揑 think he owns one in Hawaii somewhere. So they say.?Wayne shrugs, wearing a strained smile. 揧ou抮e better off on your own for sure. Any of the local shops in this city would be happy to have you, and they抎 probably pay more. Wired Cup is about as corporate as it gets after the national chains.?
揧ou know my problem with taking odd jobs...remember the backup shifts I picked up for you? Too much of that cuts into my brew time. That抯 why I抳e settled for the VA work. It抯 flexible and different enough from what I like to do at home. It doesn抰 wear my creativity down to a nub. Then again, I抣l have to find something else soon. This was a mediocre month for freelancing and Seattle isn抰 getting any cheaper.?
He smiles knowingly.
揓ust stay true to your dream. You抳e got a thousand people here who want to open their own shops, but most of 抏m give up and leave the industry for good. I only know one lady who actually opened a successful caf? She was fifty before she could do it. Scalding yourself day in and day out for tips and dealing with rude assholes is the best way to get burned out.?
I laugh. 揥ell, I抦 scalding myself for free right now. A little cash would be an upgrade.?
揃ut you抮e actually roasting and brewing. Making real joe. I grind beans and toss them in a machine. It抯 not the same. Hell, you know I won抰 sneeze at that bonus, but it抯 not the only reason I brought it up. I thought you might be interested.?
I sigh. 揌ow big is the carrot he抯 holding??
揟en thousand bucks. Paid after you start, from what I understand,?he says.
Damn. That抯 months of income for Wayne and a lot less stress from medical bills. I feel my conscience twitch, stabbing my heart with a little pitchfork.
揝o it抯 a job? I do have to work for him??I抦 almost afraid to ask.
He shrugs roughly.
揥hat if I just start and quit the next day??
Wayne scratches his beard. 揌e didn抰 go too deep in the weeds. But it抯 Lancaster. I抎 check the fine print for sure. It抯 really not a big deal, though. You don抰 have to do this for me if it抯 too much. I抳e always managed.?
He has, but his uneven smile tells me he抯 also approaching his wit抯 end.
This. Sucks.
I want to help Wayne, and I need the money too. It抯 the kind of no-brainer that just has to come with a horrible catch.
I sigh so hard it rattles my bones. 揑 came to Seattle to follow my dreams. Not have them dashed by corporate America棓
揑 know.?
揃ut if he likes my brew that much...do you think it could open some doors??I swallow. Freelancing as a VA is feast or famine and not reliable, even if it saves me from creative brain drain.
揑t could. I抦 sure having whatever he wants on your resume can抰 hurt. My dealings with Cole Lancaster have pretty much been limited to two or three odd inspections like you saw yesterday. He doesn抰 do small talk. Still, working for him means skills and money. No question.?
He definitely isn抰 making this easier.
I feel like I抦 being morally ripped in half.
揥hat would you do??I ask quietly.
揗e? Shit, I don抰 know.?He laughs loudly. 揑抦 not the most unbiased person to be asking for advice, either. I抳e got ten thousand smackers on the line.?
I laugh. 揟rue.?
揃ut,?he says, 摀It can抰 be worse than your freelancing, right? It抯 a steady check or maybe a massive buyout. If you try it out and don抰 like it, you can walk away.?
揇id Lancaster name a number??
He shakes his head. 揌e didn抰. You want his card? He left it for me to pass on.?
揑抣l take it, but I抦 not sure I抦 going to do this, Wayne. Sorry. I just can抰 make any big promises.?
揑 wouldn抰 expect it, Eliza. You抮e a wildcat and you rock it. Don抰 let anybody cage you in.?He hands me Lancaster抯 business card. 揌ere you go. Just in case.?
揕isten, if I don抰 do it, I抦 giving you free coffee and baked goods for the rest of your life,?I tell him.
揝weet. I win either way.?But the way his smile thins tells me that money would do infinitely more good than my consolation prize.
揧ou do, and you deserve it since you work for a raging dick.?
