Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(151)

Jared joins Maggie and me for the night so all three of us can discuss and schedule needed steps for both businesses this week. With tomorrow being the start of June, the three of us have a lot of things to take care of regarding business and Maggie’s wedding. The wedding is less than two months away and almost every weekend is booked with some kind of event — Father’s Day with F?qīn and Pop-Pop, the bridal shower, 4th of July, the bachelor-bachelorette weekend Joe and I have to finish planning and then the rehearsal dinner and wedding. There are only one or two weekends that have yet to be booked for some kind of a party or gathering.


Just after dinner, Maggie inquires, “Who are you texting?”

“No one,” I reply, focused on the conversation.

“Is it a man?” she playfully pries.

“How long have you known me to know that I wouldn’t give my phone number out to a man, let alone any straight man,” I remind.

She pauses for a moment. “Well, Joe is a man and I know he has your number.”

Jared and her snicker.

“If you must know, I’m talking with Amy and Kim.” I show her my phone’s screen just long enough for her to see who’s in the conversation.

“Why?” she searches.

I look up at Maggie to answer. “I talk to them regularly, not just when the family is together.”

“And, she’s finalizing bridal shower arrangements,” Jared interjects.

“Thanks,” I sarcastically reply.

“What?! It’s not like she doesn’t know when it is,” he shrugs.

Maggie and Jared let me be for the next few minutes as I continue texting with Amy and Kim. Joe texts again for the third time today, asking the same question he’s been asking every day since our heated interaction where we almost got caught by Maggie. He keeps sending, When can I see you?. I’ve been purposefully ignoring him.

“We need to finish planning the bachelor-bachelorette party,” he writes.

Wow! It took him four days to send a different message.

“And, we need to go over the paperwork I have for Raven Media,” he includes.

My conversation with Amy and Kim just wrapped up, so texting Joe a response won’t be noticed by my two friends sharing the couch with me. I guess ignoring him for four days is enough time.

“I know,” I write back.

“Are you avoiding me?” he inquires.

“No. Why would I do that?” I text.

“You’ve ignored my texts and calls the past few days,” he states.

“Maggie and Jared have been here. I’ve been busy taking care of business and wedding stuff,” I reply.

“What we need to take care of falls under the same categories,” he writes.

“Yes,” I agree. “But, not me needing to respond to you asking when you’ll see me again.”

“Those two things were implied in the question,” he texts.

“Didn’t hear it implied,” I write.

I hope he catches my sarcasm.

“What did you hear?” he searches.

I send back a winking emoticon.

“I’m not sure what you are implying,” he texts back.

“You know what I mean,” I stipulate.

“If we were talking in person, I would know,” he writes.

“Knowing you, we wouldn’t be talking,” I comment back.

Joe sends back a winking, kissing face emoticon.

I can’t help but smile.

“That’s not a bad thing, is it?” he checks to validate my statement about us not talking if we were together.

“Maybe,” I reply.

“Are they staying the night again?”

“Yes.”

“Can you sneak out?”

“And, go where? Your family is at your place,” I answer.

“Wherever you want,” he writes. “I just need to see you.”

“Why?” I press back.

Let’s see what he’ll admit.

“I miss the taste of your lips on mine,” Joe texts.

My heart skips a beat and I’m unable to respond.

“Please,” he begs.

I don’t write anything because I’m not quite sure what to say. This is torture for me too. I should have slept with him sooner, like I do with other men — but, Joe isn’t like other men.

By the end of the week, Joe schedules another meeting between his parents, himself and me. The preliminary paperwork that he had done for the first round of negotiations went faster than I had expected. Joe said that he’s trying to help facilitate a number of key pieces prior to the wedding so that way, once the wedding is over, we’ll have more time to take action for purchasing and refurbishing a property, loading in and setting up hardware and the necessary staff.

I have to say, I am very impressed with the amount of detail and thoroughness Joe put into the contract. There are only a few minor tweaks we all agree upon during the meeting which, once corrected, I’ll review with my lawyer before we have another official meeting to sign the documents.

With fifteen clients paying for social media management, and most of them paying for premium services, Raven Media is grossing just shy of two point eight million dollars a year. What we make for media management does not including the additional services we supply, which gives us a grand total of four point seven million dollars, which is approximately half a million more than last year. After salaries and expenses are paid, Raven Media nets two point six million; I pay my staff very well. After taxes, the company only has to pay federal taxes because of where it’s incorporated, and with the previous years’ earnings, Raven Media officially has eight point seven million in liquid cash. The cost for the servers and staff for the first year shouldn’t drain all of the capital.