Page 67 of Knotty, Nice, & Holiday Lights
“And I didn’t tell any officials, but I thought if we earned enough to make this work, we could invest in Crescent Lake’s future with more than our taxes.” Matthew looks at me, then at Izzy, whose hand he takes before fanning her face a bit with his free hand. “You okay, Iz?”
She blinks rapidly, and those gray eyes turn on me. “You didn’t know about this either?”
I shake my head, no.
She turns back to Matthew and opens her mouth to say something, but Asher cuts her off. “We have a load of paperwork and numbers to share. All of us should have a think on it, separately, and we can reconvene any time to discuss as a pack.”
This is a lot to take in. I’d never considered working for a game developer before, even if I love gaming in itself. But the only one of us who really knows what it’s like to work in that environment is Izzy. Matthew’s a streamer, not a developer. Asher is an actor who’s voiced some game characters in the past. And I know how to turn on a PC or console.
“What exactly would be our roles in this company?”
Matthew gives me a small smile. “Well, to start, Iz would be the Art Director.” He squeezes her hand. “I would be the head of marketing and advertising. Asher would be head of casting—”
“And I would help with the marketing aspect, as I know a lot of people,” Asher interjects.
“And you, Will,” Matthew’s smile turns into a grin, “would be the Business Manager.”
Business Manager…
Izzy sits up straight and shoots me an awed look. “You could actually put your degree to use as intended!”
Could we really do this?
“It’s going to be a lot of work, guys. A lot of struggling and working insane hours.” I hate sounding like a spoilsport, but what I say is absolutely the truth.
“We know.” Asher’s voice is gentle, calm. “That’s why we’re all going to think on it. We won’t move forward unless we’re all in.”
“And we would all support one another, every step of the way,” Matthew adds. “Just like in day-to-day life. Forever.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
At The Cozy Crescent, we have Christmas music ambiance, mood lighting, our favorite kid-friendly holiday movies on the TV, rolling conversation, smiles, and, dare I say it, joy.
A few days before Bec, my family, and Matthew’s dad showed up, Asher and I moved our things into the apartment downstairs and later helped clean all the rooms, change bedding, and re-installed the missing scent neutralizers.
My parents had arrived first yesterday, and fell in love with the B&B immediately. When I had shown them to their room, my mom turned curious eyes on me. “Not that I’m complaining, but why are you showing us to our room?”
I hadn’t really thought about it beforehand, just automatically shifted into Hostess Mode because, well… this place is my home. At least for now.
“We have a lot to talk about,” I had told her. “But I want you two to get settled in first.”
And once that happened, both my parents came downstairs with expectant looks, watching every move that I made with my Alphas in the living room and kitchen. I ushered them to the couch and sat in the armchair while Asher and Will finished setting up the extra chairs around us for the party.
I steeled myself, not knowing how they’d react to what I was about to tell them, and part of me not really caring anymore.
I love my Alphas, and anyone who doesn’t support us can, as Asher would say, “Jog on.”
But first…
“I lied to you both.”
My parents had blinked in surprise, my dad’s brows drawing together.
“I wasn’t working at Thanksgiving, and obviously, I’m not working at Christmas. In fact, I was laid off recently.” Not a total lie.
My mom’s face had filled with unexpected concern. “Isabelle,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry. I know that you loved your job.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” my father had asked.
