in one of their kitchens—lately they’d all ended the same, with a make-out session that stopped only with the appearance of Corrie or with Kim’s begrudging insistence that she be getting home.
She gave her nose a final pat, then rummaged in the bag for her eye shadow. Her stomach gave a little flutter as she swiped the color across her eyelids. She was excited to talk to Rick about the idea she’d come up with that morning for a mobile salon business. She and Suzi had brainstormed marketing and equipment needs over lunch, and it had been all she could think about for the rest of the afternoon. She knew Rick would be able to come up with even more ideas. He had that kind of a mind. Maybe he would be able to help her put a business plan together.
Rick was waiting on the sidewalk when she came out. “Hey you.”
“Hey you .” He kissed her and took her hand, leading her to his car. “So what are we cooking tonight?”
“You have two choices: homemade pizza or ravioli.”
“Pizza for sure.”
“Oh good. I wanted to give you a choice but that’s what I was hoping you’d say.” They chatted on the short drive to the grocery store, then wandered down the aisles, picking up their ingredients. After paying for their groceries, they made a mad dash through freezing rain to Rick’s car, where they passed the time while the car heated by engaging in a serious kiss that steamed the windows. Finally Kim thumped Rick’s chest with her mittened hands. “I’m hungry!”
“Okay, okay.” He grinned. “We’ll pick up where we left off after we eat.”
Once home, they made their pizza, then sat at the table to eat a nacho appetizer while it baked. “So I came up with this awesome idea today,” Kim said after munching a handful of chips. “I want to start a mobile salon business.”
Rick froze with a chip halfway into his mouth. “What? Why?”
“I’m getting a little bored, honestly. I like doing hair, and I’m good at it, but I think I’d enjoy the freedom of my own business. Plus, I think I’d be—”
“No, bad idea.” He shook his head and dusted salt from his hands. “Don’t you listen to the news? The economy sucks right now. It would be a terrible idea to try to start a business. Besides, you’re not a businesswoman. You know how much paperwork there is with your own business? The licensing, the taxes—you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Her chest burned with wounded pride and embarrassment. “Well…but I thought maybe you’d be able to help me. I know I’m not a genius, but between the two of us—”
He laughed, his tone scornful. “Like what, you’d hire me? I’d be your employee? No way I’d want my girlfriend to be my boss.”
Speechless, she ducked her head to hide the tears that brimmed and stood to find something to occupy her in the kitchen. She searched for a retort but all she came up with was, “Well then, never mind I guess.”
He made a noise of frustration and came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. “Sweetheart, look, I’m sorry. But seriously, you’re better off staying where you are. I’d just hate to see you get disappointed when it didn’t work out.”
Kim sniffed and shrugged him away. “I can’t believe you don’t have more confidence in me. If you had come to me with the same idea, I would have been totally supportive and would have offered to do anything to help you.”
“Kim, I said I’m sorry. What else do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say, ‘Hey, great idea, let’s go for it!’”
“So you want me to lie? You want me to set you up for failure?”
“How do you know I’d fail?”
He let out a terse laugh. “Look, Kim, the fact that you think this is a good idea shows that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Trust me, it would fail.” He wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her closer despite her resistance. “I’m just looking out for you, Kim.
She gave her nose a final pat, then rummaged in the bag for her eye shadow. Her stomach gave a little flutter as she swiped the color across her eyelids. She was excited to talk to Rick about the idea she’d come up with that morning for a mobile salon business. She and Suzi had brainstormed marketing and equipment needs over lunch, and it had been all she could think about for the rest of the afternoon. She knew Rick would be able to come up with even more ideas. He had that kind of a mind. Maybe he would be able to help her put a business plan together.
Rick was waiting on the sidewalk when she came out. “Hey you.”
“Hey you .” He kissed her and took her hand, leading her to his car. “So what are we cooking tonight?”
“You have two choices: homemade pizza or ravioli.”
“Pizza for sure.”
“Oh good. I wanted to give you a choice but that’s what I was hoping you’d say.” They chatted on the short drive to the grocery store, then wandered down the aisles, picking up their ingredients. After paying for their groceries, they made a mad dash through freezing rain to Rick’s car, where they passed the time while the car heated by engaging in a serious kiss that steamed the windows. Finally Kim thumped Rick’s chest with her mittened hands. “I’m hungry!”
“Okay, okay.” He grinned. “We’ll pick up where we left off after we eat.”
Once home, they made their pizza, then sat at the table to eat a nacho appetizer while it baked. “So I came up with this awesome idea today,” Kim said after munching a handful of chips. “I want to start a mobile salon business.”
Rick froze with a chip halfway into his mouth. “What? Why?”
“I’m getting a little bored, honestly. I like doing hair, and I’m good at it, but I think I’d enjoy the freedom of my own business. Plus, I think I’d be—”
“No, bad idea.” He shook his head and dusted salt from his hands. “Don’t you listen to the news? The economy sucks right now. It would be a terrible idea to try to start a business. Besides, you’re not a businesswoman. You know how much paperwork there is with your own business? The licensing, the taxes—you wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Her chest burned with wounded pride and embarrassment. “Well…but I thought maybe you’d be able to help me. I know I’m not a genius, but between the two of us—”
He laughed, his tone scornful. “Like what, you’d hire me? I’d be your employee? No way I’d want my girlfriend to be my boss.”
Speechless, she ducked her head to hide the tears that brimmed and stood to find something to occupy her in the kitchen. She searched for a retort but all she came up with was, “Well then, never mind I guess.”
He made a noise of frustration and came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. “Sweetheart, look, I’m sorry. But seriously, you’re better off staying where you are. I’d just hate to see you get disappointed when it didn’t work out.”
Kim sniffed and shrugged him away. “I can’t believe you don’t have more confidence in me. If you had come to me with the same idea, I would have been totally supportive and would have offered to do anything to help you.”
“Kim, I said I’m sorry. What else do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say, ‘Hey, great idea, let’s go for it!’”
“So you want me to lie? You want me to set you up for failure?”
“How do you know I’d fail?”
He let out a terse laugh. “Look, Kim, the fact that you think this is a good idea shows that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Trust me, it would fail.” He wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her closer despite her resistance. “I’m just looking out for you, Kim.
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