Page 60 of Knot Your Sunshine
My laptop pings like it's approving of this emotional breakthrough.
Email from Chadwick:Franchise Test — Final Confirmation
All franchisees successfully onboarded. Training materials distributed. Marketing campaigns scheduled. Performance data will be shown through a simple dashboard: total revenue, average ticket, and other basic metrics. Test launches 9 AM Eastern tomorrow.
I smile at the news and type back:Make sure we also have access to the raw, unaggregated performance data perfranchise location. Might be useful for segmentation marketing down the line. Otherwise, proceed as planned.
His email reply arrives before I can blink:Are you sure Mr. Hale? There will be thousands of data points.
Me:Positive. Share everything in spreadsheets and give my partners and me access. I'll send you Ms. Everly's email separately for her access.
Chadwick:Acknowledged.
Chapter twenty-four
Mia
The wind brushes warm across my skin as I sink deeper into the daybed on my balcony, watching the moon paint its silver path on the ocean below.
I close my eyes and replay today in my head. Josh's groans, how we both came with our clothes on...
My body flushes at the memory, and it has nothing to do with the half-empty wine bottle on the side table.
And just as I'm about to indulge in imagining an encore, my phone buzzes.
Noa:Test goes live at 9:00 AM eastern. Got a good feeling…
Oh. My. God. It's finally happening.
Me:Alriiight, let's do this!
Another buzz just as I set the phone down, still riding the high of anticipation.
Elena:OMG we just finished a day-long hike. Mom + Julian = adorable.
My already excellent mood soars even higher.
Me:Niiice!
Me:You free to call?
The phone rings instantly. I swipe to answer.
"Hi, best friend!" Elena's voice explodes through the speaker.
"Hi, other best friend!" I match her energy, already laughing.
"How's paradise treating you?" Elena asks. "We haven't properly talked since I left with Mom!"
"You go first," I giggle, tucking the phone between shoulder and ear as I readjust on the daybed. "What have you been up to since you got to Maui?"
"Oh my God, where do I even start?" Elena takes a breath. "Yesterday we went kayaking in this lagoon. The water was so clear I could see turtles swimming underneath us. One actually surfaced right next to Mom's kayak and she screamed so loud she scared it away."
I laugh, pulling my knees up. "Poor turtle."
"Then we snorkeled at this reef where the fish literally swim up to your face. Cole kept trying to touch them until a local yelled at him." She pauses to catch her breath. "And today's hike! Julian said it was 'moderate.' But his version of moderate meant scrambling over wet rocks."
"Ooh, sounds intense." I reach for my wine, taking a small sip.
