Lunar Love (56)

Bennett hesitates for a moment. “Honestly? Yes. There’s a lot riding on this. It’s not like I’ve never pitched for funding before, but this business is more personal to me. I don’t want to look like an imposter.”

This takes me by surprise. “You don’t come off as worried to me,” I admit.

Bennett goes quiet for a moment. “I’m decent at compartmentalizing. I want to enjoy this time with you.”

He tugs gently at his sweater neckline, drawing attention to the base of his neck. My breathing quickens watching him.

As much as I don’t want him to raise money, I also hate seeing him stressed. “I’ve never pitched to investors before, but I have a thought, if you’d like to hear it?”

Bennett turns to face me with eager eyes. “I’d love to hear what you think.”

I tentatively place a hand on his shoulder as I consider my words carefully. He looks at my hand and smiles. “Focus on the human element, not just the numbers. Really sell them on why you started this business,” I say.

His lips narrow into a thin line. He nods, looking as though he’s trying to make sense of his thoughts. “Thank you. You’re probably right, as hard as that sounds to not focus on the data. I’m just not great at expressing emotion outwardly. I learned to shut it off a long time ago. I find comfort in numbers. They’re concrete. You can manipulate them to make them work for you. Emotion, love, those are completely uncontrollable.”

“But they have the highest payoff,” I say, removing my hand quickly.

Bennett rolls the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows, settling into our conversation. I feel myself start to relax in a way I haven’t in a long time.

Bennett motions toward the view of the ocean. “Isn’t fall in Los Angeles charming?”

“Crisp mornings and sunshine all day? Sunsets like these? Absolutely,” I say. Absentmindedly, I reach up to twist the moon on my necklace.

“That’s beautiful,” he says, noticing the necklace.

“Thanks. It was passed down to me for taking over the family business,” I say. “And the horse is from my sister.”

“Is she into the zodiac, too?”

“Actually no.”

“Darn. I would’ve given her beta access. Oh wait! She’s getting married, so never mind.”

“Yeah, she’s off-limits as a client. For the both of us,” I add, smirking.

“How’s it been taking over the family business?” he asks cautiously. “Is it okay if I ask you that?”

I think through all the various politically correct statements I could answer with. I’m excited for the opportunity. Lots of challenges ahead, but nothing I can’t handle.

Maybe it’s the wine or the fact that Bennett’s so easy to talk to, or maybe it’s the magic of the moon hanging in the distance, but instead of saying something, anything, that makes Lunar Love look like it’s doing well, I just croak, “It’s been kind of rough.”

Hearing those words escape from my mouth feels wildly revealing. I look down at the ground beneath me. It’s still intact. The world didn’t end. Bennett doesn’t even look smug or happy to hear this. Instead, he looks surprised.

“Really? How so?” he asks, taking a step closer.

“There’s a lot of pressure from my family to turn the business around,” I say, continuing to divulge more than I probably should. “I took it over during a challenging time. Sometimes it feels like the business is too set in its ways to ever change. Or maybe people are just too focused on the new.”

“To turn the business around?” Bennett asks with an empathetic tone.

“We’re going through growing pains,” I say, using Pó Po’s choice of words. “I’m sure Pó Po told you everything there is to know, even though she’s in denial about it.”

“She didn’t say anything about needing to save Lunar Love,” he says. “I’m sorry that you have to deal with that.”

“There have been challenges for a while,” I confess, maybe more to myself than to him. There were challenges long before Bennett was in the picture.

Bennett takes a sip of wine. “How’d you even get involved in your family’s business? Was it something that always interested you?”

“I haven’t known anything else, really. I love what I do. I basically grew up in the business, yet I still don’t fully feel like I fit into the culture of what it represents.”

“Lunar Love is more traditional,” Bennett says. “Are you considering making it more modern?”

“Even if I were, you think I’d tell you?” I say suspiciously. “You’re still my competition, right?”

Bennett swirls the base of his wineglass in the center of his palm. “You know I don’t see it like that. I wish you wouldn’t, either.”

I sigh. “I love how traditional the business is and what it represents. Tradition tends to become diluted and reinterpreted over time, which is important so it doesn’t completely disappear, but I don’t want the business to lose its original charm. I know that’s a different way of thinking than the tech world you’re used to.”

“I think of it as iterating upon what’s already been done,” Bennett says.