Page 80 of Just Like Starting Over
“Omigod, Mike, thosetomatoes,” she breathes. She’s wearing a silk suit and carrying a designer bag, nails and hair done to perfection. Lisa’s an expensive date but she earns it all herself. That she’s all turned out tells me she just drove back from her client’s head office in Toronto,so she has my undivided attention. “You won’t believe it. They want to buy the entire crop and make them a chain exclusive.”
“Whoa,” I say. “Did you get a speeding ticket on the way back here?”
Lisa laughs. “Almost! They’re going to send us their branding for the packages. They’re going to paysucha premium…”
“How much?” Dad demands and when she tells him, he sits down hard and blinks.
I run a hand over the back of my neck and do some math. “That’s twice per kilo what the tried-and-true cluster tomatoes are going for this year.”
“It’ll make our year,” Dad says.
“Mike is brilliant,” Lisa says with a wide smile.
If I’m expecting any acknowledgement or thanks, I’m doomed to disappointment.
My dad just scowls. “Getting lucky isn’t the same as planning strategically, Michael,” he growls. “We’re not even sure this will happen. They haven’t signed the contract yet.”
“Oh, they’ll sign,” Lisa says. “I’ve gotten six text messages since I left their office.”
Dad continues to grumble. “And you haven’t got the harvest in,” he says to me. “When the tomatoes are shipped and the payment clears, then we’ll decide whether it’s worth celebrating.”
Like I said, I can’t win for losing. I’d be more angry if it wasn’t so predictable.
“I need the details, Mike, to finish up the contract,” Lisa says, undeterred by my dad. “How many kilos a week, when does the harvest start and when will it end? I’ll crunch the numbers and you can approve the contract, Mr. Cavendish.” She spins happily. “They’re going to runadvertisingfor them.They’re going to create recipes in their test kitchens, and have guest chefs.”
“Make sure they include Merrie MacRae,” Dierdre says. My dad glares at her but I smile. “Can’t hurt to give Empire a little juice, too.”
“Yes!” Lisa laughs and does a little victory dance. “Momma’s gonna get more than new shoes out of this. Thank you, Mike, for going with these tomatoes. It’s about time we had something special. Woo hoo!”
Dierdre is smiling at Lisa, Dad is still grumbling, and it’s past time I visited greenhouse seven. I’ll take a closer look at how the vines are fruiting before giving Lisa those numbers.
First, Jake, though.
Might as well get all the fun out of the way.
20
JAKE
“No.” I spin in my leather office chair, turning to admire the view of Lake Ontario sparkling in the sunshine. It’s a perfect day and even in my office near the top of the office tower in Toronto’s downtown core, I imagine I can feel the crisp wind from the west. I earned this office, worked my butt off for this view, and the corner office with twice the windows is next. I watch a few distant sails, wishing for leisure time I never have.
One day…one day, I’ll buy that sailboat, join that club, enjoy life. One day, I’ll have enough money, enough success, enough of everything to just savor my accomplishments.
One day, but not yet.
I need more.
I always need more.
I frown, aware that my brother is repeating his argument again from the beginning. “No, Mike. I said no.”
“But I need you to do this.”
“You can’t afford me.”
Mike’s voice drops and I close my eyes, knowingmy brother will beg. I still love when he breaks right in front of me. “Don’t you care about anything other than your new car and your bank balance, Jake?”
“My money’s not in the bank, actually.”