揌is daughter went off on him after you left. First you tore him to shreds, then the teenager did. It was amusing.?Wayne sniffs.
揟he girl at the table? That was his daughter??I ask, a little shocked.
When he nods, I have to smile.
I hate that I抦 curious.
But I love the thought of Mr. High and Mighty CEO being brought low by a mouth he can抰 just walk away from.
I sit on the deck of Dakota抯 sprawling home, overlooking the Puget Sound. 揑 just hope one day I can be a tenth as successful as you. Oh, and have a cute little baby or two.?
The little bundle of joy squirms in her arms. The way Dakota smiles down at the munchkin says her world is now complete and unbreakable.
They named the baby girl Evermore, and even if it sounded weird at first, now it抯 kinda fitting.
Dakota looks up and laughs. 揑 mean, I can only take half the credit for this masterpiece.?She waves her hand at the kidlet snuggled in her blanket. 揂nd Linc had this place before we even met.?
揘o,?I say sharply.
揘o what??
揕ady, you抮e a bestselling poet, a top-notch copywriter, and a badass mom. Do not sell yourself short in front of me.?I wag a finger.
揢m, my bestselling poetry collection has sold like fifty thousand dollars this past year梐nd that抯 a lot for poetry.?
揧ou抮e not in it for the money.?I smile, ignoring the obvious fact that money will never be a problem again when she抯 married to a billionaire. 揂lso, you抮e still one of the most successful poets in America. Congratulations. You made Edgar Allan proud.?
揙nce a Poe, always a Poe, I guess. Even with the name changing to Burns.?She nods firmly. 揟hanks for the confidence boost. And I think you should just reframe the way you view success. There抯 something to be said for living life on your own terms. Nobody does that better than you, Eliza.?
揜eally??
She nods. 揅an I ask you something??
揝hoot.?
揥hat brought you to Seattle, anyway? I mean, way back when you could抳e just stayed warm in San Diego sipping iced lattes.?
I pull my knees to my chest and hug them close.
揑t always seemed like my destination. I stomped around five states, did a summer working in Heart抯 Edge at this cool little shop called The Nest, and then...hello, Seattle. I dunno. So many chains started here. Indie stores are still the beating heart of the coffee culture. It just feels natural.?I need to know what she thinks. 揝peaking of chains, I, uh, may have a chance with one.?
揂t what??Her eyebrows lift as the baby squirms in her arms. 揝eriously? You mean getting your coffee into an actual chain caf??
揥ell...?
揌oly crap, that抯 wild! Not like you抎 ever go for that梚t抯 too corporate for you, right? But how抎 that happen??
I try not to grimace.
揑t was pretty random. I was working on my latest version of Wyatt抯 campfire brew and took it to Wired Cup for the barista to try while I studied the flavor profile of their new lineup棓
揑s it good??
I give her the side-eye. 揇efinitely not sweet enough for you, you fiend.?
Her laughter makes the baby wave her little arms.
揧ou know I抦 right. Your dark poet soul loves candied coffee with enough vanilla to rival potpourri. Anyway, this posse of suits comes in, and their ringleader梬ho looked like some mafia guy梥tarts talking trash to my friend Wayne about how the coffee is barely passable...turns out, he was the CEO.?
I fill Dakota in on the rest of the madness.
When I抦 finished she blinks at me, holding the baby close to her chest. 揥hat a riot. I feel like I抦 still missing something, though...?
揧ou are. The jackass drank the coffee I left behind. He liked it so much he offered Wayne a nice fat bonus if I just swallow my pride and come to work for him.?
Dakota awkward laughs so hard she snorts. 揧eeesh! Okay, now you have to do this梚f nothing else, to make it up to poor Wayne.?
揝hut up,?I groan.
Her laughter fades, and she straightens up. 揂t least call. Talk to them, Eliza. You never know where a corporate gig might lead.?
I rake her with a knowing glance.
Easy for her to say, considering her stint in Corporate America landed her Grump Charming and a life beyond her wildest dreams.