Page 100 of Taming the CEO

"Great. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Wait, you can't drink mulled wine."

"I bought some that’s alcohol-free."

"That's a thing?" I asked incredulously.

"Yep. Jury's still out if it's any good, though. If it’s not, I'll start buying cranberry juice from now on."

"I'll get everything set up. Did you already have dinner?"

"Yeah. My husband keeps me fed even though I’ve told him repeatedly that I absolutely don't have to eat for two."

Miriam’s husband was an absolute darling. He’d fallen head over heels for her in high school and always treated her like a princess.

After hanging up, I lit a few pine-scented candles. I loved candles this time of year. I glanced outside, noting that the sky was moody again. It didn't look like it was about to rain, but it was still very dark.

Miriam arrived a short while later. I was deeply suspicious of the alcohol-free red wine, but hey, why not at least try it? She tossed the popcorn in the microwave while I started a pot for the mulled wine.

"You can definitely make your own," she said.

I shook my head. "Hell no. I want to be supportive." Though, from the way it smelled, it wasn't going to be very good.

"All right, so spill," Miriam said as we started eating the first bag of popcorn. I gave her a rundown of the weekend: dinner, breakfast, and then meeting the family.

"Huh," she said. "I can’t picture Maddox surrounded by a big family. I got it into my head that he was something of a loner."

"So did I, but nothing could be further from the truth. By the way, I want to share something else too.”

I laid out my business idea while I stirred the mulled wine and stuffed my face with popcorn.

"Wow, when did you even come up with that?"

"I think it's been at the back of my mind ever since Dad brought up the possibility of selling. I just didn't really consider it before."

"And now you are. It's the magic dick again, isn't it?" Miriam said, folding her arms over her chest.

I burst out laughing. “What?”

"You’re staying because of him, right?"

I shook my head vehemently "No. I mean, he lives in Boston anyway."

Miriam rolled her eyes. "Because the forty-minute drive is such a drag. People living in the suburbs commute for longer just to get to work."

“That's not what I mean. We've got different lives. They're intersecting right now, and those intersections are delicious," I said with a grin. Miriam wiggled her eyebrows. "But neither of us is considering anything serious or long term."

"Hmm."

"You disagree?" I asked.

"No, no. I'm still processing the fact that I won't be losing my best friend."

"I'm going to work on a business plan, and then I’ll go about making it happen. But I'm really excited about it."

"Come on, let's taste this," she said.

I filled two cups with nonalcoholic mulled wine. I took the first sip and nearly spit it back out. "Oh God, this is awful."

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