“My dad first went to Shreveport to work for a big company after he graduated from college. But he figured out that as their profits grew, they were only increasing the salaries of their executives and paying out more to their shareholders. They weren’t reinvesting in the company itself, never in the employees, and never in the community around them. So, he quit and opened his own business with the opposite model. It’s a cleaning business for homes and businesses. His salary didn’t increase until all of his employees had paychecks well above the average, great benefits packages, and other perks like help with tuition if they went back to school and childcare. He also donated huge amounts to the community. Only then did he ever take any more money himself. And now it’s a huge multi-state company with some of the best employee satisfaction scores in the business.”
Griffin was listening with interest, so she went on.
“About five years ago, Dad used his brand to start a line of cleaning products. They are all-natural, so better for the environment, and the manufacturing of the products created more jobs. Dad insisted on hiring locally first, so our community benefitted from that as well.”
She took a breath. “And now, after all that hard work and making all of those decisions that were sometimes hard, but always according to his mission, he now has a lot of community and state-wide influence. He has the ear of politicians who can influence legislation that protects workers’ rights and the environment. And he is able to pass on his experience and advice to other business owners, encouraging them to treat their employees and communities right.”
Griffin didn’t say anything for several seconds. He just stared at her.
“What?”
“You helped him to do all of that?”
“A little bit. Over the last couple of years, I worked with him a little bit more. But he did a lot of it while I was growing up, so he’s actually been more of my inspiration.”
“And that’s why you chose to go into marketing? You’re going to help other companies do what your dad did?”
“I hope so. I’m willing to start at square one. I want to find a company that has the potential for growth and help them build. And along the way, as a trusted part of their team, I can be influential in how they use their increased profits and brand recognition.”
“I never thought of marketing like that,” Griffin said. “I figured it was always just convincing people to buy things.”
“It is that. But there’s a bigger picture, a long-term plan, with what to do when that works, and people do buy things.” She took a breath. “I want to be involved in helping smaller businesses grow. There were a lot of different ways I could have done that, but my whole life, my dad has told me that I can talk anyone into anything. That meant that I could probably be a very good political lobbyist, or I could sell a ton of cars or something. But marketing is bigger, I think. It’s about creating a whole brand and then really thinking about what you can do with that brand.”
“So what’s your dream job?”
“Well, working for a makeup company that just launched a skincare product line and wanted me to work in their Paris office,” she said. “Just, for instance.”
Griffin looked at her seriously. “You’re heartbroken over the job?”
She thought about his question then lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know about that. I mean, I don’t regret what I did, and if they were to fire me for that, they weren’t the company I wanted to work for. I guess it’s possible that I could have helped them get bigger and more successful and more profitable, and they wouldn’t have done good things with it.”
Griffin studied her. He shook his head. “No chance.”
“No chance of what?”
“You definitely would have talked them into doing good things.”
Now that was definitely a compliment.
“Do you have brothers and sisters?” he asked.
She nodded. “Two younger sisters. Amelia and Abigail. Abi is in college. She wants to go into healthcare. Ami is… trying to find herself.”
Griffin lifted a brow. “Oh?”
“She was Miss Louisiana two years ago,” Charlie said.
“As in, went to the Miss America pageant?”
“Yep.”
“Well, that’s something you don’t hear every day.”
She laughed. “I guess that’s a way to say it. Anyway, I think she thought that was her ticket to whatever she wanted. Turns out, it wasn’t that easy.”
“What’s she want to do?”
“Travel the world. Have lots of money. Get paid to be pretty.” Charlie sighed. “Sorry. That makes her sound very superficial and awful. She’s very sweet. She’s just… used to getting her way, and when it doesn’t happen, she isn’t sure how to work for it. She’s the middle daughter and, I guess, feels a little ignored?” She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I love her, but we don’t have a lot in common.”
He snorted.
“What?” Charlie asked.
“If she’s very used to getting her way and holy-shit gorgeous, I’d say you have a lot in common.”
She gave him a smile and shook her head. “There’s one of those is-that-a-compliment-or-not comments.”
“It’s… mostly… a compliment.”
He gave her a little grin that made her panties definitely feel warmer.
“You’d better watch yourself, Dr. Foster. Throwing out so many compliments in such a short timeframe might make me think you’re starting to like me.”
“Well, I definitely wouldn’t want that.”
They sat for several seconds without speaking, smiling at each other stupidly. Until a loud meow came from the stall door, pulling Charlie’s attention away from Griffin.
A large black cat with a white chest, white paws, and a streak of white on his nose walked past. He entered the stall as if he belonged there. She assumed he did.
“This is Sylvester?”
Griffin reached his hand out toward the cat, which approached him without hesitation and rubbed its cheek along Griffin’s fingers. “Yep. Sylvester, this is Charlie. Charlie, this is Sylvester.”
Sylvester sniffed Hermione, and they touched noses.
Griffin ran a hand down the back of the cat and then shifted Hermione off his lap and onto the pile of hay next to him. He got to his feet, and the cat immediately took his spot. Some might have guessed it was because the spot was warm from Griffin’s body, and the cat had just come in from the rain, but as soon as he lay down, and Hermione moved to rest her forehead against his stomach, it seemed clear he was here for his friend. The warm spot in the straw was just a bonus.
Griffin brushed the seat of his jeans off and came toward Charlie. He reached out a hand.
She took it, letting him pull her to her feet.
He didn’t let go of her once they were both standing. Nor did he step back.
“They’ll be fine now,” he said, his voice low.
She looked up at him and was struck with the urge to lean in, wrap her arms around him, and hug him.
It was a very different urge than she normally had around him. Those urges tended to oscillate between wanting to take her clothes off and wanting to tease him. This was a much softer feeling, and as it curled through her, she realized it came with an undeniable feeling of I just really like him.