by Jean Oram
She rubbed her eyelids and sighed. She probably wasn’t even eligible for a loan big enough to buy into a franchise, anyway.
“That’s right. You don’t know how to run a business,” her mother agreed. “You know how to be a waitress.”
“I know more than how to deliver food before it gets cold.”
“I didn’t say you didn’t.”
“I can learn how to run a business. I mean, look at the people in town running their own places. It’s not like they went to business school either. And with a franchise, I’d get a business plan. Stick tab A in slot A. Repeat through alphabet. Congratulations, you followed the instructions and now own a restaurant.” She gave a feeble clap and a cheer.
“I think you need more than waitressing to get a franchise,” her mother said. “Stay smart and don’t burn yourself out. It’s okay being a waitress. Look at all the free time you have.” Her mother’s attention turned to the screen and she shushed Mandy before she could retort.
Mandy grabbed a handful of gumdrops and let herself out of the house.
Walking to her apartment, she pulled out her cell phone and found the Wrap it Up website, feeling certain that the young franchise would let her join them. Since it was new, they were only asking for a small fee as they established brand recognition. They were looking for people willing to put in elbow grease and right now, that might as well be her middle name. Clicking on the contact link, she dialed their number. This was it. No time like the present to jump in and change your life.
Excitement swept over her like a tidal wave, pulling her in to her new future as Mandy, Restaurant Owner. She stretched the tension out from between her shoulder blades and waited as the phone rang on the other end of the line.
“Hi, my name is Mandy Mattson,” she said into the phone when she was asked to leave a message. Her heart thundered so hard in her chest, she was afraid it was going to crack a rib as she explained why she was calling. Once she hung up, she yanked open her apartment’s outer door--with no worries of that old sign falling on her like her stepmother feared--and trundled up the steps. Inside her apartment, she kicked off her shoes and dropped into downward dog, the balls of her feet gripping the hardwood. She slowed her breathing, and, inhaling with purpose, went through the Sun Salutation. She calmed her thoughts, stilled her mind and let the answer to her future come to her.
The phone rang and she punched the speaker button without looking. There was no way it could be the wrap place already.
“Mandy, please?” asked an unfamiliar male voice.
“Speaking,” she said slowly.
“Got your message. Seth Freedly here, CEO of Wrap it Up.”
CEO?!? She gripped the table for support.
“I hear you’re interested in finding out more about joining. Got a minute? Let’s set something up for next week.”
7
Mandy straightened her pencil skirt and checked her reflection in her compact. She looked like a successful businesswoman. A powerhouse--well, if she could stop grinning from ear to ear like an eager fourth grader--with her glossy hair, flawless makeup and plucked brows. Slick, smooth, and sexy. Definitely more than some waitress desperate to have Seth Freedly, Mr. CEO himself, say yes to changing her life. She was still shocked at how quickly he wanted to meet and discuss the possibility of a Blueberry Springs restaurant. Her emailed application must have been much more convincing than she’d thought.
Inhaling slowly, she prepped herself for his possible questions. Jodi, the diner’s waitress, came by and flipped Mandy’s coffee cup right side up. “You’re dressed nice. No shift today?” She tipped her head in the direction of the diner’s main competition, Benny’s Big Burger--possibly the worst name ever for the family restaurant that was well-known for its pastas.
Mandy shot her a nervous half smile. “I look okay?”
Jodi slopped coffee into Mandy’s cup and lowered her voice. “You’ve got half the diner wondering what restaurant deal you’re wheeling and dealing.”
She should have met Seth at the library. Not only was she probably committing a major faux pas by meeting in a diner to discuss opening a competing business, a good chunk of the town was at the ready to eavesdrop. If this meeting didn’t go well, she’d be explaining herself for the next five years. She half stood, slurping the awful coffee. “I think I’ll meet him in the library.”
