Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter that he’s nice,” I said, voicing my irritation, even though I hadn’t really meant to. “None of it matters.”
“Why? Don’t be so down, Jo. The glass is always half-full, remember?”
I tried to smile, but it turned into a defeated sigh instead.
Normally, Luca’s optimism was one of the things I loved about the guy, one of the things I liked to think the two of us had in common. But lately it had been harder for me to see the world that way, and there were some things even Luca couldn’t make better with his sunny approach to life.
This was definitely one of those things.
“The glass isn’t half-full today, Luca. Sorry. I just can’t see the good side of Brady trying to sell the place out from under me.”
“Oh my… what? He’s gonna sell?” he sat down across from me, eyes wide. He’d apparently given up on any pretense of actually working, no matter that it was the lunch rush. “I didn’t know. But,” his face lit up with his characteristic smile, “I can still think of how it might end up being a good thing.”
I grinned despite myself—Luca’s good cheer really was infectious—and shook my head. “Really? I can’t. The whole thing is out of my hands now.”
“It doesn’t have to be out of your hands.” He shrugged. “Buy the place yourself.”
Of all the things I’d anticipated Luca might say, that thought hadn’t even crossed my mind—wasn’t even on my radar, it was so far-fetched.
“Oh, okay,” I said, rolling my eyes even though the impossible idea sent a jolt of excitement through me. “Maybe I can write him a check and just hope he never cashes it. Come on, Luca. I don’t have any savings. I barely have the money for this coffee. How would I buy the flower shop?”
“You think I had tons of money when I opened this place?” Luca jerked his thumb back toward the coffee shop. “Hello, that’s what loans are for.”
I snorted. “Yeah, because I’m a great candidate for a loan. I live with my mom. I have shitty credit. I can just see the bankers lining up to hand me money now.”
Luca raised an eyebrow, and his sunny smile slipped a little. “Fine. You’re probably right. But you won’t know you’re right until you try. Try, Joanne. What’s the worst they can say? No? Who cares? You’ll be no worse off. And they might say yes. They might solve your problems.” He paused for a moment, and when I didn’t immediately object, he leaned in and continued. “You’ve been running that place for years anyway. I’ll vouch for that. Come on, Jo. What do you have to lose? Unless, I mean… is that even something you’d want to do? It is hard work, I’m not gonna lie.”
“Of course, I’d want to,” I answered immediately, then paused and cocked my head to the side.
For something I’d never thought of before—and for such a big, life-changing decision—I sure hadn’t hesitated with my answer. Was there something to the idea?
“And you know I’m not scared of doing the work. It would be sort of perfect, though. I’d have the stability I need, and I’d finally get a chance to put some of the more unconventional marketing and design ideas into place—things Henry hadn’t really been too excited about.”
“See?” Luca was grinning from ear to ear. “It might just work out perfectly.”
There was no way a bank would give me a loan. I knew that. Well, I mostly knew it. But I couldn’t buy the flower shop… could I?
I needed some time to think. And I needed to get back to work. Sure, it was a nice idea, but it was probably just a wild fantasy, at best. Right?
I bit back a smile. I couldn’t let myself get excited about something so unlikely.
“I need to get back to work,” I said. “And it looks like you do, too.”
I nodded toward Luca’s beleaguered assistant, who appeared to be drowning in the sea of people who were waiting for their lunch-time caffeine fix.
“Fine. But promise me you’ll think about what I said. Promise, Jo.”
“Okay, okay,” I held my hands up in a mock surrender. “I promise. I’ll think about it.” I put some money on the table to cover my bill and gave a little wave. “I’ve gotta go.”
“Call me when you get back from the bank.”
I laughed as I walked the short distance back to Patty’s Petals.
Luca was crazy if he thought there was really any chance I could actually buy that place. It was a crazy idea, right?
But then again, Luca had said at least one thing that had made sense. One thing that I couldn’t quite get out of my head.
What do you have to lose?
And the answer was… nothing.
I had nothing to lose.