Page 77 of Forget About Me

LUCY

Later that week, Kate calls to make an appointment with me, and we find a time to meet for coffee. She and Will are thinking about getting a puppy together, and she wants information on how to introduce a puppy to a cat.

When I give her a rundown of training basics, the look of dismay on her face is a familiar one. “Really? I have to put him in a cage when I’m not home?” Even though crate training is a proven way to prevent separation anxiety as well as accidents, most people see it as punishment.

“Think of it as his den. A dog feels responsible for the space, for protecting his territory. A whole apartment”—I spread my arms in the air—“is way too much for a puppy to take care of. Even too much for some grown dogs.”

She eventually gets what I’m saying, and we move on to the fun part. “So, picking a puppy.”

Kate bounces on her toes and claps her hands. “I can’t wait!”

“And you’re going to adopt from a shelter?”

She nods. “That seems like the right thing to do.” Rolling her eyes, she adds, “Plus, Will thinks spending money to buy a puppy when we can get one for free is ridiculous.”

“Well, you will have to cover the cost of spaying or neutering the puppy, as well as some other fees.”

She waves a hand in the air. “Yeah, but those’d be incurred costs, anyway.”

“Not to get ahead of ourselves, but there may be other factors affecting your choice besides your cat. If you’re planning to have kids anytime soon, that’s another thing to add to the mix.”

She nods, her smile wide. “This relationship is new, but it feels pretty serious. And I want kids someday, so let’s keep that in mind.”

After we talk through how to choose a beta puppy from a pack—not the one that charges the enclosure to greet you first, not the one cowering in the corner—Kate folds the legal pad full of carefully printed notes into a pristine leather folder. “Okay, I think I’ve got everything I need for now. Your turn.”

She offered to pay me for this consult, but I suggested we do a trade instead.

“Okay.” Where she’s organized, I’m a mess. “Obviously, I’m in need of some business advice.” I hold up my datebook—stuffed full of sticky notes, checks I need to deposit and scribbled ideas—as evidence.

She pushes her chair back. “I’m actually gonna get a refill before we move on. Do you want more?”

“Sure.” Now I’m nervous. I can talk all day about caring for pets and training dogs, but when it comes to financial stuff, I’m at a complete loss.

When Kate sits back down and clasps her hands in front of her, her face is so serious I have to stifle a giggle. “Where do you see your business in five years?”

Not the question I’d expected. “Um… I don’t know?”

She nods, no judgement on her face. “Okay, let’s back up. What’s working for you right now and what isn’t?”

This gets the ball rolling. Kate is amazing at teasing out details and organizing my hopes and dreams into what she calls “actionable items.” By the time I’ve finished the second cup of coffee, I have a plan for making a proposal to Dr. Morrissey with a prioritized list of what to negotiate for, including things like liability insurance, which would probably not have occurred to me until I was liable for something.

Looking over my list, I shake my head. “Kate, I can’t thank you enough. Even if I spent weeks in the library, I couldn’t have come up with all this.”

She sits back in her chair and taps her nose with a pencil. “This has actually given me a really cool idea.” Pulling out her legal pad, she flips to a clean page and writes as she speaks. “Microloans are good and all, but I think what women in the States might benefit from is a place to ask advice. Or a mentor.” She bites the pencil for a few seconds before writing more. “Oooh. Maybe a drop-in clinic for entrepreneurs. We could have workshops, but also times when people like you could come in with questions—roadblocks they’ve run into. Like an… Entrepreneur Support Center.” She makes a face. “That sounds terrible. I’ll have to come up with a better name.” She grabs my hand. “You want to be the pilot project for this if I can get it going?”

“Uh, sure. That’d be great.”

Kate takes more notes, asks more questions, and gets me super excited about my prospects. Now I just have to work up the courage to actually make the proposal to my boss.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Start Me Up” - The Rolling Stones

Lucy’s Catch You on the Flipside Mixtape, Song #3

LUCY

Saturday afternoon, after a morning of driving and training and meeting new clients, I stop to fuel up. Before I head out again, I use the gas station’s payphone to check messages. After giving me information on two new potential clients, the woman from the service says, “Oh, there’s one more.”

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