She slung her bag over her shoulder and was about to drop change on the table for her coffee when a dapper looking man in a sharp suit entered the diner. His keen eyes skimmed the patrons, spending barely a fraction of a second on each person, until they lit on Mandy. He stopped, his gaze backtracking to settle on her. The corners of his lips turned up and his cool all-business keenness softened ever so slightly. She returned his smile and he grinned as his fine head of hair resumed its turning scan, even though his attention seemed to be stuck in her direction.
Wait a second…Mandy dropped into her chair as the realization struck her. He thought she was hitting on him. He didn’t believe he was meeting with her! She was already failing the test. She wasn’t a convincing businesswoman despite the getup. She’d taught herself important lingo such as brand recognition and population density for nothing.
Her stomach lurched and she wished Frankie was by her side to calm her, to help her figure out where she’d messed up and how to fix it. But he wasn’t here.
She had to pull it together on her own.
He believed she could do this and everyone in the diner was watching her, ready to tell her she’d reached too far when she fell short of her goal.
She bolstered her courage and stood, taking a few steps toward Seth, tipping a shoulder toward him. She might suck at the business stuff, but if he responded to flirting, then she was going to walk out of here with a deal. She was not going to fall on her face. Not this time.
She indicated the empty chair across from her at the wobbly, slightly sticky table. Seth’s eyebrows lifted and his smile turned to a grin as he quickly made up the space between them.
“Mandy Mattson?” he asked, his voice a nice, deep boom in the small room. “What a pleasant surprise.”
She slipped her hand into his, stepping closer so she’d be a tad cozier than a business partner but still within professional bounds. “Seth Freedly, I presume?” She lowered her voice so it had a slight throatiness to it.
He swallowed and leaned in, tucking his leather folder under his arm so he could wrap his free hand around their grasp. “The one and only.”
She took her hand from his and lightly touched the hollow below her throat, as if adjusting an invisible necklace. His eyes followed her hand’s movements and she could have sworn his pupils dilated. Which meant she had him right where she wanted him. She’d be fine unless she tried to talk business.
She made herself breathe calmly while reclaiming the seat she’d vacated. New plan of action. She’d think first. Flirt second. Talk third.
“What makes you want to put up a Wrap it Up stand up in a dinky little town like this?” he asked, glancing around the diner. “You know you’d end up having to stay for at least twelve months to get your place on its feet. I can’t imagine what this place would have to offer a gal like you after hours.” He shot her a wink and gave his head a gentle, amused shake.
“Oh, well, you know.” She awkwardly reached forward to touch his hand, laughing, but not feeling it. Truthfully, she felt insulted on behalf of her hometown and wanted to walk away from Seth, not flirt. She caught sight of Jodi watching, head bent close to her twin sister’s as they gossiped and speculated about Mandy’s meeting.
Mentally, she modified a few of her rehearsed lines, trying for a business persona once again. “The town is being revitalized as a tourist area for granola types. Blueberry Springs has a lot of hiking trails, camping, and white water rafting. And there’s a lot of history in this town, from mining to ranching, and that gives it an unique flavor. I think it’s a perfect time to expand Wrap It Up into a new market such
as…as this one.”
His expression grew bored and he waved her lines away. “What do I have to do to get a cup of coffee here?”
Mandy waved at Jodi, turning Seth’s upside down cup over.
“You know, the familiarity of a chain such as Wrap it Up can provide a certain level of comfort to potential customers. It’s a brand people have quickly come to trust.”
“Yeah, nobody knows us yet.” He raised his voice for Jodi’s sake. “Can I get two cream?”
Mandy continued, undeterred. “Should you decide to do a market analysis of Blueberry Springs, you’ll find it has two well-established restaurants--including this diner--and two fast food places, as well as a semi-seasonal ice cream-slash-coffee shop.” She faltered as his attention drifted. Frankie, at least, had still looked semi-interested even after hearing her little speeches for the fifth and sixth time. “There are no healthy, affordable alternatives for tourists or locals who want something more than a burger and fries.”
