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Kevin reached up and rubbed her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “Can I show you what I’ve been working on?”
“Yes please,” she whispered.
He pointed to the computer screen behind her. She stood up but before she could step away, he clutched her waist and turned her around, then guided her back down onto his lap. Kevin wrapped a tight arm at her waist as he pulled it up on his computer.
It was a massive budget for Port Wheels, sections separating costs for the bakery and the bike shop, areas with sunk costs that weren’t getting revenue, and things to double down on that were making money. He listed out every meticulous detail—shipments, rent, utilities, labor. He clicked on the next tab and it was a similar spreadsheet, but with a completely new business plan. One that would get them through the entire offseason leading into next summer.
“Did Calvin make this?” she asked.
“Nope. I did.”
She shifted to gape at him. “How?”
“I figured it was time to stop bothering Calvin with all of this and learn it myself. I took an online course for small businesses.”
“But what about Grampy?”
“This was all before you spoke with him,” he explained. “I thought I was going to have to sell the business. Fire Zach. Lose you. It felt like the kick in the butt I needed.”
“When did you start this?”
“The night we got back from New York.”
She shifted uncomfortably. “Oh.”
Kevin set his chin on her shoulder, his cheek brushing against her ear.
“Do you not want to work with Grampy?”
“I think that’s something you need to decide,” he answered. “Do you want to take over his place?”
“Yes,” she whispered, without hesitation. She couldn’t stop thinking about those blueberry coffee cakes, and all of the things she could do with a new café space here at Port Wheels. Her notebook was so full of ideas, she’d had to buy a new one.
“Then that’s what we do,” he replied. “If you still want me here, of course.”
“Why wouldn’t I? We’re business partners, remember?”
He hummed. “Yeah. We are.”
She scanned the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet, noticing one at the end labeled JKH.
“What’s this one for?”
Kevin didn’t reply as Jess clicked on it, opening up a completely different kind of spreadsheet. It was all personal expenses. Her chest tightened as she read through the rows.
Rent for apartment with two beds
Groceries for yummy food and weekly focaccia
Movie night snacks
Clothes for the ass I can’t stop thinking about
Honey’s nibbles
Vet bills + insurance
ASL dog training?
