Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Logan
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
~ Sun Tzu
After Jacob left, I spent part of my evening looking through Yelp! reviews of local things to do. One of the top-rated spots in this area happens to be a coffee and tea shop called Serendipi-Tea. I decide to go out for my morning coffee instead of making it in the Keurig.
Who says I’m not fun?
Getting coffee at a trendy neighborhood cafe is the epitome of fun.
I pull up in front of Serendipi-Tea and find a parking spot. The shop fills the first story of a Victorian home. Inside, seating areas with comfortable chairs and sofas are arranged throughout the front of the room. Customers are gathered in a few of the clusters of furniture, while others sit alone with an open book or laptop.
There’s a touch of what I’d call whimsy to the decor. That’s the word I’d use if I were marketing this place. Whoever did the decorating has personality to spare. Antiques and a variety of tables and floor lamps make the space feel more like a home than a shop. It could appear hodge-podge, but instead, it comes across as curated and inviting. And the owner must have a green thumb. Potted trees and plants are scattered throughout the room, adding to the charm.
“Good morning,” the woman behind the counter greets me with a smile.
“Good morning.” I survey the hand-drawn chalkboard menu hanging overhead behind her.
“What’s good?” I ask her.
“Are you a first-timer?” she asks me.
“Yes. I am. I just moved into The Serendipity.”
“Ahhh. Well, welcome to Serendipi-Tea. I’m Nori. I recommend just about anything we serve, but you can’t go wrong with a honey lavender latte.”
“That sounds great. I’ll take a …” I look at the cup sizes labeled by ounces. “A twenty-ounce.”
“Coming right up,” Nori says with a warm smile. “Your name?”
“Logan.”
“Nice to meet you, Logan. I hope you enjoy your coffee. If you don’t, please let me know. We want to be your go-to coffee shop.”
“Thanks. From the smell of things, I can’t imagine I’ll be disappointed.”
Nori smiles and turns to make my order.
I step down to the end of the counter just in time to see the next customer walk in.
“Good morning,” Nori says.
I smile.
Less. Less is more . I subdue my smile into something less Glad to see you , and more Nice day, isn’t it?
Olivia doesn’t smile back.
“I’m not following you,” I tell her. “I was here first.”
“I know. I saw. I didn’t think you were following me … this time.”
Nori looks between the two of us.
“Do you want the usual?” Nori asks Olivia.
Olivia smiles at Nori. It’s an easy smile, like the one she gave Rhett yesterday. It’s soft and sweet. I’ve never been the recipient of that smile. At this point, I doubt I ever will be.
My conversation with Gil inconveniently echoes through my mind. Yes. I did this. I rubbed my success in Olivia’s face. I competed with her at every turn. I bested her without a second thought. And for a time, it seemed like she was as into the competition as I was. I miscalculated.
“I don’t think you can call it the usual if I’ve only been coming here for a week,” Olivia tells Nori with a lightness in her tone.
Nori smiles back at Olivia like they’re old friends. “I know my customers. If you come here five days in a row and you order the same thing every time, I call it your usual.”
Olivia’s smile widens. “Okay, then. Give me the usual.”
Nori nods lightly, and says, “One wildflower coffee lemonade coming right up.”
“One what?” I ask Olivia before my mouth consults my brain.
She looks at me without answering. It’s not exactly a glare, but her eyes are narrowed.
“That drink sounds … confused,” I add.
Put a sock in it, Logan. Less is more. Less. Not more.
Olivia taps her card on the reader. “I’ll be over there, Nori. Just call my name when my drink is up.”
I should say something. Or do something.
Or maybe I should do and say nothing.
I don’t even know what to do. As usual.
I need to hire someone, the way Cyrano de Bergerac did. He had a big nose and he feared approaching Roxanne because of his looks. If only my trouble were a nose. Mine is my foot. I keep putting it in my mouth. Cyrano was in love with Roxanne. I don’t have that problem. I just want a truce with Olivia. I’m no quitter, though. I simply have to figure out what I’m doing wrong and fix it.
My drink order is up first. I grab it, stuffing a five-dollar bill in the tip jar.
Nori smiles. “Come back again, Logan.”
I take a sip and smile at Nori. Then I tip my cup to her. “I’ll be back for more of these.”
She returns my smile, and then she turns back to the spot where an employee is making the next order … Olivia’s order. A coffee with lemonade and flowers? Tell me that’s not weird. Why I had to give my input is beyond me.
I’m at work a few hours later when Charlie, one of our brand strategists, approaches me. He’s been very welcoming so far—unlike certain coworkers.
“So, how are you settling in?” he asks.
“At work, or back in Serendipity Springs in general?”
“All of the above?”
“Good. It’s nice to be home. Still adjusting, I guess.”
“Rumor has it you and Olivia knew each other in high school.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear.” I smile at Charlie. “But in this case, the rumor is true.”
“She’s amazing. Was she as amazing in high school?”
“She’s always been excellent at everything she does.”
“There’s a story there,” he says.
“Where?”
“Something in your expression. I think you two … did you date?”
I bark out a laugh. “No. Definitely not.”
“Okay. So, not exes. Rivals?”
“You could say that. But it was high school. We’ve moved on. We actually both went to BU.”
“So, you were friends in college.”
I clear my throat. “I don’t know if you’d say friends .”
“Mm-hmm. So you never got past the rivalry.”
“I did. But … I’m not sure she did.”
Charlie leans back against the worktable, crossing his arms across his chest as if he’s waiting for me to elaborate.
“I’ve got a mission,” I admit. “Now that I’m back, I want to make peace with her.”
“That shouldn’t be so hard,” Charlie says. “She’s one of the most kind-hearted, forgiving people I know.”
Kind-hearted. Her heart . Nope. Not trying to win it.
