揥hen you put it that way, I really do deserve a break at home. More decaf and less snark,?I tell her, looking at Kate. 揌ave HR ready. I抣l sign off on everything, but we抳e got to move fast. I don抰 want to risk blowing this.?
揧eet,?Destiny says.
揥hat??I ask.
Kate finally looks up from her laptop over her glasses. 揟hat抯 young-speak for cool. My kids say it all the time.?
揃ah, I抦 lucky I haven抰 heard it before.?I wonder how the copywriters ever keep up with trends in slang.
揧ou hear that, Dessy? You抮e the expert here in talking young,?Katelyn says with a wry smile. 揝ince your dear old dad has me running after espresso machine suppliers who shortchanged us last month, I don抰 have time to go on a honey badger hunt. So, you抳e got your first task.?
Destiny pops up from the floor. 揧ou want me to call??
揧eah, the shop on Seventh Street.?
揧ou抳e managed to cure her bonelessness, Katelyn. Miraculous.?I snort as I look at Dess. 揥hy can抰 you pop up like that when I tell you to get moving??
揧ou抮e a drill sergeant. Duh.?
揑 was a lieutenant. Sergeants are noncommissioned,?I mutter.
揝o, you admit you抮e a drill sergeant??
揥rong. I outranked your average RDC and you know nothing about the US Navy.?
揥hatevs. I know it made you a total hardass for life,?she whispers under her breath梥till loud enough to hear梐s she rolls her eyes.
While Destiny dials the store, I head back to my office.
I抦 perched in my tall leather chair before I realize I抦 still holding the damn mason jar.
We抣l track down its owner soon enough. I try to focus on reports, but my eyes keep catching on that small glass container.
Even if I had this sample reverse engineered, I can抰 use it right now. Plus, it抯 too delicious to waste.
I do what any sane person would.
Bottom抯 up.
My office door pops opens and Destiny bounces in.
Perfect timing.
Naturally, she catches me drinking from the mason jar and shakes her head with a loud click of her tongue. 揜eally, Dad? You抮e drinking your own research??
I give her my best mackerel-eyed stare. 揝he抣l be here soon enough and we抣l have a fresh sample we can actually use. Why waste this one??
揙kay. I think you just have a thing for coffee made by people you hate.?She pauses. When I don抰 even crack a smile at her silly comment, she sighs. 揌er name抯 Eliza Angelo. She抯 not on LinkedIn or Facebook, so I had to do some digging. You抮e welcome.?
揈veryone抯 on Facebooger for reasons I will never understand.?
Destiny shakes her head again.
揘ope. Everyone old uses it, you mean. Not her. She抯 listed as a virtual assistant on Instagram and Upwork, which means basically nothing. The HR lady said that depending on who her clients are, that could mean she抯 struggling to get by梠r it could mean she rakes in six figures.?
揟hat抯 solid digging, little bee. Though not terribly helpful in getting a proper salary proposal together for HR,?I say gently.
She stares at me like she can抰 believe I paid her an honest compliment.
揔ate and I researched it. VAs typically pull in thirty to seventy thousand dollars a year with the high earners being outliers. Kate thinks we should put two proposals together梠ne for an average VA and a backup if you think she抯 an outlier.?
I stare at my daughter.
揤ery thoughtful. Thanks, now I can retire.?
揇ad!?She stomps her foot. 揑t was mostly Kate抯 idea, so give her a raise. I抦 just the messenger. She says she抯 already working on the proposals for you.?
A smile pulls at my lips.
Most kids would take credit and try to use it to gain some reward. Somehow, I still have a selfless, honest daughter behind the brat.
I just need a reminder sometimes.
揑 have the best assistant,?I say, turning to the mini fridge behind my desk for a water.
Destiny grins. 揧eah, you do. You don抰 even know how many of my friends have asked if you need help. The older juniors and seniors would kill to have a summer job with you條ike literally go all Jane the Ripper. They all think you抮e fire and it抯 gross.?
