Page 71 of A Shore Fling
Me: What are you thinking?
Travis: It’s a surprise.
Me: Is coordination required for whatever we’re doing?
Travis: No. I’ll pick you up at seven in my truck.
I smile at how he clarifies the mode of transportation for me.
Me: What should I wear?
Travis: Dress casually and bring a sweater or sweatshirt.
Me: I’m looking forward to it already.
Travis: Me too.
“What’s got you staring at your phone so goofily?” Ginger asks, startling me. She pushes my coffee and the plate with the blueberry muffin toward me.
“Sorry about that.” I was so focused on the text chain, I forgot where I was.
“Would it by chance have something to do with a formerly grumpy but now smitten harbormaster?”
“Maybe.” I try to hold back my smile, but it takes over, spreading across my face.
“Go sit down so we can talk,” she orders, shooing me away with a hand.
I slap cash down on the counter before I head toward a table. Ginger hurries over to join me, sliding into the chair across from mine.
“Tell me what’s going on with you and Travis.” She leans forward, eager for the details.
“We’ve spent the last two nights together.”
“What?” she squeals. “All night?”
“No! I meant out of bed. I’m not that kind of girl.”
“Oh, please. With a man that hot, everyone is that kind of girl.”
She’s not wrong. When I invited him in last night, I was hoping he’d accept and we’d get to know each other better.
“That’s true. He has a way of getting me to try things I normally wouldn’t. Last night we rode a tandem bike to Reed’s shop.”
“Why’d you go there?”
“I offered to help him with some marketing ideas for his shop, so last night we had a meeting.”
“How’d that go?”
“Great. He was extremely receptive to my feedback. I gave him a short-term plan, and we’re going to discuss a long-term one before I return to the city.”
“Would you be willing to do the same for me? I could use someone with your background to help me figure out how I can take this place to the next level.”
“Of course I will. I can think of some ideas off the top of my head. Have you considered doing customer reward cards?”
“I know some places offer those kinds of deals, but I haven’t thought about it.”
“You should. You could do something like buy ten coffees and get one free. You’d have to punch their card every time they make a purchase unless you have the capability to use an app.”
