I waver but then push the cookies back to him and say, “Consider this class as your date.” I load dirty dishes, bowls, and cooking utensils onto a tray and carry them into the kitchen. He stands up and grabs some things himself and jumps to washing dishes for me, while I wipe down the counters and sweep the floor. It’s amazing how much mess kids can make.
I grab one of my cookies and munch away on it, licking the crumbs off my lips. It’s the perfect cookie. Lightly sweet, slightly soft in the middle, a crispy golden edge, and a thin glaze of powdered sugar icing with a few colorful sprinkles for crunch. I should have these available in the rooms at the bed-and-breakfast, in cute little decorative bags. They’d also be fun for holidays in the bistro.
I walk back into the kitchen to put away the broom and dustpan. I see his wide shoulders and back to me, and I think about the homeless shelter. “So, Ryker, do you happen to know anything about a $1 million anonymous donation to the homeless shelter in town?”
He slowly turns around and leans back against the sink, crossing one leg in front of the other. “I might,” he says and shrugs with a playful smile.
“I thought so.”
And that’s all I need to know. He just gets better and better. I want to kiss him so badly. I want him to kiss me. I want more than a kiss!
But I slow my roll.
I still haven’t figured out what I’m going to do, which could very well be nothing. Yes, he’s a great guy. And I love the way he looks at me, how he makes me melt. But dammit, it scares me just as much.
And how would I even find the time? I don’t want to feel guilty that I’m too busy running a business to be available for him. I’ve seen relationships like that, where one person is busier than the other, and it causes conflict.
I sigh… I sure like the way he looks at me.
And then, against my better judgment, I make a decision.
“Um, Ryker, I’ve gotta go run an errand.” I take off my apron, grab my purse, and in my hustle to get us out the door, I don’t give him a chance to say anything. Once outside, I lock the door and jog off to my car, calling over my shoulder, “It was nice seeing you! Bye!”
I’m on a mission.
I jump in my car and speed off.
To the dress shop.
18
Ryker
I sit across from my dad’s desk as he brings me up to speed on the intellectual property practice at his law firm. The IP lawyers here, Lois and Alek, have a lot of experience, mostly automotive and software.
“They’ll be leaning on you for your subject matter expertise,” my dad says. “And they’ll teach you the ins and outs of researching prior art and strategies for filing, like whether to go narrow or broad.”
I have a vague inkling of what he’s talking about. But just because I have a law degree and passed the bar, doesn’t mean I’m a lawyer. Well, OK, technically it does mean I’m a lawyer… but I’ve never worked one day in a law firm. I couldn’t tell you how to work the copy machine.
“You sure I’m the right guy for this, Dad? I’m not a cryptographer, or an engineer. I really only know enough about blockchain to be dangerous.”
“Welcome to the world of professional services, son. As an associate, we’ll bill you at $250 an hour to learn whatever you need to know, on the job. Also, Lois was a double-E in undergrad, and Alek knows networking and telecom, but I guarantee you know more than both of them about blockchain. The three of you will make a good team.”
He leans forward and pushes a two-inch-thick, red file folder toward me. It says “Blackstar” on it.
“A little light reading, to get you started,” he chuckles.
I lean forward and take the file, when there’s a knock at the door. I turn around to see Max Penrose walk in. He’s a partner at the firm, estate planning, I think. He comes up next to me and slaps me on the back. “Hey, Ryker. Good to see you, man. I heard your dad kicked your ass in golf.”
I laugh. “I wouldn’t say he kicked my ass. It was close.”
“Well, I hope you didn’t have any interesting plans for the summer, since you’ll be here all the time.”
I imagine Aspen, with her blond hair flowing over her shoulders, and her juicy, red lips begging to be kissed. Oh, I have plans all right.
No, I didn’t have any plans for the summer.
Or my life.
Which I’d previously thought was a splendid thing, until, well, I thought about it. And I realized how bored I am. So now, apart from the upcoming Spartan race, I’m also looking forward to being in the office, working on the blockchain patents Dad mentioned. I’m not sure what I hope to get out of this… I don’t see myself devoting my career to being a patent attorney. I’m not even sure what the word “career” means to a billionaire. But it doesn’t matter; I lost a bet to my dad, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of months. It’ll be something new.
I head to my office with the new file and settle in to work. A few hours later, Dad knocks on the door, and I lift up my head. “Want to get some lunch?” he asks.
I look at my watch, and I’m surprised to see the time has flown by. This case is interesting. “Actually, Dad, I want to stay here and work on this. I’ve got some calls to make. But I ordered lunch for everybody from Gabby’s Rooster, so help yourself in the