I抦 swallowing water from the bottle I just opened when she says it. I抦 lucky I don抰 spray mineral water from an Icelandic glacier all over the goddamned place like a human sprinkler.
揥e抮e in luck. I抦 not in the market for a girl half my age who抯 going to hit on me even if Mrs. Storm resigns tomorrow. Tell them I抦 nobody抯 fantasy.?I cough into my hand again, trying like hell not to stare awkwardly. 揂lso, that抯 a subject we抣l never bring up again.?
揓eez, Dad...?
揌ow抯 shadowing? Not the sleeping pill you imagined??
She squeezes her eyes shut and grimaces, scrunching her small face.
揇addy, I love you, but I stand by what I said. Your job is boring AF.?
揂nd I know what that stands for, Dess. You抣l be grounded AF if you keep that up.?She flinches before I carry on. 揝till, I suppose you抮e right. Boring or not, someone needs to run this joint after I step aside, and you抮e an only child.?
揘ot my fault! You should抳e gotten remarried and had more kids. It抯 not like you were short on ladies lining up for dates.?She makes a yuck face.
Technically, she抯 right.
That抯 why I humor her with a lopsided smile, ignoring the fact that I was busy with a little girl and a massive family legacy company. Not to mention a lifetime of fucking damage from the hell that ended my marriage prematurely.
揝ee? You抮e turning green.?I point at her. 揑f I ever dated long enough to give you a little brother or sister, the kissing would traumatize you for life.?
揢gh, I抎 get over it. Can抰 be worse than talking about contracts and hiring proposals for as long as I live, right??She gives me a sour look.
揟here comes a point in your life when it抯 not so boring anymore.?
She stares at me like I抳e sprouted a second head.
揢mm梟o. Shoot me now??
揘ah, but I抣l help you take the edge off, and since you抮e too young to drink...?I spin around to the mini fridge again, fetching a can of root beer I know she loves and two cold glasses. While I pour the sodas, I look at her. 揑f you seriously don抰 want to waste your life on contracts, what do you want to do for a living, Destiny??
I抦 genuinely curious.
She was thirteen the last time I asked that question. She told me she wanted to run a petting zoo on a superyacht to Antarctica梚f only she could stand the water.
揈h, I don抰 know. Maybe I could be a YouTuber or big influencer for fashion or something??
My grip tightens on my root beer as I take a swig.
揧ou抎 better start liking the coffee biz. There抯 no way I抦 letting you show off skimpy dresses for strangers. Don抰 care how old you are.?
揙h, Dad.?She huffs a breath loudly. 揟hat抯 another reason you should抳e had a bigger family. Even with, um, everything that happened when I was a kid桰抎 be an excellent babysitter. And you抎 finally have someone else to throw crap at instead of piling it on me.?
She may be right, but we need our funny moments.
God help her if she thinks I抦 about to stop anytime soon.
I just hope I haven抰 bitten off too much with that brown-eyed hellion who seems to hold the key to our next big innovation梐nd possibly my own madness.
3
Brew-tiful Idea (Eliza)
The next day, I load up a couple canisters full of my latest roast and head over to the homeless camp in the park just a few blocks from my apartment.
I promised Wyatt梩he original genius behind the campfire brew I抳e refined梐nd his girlfriend Meadow that I抎 help pass out breakfast today. It抯 also an awesome chance to test my latest efforts with a sample audience.
When I get there, they have a table set up, piled high with donuts and breakfast sandwiches. I unload my canisters, disposable cups, and rating cards on the table before I turn to Wyatt.
揌ere, try this. I need your thoughts,?I tell him.
With a big grin showing through his now nicely trimmed beard, he fills a paper cup with the velvety black liquid. I watch him hold it up, sniff, and throw back the drink梤ight before he covers his mouth and coughs.
揝hit, that抯 hot. Think I burned my idiot tongue. Not sure my tastebuds are much use now棓
Meadow laughs and elbows him gently. 揑t抯 coffee! What did you expect??