Chapter 1 #2
Liz waved her apology away. “Shut up. You’re allowed to be happy.
And sappy. Enjoy it.” She offered up her glass, and the cheers was repeated.
“Just know that there may come a time when I have to put in my ear plugs because I can’t possibly handle one more minute of the two of you being so charmingly perfect.
” She mock gagged then winked to take the sting out of it.
“Don’t worry,” Gwen said. “You can always tell me. I will gladly be your love repository.” Wrinkling her nose, she quickly added, “Ew. Scratch that. I don’t think that means what I meant it to mean.”
Liz swallowed a chuckle. It was pure Gwen to offer to help, especially when it involved friendship or relationships. It was also pure Gwen to make a bit of a mess about it. Kind of like the cutest puppy you’d ever seen that unfortunately left a bit of chaos in its wake.
Maya grinned and gestured at her two friends. “So? What’s new?”
Gwen lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Nothing much. Same old, same old. Business is good. We’re trying out a new roaster from over in Charlottesville next week.”
“Because the coffee’s good? Or because they have good-looking sales guys?” Although her friend ran a top-notch coffee shop out of the town’s restored train depot, Liz wouldn’t put it past her to have been swayed by a handsome face. Again.
Gwen’s features scrunched into her how rude expression. “I’ll have you know that they are one of the fastest-growing roasters in the area. They’ve been winning awards left and right. Maybe you should look them up.”
Liz raised an eyebrow. “Maybe I will.” God, it was easy to get her riled up.
Liz knew she should probably be ashamed of herself, but it was such easy entertainment.
While she’d known Maya for over five years, she’d known Gwen since the fourth grade.
Ever since the little sunshiny blonde moved to town and somehow managed to worm her way into the position of Liz’s best friend.
Liz still wasn’t sure how it happened. One minute she was studying after school at the library, and the next minute, she was getting kicked out by the librarian for talking too much.
Except she hadn’t been the one talking. It had been Gwen.
Talking to her. A point that Liz tried to argue, but one Mrs. Carmichael, the ancient librarian, conveniently ignored.
Probably for the best, since Liz now couldn’t imagine anyone, other than Maya, and her family, of course, she wanted in her corner.
She just enjoyed poking the teddy bear every now and then.
“And how about you, Little Miss Business Guru?” Maya asked Liz. “What have you decided to set your sights on now that you’ve conquered the local market?”
Gwen leaned forward, her expression deadly serious. “If it’s world domination, can you put in a good word for me with all the eligible bachelors?”
Liz rolled her eyes and bit back a grin.
“No world domination, and sadly, I wouldn’t say I’ve conquered anything.
” Not yet, anyway. She took a sip of her drink and pondered how much to say.
Not about Crawford’s, because that was confidential, but about her bigger fish.
The one she hadn’t yet landed. The one her business mentor Toni urged her to shoot for.
The one that still made Liz slightly giddy every time she thought about it.
But what were friends for, if not to share potentially life-altering news with?
Leaning forward to match Gwen, she gestured for Maya to do the same.
Gwen sucked in a gasp. “Is it better than world domination?”
“Maybe.” Liz took a deep, calming breath before continuing. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but there’s a company on the Fortune 100’s Fastest Growing Companies list who’s looking to add a business consultant, and I sent in my resume.”
She blew out another breath as she tried to calm the nerves that always accompanied the thought of getting the position.
“Wow, congrats!” Maya said, raising her glass in yet another cheers.
“Wait.” Gwen scrunched up her nose while also clinking her glass with Liz’s. “Would you give up your business?”
“No. That’s the best part,” Liz said. “It’s consulting only. I still retain my own business but get my foot in the door with someone who could potentially get my name out there and take me to the next level.” She exhaled a slow breath. “It would be huge.”
“Well, in that case,” Gwen said, unleashing a grin, “hot damn!”
Hot damn, indeed. Imagining the potential benefits kept her already active brain on overdrive for the past several weeks. Between trying to solve everyone else’s issues and keeping up with her other obligations, she wasn’t sure the last time she’d gotten a full night’s sleep.
She took a swig of her lemon drop martini and straightened back up. “What about you?” Liz asked Maya in an effort to get her mind off of business and onto something else. “Everything set for the Murder Mystery?”
Maya nodded. “I think so. We sold out of tickets the other day, and everyone has their character designations. At least, Clem said they did.”
Running an inn was one thing, but putting on the events they did was quite another. Singles Mingle weeks, spaces and meals for meetings, fundraising events. She didn’t know how Maya and Clem did it, but she knew the town thanked them for it.
“Should be a good fundraiser for the theater, then,” Gwen said.
“Let’s hope,” added Liz. She narrowed her eyes at Maya. “It’s still just a fundraiser, right?”
Maya’s brows drew together. “As opposed to…?”