Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
CHRISTINE
Gracie jumps up from the leather armchair in the back corner of the coffee shop as I step through the door. She already has various notebooks and pens spread out on the table. “Thank you again so much for meeting with me!”
It’s cute in here. I don’t know why I’ve never been inside, especially since it’s right next door to Liam’s tattoo shop.
And my ex-husband doesn’t own it. So that’s always a plus.
Gracie keeps smiling and restlessly shifting her weight, even once we both have our coffees and are sitting across from each other.
“So, this party…” I offer.
“Right!” She perks up and flips pages in one of her notebooks. “So a friend of mine got cast in this movie, and production ended up getting paused indefinitely, but it looks like they’re going to finally be picking up again next month. So I wanted to throw her basically a congrats your movie is actually getting made after all kind of party…” She grimaces. “Just obviously not in those words.”
I laugh a little. “We can work on it. Does she live here then?”
If it’s even possible, Gracie perks up further. “No! They’re actually going to be filming nearby, at least for some of it. The movie’s based off a book, and the author is from Sweetspire. The town it’s set in is fictional, but she says she largely drew on her experience growing up here.”
Huh. Filming a movie out here? That’ll be the talk of the town for, well, years. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll turn into old news faster than I thought.
“Anyway, Marti and a few of the other actors will be in town next weekend for some preproduction stuff. I wasn’t thinking anything big, just like a welcome to town kind of thing, you know? Do you think that’s too fast of a turnaround?”
I flick my wrist and shake my head. I’ve pulled bigger things together with less. “If you give me your preferences for venue, theme, budget, and guest list size, I can make it happen.”
She smiles. “I knew you’d be the perfect person to ask for this. Thank you so much for agreeing to help. I’d love to pay you for your time too.”
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
“I want to,” she insists. “Really. In fact, I was thinking about what Liam said at the park yesterday. And. Well.” She fishes around in her purse then sets a business card on the table between us. “No pressure, obviously. But if you ever did want to turn this into a business, I’d love to help. I’ve been specializing in helping small businesses gain traction. Not that you’d probably need my help with your contacts, but…” She trails off and shrugs. “Just in case.”
I pick up the card and turn it over in my hands. Of all the ways I could start making my own money now…this is the first thing I’ve considered that I might actually be good at. I’ve been doing it for free for so long, I guess it hadn’t occurred to me it could become something more.
I’ve seen my fair share of running businesses through my marriage with Julian, considering he has about a hundred of them. Then there’s Liam with his shop, and Gracie… I guess I never really considered it for myself though.
Don’t be stupid. You could never pull something like that off. You’re just not smart enough, sweetie.
I grit my teeth. Even after all these years away, somehow the memory of my mother’s voice is perfectly intact.
Back in the corner. Just shove it back in the corner.
I wave the card between two fingers before slipping it into my purse. “Thanks, Gracie. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
She beams, and I pull a notebook and pen out of my purse next, then lean my elbows onto my knees. “Now, tell me more about this guest list.”