Jodi paused at their table, her pot of coffee slack in her grasp. Her eyes darted warily to the man sitting across from Mandy. She mouthed to Mandy, “Who is he?”
Mandy pushed Seth’s cup under Jodi’s pot and smiled tightly. “Thanks, hon.”
After sloshing some bitter brew into the cup, Jodi dropped two creamers on the table and very slowly slid away, shooting Mandy a look she couldn’t decipher.
Was it that obvious she was about to get rejected?
Seth took a sip and winced, just about spitting out his coffee.
Mandy leaned a little closer and whispered, “I assume Wrap it Up can one-up this guck?”
“This stuff should be filling the engines of diesel trucks,” he whispered back, smiling at her, his eyes traveling south of her blouse’s neckline.
Mandy made herself laugh lightly, resisting the urge to button her shirt to her chin, and said conspiratorially, “You should see what passes for food here. Another excellent reason why I feel a Wrap it Up would kick butt in Blueberry Springs.”
Seth’s eyes flicked from plate to plate in the diner as locals shoveled food into their mouths. “They seem to enjoy it.”
Panic reared up. She needed demographics. Charts. Pie graphs. Thick reports stapled together. A laser pointer. A projector. Spreadsheets. A crowd of people chanting, “We want healthy! We want wraps!”
Mandy caught movement out of the corner of her eye and she glanced up, then quickly down again. Wini, the bank’s loan manager, was making her way toward them with a purpose Mandy didn’t like. She ran a hand through her hair and propped her head in her hand, effectively blocking the woman. Nobody would read her body language as, ‘Come chat!’
Apparently, Wini, as good as she was at managing the bank, didn’t understand body language.
“Mandy! So sorry I missed you yesterday. I must have caught what Frankie had.” Wini covered her mouth and gave a wheezy cough.
“No problem,” Mandy said smoothly. “I’ve got everything sorted and will touch base with you later in the week, okay?” She tried to silently communicate to Wini that she needed to act less small town and shut her yap ASAP. Definitely not start asking about the money Mandy needed to borrow--or even worse, hint that Mandy didn’t have a financial leg to stand on as a small town waitress.
Wini smiled and nodded, easing away from the table. “Of course.” She gave Mandy a big, obvious wink, raising her eyebrows in Seth’s direction before flashing her a quick thumbs-up.
Mandy prayed her cheeks weren’t flushing and turned her attention back to Seth who had leaned back in his chair and was tapping the table thoughtfully. He appraised her again.
“It can be difficult for outsiders to win the trust of small towns and connections can definitely help in making things work.” His attention returned to the diner and he sized it up with a practiced eye. Mandy bit her bottom lip, feeling horrible about not correcting him about his outsider comment.
“You know, the small town market may have been something I’ve wrongly overlooked in the past.” He crossed his arms and studied Mandy again, his attention focused on her large cubic zirconia earrings. “Tell me…why would a savvy businesswoman such as yourself choose Blueberry Springs?”
Mandy felt her stomach pack its heaviest bags, pick up, and trundle on down to visit her feet. Her mouth grew dry and she fought off the panic welling up around her like a river breaching its banks. Hadn’t she just told him why Blueberry Springs was the place to start a Wrap it Up?
“It’s a hub. I feel there’s a sizeable market here.”
Again, he waved her away, leaning on the table. “I meant, you. Less business, more real life. Tell me about Mandy.”
“Oh.” She sat back, taken off guard. There was no way she was telling him she was a waitress and nothing more. “I like to race a friend. There’s a track and we…” Her story already sounded lame. Racing wasn’t what businesswomen did. They drank wine and laughed at sophisticated jokes. They…well, she didn’t know what all they did but she was sure they didn’t get their trucks muddy for fun.
“A boyfriend?”
“Oh, uh, no. Just a friend.” She shifted uncomfortably.
“Good.” He leaned closer, his gaze on her lips. “Boyfriends can be distracting.”
