s in fact the one who organized all of this, and as my parents and brother settle into conversations about everything from the playoffs to Fet, I want to find her and throttle her for setting me up.
When said soon-to-be-dead bestie sweeps by with Sawyer, and distracts my parents from Mickey and Soren, the latter takes my hand, dragging me into the sanctuary of a small room adjoining the main party space.
“Congratulations again, baby,” Soren murmurs, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through my bones. He steps closer, the heat of his body a magnetic pull that draws me in.
“We’re really proud of you,” Mickey adds, his fingers brushing against mine before he hands me a small, beautifully wrapped box, one that was small enough to hide it in the inner pocket of his suit jacket. “Open it.”
My hands shake slightly as I peel back the paper to reveal a delicate silver chain with a pendant—three interlocking rings. A symbol of our entwined lives.
“Guys…” Emotion tightens my throat, and before I can say more, Soren’s lips crash against mine, fierce and claiming. Mickey’s mouth finds the sensitive spot on my neck, his teeth grazing lightly, sending shivers down my spine.
The way they look at me, touch me, is enough to make my earlier restraint crumble. What am I waiting for? This is the perfect time to tell them that I love—
A knock on the door interrupts us, and Lucia’s voice filters through. “Gail? You in there?”
“Fuck, I hate her right now,” Soren grumbles.
“Same,” Mickey agrees.
I don’t disagree; my bestie’s timing is freakishly bad. Regardless, I can’t make myself ignore her. “Yeah, just a sec,” I call back, shooting the guys an apologetic look. “Sorry guys.”
Without another word, I spin on my heel and walk out, letting Luce drag me back to the main room. “It’s time for our speech,” she grins.
I snatch a drink from the waiter passing us, sniffing it to make sure it’s cider before taking a sip. “Okay. I’m ready.”
The room is a sea of expectant faces, lit by the soft glow of fairy lights that Lucia draped everywhere, because she’s extra like that. I catch sight of Mickey and Soren mingling with the crowd, their smoldering gazes locked on me, sending little spirals of heat through my core.
“Okay, deep breath,” I mutter to myself before I address the room. My voice trembles just a bit as I start. “Wow. I can’t believe we’re here. This moment, it means more than I can say.”
Luce’s green eyes sparkle with excitement, and pride as she squeezes my hand, before she takes over. “When Gail and I dreamed up EduSync, we envisioned a platform that would change the game. But what we didn’t realize was how much it would change us.”
Heads nod, and I see my parents smiling, their eyes moist with tears of joy. I glance at Jamie, my big bro who has seen me at my best and worst, and he offers a thumbs-up that steadies the flutter in my stomach.
“Each notification, every sale, is a reminder that our dream is alive and kicking,” I continue, my voice gaining strength. “And that’s all thanks to you—our friends, family, and every single person who believed in us when all we had was an idea.”
A cheer goes up, drowning out the rest of my speech. But it doesn’t matter because I’m grinning like an idiot, my heart bursting with gratitude. I sneak a glance at Mickey and Soren, their broad smiles and twinkling eyes mirroring my own euphoria. Their gazes meet mine across the room, searing in their intensity.
“Here’s to EduSync,” Lucia toasts, raising her glass high, “and to all the dreams that dare to be different!”
The crowd echoes our cheers, their voices filling up the room like an anthem of our success. The air is charged with celebration, laughter ringing out loud and genuine. Lucia pulls me into a hug, her joy infectious as we share in this moment of triumph—our triumph.