Chapter 6 #2
“How do you plan to handle order fulfillment?”
She took another sip of tea. “You ask a lot of good questions. I would send them out myself.”
“If your campaign is successful, that might be overwhelming.”
“If it is, maybe I could hire local moms or retired women to do the packaging and shipping.”
Rocky lifted a small glass of sake. “I think you should prepare to line that up.”
Another thought struck her. “From the beans to the delivery, every step would be handled by women.”
Rocky sat back, steepling his hands. “You’re bringing jobs to the island, and that would keep the whole operation consistent with your brand.”
The picture sharpened, and the more she turned it over, the more she liked it. “It would be women-led from farm to doorstep.”
Rocky raised his eyebrows, his excitement evident. “That’s great. That’s part of your brand story.”
Jo laughed. Imagine, she had a brand story. She could envision it all now. “No more manufacturer who swaps out my beans for cheap robusta and thinks I won’t notice. I’d like that.”
The edge in her voice surprised her. She’d been fighting for so long, she was tired. She wanted to run her business on her terms now.
Her life, too.
Rocky nodded slowly. “To make that work at scale, you’ll still need some working capital upfront. You can’t wait for the crowdfunding money to come in before you order beans and supplies. Have you talked to your bank about a line of credit?”
“Not yet. I have that second mortgage, so I don’t know if it would be approved.”
“Do you have a lot of equity in the diner?”
“It’s nearly paid off.” Jo was proud of that.
“That’s good. With your track record at the diner and the preorder numbers, you’d have a strong application once your funding level is reached and locked in.
A line of credit would let you order what you need to fulfill the crowdfunding campaign without dipping into your operating cash, and you wouldn’t need the funds for very long.
I can help you create a cash flow report if you don’t already have one.
Managing cash flow in a business is critical. ”
“How well I know. I’ll have to plan more carefully.”
Even though she’d taken a bookkeeping class, she still estimated her cash flow because it didn’t change all that much. The summer months were better than the off-season, but otherwise her business was predictable now. Jo made a note of his idea in the margin.
She was about to ask him another question when she saw a couple arrive at the restaurant’s front entrance. It was Ryan Kingston, dressed casually, with Junie’s mother, April, beside him, wearing a turquoise wrap dress.
“You wanted to see the owner of the Majestic Hotel?” Jo said under her breath. “He just walked in.”
Rocky glanced over his shoulder and straightened in his chair.
Ryan and April followed Kaito toward a table on the patio. When April spotted Jo, she waved and changed course.
“Jo, how lovely to see you.” April kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you outside of the diner. And Rocky, what a surprise to see you on Crown Island.”
Jo introduced Rocky and Ryan. “Rocky is from Summer Beach. He’s one of April’s new Bay cousins.”
“Of course,” Ryan said, brightening. “The Bay family connection. I’ve met Ivy and other family members at the hotel.”
“My father is Ivy’s brother, Forrest Bay,” Rocky offered.
Ryan seemed to place the name. “If I’m not mistaken, he owns a construction company in the area. Is that right?”
Beaming, Rocky stood and shook hands. “It sure is. My brother Reed works with him. I did, too, before I started my graduate program. We’ve all been following your restoration of the Majestic.”
“Is that so?” Ryan said with a flash of interest. “I couldn’t have done it without an excellent team.”
“Rocky just finished his MBA at USC,” Jo said. “He’s been helping me with an expansion plan for Cuppa Jo’s. He’s given me so many good ideas about project management and operations.”
Rocky looked at her, surprised. She gave him a small nod.
“So what brings you to Crown Island?” Ryan asked.
“I’m visiting friends and considering my options before I start work.”
“You haven’t accepted a position yet?”
“No, sir.”
“If you haven’t seen the Majestic renovation yet, come by some time,” Ryan said. “You can ask for me or my general manager, Whitley.”
“I will. Thank you, sir.”
“It’s been good to see you two, but we shouldn’t keep Kaito waiting,” April said. “I’ll come by the diner soon.”
Ryan and April said their goodbyes, and Kaito led them to a table.
After they were out of earshot, Rocky exhaled.
“Thank you for that,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to meet Ryan Kingston over sake.”
“You were planning to approach him anyway.”
“I was, but I’ve been working up to it, drafting a professional email. This was much better.”
“You’ve earned the introduction.” Jo raised her sake to him. “Besides, I know what it’s like to need someone to give you a shot.”
Rocky tapped her small glass with his. “To be honest, I didn’t plan to take the summer off, but I couldn’t find a position before graduation. The USC network is incredible for entertainment and management consulting, but that’s not what I want. I want to work with people who build things.”
“Like your dad?”
“It can be difficult to work with family. I want to make it on my own. Besides, Reed already has the top position. He wanted it more, so we agreed.”
Kaito interrupted to place a dish between them. “Specialty of the house. Hamachi toro with pineapple puree and candied ginger. There is more to come.”
“This is art,” Rocky said, admiring the presentation.
The sliced fish glistened beside a bright swirl of pineapple puree and flecks of candied ginger. The avocado nigiri came next, each piece brushed with dark tamari.
Jo took a bite.
The hamachi was silky and rich with a burst of tropical sweetness. Cool, creamy avocado nigiri followed, with just a touch of spice.
Kaito brought more small dishes as they finished each.
Rocky poured sake, and they talked easily, moving from Jo’s business plan to Rocky’s work in his father’s business and on his uncle’s research boats.
Jo told him about her early days at the diner when she’d served more bad coffee than good and learned from complaints. He was a good listener and asked follow-up questions rather than steering the conversation back to himself.
They were laughing when Sailor arrived with Maileah.
They spotted Jo and Rocky and came straight over.
“We’re joining Mom and Ryan,” Maileah said, squeezing Jo’s shoulder. “We’re celebrating.”
Sailor was competing around the world in the World Surfing League.
“Where are you going next?” Jo asked.
“In August, I’m surfing Teahupo?o in Tahiti, then Cloudbreak in Fiji,” Sailor replied, grinning as he ran a hand through his sun-bleached blond hair.
“We’re so excited.” Maileah turned to Rocky. “You should come, too.”
“Maybe,” Rocky said. “I might have a job by then.”
Sailor nodded in understanding. “I’ll also compete at Lower Trestles in San Clemente in September. We can ride some waves around the island.”
Rocky chuckled. “Sure, I’ll go out with you and let myself be shamed.”
Sailor clasped Rocky’s hand. “You got it, dude.”
Maileah glanced at Rocky, then raised an eyebrow at Jo, who gave a slight shake of her head. Not now.
Sailor clapped Rocky on the back. “Proud of you for finishing business school, man. Whatever you decide to do, I know you’ll do well. See you back at the house later.”
They left, and Jo saw them join Ryan and April.
She watched Rocky across the table. He happily finished the last piece of nigiri, which she let him have after he offered it to her.
Her phone buzzed with a message. She glanced into her open bag.
“Take that,” Rocky said. “It might be important.”
Jo glanced at the screen. It was Blue.
I’m at the diner. Want to join me?
She quickly tapped a reply. Busy tonight.
A long pause. Tomorrow?
She thought for a moment. She had to know for sure where they stood, and there was only one way.