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“That’s actually another good point,” Megan concluded.

Vanessa started laughing.

“Looks like I found the right partner. Okay, let’s talk to Myrtle, see what else she can find.”

“One more thing…” Chloë said. She hoped she wasn’t overstepping but if she was going to be a partner in this endeavor, she wanted to get used to voicing her ideas.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, giving leave for Chloë to continue.

“Are we sold on the name La Vida Mocha II?” Chloë asked.

“Um…well, it’s not like it’s written in stone yet.” Vanessa replied.

“It’s just that, I’ve been reading these articles on sites like Forbes and the Wall Street Journal and more than one has said that consumer trends are moving away from chain establishments, especially when it comes to the service industry. Apparently, customers want to do more to support small and local businesses as opposed to big chains, especially during the pandemic, and so I’m worried that if we have a sign out front that says ‘La Vida Mocha’ with a big number two next to it, that people might think we’re just another chain coffeeshop and avoid us.”

“Oh my god, I love her!” Megan squealed, giving Chloë a side hug. To Vanessa, she said, “Babe, she’s got a point.”

Vanessa nodded.

“Well, I mean…we’re hardly Starbucks with only two shops!”

“Yeah, but it’s about that first impression, right?” Megan said.

“Right,” Chloë added. “If people see that number two on our sign they might think, ‘Oh, well, they’re obviously doing okay during the pandemic, they have more than one shop. Let’s go get our coffee at Grandma’s Coffee just down the street instead.’”

&

nbsp; Vanessa, looking between Chloë and Megan seemed like she wanted to argue the point further but then she made that face Chloë knew meant she had been won over.

“Okay, you win,” she conceded. “We’ll come up with another name. Good thinking, by the way.”

Chloë felt that swell of pride again.

“So, what’s next?” Chloë asked.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Ugh! What’s next is writing a business plan and finding a location—with outdoor seating—and then talking to the bank about loans and then getting inspections and then talking to the bank again about loans and getting permits and licenses. We’ll need to do renovations and decorating and a million other little things that never seem to stop.”

Chloë giggled. It all sounded horrible and yet she wanted it all!

Megan tsked.

“As usual, my lady love is focusing on all the booooring stuff!” she said. “What’s next is we celebrate! Champagne, our house, tomorrow night. And you…” Megan pointed at Chloë. “…you bring that new girlfriend I understand you have.”

Chloë blushed but nodded. In fact, she couldn’t wait to tell Morgan this big news later tonight.

Chapter 32

“Oh my god, that scares me to death!” Morgan exclaimed a few hours later, sitting on Chloë’s sofa in the tiny house. Chloë had just popped the big news about being invited to be a partner in the new coffeeshop, which Morgan thought was wonderful, especially since Chloë’s effervescent excitement suited her so well. But then Chloë had dropped the bomb about them being invited over to Vanessa and Megan’s house for a celebration and Morgan wondered if she was going to have a panic attack.

“Dude, why would that scare you? Don’t you want to meet my friends?”

“Of course, I do,” Morgan assured her. Actually, she wanted to tell Chloë that she had spent part of today thinking that her and Chloë were fast approaching that point in their relationship when they should officially make their debut, so to speak, by meeting friends and, dare she think it, family.

However, introducing Chloë to her own family meant that she would actually need to tell her family that she was dating a woman. A younger woman. A former student younger woman.

But back to the immediate problem…