She throws us a wry look.
“Healthy being a euphemism, right? I feel like everyone uses that word these days as a nice way of saying ‘fat.’”
Cameron and I share a puzzled look.
“You’re not fat,” I growl immediately. “You’re perfect, lush, and very womanly. It’s what we want, and we wouldn’t change it for a thing.”
She smiles, feeling better before putting a small hand on my arm, and her other on Cameron’s. “Thank you both,” she says softly. “I appreciate your support.”
I nod, pleased.
“Anytime, baby girl. We want our woman to feel good, so dig in. Go for seconds if you’d like even. We’ve got plenty of time.”
Corrie perks up.
“Well, if you don’t mind then I don’t mind because I really liked those deviled egg sandwiches. The paprika flavoring is to die for!”
I laugh and try one of the egg sandwiches myself as Corrie helps herself to more finger foods. Honestly, she could eat this entire restaurant clean, and I wouldn’t care. Hell, I’ll buy her the place, if it comes down to that. But after a few more minutes munching, she sits back satisfied with a hand on her belly.
“This is amazing,” she sighs with happiness. “I didn’t know hotels even had afternoon tea. And this is a regular thing?”
“Yep, it’s not that common in Wyoming, but the big hotels in New York have it all the time. We’ll take you to New York when the time is right,” Cameron growls. “They’ve got quite a few grand hotels with afternoon tea service.” Corrie bounces up and down in her chair with excitement.
“OMG, that sounds amazing. Yummy sandwiches, indulgent desserts, aromatic tea, and all in a city I’ve never visited before. What more could I want?”
The waiter comes around with a different flavor of tea at that moment, and I watch with gratification as Corrie inhales and then sips the steaming chamomile. This girlie stuff isn’t my thing, but if it makes her happy, then all the better.
“Mmm, this one is delicious,” she rhapsodizes with her eyes closed. “It’s lemony.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Cameron growls.
I’m enjoying myself, but then I turn the conversation to more serious topics.
“So honey, how is school going? Do you still like your classes? You’re graduating this May, right?”
She nods.
“Yeah, and I do like it. Of course, it’s been hard to keep my eyes open during class because you guys keep me up all night, but I’m okay,” she says with a smile. “I’m excited to finally be done with this stuff, and to get out into the work force. But you already know all that. Let’s talk about you guys for a change,” she says. “How’s work going?”
Cameron shrugs and smiles. “It is what it is. I mean, I’ve been doing the same thing with my real estate company for fifteen years now so there isn’t much that’s new. Don’t get me wrong, real estate is always a shitshow what with modifications in zoning, lobbying concerns, and financing, but I’ve been to this rodeo before. Many times in fact,” he says with a quirk of his mouth.
Corrie nods.
“But how do you like it? Are you still enjoying the work?”
Cameron looks thoughtful for a moment, his black hair falling in a comma over one eye.
“I don’t think I like or dislike it at this point,” he muses. “It’s just what I do to make money. It’s almost like part of my identity, especially since the company is my baby.”
Corrie nods and swallows.
“That makes sense. I’ve heard a lot of founders refer to their companies as their children, and I guess it kind of is because before you came along, there was nothing. Then you “birthed” an entity, and took care of it and grew it, and now it’s a huge enterprise!”
Cameron laughs, throwing his black head back.
“Yeah, I guess so. What about you, Justin?” he asks. “I know you have your own company too. Is it like raising a child to you?”
I chuckle. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve also been in this business so long that the previous era is only a hazy memory. But yeah, I guess so. I suppose you could say I’m a doting dad of sorts, but at the same time, it’s a job,” I shrug. “I mean, I was super into things when I started KayLite. Really, to the point of being an annoying micromanager. But you learn to let go because when you hire good people, you don’t need to have your thumb in every pie anymore.”
Corrie nods while popping a tart into her mouth.
“And what does KayLite do again?”
I grin.
“It focuses on green initiatives to battle climate change. I know, hot topic right? But it’s actually something I’ve been passionate about forever, since before it was cool to be environmentally friendly. I drive an electric car, keep my carbon footprint low, and I wear clothes from the companies that limit their impact on the environment. Those parts, I love. So I’m still totally on-board with our mission and values, but the rest of it? I don’t know, it’s not that I dislike it, but it’s what Cameron said. It’s a job and that means accounting, finance, board meetings, labor disputes, the whole shitshow. I’d like to get away from that some days.”