29. Jake
Jake
I’m grumpy and I know it. There’s something about Wednesdays that make me irritable. No, there’s something about Wednesdays with no prospect of anything good happening on the upcoming weekend that annoys me.
I have exactly nothing to look forward to except more work.
I learned the importance of that from Mackenzie.
I haven’t seen or talked to Mackenzie in over a week and there’s no prospect of seeing or talking to her soon, and it’s my own fault. That’s what’s making me grumpy.
I give myself permission to be as cranky as I want in the solitude of my office and work on the quarterly analysis for an established client. Even the steady growth of his capital, all those little numbers adding up on the page, fails to give me joy on this day of days.
I do have it badly.
Ah, Mackenzie.
As if conjured by magic, I hear her voice as soon as I think of her name. I’m convinced that this is my brain fucking with me, yet another delusion leading to another disappointment, but there’s a crisp rap on my office door.
My boss’s secretary opens it and smiles at me. “You have guests, Jake. Do you have time?”
“A few minutes,” I say, not knowing what to expect.
First there’s Mackenzie, looking absolutely killer in a black suit with a green blouse.
The sight of her takes my breath away. The twinkle in her eyes is devastatingly sexy.
I can’t think of a single clever thing to say that won’t reveal that I’ve been pining for her like an idiot, knowing that our lack of contact is entirely my fault.
I manage the truly brilliant “Hey” before Madison appears behind her.
My half-sister is wearing a vintage tweed suit, but probably not in the way it was originally intended. Her accessories are current and funky, her blouse is bright, and I think the skirt is from a different suit, but it all works together in an unexpected way.
She offers a tentative smile and nods at Mackenzie. “Her idea,” she mouths.
Okay, this is unusual – but not unwelcome.
I invite them in and close the door, my curiosity growing.
“You probably only have a couple of minutes and that’s all we’re going to take,” Mackenzie says. She’s all business. It’s okay. I like Boss Lady Mackenzie just fine. “Madison has an idea and I thought you’d like to hear it, and that maybe you could help.”
Help. Aha. I try to look indifferent and probably fail.
Mackenzie wants my help. For Madison, but still. The fact that she thought of me as a solution is very satisfying. I’m halfway to doing whatever is needed, just because Mackenzie is asking.
I do have it badly.
“It’s like this, Jake,” Madison says in a rush.
“The only thing I care about is clothes. I love clothes and I love collecting them and I really love vintage, and when I realized I needed money, I thought I could just sell my clothes, but then I talked to Mackenzie. She helped me see that I could start a business selling vintage clothes and actually create a job for myself, and I’ve never thought of anything that sounded more perfect. ”
Oh God, she wants to open a store. Holt Renfrew comes to Empire with designer labels and expensive inventory – and not a snowball’s chance in hell of breaking even. They even closed shop in Toronto. In Yorkville, where the fancy people shop.
I’m going to have to turn Madison down. In front of Mackenzie. This is so not good.
Madison, encouraged by my silence, leans forward. “So, I thought I’d build an online store with my own domain name and I’d promote it on my socials. I already have a lot of followers because I talk about clothes and show mine all the time, and maybe some of them will become my customers.”
No real estate. That makes me feel a little better.
“How many clothes do you have?” I ask.
“A lot but not enough. I’ll need to buy more, and I’ll need a little van so I can do pop-up markets and take my inventory with me. It’ll be so cute, but I only have twenty bucks. I don’t need a lot to get started but I need more than that.”
“And so you’ve come to me.”
“Money is your thing, Jake.”
That’s fair. Money is my thing.
In the moment that I nod agreement, Madison pulls out her phone.
“I made a list of all the critical expenses necessary to get started. I can run the business out of my bedroom, at least until the house is sold, and I can use the internet there free. Mom said it would be okay. I might move into Dad’s study to spread things out and photograph them.
Here’s the monthly cost of the online store, and here’s the cost of the domain name, and my socials are all free.
I’d like to print some business cards, so I got a price from the printer in Havelock, and my friend April can do the design for me.
She’ll do it free if I give her a discount on a dress of mine she wants.
There’s a big show here next month for vintage clothes and I contacted them, asking to be a speaker.
They won’t pay me, but they’ve seen my socials and offered me a slot.
It’ll be great visibility.” She falls silent then and bites her lip. “I just need a little help, Jake.”
I look at Mackenzie and she widens her eyes slightly, a silent appeal that gets me right where I live.
Message received. Here’s another chance to be kind.
Here’s a chance to be a hero to somebody.
“How big is the market for vintage clothes?” I ask because I have to say something.
“Huge,” Madison says, flicking to another display on her phone. She shoves it toward me. “Look at the attendance numbers for that show. I know I can’t afford to be a vendor this year, but that’s one of my goals.”
“Your closet can’t be that big,” I deadpan and her smile flashes.
“Not quite, but there are garage sales and estate sales like crazy around Empire, and I’ve found good things there myself.”
I hold up a finger, my decision made, then choose a number on my phone. The pair of them watch me expectantly, like I’m going to conjure a rabbit out of a hat.
I kind of am.
