Page 2 of Home Game

Shawn’s eyebrows lifted. “A new Gildon book? Holy shit, we’ve been waiting almost six years to continue the series. That’s awesome.”

“Announced yesterday,” I said with a nod as Nathan poured me a golden, foamy pint of the fall ale. “Should be out by Christmas. Can’t wait. And Nathan, I bet your daughter is excited for that bubble tea shop opening up down the street.”

Nathan held up a hand. “Oh, she’s mentioned it about six times a day, every day. I don’t know why teenagers are bubble tea obsessed, but I guess I’ll find out once that place opens.”

“You’ll love it,” I said. “Your daughter’s onto something.”

That was another thing Dad had taught me: there was always something to connect with people about. I could have as many Porsches, Ferraris, and custom suits as I wanted, but if I couldn’t find common ground with my clients, I’d be useless. I always found something to talk about with anyone, and something tolikeeven in people who seemed completely different from me.

Getting along with people was my biggest pride.

“So,” Shawn said. “The Racks deal.”

I felt a slight smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “The Racks deal,” I repeated.

This was the whole reason I was meeting with Fixer Brothers Construction today: to discuss the massive brand deal we had in the works with Racks, the most prominent home goods store in the country. The Fixer Brothers TV show had just gotten renewed for anotherthreeupcoming seasons, right after I’d started working with them, and through working with me and Lux Marketing, they were set to expand their empire into selling crafted home goods.

Good, great, and excellent.

Some people in my firm called me a marketing bloodhound, but in reality, when I worked with companies to take their brand into the stratosphere, I felt more like I was playing chess.

If chess was…thrilling.

If chess could make me feel like I had 180-proof moonshine flooding through my veins.

I was hungry for it. If this brand deal worked out with Fixer Brothers and Racks home stores, I was on track to my spot as a partner in Lux Marketing. What I’d been on track to achieve for the last ten years, finally coming to fruition.

So close I could fuckingtasteit.

Shawn shifted on the booth awkwardly, looking up at me. He rubbed at a small scuff in the wood on the tabletop, and I could tell was a little doubtful about the Racks deal.

“What’s on your mind, Shawn?” I asked gently.

He took a breath. “Well, I was thinking about it all week.”

“And what did you think?”

“Well… do you really seeusin Racks stores? Doesn’t it seem like a stretch?” Shawn finally asked. “I know other home renovation shows have branched into selling home decor, but we’re… not exactly at theFixer Upperlevel of fame.”

I nodded. I’d encountered this before—people didn’t always believe they were worthy of more success, but I was here to let them know they weremorethan deserving of it.

“Shawn,” I told him, “The Fixer Brothers can be at that level of fame or more by the end of the next two years, and I’m certain of that.”

I was met with dubious looks from both him and Nathan.

“You’re too kind to us, Emmett,” Nathan said. “But we’ve only had our renovation show for a few seasons. You think people want to buy wall decorations and pillows and paint colors with our brand name on it?”

“I think they’d buy a lot more than that,” I said. “Some of the market research and data work we’ve done shows that people love your personalities on the TV show most—”

Nathan nodded. “As expected.”

I held up a finger. “But thesecondmost popular thing is the style of decor in all of your renovations. Indoor and outdoor things, including small furniture and lighting and everything in between. People constantly search for it online. There’s true potential in that, I promise.”

Shawn nodded, pulling in a long breath. “Well, cheers to that. If you believe in us, I’m willing to give it a shot. Just don’t want to disappointyouif Racks Superstores don’t go ahead with us.”

“I’m going to work my ass off to make sure they do,” I reassured him.

We all held up our pint glasses, clinking them together before taking a sip. I hummed involuntarily when the fall ale hit my tongue.

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