Chance to Bloom Read online

  Mike smiled but shook his head. “I’ll just cut to the chase, Jack. I’m with Sunny Day Flowers, based out of New York. I believe you’ve been corresponding with my boss.”

  Jack’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the corporation he had indeed been in talks with. Of course. He should’ve guessed it sooner, but he hadn’t been expecting an in-person visit until after Valentine’s Day. In fact, he hadn’t expected to talk to them at all until then.

  “That’s right,” Jack said slowly, still uncertain how much he wanted to reveal to this guy. “I told him I’d prefer not to discuss the terms of the sale any further until after the holiday.”

  He didn’t want to come right out and tell the guy he’d made a wasted trip, but as far as Jack was concerned, the conversation was pretty much over. Unless the guy wanted to buy some flowers, of course.

  Mike simply nodded, though, as if he’d been expecting that response.

  “I completely understand that you’d want to wait until after the holiday for such an important decision, Jack, but our situation has changed, and we unfortunately need to make a decision sooner than that.”

  He said it in such a matter-of-fact way that it took Jack’s brain a moment to understand the words he’d just heard.

  Jack blinked. “I… don’t follow. Your situation has changed in what way? I haven’t decided one way or another what I’m going to do yet, as I told—”

  “Right,” Mike said, cutting him off with an agreeable smile, as if he wasn’t being maddeningly—and no doubt deliberately—obtuse. “But your shop isn’t the only one in town we’re in negotiations with.”

  Jack blinked. He hadn’t even considered that the corporate chain might be interested in his local competitor, Simply Flowers. Fuck. If Mike’s company bought out Simply Flowers instead of Beverly’s Blooms, they wouldn’t hesitate to undercut Jack’s prices and outspend on advertising. Beverly’s Blooms would end up going under, and then Jack would have even more debt.

  He couldn’t let that happen.

  “Okay,” Jack said, trying to keep his expression blank. If he was going to negotiate now, he didn’t want to give anything away. “You have my attention.”

  “Jack, I’ll be frank with you. We want to make a deal with you, and we don’t want to wait. I think we can get this deal locked down quickly, if you’re open to the idea. I’m sure you know that the wider market here is under-served, and we’d really love to partner with you as a franchisee or buy the business outright, get you plugged into our system where you can start taking orders from anywhere in the world, expand your delivery area—there really is so much more we could be doing here if we worked together.” He shrugged. “Obviously, we could do that across town, too. But your shop is the one we want. Let’s make this happen, Jack.”

  It was more information that Jack hadn’t been prepared to take in, to even consider for another couple of weeks, at least. Everything he was saying made perfect sense, but… franchising? Selling? Some kind of partnership? It had all been sort of abstract to Jack before now. Initially, he’d just been focused on selling and moving on.

  And then… well, he hadn’t been focused on much of anything that wasn’t named Ethan for the past few weeks.

  “I just—” Jack swallowed, trying to choose his words carefully. It was a skill he struggled with on the best of days, but this was pretty damn important, and he needed to get it right. “Everything you’re saying makes sense, but I honestly hadn’t thought much more about it since the last time I spoke to your New York office.”

  Since my first date with Ethan.

  “That’s completely understandable, Jack. But I’ve been told explicitly not to go back to New York without a deal—either with you, or with your competitor. Name your price, name your terms, and let’s start negotiating. The ball really is in your court now.”

  Jack drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He was blown away, and didn’t know what to think or how he felt about the whole thing. On one hand, the words coming out of Mike’s mouth were music to Jack’s ears. It was an even better situation than he could’ve hoped for. He was basically being given a blank check, an opportunity to set the terms of the sale. What more could he ask for?

  On the other hand, there was Ethan. And Frankie. Mrs. Linley and Mr. Robbins and everyone else who had come to enjoy and expect the personalized, one-on-one attention they got at the shop. They wouldn’t get that with some soulless corporate chain. They’d just be numbers on a ledger.

