Page 3 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

Just then, my phone vibrated, and I groaned, tossing it to the sofa and covering it with a cushion. “On second thought, maybe prison is better. Mom has been calling to yell. At least twenty times. And Dad sent me a long email expressing his ‘deep disappointment.’”

“You shouldn’t be surprised,” Eric said. “They had high hopes for you and George.”

“We’d only been seeing each other for two months. Why would I say yes?”

“He’s a great guy. Wonderful family. Why not?”

I scoffed. “You’re just saying that because he’s your business partner.”

“No, I’m just stating the facts. You know the parents are only doing this because they want what’s best for you.”

“You need to get out of this apartment,” Naomi smoothly interrupted, before I had a chance to retort. “Let’s go somewhere fun, where you don’t have to think about George, or the proposal,or creepy friend requests. How do you feel about some Japanese food?”

“I’ve got pizza and Netflix. I’m good.”

But she was already ushering me toward my bedroom, and ten minutes later, I was being herded into Eric’s car, my protests met with cheeky grins and wide, innocent eyes. Fifteen minutes after that, I finally accepted my fate as the three of us swung into a parking lot in front of a sushi train restaurant. Eric’s phone buzzed as he turned off the engine, and he raised his eyebrows when he saw the caller ID.

“You two go ahead,” Eric said. “I have to take this call.”

Naomi linked her arm through mine as we got out of the car. “So here’s the plan. We’ll have lunch and some bubble tea as a treat. If you’re still not cheered up, we might even go nuts and see a movie or two. Sounds good?”

“Sure. Maybe we should rewatchThe Proposal.”

She chuckled. “Seriously though, I’ve been so worried. How are you?”

I cringed as a couple of teenagers did a double take, staring at me as we walked into the restaurant. “Semi-famous. Thanks to YouTube.”

Naomi waved her hands. “It’s a video abouttheGeorge Fitzgerald and his failed proposal. Plus, you nearly set the place on fire. It’s bound to go viral, but it’ll go away eventually.” She lowered her voice as we were shown into an empty booth and sat down. “But why did you say no? You never told me much about him, but I thought you said he’s not bad.”

“Because I don’t know him well enough. We’d only been going out for two months. And ‘not bad’ isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement to accept a proposal, is it?”

“But when you know, you know, right?” Naomi argued. When I only made a noncommittal grunt, she raised her eyebrows.“Well, why did you go on the second, third, fourth dates with him? There’s got to be something that made you stick around.”

I winced. I never told her this part because I was embarrassed. “Our mothers set us up. They encouraged us to meet for drinks, which turned into a few dinners, and now here we are.”

Naomi groaned. “Again?Didn’t we have a similar conversation already, when your mother tried to set you up with… oh, whatever the hell his name was. The heir of that Indonesian palm oil conglomerate?” She let out a dry laugh. “Ellie, we’ve talked about this so many times. Stop letting your family run your life.”

I shrugged, pretending to be unconcerned. “If I said no, I’d hurt their feelings. They’re just looking after me. That’s what families do, right?”

Naomi’s tone became gentler. “Sure, but mine doesn’t set me up with rich heirs to expand our family business. Look, I know how difficult your parents can be, and how they handle you with kid gloves because of your diagnosis. But it’s a super-thin, blurry line between looking after you and micromanaging your life.”

“I’m used to it.” She hit close to home, but I wasn’t discussing my dysfunctional family relationship in the middle of a busy restaurant. Before I could change the topic, Eric slid into the seat next to Naomi.

“That was George. We haven’t even launched the brewery, and the new CFO resigned this morning. Said she had an urgent family matter in her hometown.” Eric’s sharp gaze landed on me. “Could you handle the finance duties for us?”

My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “After I rejected his proposal? You’re kidding, right? Also, news flash: I already have a job. In fact, I’m swamped right now, getting a client ready for their initial public offering.”

“Is that a no?”

“You have two degrees and an MBA. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“Only until we find someone. You know how picky Dad is.”

Eric had a point. Henry Pang had built his business empire from practically nothing, and earning his trust was tougher than teaching a donkey to play the piano. It took George’s family a year of wooing and convincing Dad that they were the right business partner for Pang Food Industries, even though Fitzgerald Creek Wines was the biggest and oldest winery in the country. The partnership had resulted in Eric and George’s new craft beer company. Eric had succeeded in expanding the family business into hotels, supermarkets, and catering companies, and this was the latest step in his bold conquest for world domination.

But after the NYE debacle, I wasn’t going anywhere near the family business.

“Think of all the new experiences you’ll be exposed to,” Eric said. “You’ll learn heaps.”

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