Page 140 of Daily Grind
“I have some ideas.” Justin grinned.
Forty-five minutes later, Brian rubbed his temples and stared at his former barista. Even back when he’d hired Justin, he’d seen his penchant for business—after all, he’d been an MBA student. But now? “This is—something else.”
“Well,” Justin said, “you wanted a plan.”
“Or something,” Sam said. For all the world, it looked as if Sam were trying not to grin from ear to ear. “Good work, J.”
Sketched out on a pad in front of Justin were notes and suggestions, most of which had poured out of him. Ways to study Brian’s business, his competition. What was trending in shops around the country. “I think you already have most of the pieces,” Justin had said. “Just add a few, file down the rough spots, and put them all together.”
Ambitious. Crazy. Wonderful. There was only one small problem. “You guys must charge a fortune for this kind of thing.”
Sam nodded. “We do.”
Brian’s heart sank. “Shit.”
Sam waved the curse away. “This isn’t a normal situation. You’re not high-tech, you’re tiny, and you’re our neighbor.”
“I make you a damn fine cup of coffee.”
Sam laughed. “You make me an exceptionally fine cup of coffee. And I stole away your best employee.”
Justin shifted in his seat. “Hey, I applied toyou.”
Sam’s lips twitched upward, but he ignored Justin. “Plus, someone’s been pestering me for a project of his own.”
“Pesteringis a strong word,” Justin said. “I’ve been asking politely.”
This time, Sam couldn’t contain the grin. “This seems like the perfect opportunity.”
“This has to cost mesomething.” Sam might be a fantastic customer and a decent guy, but he was also a smart businessman. You didn’t give everything away for free.
“How about a year’s worth of your exceptional coffee for all of my employees?”
Brian’s breath caught. He let it out slowly. Because that much free coffee did add up to a decent sum. Doubtless, it was far, far,farless than what Sam normally charged.
“No blender drinks,” Justin said.
Sam lifted an eyebrow. “Whose side are you on?”
“Both.” Justin crossed one leg over the other. “I want this to succeed. Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass those drinks are? You’ll kill morale.”
Brian chuckled. “It’s true. Customers love them, but they’re theworst.”
Sam held up his hand. “Fine. Done.” He paused. “Well, done if you accept.”
“You’re not planning on hiring twenty people or something? Right?”
Sam laughed. “No. We’re at the size we’re going to be for a while.”
Seven people. An entire year. “Three-drink-a-day limit?”
“Four.” There was a gleam in Sam’s eye. “I think that’s fair.”
Justin was quiet. On both sides, indeed.
Brian did a quick calculation in his head—probably similar to the one Sam had done in his. A tidy sum, both a nice bonus for his employees and a price for Brian. It would be neatly spread out over the year and, if Justin’s plan worked, well worth the cost. He nodded. “Okay.”
Both men relaxed and Justin uncrossed his legs. “Eli’s going to have kittens with the accounting onthatcontract.”
