Page 58 of A Perfect Match
I know what happens.
I know better.
“I’m glad I caught you.I had an idea I wanted to ask you about,” I say, my gaze drifting over the blueprints.
“Oh yeah?”She tries to stifle a yawn behind her hand.“What’s that?”
“I was wondering if I could bulk order some marshmallows.I’m taking your advice to add marshmallow to my lobster dish, and I want to start experimenting tomorrow.”
Her face lights up.“Hey, that’s awesome.I’ll drop off a set for you tomorrow morning before you get in, so they’ll be ready to go when you start prepping for lunch.Any flavor preferences?”
“I’d like a variety.Surprise me.”
“Consider it done.”
"Thanks, Maven.So, what's all this?"I gesture to the chaos on her table.
She hesitates."Nothing.”
“This looks like the opposite of nothing,” I say.
“I’m planning an…event space.”
When she doesn’t add more, I tip my head to seek out her gaze.“Go on.”
She watches me for a moment, almost like she’s waiting for something.Then she lets loose.“I want to expand Cloud Nine into event catering and hosting.Weddings, corporate parties, that sort of thing.It’s just a future thing, though.I’ve been thinking about it for almost two years now, but I have no idea where it would go, and I feel like I’d have to relocate the entire business to be wherever this place is, which would be a really big hassle and relearning for my customer base, not to mention a huge gamble in terms of rent prices and, well, how do I find another place that’s affordable so close to the lake, and it’s just—" She pauses, then lets out a huff.“I’m getting myself worked up into knots over something that doesn’t exist yet.”
I move closer, examining her sketches."All of that aside, these are good.You've got an eye for layout."
"Thanks."She sounds surprised by the compliment."It's just ideas right now.I’m not working with any real building yet, since I need to find the right space, figure out permits, hire more staff…" She trails off.
"You know," I say, an idea forming, "when I bought this property, it included another building I didn’t expect.The barn at the far end of the parking lot.”
Her eyes widen."The barn?"
"Yeah.If I’m not mistaken, it has a view of the lake.It’s old, would need a lot of work, but when I checked it out, it was solid.I haven’t spent too much time inspecting it, since it was more of an add-on from the previous owner, but you’re welcome to look at it and see if it might be something that could work for you.Rustic charm and all that."
"Are you serious?"She's sitting up straighter now, excitement replacing fatigue in her expression.
"Completely serious.I don’t really have any plans for it.I thought maybe I’d use it for storage, like overflow…" I shrug."But it’s not even on my radar right now."
She's quiet for a long moment, wheels clearly turning behind those bright green eyes."Would you…would you consider renting it to me?"
I laugh.“Maven, you haven’t even seen it.”
“I’ve seen it.I’ve looked at it every single day for the past three years.”
“I mean theinside.”I lean on the counter, watching her."But to answer your question, I’d consider it.But that barn will need a lot of work to be event ready.You’ll need to have a solid plan for renovations."
"I do!"She jumps up, suddenly energized, and starts shuffling her papers."I mean, I will.I’ll figure it out.If the space is right, I’ll make it work.But I have a sneaking suspicion it’ll be perfect because I’ve been imagining a barn in my mind the entire time I’ve been planning this out."
She spreads out her sketches, pointing out details, explaining her vision.It's impossible not to get caught up in her enthusiasm.She's practically glowing as she talks about fairy lights strung from rafters, a dance floor beneath exposed beams, tables arranged to maximize the view of the water.She even pulls out her phone and shows me the various inspiration boards she made on Pinterest.It’s a complete step-by-step plan.One that just needs the right space to allow her vision to become reality.
"What do you think?"she asks finally."Is it too much?Too ambitious?"
"I think," I say slowly, "that this would be yet another amazing Cloud Nine creation.”
Her smile is blinding."Really?"
