The Dating Plan(89)
“Cougar Catcher. A drink that makes men irresistible to women of a certain age.”
James seemed to have an uncanny ability to find the worst inventions on the planet. He was worth keeping around just to know where not to invest. “What’s in it?”
“A secret blend of known aphrodisiacs including asparagus, oysters, chocolate, baked beans, figs, and sparkling apple juice.”
A smiled tugged at his lips. It sounded like one of Taara’s concoctions. He’d disposed of the Shark Stew in a biohazard bin at the hospital, but he still had the container at home, reminding him that even though the smell had almost knocked him unconscious, it had been made with love.
“I don’t think even a real cougar would want to be near you if you drank that.” He waved a dismissive hand. “What the hell have you been doing while I was gone? You’ve spent twenty thousand dollars wining and dining these entrepreneurs and you don’t have one solid lead.”
James shifted in his chair. “They all seem so convincing. It’s only when you’re sitting here that I realize they aren’t as good as I thought they were. I just find it hard to say no.”
“We can’t say yes to everyone,” Liam said. “And sometimes that ‘no’ can make the difference between success and failure. Some of my most successful clients pitched hundreds of times, learning from each rejection until they got it right. Sometimes it meant just tweaking the product or the marketing strategy, but sometimes it meant going in a totally different direction, maybe even starting over, or getting focused on a plan.”
It was the same advice Tom had given him at the start of his career, and yet he wasn’t following it himself—personally or professionally. Did he really want to sit behind a desk, pushing paper, reading financials, and running a company with people who didn’t think of him as an equal? Was his self-worth so intrinsically tied to his job that he couldn’t walk away without feeling less of a man? Was he really going to give up the woman he loved because he couldn’t accept that she wanted him just the way he was?
The bottom line was that he loved Daisy. It hit him suddenly and painfully, that he wanted, no needed, Daisy in his life, with her plans and lists and charts, her trivia facts, her kind heart, her big family, and her dry sense of humor. Not just as a girlfriend, or a fake fiancée. He wanted her in his bed and in his home and in his heart forever. And if that meant giving up a partnership to be with her, then that’s what he would do. Besides, James wasn’t going to make it on his own. Unicorns weren’t found in ocelot poop or Heashes. Just as love wasn’t found when you were hiding in New York.
He needed a plan to get her back. Or maybe he already had one. He pulled out his phone to check Daisy’s spreadsheet. Dates #7 “Family” and #8 “Wedding” were still outstanding.
After all they’d been through, it would be a shame to leave things undone.
* * *
? ? ?
“I think I might have a way to save Organicare.” Daisy pushed Tanya’s card across Tyler’s desk, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. It had taken her a full hour to work up the nerve to leave her cozy workspace and meet with Tyler, and that was after the sweat-fest that had been the telephone call to Tanya that preceded it. But she believed in Organicare, and more than that she believed in herself and her ability to make a change. Her father had told her to go after what she wanted. She wanted Organicare to survive, and she had the tools to make that happen.
“Empower VC.” He studied the card. “Never heard of them.”
“They’re an all-female venture capital company that invests in diverse female-run businesses. I met Tanya on a motorcycle trip. I called her this morning and asked if she would be interested in hearing our pitch.”
“It may have escaped your notice that I am neither diverse nor do I identify as a woman.” Tyler leaned back in his chair, making no move to take the card. “How do you get over that hurdle?”
“Restructure and bring on some female executives. Convince Kristina to come back.” She had spent the night on a group chat with Mia, Zoe, and Josh, talking things through. Mia and Josh were still interested in helping the company, especially if it meant they might be able to come back.
Tyler shook his head, apparently not convinced. “I don’t think—”
“You’ve run yourself ragged trying to do everything,” she continued, cutting him off. “I read Evolution’s report. They recommended hiring an executive team so you could step into a chief development officer role and focus on product development, which is what you love to do. Over ninety-eight percent of Organicare’s employees are women. You have a good pool to choose from.” She handed him a document folder. “I made a plan for a revised pitch. I also e-mailed you a spreadsheet with . . .” She trailed off when Tyler leaned his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands.
“I can’t handle any more.”
She stared at him, aghast. “What are you talking about?”
“Hope.” He sighed. “Every pitch, every meeting, every day I kept hoping things would work out. And just when I had given up, Liam walked in the door. When even that didn’t work out, I resigned myself to the fact that this was the end. Now you’re asking me to hope again, and I just can’t do it. I can’t stand up and give the pitch again because I’ll be wondering how I’ll make it through when it fails.”