I started taking some landscape design courses.”
Jack nodded slowly. “What did your parents think of that?”
“They thought I was nuts.”
“Yeah. That wouldn’t have been what they wanted for you.”
He apparently remembered them pretty well.
“They hated it. They still think I’m crazy, especially starting my own business. After a few years of working there and taking courses, I got the opportunity to start doing design work, and when that was going well, I decided to strike out on my own.”
“She’s very talented,” Kevin said. “But I’m sure you know that from whatever research you did before contacting her to work for you.”
The two men exchanged a look and Jack nodded. “Yeah, I know she’s talented.”
“I’m right here,” she muttered.
Jack smiled at me. “Your parents have to be proud of how successful you are.”
For a moment she thought an expression crossed his face that almost looked…wistful.
“Not really.” She rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to mention that at the moment her business was not exactly on solid financial ground, so there wasn’t as much for her parents to be proud of as one might think. Except she didn’t know if they would have been proud of her, no matter how successful she was. Maybe if she was asked to do landscaping at the White House, they’d be proud.
“Seriously, though,” Jack said. “You have a great reputation, especially when it comes to rooftop garden design. Your name was the one that kept coming up when I was looking into things.”
Her cheeks heated and pleasure warmed her inside. “Thanks.” If only that would translate into more business. She pushed away her doubts. It would. This was just a dry spell.
“So what else?” Jack leaned back in his chair to finish off the last of his cone. “You’re not married, obviously. Ever been?”
“No. You?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been kind of busy the last few years.”
“Speaking of doing well,” she murmured. She wiped her hands on a napkin and crumpled it. She looked at Kevin. “We should go.”
Kevin nodded agreeably and Jack rose too as they did, accompanying them outside.
“Good to meet you,” he said again to Kevin, and then he turned his penetrating gaze on her. “Thanks again for thinking about the job, Sasha. I’d really love for you to do it rather than a stranger.”
She nodded, even as she reminded herself she wasn’t going to take the job, but his warm words and earlier praise eroded her resolve.
“I’ll follow up with you in a few days,” he said.
She and Kevin walked down the dark sidewalk in silence, only the noise of passing traffic surrounding them, the street lamps casting round pools of light interspersed with shadows. She tugged her scarf right up to her chin and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
“Well,” he finally said, when they’d rounded the corner. “He definitely wants you.”
Chapter Five
Sasha spent the rest of the week pounding the pavement, so to speak, and working the phones, trying to drum up business. She’d never had to do this. Even when she’d first started her business she hadn’t had to search for clients. She wasn’t sure why it was. Yes, the economy was slow, but there were still a lot of wealthy people in Chicago buying and building big houses who needed landscaping done. Maybe the niche market she’d carved out for herself doing rooftop gardens had been a mistake. That was a small market and if people thought that was all she did, she was seriously limiting herself.
Ah ha. Maybe that was her problem. So she got to work redesigning part of her website and enhancing her portfolio to include some of the other jobs she’d done. This was not going to keep her down.
Of course at the back of her mind was Jack’s offer.
“He wants you,” Kevin had said.
She’d punched his shoulder at that, her stomach doing a little flip at his words.
“For landscaping,” Kevin had added, but she’d
Jack nodded slowly. “What did your parents think of that?”
“They thought I was nuts.”
“Yeah. That wouldn’t have been what they wanted for you.”
He apparently remembered them pretty well.
“They hated it. They still think I’m crazy, especially starting my own business. After a few years of working there and taking courses, I got the opportunity to start doing design work, and when that was going well, I decided to strike out on my own.”
“She’s very talented,” Kevin said. “But I’m sure you know that from whatever research you did before contacting her to work for you.”
The two men exchanged a look and Jack nodded. “Yeah, I know she’s talented.”
“I’m right here,” she muttered.
Jack smiled at me. “Your parents have to be proud of how successful you are.”
For a moment she thought an expression crossed his face that almost looked…wistful.
“Not really.” She rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to mention that at the moment her business was not exactly on solid financial ground, so there wasn’t as much for her parents to be proud of as one might think. Except she didn’t know if they would have been proud of her, no matter how successful she was. Maybe if she was asked to do landscaping at the White House, they’d be proud.
“Seriously, though,” Jack said. “You have a great reputation, especially when it comes to rooftop garden design. Your name was the one that kept coming up when I was looking into things.”
Her cheeks heated and pleasure warmed her inside. “Thanks.” If only that would translate into more business. She pushed away her doubts. It would. This was just a dry spell.
“So what else?” Jack leaned back in his chair to finish off the last of his cone. “You’re not married, obviously. Ever been?”
“No. You?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been kind of busy the last few years.”
“Speaking of doing well,” she murmured. She wiped her hands on a napkin and crumpled it. She looked at Kevin. “We should go.”
Kevin nodded agreeably and Jack rose too as they did, accompanying them outside.
“Good to meet you,” he said again to Kevin, and then he turned his penetrating gaze on her. “Thanks again for thinking about the job, Sasha. I’d really love for you to do it rather than a stranger.”
She nodded, even as she reminded herself she wasn’t going to take the job, but his warm words and earlier praise eroded her resolve.
“I’ll follow up with you in a few days,” he said.
She and Kevin walked down the dark sidewalk in silence, only the noise of passing traffic surrounding them, the street lamps casting round pools of light interspersed with shadows. She tugged her scarf right up to her chin and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
“Well,” he finally said, when they’d rounded the corner. “He definitely wants you.”
Chapter Five
Sasha spent the rest of the week pounding the pavement, so to speak, and working the phones, trying to drum up business. She’d never had to do this. Even when she’d first started her business she hadn’t had to search for clients. She wasn’t sure why it was. Yes, the economy was slow, but there were still a lot of wealthy people in Chicago buying and building big houses who needed landscaping done. Maybe the niche market she’d carved out for herself doing rooftop gardens had been a mistake. That was a small market and if people thought that was all she did, she was seriously limiting herself.
Ah ha. Maybe that was her problem. So she got to work redesigning part of her website and enhancing her portfolio to include some of the other jobs she’d done. This was not going to keep her down.
Of course at the back of her mind was Jack’s offer.
“He wants you,” Kevin had said.
She’d punched his shoulder at that, her stomach doing a little flip at his words.
“For landscaping,” Kevin had added, but she’d
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