Page 66 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“Thanks.” Trinity waited until he moved out of earshot, then turned her attention back to me. “That was a little weird. Is he always like that?”
“Pretty much.”
“He gives me a weird vibe. First, I thought he hated me. Now he’s friendly and curious about the grand opening.”
“Yeah, that’s Wyatt.” And now he wanted to talk. Again. I kept my mouth shut as I finished my sandwich. Sooner or later, I’d have to pick a side. I couldn’t keep volleying back and forth like this. When I was with Trinity, I couldn’t imagine plotting against her. But as soon as Wyatt dangled another carrot in front of me, I found myself unable to say no. I’d almost blown my own cover during the chat with my mom. If Trinity had caught what she said about lambing season, she hadn’t asked about it yet.
The fun, flirty mood had shifted thanks to Wyatt. We finished our burgers, and I cleared the plates.
“You want to go ahead and head up and I’ll catch up to you in a few minutes?” That was one perk of living over the bar—decent food was never too far away.
“Sure.” She followed me to the stairs leading up to my apartment and stepped onto the first one, putting her almost at eye level. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she pulled me close, sliding her thigh between mine as her lips sought my mouth.
Damn, I thought Wyatt had ruined my plans for the afternoon. Nothing like getting cock blocked by the boss. But as Trinity’s hands roamed over my chest, gravitating toward my waistband, I found myself heading straight back to Bonerville.
“Hey, I’ve still got to go talk to Wyatt.” I kissed my way up her neck and along her cheek. “Can we pick this up when I come upstairs?”
“You bet, under one condition.” She held a finger up in front of my nose.
“What’s that, bossy pants?” I nibbled on the tip of her pointer finger, enjoying the way her lips split into a grin.
“Don’t take too long.”
“You got it.” I waited as she climbed the steps leading to my place. Once she was out of sight, I took a few deep breaths, trying to douse the heat she’d stirred up all over again. When I’d finally managed to pull myself together enough not to embarrass myself, I stalked toward Wyatt’s office.
I wanted nothing more than to stay in the States. First it had been all about not having to go home and take up the family business. But then I met Trinity. Trinity, who seemed savvy and experienced when it came to traveling the world, but who disappeared inside herself when talking about business. She was following her heart so far outside her comfort zone in her quest to honor her grandmother, that I wanted to do whatever I could to help her.
But I also knew she’d be okay even if she didn’t get to open up the co-op. I’d done a little research on her family, and they had enough money that Trinity would never have to work a day of her life unless she wanted to. Whereas, I was almost out of cash and wouldn’t have a choice except to return home and take up the family tradition.
Life wasn’t fair.
I stopped outside Wyatt’s office and knocked on the door frame. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yeah, come on in.” Wyatt looked up. “Where did your girlfriend go?”
“She’s upstairs. Can we make this quick?” I perched on the edge of the chair across from his desk.
“Yeah, I just wanted to show you what I’ve been working on. Here.” He slid a piece of paper across the desk.
I scanned the page. “What the hell is this?”
“I’ve been approached by an investment firm who wants me to franchise this place. You’re practically my business partner now, so I wanted to run it by you before I signed on the dotted line. What do you think?”
No wonder he’d been in such a good mood. My pulse spiked as I glanced over the black type. The number of digits following the dollar sign could have sent me into cardiac arrest. Wyatt had done a good job with Tapped, but what made it worth what they were offering?
I leaned forward and slid the paper back to him. “Seems a little steep. What the hell did you tell them you were selling here?”
A deep chuckle made his chest puff out. “It’s the craft brew. Once we expand into the space next door, we’ll be golden.”
“I don’t get it. You don’t even have it set up yet. They can’t franchise an idea you haven’t proven yet.” That made zero sense to me. “Where did you find these guys?”
“These ‘guys’ are friends of my dad’s who have a shit ton of extra cash and a desire to help the next generation get established. What they’re offering here is an opportunity for us to prove ourselves and then make bank. And it’s not like I don’t know anything about craft brews.”
I held up a hand. “Hey, I know you worked at that place in your hometown for a while. But this is different. Franchising means figuring out processes and systems not just for a single location, but an entire infrastructure you can scale. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”
“Hell, no. But that’s why I have you.” Wyatt clapped me on the shoulder. “We need to celebrate. And can you pick up the pace? The sooner you get your girlfriend to move out and move on, the sooner we can get started.”
I closed my eyes and pushed my fingertips against my temples. Dollar signs seemed to dance across the back of my eyelids. What Wyatt was offering…it was crazy. It was the kind of offer that came along maybe once in a guy’s life. And that was if the guy was one crazy, lucky motherfucker. I knew I’d never get another opportunity like this.
