Page 79 of Wallflower
Dylan sighs. “Something small?”
I smile and wink at Izzy. “No problem.”
I find Charlie loitering near a vending machine in the foyer. She has her back to me as I approach, and I gently tap her on her shoulder to get her attention. She turns and glances behind me as if expecting someone else, then offers me a polite smile.
“Violet. Hi. Thanks for inviting us today. I, uh… It was a nice idea.”
“I’m so happy you came. Chord will be too.”
Charlie laughs under her breath. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
Aside from our conversation in the kitchen the week before, I haven’t spent any time with Charlie. From what I can tell and based on the few things Chord and Daisy have told me, she spends all her time maintaining the ranch and working on the books. Alone and striving to build a future she’s always dreamed about. I can relate.
“I’m glad I’ve got you alone,” I say. “Something crossed my desk a couple of days ago, and I wanted to talk to you about it.” I gesture at the sofa in the corner. “Can we sit for a minute?”
Charlie responds with a puzzled frown. “Uh. Sure.”
I pull a name and phone number from the pocket of my shorts and offer it to Charlie as we settle on the sofa.
“Fredrick Myers?” she reads.
“Yes. He’s the guy in charge of catering and beverage operations at the Fury’s home arena.”
Charlie’s brows draw together, and she gives her head an apologetic shake. “I’m sorry, but I’m not following you.”
I heave in a fortifying breath. I don’t know if my idea is a good one, but ever since Chord told me about buying wine from the ranch without anyone knowing, I’ve been racking my brain for ways to limit the fallout. I want to do for Chord what he—and Charlie—have already done for me. Take care of family.
“I’m a little nervous, so I’m not explaining this well,” I say. “Let me try again. You know I’m on the marketing team for the Fury, right?”
“Daisy mentioned it.”
“Great. This means I know a lot of what goes on with the team and its operations, at least at a high level. I’ve just found out that the arena is seeking new local wines for their VIP suites, and I thought of you.”
Charlie’s eyes narrow and she leans back. “Did Chord put you up to this?”
“Actually, no. Chord knows nothing about it.”
Her brows shoot up, and she scans the card again. “So why are you telling me?”
“Because I think you’re the best person to pitch Silver Leaf Ranch.”
Charlie gives me a skeptical look. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
I clasp my hands together to stop myself from wedging them between my knees. “I’m going to be honest with you, Charlie. I don’t know if this will work. The team has solid conflict of interest policies. Chord is new to the roster, he doesn’t have the best reputation, and the spotlight’s all on him coming into this season. He’s signed a contract valued at less than he’s worth, and the optics of adding Silver Leaf wines to their VIP beverage list right now are probably too murky to overcome.”
Charlie purses her lips and frowns at the paper again. “But you must think it’s worth a shot, or you wouldn’t suggest it.”
“Exactly. I think with the right pitch, full transparency, and a comprehensive public relations plan, you can do this. You just need to think outside the box a little. Make Chord’s connection to the team and the ranch work for you—not against you.”
She rubs the paper between her fingers, and I can see the gears turning in Charlie’s brain. “We could donate a percentage of every sale to the San Francisco Fury Foundation,” she suggests. “Nobody else will offer that. Or we can do a limited-edition bottle just for the arena. It’ll make the wine more expensive but much less competitive, which will neutralize any perceived unfair advantages.”
I smile with a relieved sigh. Charlie is smart and tenacious, just like I suspected, and she’s going to nail this.
“You’ve got this,” I tell her.
Her smile is more genuine than I’ve seen, her blue eyes more open, and I get the impression we just demolished an invisible wall between us. “Thanks, Vi.”