  And there was no doubt as to whether Ethan would stick around. He’d either quit in protest or get fired for having too much passion, too much of his own vision to ever blend in with the corporate ideals of profits over people.

  Jack couldn’t stand to think that he’d be the one who was responsible for that. He knew damn good and well that it wasn’t just a job to Ethan. The flower shop was a part of Ethan’s life, a part he loved… just like Jack’s dad had loved it.

  Was Jack really prepared to take that away from him?

  He was pretty sure he’d never be able to forgive himself if he hurt Ethan like that. He was nearly certain Ethan wouldn’t forgive him, either.

  Not only was the potential sale a business decision, but Jack was pretty certain it would also be a make-or-break moment for whatever the future might hold between him and Ethan.

  “I’m going to need some time,” Jack said, finally. “I can’t decide this right now. I need to think.”

  “Of course,” Mike said, nodding. “I know this was probably unexpected for you. How about if I give you, say… forty-eight hours? I can come back and we can talk more then.”

  Two days didn’t exactly sound like much, but it was better than being put on the spot for an answer right that minute. It would at least give him a chance to clear his head a little, to weigh the pros and cons. To think.

  “Okay,” Jack said. “Forty-eight hours, and we can talk some more.”

  “Think hard about it, Jack. You have the opportunity of a lifetime here, and I know we can make a deal that will be very beneficial for both of us. For the whole community.”

  Jack nodded and tried to muster a little smile as a show of confidence as Mike left, but the best he could come up with was a slight grimace as he replayed the words in his head.

  You have the opportunity of a lifetime.

  Think hard.

  Jack snorted. As if he could do anything else. It would be, without a doubt, the most important decision he’d ever made.

  His happiness, his finances, his potential future with Ethan all hung in the balance. If he said no to the deal, he had no doubt that Mike and his New York bosses would do their best to put Beverly’s Blooms out of business. It would ruin him financially and Ethan and Frankie would be out of a job, too. If he said yes to the deal, he’d be able to pay off his father’s debts with no problem. But that would mean leaving everything behind.

  Leaving Ethan.

  He walked back into the office and slumped down into the creaky chair. The words he’d heard from his dad countless times as a teenager immediately sprang to mind:

  Think, Jack. Pay attention.

  But even louder than the memory of his father’s voice was the voice of his heart. Not something he had a lot of experience paying attention to… but in this case, also not something he was sure he’d be able to ignore:

  Don’t fuck it up.

  Chapter 17

  Ethan

  Ethan drummed his fingers against the counter as he glanced over his shoulder at the office door.

  Still quiet. Still closed.

  Neither he nor Jack normally worked with the door closed, but today Jack had said he was going to have a “busy morning,” whatever that meant. Ethan had wanted to ask, but Jack had disappeared and closed the door behind him without another word.

  That had been within five minutes of opening the shop, and Ethan had been sitting—waiting, watching, wondering—for two hours since then.

  Two hours that had fel
t like years.

  It was actually the first time in weeks—the first time since he’d met Jack—that Ethan hadn’t felt like life was moving at the speed of light. And especially since their first date, with one day bleeding into the next and Ethan feeling as if he was floating on a cloud.

  Between working together all day and sleeping together most nights, it had started to feel as though they were inseparable, as if their lives were already sort of blending together, even though they hadn’t specifically discussed anything more permanent than their blissfully-happy-dating status.

  Ethan had been tempted to bring up potential plans for the future plenty of times, but the thought couldn’t cross his mind without bringing up the other subject that had been brushed aside:

  The flower shop.

  Ethan felt like Jack was coming around, like he was really enjoying the work and had maybe reconsidered selling—he hadn’t spoken about selling it again, after all. But that was just it—neither of them had spoken about it, so Ethan couldn’t be sure.

  And if Jack was still planning on selling?

  Ethan’s stomach cramped at the thought. Yeah, it was almost better not to know.

  So even though he was intensely curious about what Jack could possibly be doing that required him to be secluded in the office for hours, Ethan was trying not to read too much into it. Definitely trying not to take it personally.

