Page 49 of Pushing Daisy
“Hmm. Is…is that good?” Daisy asks, her voice sounding huskier.
“I’m going to need a moment alone with it, if you don’t mind,” Sloan replies flatly. Sloan licks her lips, catching some errant broth, noticing how Daisy swallows as her eyes follow the path of her tongue. Maybe that heart she texted Sloan wasn’t a mistake after all.
CHAPTER 27
Daisy
Daisy’s eyes linger on Sloan’s lips, perhaps a little too long. She keeps licking away drops of broth, and Daisy can’t help but be captivated by the long stroke of her tongue as it slips along her soft lips. Her magic sparks inside, dancing and tugging her closer to Sloan, prompting her to do something to put them both out of this playful misery. Surely, Sloan must know what she is doing and how it impacts Daisy. She must be doing this purposefully, trying to entice Daisy by continually drawing her attention to her luscious mouth. Goddess, how Daisy wishes to taste her again.
“So, did you hear back from The Dandelion?” Sloan asks, drawing Daisy’s attention back to their conversation.
Daisy blinks, bringing her eyes up to meet Sloan’s, and chastises herself for losing focus. “Erm, yes. We’ve settled on a date three weeks from now, and they booked the entire property out to us for our event over the weekend.”
“Three weeks? Will we have enough time to get the word out?”
“Oh, not to worry. Petra and Lachlan are helping to advertise,” Daisy explains.
“And you’re sure we can get a full booking? The Dandelion is expensive, and if we cater to the more disadvantaged or socially separated population, will they be able to afford it?”
“Again, not to worry. After some convincing, the council decided it would be in their best interest to fund the event.” Daisy replies smugly.
“How did you convince them to do that?”
“I didn’t,” Daisy says, tilting her head down and looking at Sloan through her lashes. She catches Sloan’s eyes lighting up, but the flash of fire vanishes as quickly as it appears. “I know you went to the council and convinced them.”
Sloan blushes. “Petra told you?”
“Yeah.” Daisy pauses. She lifts her head, gazing intently at Sloan. Maybe she’s not quite as bad as she thought.
“It was only fitting that they fund the total weekend when we’re only organizing this because of their misdeeds.”
“Well, thank you.”
Sloan smiles softly, then claps her hands together as she leans back into her seat. “So, what’s next on the task list then? Who do I need to make calls to?”
“We still need decor for the mixer and a DJ on Saturday evening. Maybe some fun catering like food trucks or an ice cream truck?”
Sloan pulls out a tablet from her purse and begins taking notes. “I can do that. Do we have the full list of important attendees from the council?”
“We do. I can email it to you if you want to reach out to them.”
“Great. I can draft up some invites tonight and forward them to you for approval before they get sent out.”
“Wonderful. Otherwise, I thought there needed to be opportunities for people to connect, and we could use the resources on-site to help with that. We can organize a couple of different yoga classes, some hayrides, visits to the orchard, and so on. But I also want some freedom so that people can come and go and participate in other activities that can be offered rather than a strict itinerary.”
“Like a painting or pottery class?” Sloan asks.
“Exactly. If we offer these little opportunities at a couple of different times, it gives people a chance to go when it feels right for them. I also think I don’t want to limit this event to those strictly invited. Maybe an open-door Leeside? Where we can take the opportunity to explore Leeside in a different light and allow people who may never have had the chance to visit The Dandelion and other establishments the ability to.”
Sloan writes down all of Daisy’s thoughts nearly as fast as Daisy can say them. “Would you not be worried about it coming off as a ‘look at what you’ll never have’ type of experience?” she asks, her brow furrowed in thought.
“No, I think we can also use this as a wonderful chance to partner with other agencies in the community. It can help them see that these individuals who have been pushed aside for so long are no different from them and that they can be beneficial to each other.”
“That’s very optimistic of you. But I do fear that businesses would only see it as a chance to make more money from people who don’t necessarily have it to give. In general, business owners are not known for their philanthropy.”
“I get that, but I am trying to have more faith in people—as hard as it is.”
Sloan looks up from her tablet to Daisy and smiles. Soft. Supportive. All for her. And fucking Hecate if it doesn’t ignite her insides all over again.
