Page 4 of Never To Be Mine

I grinned and passed them out, watching as the women took their first sips. The reaction was always the same—pursed lips, then wide eyes, then a smile followed by a bigger sip. Full sample cups never landed in my wastebasket. Every drop landed in the bellies of my prospective clients.

“So what’s in this?” one of them asked, licking her lips.

“Spinach, kale, banana, mango, and our proprietary blend of adaptogens and antioxidants,” I said, falling into the pitch I’d given about a thousand times. “The greens give you sustained energy without the crash you get from coffee. The fruit makes it actually taste like something you’d want to drink. And the adaptogens help your body regulate stress and hunger cues.”

They nodded like they knew what I was talking about. They didn’t and that was okay. All they had to do was drink it and feel the effects. And if they wanted to stare into my eyes while I pitched and ask me to repeat myself? I was more than willing to oblige.

A blonde in yoga pants raised her hand. “Does it actually work for appetite control?”

“It does for me,” I said honestly. “The fiber and protein keep you fuller longer, and the adaptogens help balance your cortisol levels. High cortisol makes you crave sugar and carbs. Balance it out, and those cravings decrease naturally.”

I inwardly cringed at myself, not wanting to sound too much like I was giving a lecture. They didn’t give a shit about why they craved sugar at two in the afternoon. That was my problem to solve. And I had. They just had to consume the blend I had spent a few years creating.

Toby was circling with his phone, capturing the crowd’s reactions. The kid was getting better at this. When I’d hired him three months ago, he’d been filming everything in portrait mode like an amateur. Now he was thinking about angles, lighting, and which moments would actually drive engagement.

He was my social media manager, handling all the stuff I couldn’t be bothered with. Whatever drove the sales to my website.

“Can I get a selfie?” A brunette stepped forward, already pulling out her phone.

I gave her my practiced smile, friendly but not too eager. “Buy something and you can take all the selfies you want.”

She laughed. “Deal.”

That was the key. I wasn’t going to be a dancing monkey for free, but I also wasn’t above using whatever advantages I had. If my face helped sell a product I actually believed in, then so be it. I’d worked too hard on my products to let pride get in the way of success.

Toby appeared at my elbow with the tablet. “Three more orders,” he said, grinning. “This is insane, man. We’re going to hit our sales target before lunch.”

“That’s great news,” I said. “Make sure we have enough samples.”

He nodded and headed back to the display table where we had the bottles arranged. I’d spent months getting the packaging right. Just a simple green bottle with white lettering. Professional. Trustworthy.

A woman in her fifties approached, more hesitant than the younger crowd. “Would it work on a woman of my,” she paused to look around, like being discreet was possible at an event like this, before turning back to me and whispering, “age?”

I flashed another smile. “Try it.” I handed her one of the samples. “See for yourself. Taste it first. Don’t buy anything you don’t like.”

She took a sip, and I watched her eyebrows rise. “Oh. That’s actually good.”

“Right?” I grinned. “Health food doesn’t have to taste like you’re grazing.”

She laughed and pulled out her wallet. Another sale.

This was what I’d been working toward for the past year. Not just a product but a real business. Something that was mine, not handed to me because of my last name. My brothers had their ventures, their successes. I needed mine.

And Dad always said do what you love.

The green shakes were just the beginning. I had the no-meat burger thing in the works. They were damn good, better than most of the plant-based options on the market. But they were expensive to produce right now. I needed the shakes to take off first, build up capital, then reinvest in scaling the burger production. One step at a time.

Right now we were strictly online. But I had plans. Big plans. One day, people would walk into their favorite health food store to get my products, and I could give the gift of health one affordable bottle at a time.

“Hollis!” Toby waved me over. “We need more samples mixed. We’re almost out.”

I nodded and started heading toward the back of the booth where we had the cooler and the blender. The crowd was thick, everyone pressing in to get their taste. This was actually working.

I was reaching for the blender when I noticed her.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, not pushing forward like the others. A blonde in a tailored skirt suit that screamed “professional” in a sea of athleisure. Her hair was pinned back like she was headed into a courtroom. She had sharp blue eyes that were currently scanning my booth like she was conducting an audit.

Who the hell was this woman?