  Jack wasn’t normally very talkative even on a good day, but this morning he’d been even more quiet than usual. He’d still seemed happy to see Ethan, but his smile when they’d greeted each other that morning hadn’t quite reached his eyes. They hadn’t had any sort of an argument, though, and Ethan was pretty certain he hadn’t done anything to piss Jack off, so he was just going to trust his gut feeling that everything was good between the two of them and keep the freaking out to a minimum.

  Don’t stress. Don’t overthink it. The man is allowed to have a little privacy for… whatever.

  Ethan sighed and took one last, quick glance at the still-closed door. There was really no point in driving himself crazy, even if it might be his default reaction. Jack would come out of the office—or not—whenever he was ready. Until then, there wasn’t anything Ethan could do about it. And besides, he needed to get the day started. It wouldn’t do anyone any good for him to sit around procrastinating, wondering what he might be missing out on behind that door.

  He walked over to the fax machine, checking to see if any orders had come in since the evening before. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the thick stack of papers waiting there.

  “Shit,” Ethan sucked in a sharp breath and muttered to himself, “If those are all for today, we’re gonna be in trouble.”

  But when he picked them up, the words on the paper were all wrong. He thumbed through the stack of papers, taking a moment to realize that none of them were actually orders for flowers. It was an actual, legit fax.

  Who even sent a real-life fax these days? Ethan couldn’t even remember a time when that had actually been a thing.

  His curiosity piqued, he flipped back to skim the cover page.

  Jack,

  I know we agreed on forty-eight hours, but I thought it might be helpful to see the kinds of terms we had in mind. It’s all subject to change, of course, depending on your needs. We just want to finalize this sale as quickly as possible and start implementing some of our ideas at the store. This is gonna be a great deal for everyone involved, and I can’t wait to make it happen!

  I’ll be in touch tomorrow.

  Mike

  Wait, what? Ethan’s stomach clenched and he blinked hard, trying to focus on the words in front of him as he did his best to drown out the ringing that had started in his ears. No. Just… no. He skimmed it again, just to make sure he’d actually read what he thought he had.

  I know we agreed… terms we had in mind… depending on your needs… finalize this sale… make it happen!

  What. The. Actual. Fuck?

  They’d just had a weekend together that had felt so real, so right, so much like forever… and the entire time, Jack had been planning on selling the shop? Had been in negotiations? While they’d been fucking?

  At least Ethan didn’t have to wonder about the status of the shop anymore—or his status with Jack, for that matter. The papers in his hands made both of those things perfectly clear.

  Ethan reached out to steady himself on the counter. He was feeling dizzy, like his entire world had flipped upside down. It just didn’t make sense after what he’d thought he felt from Jack. What he felt for Jack. Nothing made sense. He needed answers, though, and he needed them right that minute. Whatever Jack was doing in that office would have to wait. Ethan seethed as he realized Jack had probably wanted the privacy so he could work on the sale with Ethan sitting just a few feet away, right outside the door.

  Fuck that.

  Fuck. That.

  Ethan crossed back over to the door and had his hand on the doorknob before he’d even realized he was moving. He didn’t hesitate.

  He was just too upset, too hurt, too damn mad to worry about Jack’s privacy or any sense of professionalism that should have existed between the two of them. If the papers in his hand were accurate, then everything he’d thought was growing between him and Jack was a lie.

  Ethan couldn’t trust his own judgment when it came to men, not even when it had felt so real.

  He swiped at his eyes. He needed to hear it from Jack’s mouth, though. He wanted to look into Jack’s eyes when he asked him why.

  “What is this?” The flimsy sheets scattered a little as Ethan flung them across the desk, and Jack both recoiled and scrambled to catch the mass of papers as they came at him.

  “I don’t know, Ethan. What is it?” Jack had been holding the phone in his hand when Ethan burst in, but he hung it up with a frown as Ethan loomed over him. “I asked you for some time this morning to—wait, what is this?”

