Page 84 of Wants and Needs
I’m reaching for my earbuds to stave it all off, when I hear Casey exclaim from behind the register.
“Oh, she’s pregnant,” she cheers as she leans over the counter to look down at a pretty Golden Retriever who seems to be smiling proudly at her. She coos at the dog, who I discover is named Sassy, then looks back up at her owner, an elderly man who’s also smiling widely.
“It was a surprise,” the man tells Casey. “There’s been a lot of adjusting for both of us, so that’s why we haven’t come by in a few weeks.”
“How many is she having?” Casey asks, then fires off more questions before the man can answer. “And when? Have you found homes for all of them? We can put up a sign here so people can contact you or your vet.”
I smile at her eagerness, and so does the man.
“She’s having six pups. The father is a Bernese Mountain Dog, and the vet told me they look big already, so in a week or so most likely. My neighbor is the father’s owner and she wants one for her cousin, but I haven’t found a home for the others. Thankyou for your offer, though. I think this is a good place to ask folks if they’d give the puppies a good home.”
The mention of the father’s breed turns on a light inside me, and I can’t stop myself from speaking up.
“Can I apply for one?”
“Really?” the man asks, eyes wide. I nod, and Casey pipes in.
“Liam’s a good guy, Jimmy. He’s friends with the owner, and you know T only has good friends. Why don’t I get you two your orders and you can talk while you eat?”
She’s off and preparing our drinks before we can say anything, so I walk closer to Jimmy and offer him a hand to shake as I introduce myself.
What proceeds is the kind of interrogation I approve of when it comes to the welfare of dogs, and by the time Parker and William come in, I think I’ve made a good impression on Jimmy who I’ve learned has epilepsy and lives by himself. Sassy isn’t a service dog, strictly speaking, but she provides Jimmy with the support he needs in case of an epilepsy attack.
I give him my phone number to call if he has any more questions, and then walk over to my friends like a man on his way to the noose.
William and Parkertake the news better than I ever expected.
“So we look for another investor or we offer exclusivity for... let’s say six months to whichever platform offers us thebest deal.” Parker lays out his thoughts methodically and without emotion.
For some reason, that more than anything makes me feel like maybe not all is lost.
“Yeah,” William says loudly and leans on the table between us. “Once people try it out they’re for sure going to want to have it longer than six months, and that’s when we get our big bucks.” He finishes with a big smile that I think means he’s feeling triumphant already.
“That is a possibility,” I hedge. I can’t bring myself to feel hope again, not yet. “I’ll go talk to Tristan in an hour,” I tell them after I check my watch. “And I want to ask if you’d like to come with me? Just so you can hear everything he has to say.”
“Really? You want us at the meeting?” William asks, eyes really wide. Parker just stays quiet, clearly waiting for my answer before he offers up his.
“I...” God, I really don’t want to disappoint them, and if they’re there, there’s less of a chance that I’ll forget an important detail if I get lost in the frustration. If anyone will understand it, it’s them, so I take a big breath and act like the adult I am. “I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff,” I whisper, my gaze firmly on the table. “Like I could fall at any moment. I’m worried that if I... fall...” I decide to keep going with the metaphor. “While I’m at the meeting, then I’ll forget something important Tristan says. I want you there to make sure I don’t fuck anything up.”
“I see,” Parker says flatly. “I don’t have any plans for lunch, so I’m in.”
“We’ll be there for you, Liam,” William agrees and smiles, though this time not as wide.
Lunch with Tristanends up being at his office when I tell him Parker and William are joining me.
He has a conference table right next to the big windows that could fit a dozen people, and he doesn’t mind having to order takeout for all of us.
“It’s nice to finally meet you two. I’ve heard great things from Liam.”
“Us too!” William says excitedly and shakes Tristan’s hand pretty hard. Parker just nods, and when Tristan’s smile remains intact I breathe out in relief.
Some people get offended when Parker doesn’t shake their hand—those people are assholes in my opinion.
“Let’s get right to it, then.” Tristan gestures to the table and we all sit. “Like I told you last night, Mrs. Blackwell wasn’t very forthcoming with her reasons, she simply said she doesn’t think investing would be a good fit.”
“What does that mean?” Parker asks.
“In all honesty, I’m not sure what it means either. All I can say for now is that I have one investor in mind who would be perfect?—”
