Page 94 of Santa Has a Six-Pack
“To be fair, I didn’t come to that conclusion completely on my own.”
“Didn’t think so.” He snorts.
“Whatever. Yes, my therapist’s brought it up a time or ten, but it never truly sank in until recently.” I peek out the window again. Two little kids have joined Penny and her sister. Penny’s beaming at them and listening to some story they’re excitedly telling her. “I mean, look, I’ve had this magical day with Penny, right? A magical week, if I’m being honest. And I was just thinking, I almost missed out on her entirely. I was so quick to write her off as rich and snobby, neither of which turned out to be true.”
“I believe you had a friend who tried to tell you that, too,” Gene says.
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, knowing he’s right. I catch Stella’s eye across the room and give her a wave. “And there are all these people tonight with their Rolex watches and their designer bags and shoes. I used to avoid those people like the plague. But I’m diving into conversations with them now…”
“And?”
“Some of them are dreamboats. Some of them are dicks. Turns out their wealth has no bearing on whether they’re kind.”
“Dreamboats and Dicks,” Gene muses. “Perhaps the name of your next business?”
“Ha! What would Dreamboats and Dicks possibly sell?
“Sleep aids and sporting goods?” he suggests.
“Damn, you’re good at business,” I say.
Eugene laughs.
“I’m serious, man. You really are.” I pause for a breath. “And I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For all the times I’ve held you back.”
He laughs again. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’re always looking at ways we can bring in more revenue for the gym, and I’m always shooting the ideas down.” I sigh. “I’ve been keeping us small because of my own shit. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t really know what to say to?—”
“Nothing you need to say, just know that I’m turning over a new branch.”
“Leaf,” he corrects.
“Right.” I spot Penny finally coming in the front door. “Hey, I gotta go, but I’m circling around a Bossfit business idea that I think could be really special. Can we set aside some time tomorrow to hammer it out?”
“Yeah, sure, man. I’m suuuuper excited to hear your suuuuper special idea.”
“Alright, ya jerk. Have a good night.”
I’m just about to hang up when Gene says, “Hey Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“This whole Penny thing? I’m happy for you. For real.”
This whole Penny thing is by no means a done deal.
Or anything official at all.
But I want it to be.
So I simply say, “Thank you.”
