Page 23 of The Sexy Part
“Aww, I bet he’s as sweet as you.”
“Yeah, you think I’m sweet? What else?”
She pushes back from the table. “I should go.” She gestures vaguely behind her. “Stuff to do.”
I stand. “You in the mood for ice cream? We could grab some on the way back to your place. Shane’s Scoops is the premier ice-cream place in the state. They’ve won awards. It’s right on Main Street. Everything’s homemade, even the mix-ins.”
She melts on the spot. “I would love ice cream. I’ve been having such a craving.”
I lead the way out. “Not surprised.”
“How many flavors do they have?”
“I never counted.” I open the door for her and lock it behind us. “A lot.”
“Do they have chocolate cherry?” she asks with such hope in her eyes I can’t bear to disappoint her.
“I have no idea, but I will search the entire state to find you some.”
She puts a hand on my arm. “No wonder women are falling all over you.”
“What women?”
“Just about every woman who walks into your bar.”
“That’s not true.”
“It’s because you care.”
I meet her eyes. “I care about you.”
She looks away and hurries down the sidewalk. “Come on, ice cream awaits. I need to ruin my running workout as soon as possible.”
They say the way to a man’s heart is his stomach. Women are exactly the same with a twist. The way to a woman’s heart is chocolate.
5
Rowan
After indulging in chocolate cherry ice cream from the best ice-cream shop in the state, I go home on a sugar high, determined to win my clients back.
First call is to Brian, a friendly guy who’s always a pleasure to work with. He owns a catering business in the city.
“Hi, Brian, it’s Rowan Sanders. I understand Endeavor Media made you a discounted offer to stick with them for a year. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I think you’ll agree I achieved great results with your social media campaign and online marketing for your business.”
“Yeah. We were happy with your work, but our budget’s tight, and we can’t turn down Endeavor’s offer. Twenty-five percent off for a year is an incredible deal. They’re an established firm. Maybe after our year discount is up, we could talk again.”
“Of course, keep in touch.”
“Sorry to hear about you and Dave.”
Guess Dave let our clients know we were going our separate ways when he made the deal. He sure worked fast. Makes me wonder if he did this before the wedding. He must’ve been waffling between me and Sheila until the very last minute. Idiot.
“It was for the best,” I say in my best professional voice.
I hang up a few moments later, a sinking feeling sucking all the good ice-cream mojo out of me. I take a deep breath and call the next client on the list.
More of the same. Every client says they’d stick with me if I could match or better Endeavor’s discount. I can’t. I’d be out of business within three months. Endeavor Media is large enough to take a loss to win more clients in the long run.
