Page 67 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

“That’s true, but the rent is a little high.”

She glanced over at him. “I can afford it. And they’re going to let me do whatever I want with this shop.”

Evan walked around the area where she thought a nice display case would be. She could already see it in her head. She wanted a mixture of Georgia and Hawaii, and yes, that was weird. But it was how she saw herself now. A woman who took the good things out of Georgia with her as she found her new happy place.

“You’re right. There’s a lot of space here for you.”

She nodded and headed back to the kitchen. It wasn’t massive, but it had a long table in the center. She could see herself making croissants there, or letting pies sit to cool down. It definitely needed a few upgrades and probably a new floor.

“I can see there will be no talking you out of this.”

She smiled at Evan. “No, but I agree, theyaretrying to get too much money for this, especially since they don’t use a manager. They keep all of the rent. I’ll have to spend some good money on the renovations, so I expect some kind of compensation for it.”

Evan grinned. “I didn’t know you before, but,damn, you know your worth, woman.”

“Thanks for telling me that. I would have never figured it out on my own.”

The bark of laughter pulled a chuckle from her. Their friendship had grown since the night of her submission. Cynthia had thought that they would be awkward with each other, but it hadn’t been at all. Even when she went to Rough ‘n Ready and met Micah, the co-owner of the club. It had been normal. Of course, Micah had left her tongue-tied, but then how could she not be? Calling the man gorgeous didn’t live up to the beauty of him. Well over six feet tall, the Native American, with inky black hair. He exuded control and power and most of the women in the place sighed as he walked the floor.

The bell above the door jingled letting her know that someone had come in.

“Cynthia?” Drew called out.

She stepped out into the shop area and smiled at the younger man. Of Hawaiian, Asian, and Scottish descent, he was tall, and what you would call a geek. His ink black hair was a tad shaggy. He was wearing a shirt that read ‘I wear this shirt periodically’ with the periodical table above the words.

“Cynthia. Oh, hey, Evan, I didn’t think you would be here.”

He sounded a little disappointed about that fact, but Cynthia ignored it. She didn’t even want to figure out the mind of a twenty-something year old man.

“Hey, Franklin. How’s the family?” Evan asked. She had learned that in business on the island, most people knew each other. There might be over three quarters of a million people on Oahu, but they all seemed to have a connection.

Drew smiled and his eyes danced with humor. “Fantastic as always. My Auntie Sheree still talks about you.” He looked at Cynthia. “Evan redid her kitchen and she fell in lurv with him.”

“Your Auntie Sheree is in her seventies.” The irritation in Evan’s voice pulled a snort from Cynthia.

“What did you think of the space?” Drew asked.

She sighed. “I like it, but we will have to do a big overhaul. The kitchen needs a few fixtures fixed and needs a new fridge. I might have to redo the floor too. Then out here, it will be a total revamp.”

They all glanced around the room. It was an airy space, but the dark yellow walls and dark wood furnishings made it feel smaller.

“Tutu Aileen said that you could do what you wanted as long as you got approval for any major changes with us.”

She nodded. “Yes, but that means I must pay for the entire thing. That’s dipping into my savings. Other places I’ve looked at are cheaper and just need a coat of paint.”

“Tell me what I can do for you. I’ll be honest with you. This shop has done well in the past, but we had a lot of problems with the last tenant. With Chris giving you a referral, the family would be more than happy to have you here.”

“Let’s go get a drink atDupree’sand talk figures.”

Chris kept an eye on Cynthia and Drew in the back corner as they talked over the lease agreement. They’d arrived just after three in the afternoon. The lunch rush had been insane, but it was finally slowing down. Usually, he would catch up on everything he had to let go during the insanity that went on earlier, but he didn’t like the smiles Drew was giving Cynthia.

“Don’t worry.”

He glanced over at Evan. “What?”

“You’re worried that she can’t handle herself.”

“No.” Which was a lie. Chris knew she had a great business mind. She had helped him with some marketing ideas forDupree’s. Her intelligence was never in question. She had a tender heart.

---