“Devon, how are you?” I say when she answers.
“Jake Cavendish. Oh my God! How are you? Where are you? Why are you calling me on a Wednesday morning?”
“Just wondering what you’ve got on the block today. Mind if I put you on speaker? There’s someone here I want you to meet.”
I went to university with Devon, who works in Foreclosure & Liquidation for a big accounting firm. She became a Chartered Accountant, and now sells stuff that banks repossess. A bit late, I hope she doesn’t try to sell me a red Audi but que sera sera.
“No problem. Today, I have a lovely Piper Twin aircraft, in need of an engine overhaul but otherwise in great shape. Sky blue interior, so it would match your eyes.”
“Irresistible,” I say. “Yet I resist.”
“See how you are?” She is undeterred. “And I have the chattels of a make-your-own beer place, as well as about two hundred starter kits.”
“Not so much into beer.”
“You never were. I also have all of the equipment from a four-colour printing house, including light tables, a horizontal camera, two printing presses and a whole lot of other goodies. One stop shopping if you’re going into that business.
” She sighs. “But no sailboats, Jake, good, bad or indifferent. Not this week. Sorry.”
Mackenzie’s eyes widen again, proof that she noticed the mention.
“Damn,” I say. “I was hoping.”
“You always are. Now, who do I get to meet?” Devon demands.
“Mackenzie Rhodes, general manager of Rhodes Vineyard, and my sister, Madison Cavendish. Madison is planning to start a vintage clothing resale business and Mackenzie drove her into the city to talk to me.”
“Oh, oh, oh,” Devon coos. “You remember.”
“Of course, I remember.”
Devon continues. “I do have that trailer chock full of goodies from that estate. I wanted to sell it as a single lot, but no bites. We’re going to host a sale of the individual pieces next month.
” Madison’s eyes go round but before I can ask, Devon’s voice drops low.
“I suppose you’d like Madison to have a sneak peek? ”
“If it isn’t too much trouble.”
Madison is leaning forward so much that I think she might tumble out of her chair.
“That woman,” Devon says. “Holy crap, Jake, you never saw clothes like this. She collected from every decade of the twentieth century, sequins and tweeds and silk, and hats and shoes. It’s extraordinary.”
“I remember you talking about it at brunch that day.”
She laughs. “I’m sure I went on and on. It’s amazing. The collection probably belongs in a museum but museums prefer donations. The family wants some cash.”
“How much were you hoping to get for all of it?” I ask with apparent idleness.
She names a number. It’s not very much in the greater scheme of things.
Madison is now despondent.
Mackenzie is watching me closely.
“Well, if you have any smaller lots come your way, let me know,” I say. “Madison might be interested.”
“Will do.” Her tone is playful. “Sure you’re going to pass on the plane?”
“No pilot license.”
“You could get one,” she wheedles. “You’re smart enough.”
I laugh. “Not today, Devon. Thanks.”
There’s a pause, long enough to warn me, and I know what she’s going to say. She sounds playful when she does. “Oh, and Chelsea says hi.”
I laugh even as Mackenzie’s gaze brightens. “Chelsea’s more likely to say ‘fuck you, Jake.’”
“Well, yeah.” Devon laughs. “I just wanted to be more diplomatic. Don’t say I didn’t try to fix up my baby sister with the best single guy I know.”
“You must have me confused with someone else,” I tease. “Behave yourself or I’ll tell Kevin you’ve been flirting with me.”
She laughs again. “We should do brunch again soon. And hey, I’ll keep an eye out for a sailboat.”
“Thanks! Give my best to Kevin.”
The office is very quiet after Devon rings off. I’m evading the gazes of both Mackenzie and Madison, who have both learned things about me.
“A sailboat,” Mackenzie echoes softly but I ignore her.
Madison forces a smile. “Thanks Jake. It would be great if she ever had something for me.”
I pull over a pad of paper and write down Devon’s price. I add a couple thousand bucks or so, rounding it up to a nice even number, and write the date beside it.
I had a GIC come up for renewal the other day and haven’t gotten around to doing it yet. Instead, I’ll invest in Madison. It’s one of those impulsive decisions that feel so intuitively right that I know it will work out.
I look Madison in the eye. “I will lend you this much money for one year at three percent interest.” I add that, make another sum and circle it. It gets a date, too. “That means that on August 31 next year, you will pay me this much in return.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I will take your inventory and sell it to Devon.”
She eyes me. “That’s awfully nice, Jake.”
“Go figure.”
“I always thought you were a jerk.”
“Don’t let word get around.”
She smiles then, a real smile. “When does this go down?”
“Give me your banking info and I’ll give you Devon’s phone number.” I snap my fingers and beckon.
Madison jumps out of her chair and hoots in triumph, seizing Mackenzie in a hug that nearly topples her over.
Then she comes around the desk and gives me a similar hug, wiping a tear from her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispers into my suit jacket, and I give her a little hug, even though it’s against my better judgement.
“I like to reward initiative,” I say, but that’s only half of the truth. The real reward is the way Mackenzie’s eyes are shining.
I can live on the memory of that for a good long time.