Chapter 2 #2
But instead of putting up the walls I knew needed to be there, I said, “We could probably come up with a work-around. We need to be super conscious of every expense we have until business picks up a little.”
“I’m sure a games night will bring in loads of people,” Brian said. “We could advertise at the local colleges, places like bookstores, all the places where people who like to play games hang out. We could set up Common Grounds as a place where people come to play games.”
I don’t know why his statement hit me that way, but all I could imagine as Brian spelled out his idea was the game of pursuing him and making him mine. It was silly and had more than a few outdated ideas about relationship roles tangled up in it, but it appealed all the same.
“Like I said, Stanley and Marvin probably know about all the local chess clubs and whether they need a space for tournaments,” I said. “I have a feeling something more along the line of a tournament-style games night would bring in people more reliably.”
“Not necessarily,” Brian continued to argue. “The advantage of an open games night is that it’s the kind of thing that could snowball. If we offer something new every night, we can expect new customers.”
The corner of my mouth twitched as I started to get into debating with Brian. “But tournaments of specific games bring their own, reliable players with them.”
“Are those the sort of people who would keep coming back time after time and who would buy food and things from the café while they’re here?” Brian asked, a light flush coming to his cheeks.
“I don’t see why not,” I said with a half shrug. “Tournaments could draw in an older crowd, and they tend to have more money to spend.”
“Ah, but college kids and younger people will spend money on coffee and treats any day. It’s sort of a college thing, isn’t it?”
“Is that what you did when you were in college?” I asked with an inviting grin.
Brian’s smile dropped. For a second, hints of the fragile, spooked young man who had come into Common Grounds looking for a job three years ago returned.
“Yeah,” he said weakly. “I did like the campus coffee shop when—” He cut himself off, or rather, he drifted off as some kind of memory washed over him.
I pinched my brow in thought as I watched him. Maybe I should have asked more questions about what had driven him away from Pittsburgh all those years ago. Right now wasn’t the only time in the years that we’d known each other that I’d felt like Brian probably could have used someone to talk to.
“Okay, how about this?” I began again, moving forward to lean my forearms on the desk, getting closer to him than ever before.
“We’ve got Tuesday and Thursday nights free at the moment.
You were right about that. How about we try your idea of an open games night on Tuesdays and my idea of more structured gaming tournaments on Thursday. ”
“Both ideas?” Brian said, blinking out of his moment of uncertainty.
“Yeah. Both ideas aren’t too high maintenance to set up. We could start modestly, you organizing your idea and me organizing mine, and at the end of a month, we could reassess to see which idea is more profitable and brings in more business for the café.”
Brian was back to grinning in that way that snagged my heart in an instant. “Sort of like a competition?” he asked. “A competition about the competitions?”
“Sure,” I laughed. “If you want to think of it that way.”
“Oh, I totally do,” Brian said. “I’d love the chance to compete with you for something.” The heat in his face flared for a second before he turned startled and said, “I mean, it’ll be good for the café.”
“It absolutely will be,” I said, way more charmed by him than I should have been.
We sat there smiling at each other for a second, the air practically buzzing between us, separated only by the desk. I couldn’t help but think it would have been the easiest thing in the world to step around the desk, draw Brian to his feet, rest a hand on the side of his face, and kiss him.
I wanted to kiss him and tell him everything would be alright.
Instead, I cleared my throat and said, “Why don’t you put together an advertising plan and write down a few things about how you think your open games night should proceed?”
Brian’s smile dropped again, though I had no idea why. “Um, yeah, okay, I’ll do that,” he said, pushing himself to stand and shuffling clumsily to the side. “When do you need it by?”
“There’s no rush,” I said. “Although we should probably get the ball rolling sooner rather than later.
“I’ll put something together as soon as I can,” Brian said, taking a couple steps backwards. He continued to look at me as if he had so much more he wanted to say. The blush was still on his cheeks, and a big part of me didn’t want to let him walk out without me, I don’t know, asking him out?
Matt and Melissa came to mind. Employees dating was a terrible idea. Dating my brother’s best friend could be a disaster as well. I didn’t want the café to lose Brian because of money, and I didn’t want it to lose him because I couldn’t keep my big, dumb heart in check either.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Brian said before waving, then turning to leave.
I let out a breath as soon as he was out of the office. “Keep it together, Samwise,” I muttered to myself. “You’re the one who wrote the rule about employees dating, after all.”
I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed my mouse then clicked my way through to the employee handbook. I scrolled right to the section I’d added after Matt and Melissa about relationships.
Employees of Common Grounds are strongly discouraged from dating each other.
If a relationship develops between two employees, it must be disclosed to management.
The employees involved will be scheduled on different shifts to minimize any disruption to the operations of the café.
Termination of one or both employees may need to be considered if behavior on the job becomes inappropriate or disruptive.
It had seemed like such good, clear-cut rule at the time I’d written it, but now I wasn’t so sure.
Granted, I wasn’t sure Brian would actually be interested in a relationship with me.
I considered us friends, but maybe he thought I was too old for him.
Maybe I really was just his boss and Diccon’s brother to him.
Or maybe there could be something between the two of us that was special and exactly what we both needed.