  Jack was looking at the cover letter of the fax, and the color drained from his face as his eyes flicked from the words on the page back up to Ethan’s face.

  “That’s what I’m asking you, Jack,” Ethan said, the sick feeling in his stomach rising up so fast that it almost choked him. He stabbed at the fax paper with a finger. “What is that? You’re selling the shop? That’s what it says, right? After we—”

  Ethan snapped his mouth closed before he could expose himself to more pain. Clearly, whatever he’d thought he meant to Jack, he’d been wrong.

  Several long seconds passed before Jack looked back up at him, and even then, he slowly inhaled and exhaled several times before answering.

  “It’s… yes. It’s sort of what this is, but it’s not how it seems, Ethan. It’s—”

  “Not how it seems?” Ethan cut him off, his heart still reeling from the yes. Or maybe “breaking” was more accurate. “But you are selling? Because that’s exactly what it seems like to me.”

  Jack’s face had gone from pale to ashen. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said. His voice was too shaky, too strained. The quiet confidence that Ethan had grown accustomed to was gone completely. The man in front of him looked unprepared and defenseless. Caught. “This is just an offer from a guy I spoke with.”

  Ethan had gone into the office looking for answers, but the answers he was getting were only making him regret that decision.

  No, they were making him regret everything.

  Jack’s excuses, or… whatever he was saying was only making things worse, only sucking more of the oxygen out of the air, leaving Ethan feeling like he might fall over at any moment if he didn’t get the hell out of there.

  And did Jack really expect Ethan to believe him about not having made up his mind? The damn fax laid it out pretty clearly. It sounded like a done deal. And Jack knew Ethan’s history with men—even though he’d talked a good game about being blunt and honest and “unit cohesion” and all that bullshit… here he was, still trying to talk around the fact that he’d gone behind E
than’s back with these negotiations.

  “And when did you think you’d make up your mind? This sounds like the process is pretty far along.” Ethan’s voice cracked, and despite his best efforts, he was afraid he might start crying if he didn’t hurry up and get out. “You said you’ve talked to this guy… when were you going to talk to me? Don’t I at least deserve that much, Jack?”

  “Of course you do,” Jack snapped, his voice rising. “This isn’t some sort of easy decision for me, you know. There are a lot of factors at play here, and I need to make sure I’m doing the right thing—”

  “No.” Ethan shook his head, cutting Jack off again, his eyes finally spilling over. This wasn’t happening, couldn’t be happening. “No, I’m not gonna let you off the hook that easily. You should’ve told me, Jack.”

  “I did. I told you on day one that I was thinking about selling this place.” Jack huffed out a breath and shoved a hand back through his hair, his voice lower but still decidedly strained when he spoke again. “But things have changed since then, and I—”

  “You’re damn right they’ve changed,” Ethan interrupted. Whatever Jack was going to say, Ethan wasn’t trying to hear it. As far as he was concerned, the only thing that had changed was that Jack had lied to him. “I can’t believe I thought you were actually a good guy. I can’t believe I trusted you to make the right decision. I can’t believe I let myself lo—”

  Ethan snapped his mouth shut as the tears kept rolling down his cheeks. No. He wasn’t going to admit that. And he for damn sure wasn’t going to break down in front of Jack. Not like this. He needed to get out of there.

  “Come on, Ethan. Just let me explain—” Jack moved to put a hand on Ethan’s arm, but froze when Ethan jerked it away.

  “No. I can’t. I won’t.” Ethan wasn’t sure if he’d ever been so hurt or so angry in his life. Not even after what his ex had done. And the more Jack tried to make it better, the more Ethan was convinced that he’d been played for a fool. “You’ve already said everything I needed to hear. Everything, and then some. I’ve gotta go.” He turned and started to walk out of the office, pulling the door closed again behind him, but then he stopped, lashing out in a last ditch effort to make Jack understand the pain he’d caused. “And Jack? I quit. You’re a liar and a coward, and I’m sorry I ever trusted you.”