Page 2 of Connor

“Sure, Mom… whatever you say,” I agree with her, albeit halfheartedly, biting my bottom lip as frustration nips at my skin. Sunshine Space Wellness Clinic is all I’ve ever known. We have great clients, but I’ve reviewed our paperwork. We’re not growing. In fact, we’re going backward. We aren’t getting new people in the doors. We haven’t moved with the times at all. And I ache for it. I want to push, I want to grow, I want to build something.

Starting something new, that’s just mine, would be a dream come true, especially in the yoga space, but it would probably break my mom’s heart and would also require financial investment, so that isn’t going to happen either. So, until I win the lottery, I’m here, every day, all day.

“I can see you thinking, Daisy. Leave it to the universe; it will make the decision for us,” she says, smiling. Only my mother can take what I think are crucial business decisions and hand them over to the universe for answers.

I nod, taking a few deep breaths. “So what am I doing this afternoon?” I ask her as I try to get my mind on the task at hand, now that I’m in charge of our last client.

“It’s a sound therapy and then yoga flow,” my mom says. I frown. It’s odd; I never do personal yoga flows. I usually just run classes, which is another thing I’ve been meaning to discuss with her.

“Is it a friend of yours?” I ask her, assuming it is.

“No…”

I don’t know how I know, but I feel like she’s not telling me something.

The windchimes connected to our front door tickle through the place, indicating someone has arrived.

“Oh, that will be him now.” Her eyes glisten as she grabs the tea, pouring it into a cup. For someone who’s too tired to do the treatment, she’s certainly quick to get to the door.

“Him? I thought I had a female for this treatment?” I confirm with her before she exits the kitchen, stopping at the door, looking back and giving me her smile.

“Oh… no, darling. It’s a male, and his name is Connor. Let me go check him in.” Then she’s floating down the small hallway, her long purple dress flowing behind her, and I sigh.

Is this really all I’m going to do with my life?

Maybe Mom is right. Maybe the universe will decide for me.

2

CONNOR WHITEMAN

This is the last thing I have time for. Yet here I am. If Lacy wasn’t my best staff member and Hudson wasn’t one of my best friends, then there’s no way I would put my hand up for this shit. Hopefully, they enjoy their private time in New York, and we can all move on with bringing the Whiteman’s Distillery Spa to fruition.

It will be a game changer. I can feel it. All the wives and girlfriends who accompany their partners to our small town to drink our whiskey need something to do if they don’t like our liquor. And a wellness retreat is the perfect thing. It’ll complement our nearby mineral springs, and while Lacy and Victoria are in charge of this research trip, they both had to leave early. Since I was coming to the city to watch the Jets this weekend anyway, I was lumped with testing the final treatments they had lined up. The plus side to it all is now Hudson owes me. Big-time.

“Shall I wait, sir?” my driver asks as we pull up to the side of the street, having reached our destination. I look out the window and frown. He’s clearly unsure if we should even be here on this side of town, let alone getting out of the car and going inside this shanty.

“Might be a good idea…” I murmur to him as he steps out and holds my door open and I meet him on the sidewalk. I glance up and down quickly. The street is pretty quiet, all the shops a little nondescript. There’s a small café next door, which is already closed, a children’s clothes shop a farther up, and I think I see a convenience store at the end of the block.

It’s a standard New York street on the edge of the city, and I have no idea why the girls chose this place to research treatments. I thought for sure I would be going to the spa at The Plaza or something.

Dressed in my gym shorts and a t-shirt, having no idea what to wear to a fucking spa treatment, I look back at the door. Sunshine Space Wellness Clinic is written in chipped yellow paint on the glass panel of the door. The timber doorframe is a muddy red color, flaking in the corners. It’s clearly been here for some time.

I grit my teeth, a little frustrated, because I’ve a million other things to do today, preferring to meet up with Sawyer at the bar near our office to talk business, rather than be here, doing whatever treatment Lacy and Victoria have picked.

“If I’m not out in an hour, you better call 9-1-1,” I tell him, only half joking.

“I will wait right here, sir,” my driver says, and I nod, striding forward, wanting to get this over with.

I walk up to the door and push it open wide. Some type of wind chime announces my arrival, and as I step inside, the smell hits me.

It’s like someone is smoking weed. I breathe in and start to cough, my throat drying almost instantly. Yep, some asshole is in here smoking weed, I’m sure of it.

“Oh, that’s our incense. It can tickle the throat if you’re not used to it. Welcome to the Sunshine Space,” an older woman greets me. She looks like a witch. Not an evil witch, just a normal witch, if there’s such a thing. Her long black hair has a few purple streaks in it and a sprinkle of gray throughout. Her skin is pale and wrinkled with age. She’s even wearing what I imagine to be witch clothes, a long, flowing dress that falls to the floor, again in black and purple, and I’m sensing a theme. I quickly look around, spotting incense burning, candles, teas, crystals, and all sorts of potions, and I wonder if the girls have sent me to have some sort of satanic seance or something.

“You must be Connor. Please, come in,” she encourages me, and I blink. Should I really go any farther into this place? I can’t see anyone else here, and I roll my shoulders a little. I could take her down if I needed to, right? As long as she doesn’t tie me to the bed or anything.

“Ahhh. Thank you, ma’am.” My voice comes out a little rough and reserved, my country accent peeking through and sounding nothing at all like her voice, which is very deliberate, melodious, and suspiciously calming.

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