“Less is more,” I say absentmindedly.
“What?” Charlie’s face scrunches up.
“Oh, nothing. It’s just a fortune I read. The weirdest thing happened this weekend. I was walking my dog. When I got back to my apartment, there was a random fortune cookie in front of the door. So I picked it up and read it.”
“What did it say?”
“Something about if you want to win a woman’s heart, sometimes less is more.”
“Good advice. But of course, sometimes more is more. There’s no formula when it comes to women. Are you trying to win Olivia’s heart?”
“No. I’m not. At all. I’m just aiming for neutrality, maybe a cordial sort of friendship. Anything but her wishing I would choke on a chicken bone laced with arsenic in my sleep.”
Charlie laughs.
“That cookie was odd, though. Right?” I ask. “It’s not just me. I mean … where did it come from?”
“You know what they say about The Serendipity.”
“I know. The spring that is the fount of good luck in this town feeds that apartment building. Residents are known to have good fortune. Good fortune, mind you. Not good fortune cookies.”
“I don’t know if the hype is merely a legend,” Charlie says.
“Well, I hope it’s not. It’s definitely going to take something supernatural to break through Olivia’s resentment toward me. I basically need a miracle.”
“Give her time,” Charlie says. “She’s amazing. And I haven’t ever seen her be anything but warm and welcoming to anyone.”
“You haven’t seen her with me, then.”
“Now that you mention it …” Charlie pauses, and his brows draw in. “I think she might be avoiding you.”
“She’s definitely avoiding me.”
Charlie claps me on the back. “Just give her time. She’ll come around.”
Charlie’s eyes drift to something behind me. I’m already turning my head to see what he’s looking at when he says, “And, speaking of coming around, here she comes.”
I turn toward Olivia.
“Hey,” I say. “How was the lemonade coffee?”
Charlie shoots me a questioning look.
“It was delicious,” Olivia says. “And how was your lavender froufrou drink?”
“You noticed my drink?” I wag my brows.
“Barely.”
I try to imagine Olivia is just any other random person, not the woman who drives me to the point of saying things I regret.
I answer her as if we’re already friends, “Actually, the drink was delicious. What’s your take on that shop?”
Olivia looks momentarily stunned. “Uh. Actually ... I really like Serendipi-Tea.”
“I like it too,” I tell her.
Charlie stands slightly behind Olivia, out of her line of sight, and gives me two thumbs up.
I smile at him, and Olivia glances back over her shoulder in Charlie’s direction.
“What are you up to, Charlie?”
“Nothing. At all. Just … ahhh. Here comes Darwin. I’m going to get busy.”
“Logan,” Darwin says when he approaches us. “And Olivia. I’m so glad to catch the two of you together.”
Olivia and I glance at one another and back at Darwin, the realization that we’re standing together becoming apparent now that our boss mentioned it. I don’t mind standing with her. I actually count it as a move in the right direction—that is, until she steps away as if she’s touched a hot stove. She runs her hands down her pants and focuses her eyes on Darwin, whose voice is animated enough to cause a few heads to turn.
“Have you heard of Untethered?”
I open my mouth to answer, but Darwin keeps talking. “They’re a fitness/wellness company that personalizes approaches to client goals. They could be a big account for us, I want to give the project to the two of you. Olivia, you’re our best in-house content marketing specialist. Logan, you’re known for your expertise in digital marketing. The two of you will also work closely with Charlie. We’ll pull together a small team to create a targeted campaign that addresses their needs. I think the three of you have the combined skills to set Untethered apart in the competitive space they're trying to dominate.”
Olivia’s mouth pops open. She stares at Darwin, gaping. Luckily for her, Darwin’s looking at me.
Instead of addressing the two of us, he says, “Logan, a word?”
Olivia shuts her mouth and straightens her expression just before Darwin looks back at her.
“Sure,” I say.
Darwin steps about five feet away from the worktable and pivots so we’re shoulder to shoulder in a two-man huddle. Then he lowers his voice. “I’ve got a good feeling about you, Logan. Rick is talking about moving his family to the West Coast. Something about needing to get out of the snow for good after enduring this last winter. If he moves, I’ll be looking for a replacement marketing manager. This project will help me see what you’re made of. You never know … maybe you’ll be the prime candidate.”
Darwin winks and leaves as quickly as he appeared.
If I were alone, I’d do a dance with Rhett right now. I thought I’d have to work my way into the opportunity at a management position at Barnes. This couldn't be more fortuitous if I had planned it.
I turn around to search for Olivia.
Did she overhear what Darwin just said to me?
Olivia’s still at the worktable. Her hand goes to her hip, and she takes on that defiant stance I recognize all too well.
I walk back toward her.
“We need to get one thing straight, Alexander.” She looks up into my eyes.
“What’s that, Pennington?”
“We may be assigned to work on the same project, but I’m not your teammate.”
“Okay?”
“No. I’m serious. We’re going to serve this client. We’ll give them our best. But you and me”—she waves her pointer finger between us—“are not a team. We’re not partners. And we are not working together.”
“Gotcha. We’ll collaborate. But we won’t work together.” I have no idea how that will work, but I’m trying to be agreeable anyway.
“Exactly. When all is said and done, Untethered will benefit from our combined efforts. But mark my words. You are going down.”
“Going down?”
“Down. You are going down. This will not end with you winning or outshining or taking credit or anything of the sort. You will not come out of this smelling like the latest prized hybrid rose. Capisce ?” Her voice literally takes on a Godfather-like tone.
“Are you going to have your thugs take me to the end of a dock and throw my body into the harbor?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
I raise my hands in a show of innocence.
She looks at me and repeats herself for good measure. “Going down, Alexander. This time, you’re going down.”
I stifle a smile.
Work just got a whole lot more interesting.