Unable to help herself, she tipped her body away from his as he moved closer.
“Starting a business takes a lot of time,” he added. “Family?”
“My parents are divorced.”
“I meant kids?”
“No. No distractions.”
He was watching her again, judging her, and she had no clue how she was measuring up. Around the diner, friends and acquaintances were giving her curious smiles when they caught her eye. Frankie had made this all sound as though it was in the palm of her hand--hers for the taking. But now…it didn’t feel that way. Not at all.
She could hear people talking about them, the odd word reaching her such as “waitress” and “Benny’s” and “Frankie’s building.”
She needed to get out of here. If Seth was going to reject her she needed it to happen in private so she could save face and make up some line about his bottom-line not being good enough for Blueberry Springs.
“Do you want to see the building I’ve got picked out?” she blurted out.
He perked up. “I love revamping buildings.”
Smiling, Mandy pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ll just have to make a stop along the way and get the key.”
“You don’t own it?” he asked, his steps slowing as they made their way to the door.
“Oh…” She waved a hand and gave him a huge, disarming grin. “The, uh, caretaker has the key.” She flashed her attention around the room, hoping nobody would let that get back to Frankie.
At the door, she let her shoulder brush against Seth’s as he held the door for her, shooting him a smile. “It’s just a few doors down. You’ll adore it.”
The April breeze chased them down Main Street to the parts store where she stopped and subtly batted her lashes while pointing at the buildings across the street. “You’ll notice the older architecture. I think the character will appeal to the Wrap it Up demographic.”
Before Seth could ask for more details, she pushed into Frankie’s store. If they went any deeper into demographics she’d prove just how green she really was. She was working on instinct here, and didn’t have the fancy business training to back up her gut feelings. So she was spraying on bullcrap. And, honestly, the thing with bullcrap was that it was best sprayed on quickly then left to dry on its own.
“Frankie,” she called as she strode toward him, checking over her shoulder to make sure Seth was staying put on the sidewalk.
Her friend looked up from a parts catalogue at the counter and let out a low whistle. “What are you up to, Miss Serious Business Lady?”
She gave a half curtsey. “Can I borrow the keys to your building?”
Frankie leaned away from the counter and slid his hands into his pockets
. “How’s it going so far?”
“Fine. It’s…unexpected.” She still wasn’t sure how to take Seth.
“That’s good?”
She shrugged. “What do I know about business?”
He dangled the keys in front of him while coming around the counter. “For future reference, if you’re trying to lay low, that outfit is a dead giveaway that you’re up to something.” He eyed her again and put a swagger in his hips. “Come hither, young librarian, and show me 613.9.”
She snorted and shoved him away.
Dodger called out from a nearby shelf, where he was taking inventory, “What’s 613.9?”
Frankie waggled his brows at Mandy. “Me, baby. All me.”
Mandy felt her cheeks burn as she muttered to Dodger, “It’s the Dewey Decimal call number for sexual techniques. Your friend here has no class.”
“He’s your friend, too,” Dodger said mildly, digging through the drawer at the main counter.
Mandy made a grab for the keys, but Frankie tugged them out of reach, causing her to scramble on her heels when she came up short. “Frankie. He’s waiting and I don’t want to blow my impression.”
“How do you two know what 613.9 is?” Dodger asked. It looked like he was writing the call number on the back of his hand.
Mandy shook her head, ignoring Dodger. She wiggled her fingers impatiently. “Keys.”
“Is that him?” Frankie tipped his head toward Seth, who was standing outside, gazing up at the buildings, his cell phone pushed against his ear. “He looks slick.”
Mandy glanced at Seth, with his styled short hair, neat suit, and general well-kept look. She glanced back at Frankie, who had engine grease under his nails and was wearing an old pair of jeans and a shirt advertising some sort of gear company. She wouldn’t want to see him any other way and his rugged look was definitely more appealing than a man in a suit. The two men were night and day. But right now, she needed day to help her snag night.
