Honey on Your Mind Part 2

"So what exactly are you supposed to do?"

I put my finger on his chin. "You ask a good question."

He laughed. "You really up and moved across the country without a formal job description?"

"Apparently I did. I guess I'm just trusting that Scotty will take care of me."

"You do realize that's a little crazy, right?"

"Good point. But we've already established that you think I'm crazy, so are you all that surprised?"

"Actually, I am. I guess your craziness never ceases to surprise me."

I pushed his shoulder again. "Be nice."

"But seriously, what's the plan?"

I shrugged. "I guess we'll see what happens at that first meeting. It should be illuminating, to say the least. I'm sure Scotty will point me in the right direction. After all, he convinced the higher-ups at NBC that I'm worth a paycheck, right? He must have some ideas floating around in that pretty head of his."

"Did I ever tell you that I've seen the show?"

"You've seen Love, Wendy?"

He nodded. "Just once, after you got offered the job. I stumbled across it on a road trip. I was ironing my shirt before a pregame meeting and turned on the TV." Jake was the head trainer and physical therapist for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

I propped myself up on my elbow and looked at him. "So what did you think? Was it cheesy? I'm not sure what to make of Wendy's style, especially given all that hairspray holding her blonde helmet in place. If she's not careful, she could easily catch on fire around an open flame."

"It's actually not bad. I was surprised, given how you'd described her to me. I expected her to be wearing a tiara or something."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? You didn't think it was that bad? In the only episode I saw, she was talking about all the beauty pageants she used to compete in. After that I couldn't bring myself to watch again."

He laughed and messed up my hair. "It was fine, really. Maybe she's not as bad as you think."

"I hope you're right. If nothing else, it means so long, erratic print column and near poverty; h.e.l.lo, TV version and regular paycheck."

"Nothing wrong with a steady paycheck. So tell me, what's on your mind right now?"

I nuzzled my head against his chest. "You mean besides the fact that I'm never moving again?"

"Yes." He gently caressed my cheek.

"To be honest, it's not suitable for family-oriented programming."

"I like the sound of that." He lifted my face to his, and I immediately forgot all about Wendy Davenport.

Early Monday Jake flew back to Atlanta. The hectic NBA season was just getting under way, so I felt lucky that he'd had a free weekend to help me get settled. For the next few weeks, however, I was on my own. Or at least I was sleeping on my own. My friends Kristina and Shane lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and of course, there was Scotty, so I wasn't entirely by myself. Funny, though, how you could feel alone in a city of eight million people.

I had a week before my first day at Love, Wendy. In between countless trips to Target for everything from a shower curtain to a coffee pot, I was planning to meet Paige Murphy, Andie's cousin. A career sales rep, she was willing to help me get the products I sold online at Waverly's Honey Shop into brick-and-mortar stores.

Since Paige lived downtown, she suggested we meet for happy hour at a place called Harry's, one of the many old-school pubs in the financial district. It was easy to spot her when I walked in, not just because she'd described herself over the phone, but also because she was pretty much the only person in there not wearing a suit. Talk about a Wall Street stereotype. It's hard enough finding anyone who wears a suit to work in San Francisco, much less in a packed pub downtown on a Monday. In San Francisco on Monday evenings, everyone's either walking a dog, going for a run, or at Pilates.

Paige stood up from the barstool and gave me a hug as I approached her. "Waverly, it's so great to finally meet you in person. I've been hearing about you for years." Her smile was warm and genuine.

I sat down next to her. "Hearing good things, I hope." I suddenly realized that if Andie and I ever had a falling out, she could ruin me forever.

She laughed and stood up to get the bartender's attention. "Of course, all good. Now what can I get you? It's on me."

I picked up the drink menu and scanned it. "How about a Blue Moon with an orange slice?"

"Sounds great. I think I'll have the same." She ordered the drinks, then sat down and faced me. "So how are you liking New York? What a huge move to make by yourself. I'm impressed."

I smiled. "So far, so good, but I don't think it's completely sunk in yet that I actually live here. It was just so unexpected, and everything's moving so fast."

"Get used to it. Everything in New York moves fast. G.o.d forbid you're a slow walker, especially on the subway platform. You can seriously get taken out."

"I'll try to remember that."

She reached down and pulled a large binder from her bag. "OK, let's get down to business. I have all sorts of plans for your Honey products, so I hope you're ready to get busy. Are you?" She opened it across her lap.

I stared at the binder. "Wow, Andie said you were on top of it, but I think she sold you a bit short."

She laughed. "Oh yes, I don't mess around."

Over the next half hour, Paige explained where she thought the Honey products would be a good fit, as well as her strategy for developing both local and national accounts. She also discussed the most cost-effective production network to support orders, which, until then, I'd been fulfilling piecemeal out of my apartment with sporadic trips to the post office. Compared to what she was describing, I was a retail preschooler, barely out of diapers.

"Are you following me? Am I going too fast?" She stopped and put a hand on my arm. She didn't say it in a mean way and was clearly only reacting to the look on my face, which apparently displayed what I was thinking: I am totally in over my head!

I blinked. "I'm following. I just didn't realize how much was involved in, um, in getting a product on the shelves." Until now, the T-shirts, tote bags, and other items that made up Waverly's Honey Shop had only an online presence.

She smiled. "That's OK, no one ever does. But that's a good thing, because if you did, would you have made the effort to create all those cool products in the first place?"

I laughed. "Probably not."

"See? That's why you have me. Don't worry, you're in good hands. I've been doing this for years, and while it's never easy to launch a new product, I think your Honey line has potential."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I don't take on product lines I don't believe in. I learned that lesson once. It's just a huge waste of time for everyone." She reached into her purse and pulled out a Honey Tote that said IS IT WORSE TO BE FAKE OR b.i.t.c.hY? on the front and HONEY, JUST FACE IT. IF YOU'RE ASKING, YOU'RE PROBABLY BOTH on the back. She pointed to it. "This is the story of my life, right here in black and white."

I smiled. "That's my best seller. And I don't believe that's the story of your life. Andie says you're the nicest person in her family."

"She really said that?"

I nodded.

"Andie's so sweet." She finished her beer and set it on the bar, then looked at her phone. "Listen, I hate to drink and run, but I have a date, so I need to leave soon. I'm sorry."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're seeing someone?" Given what Andie had said about Paige's dating history, I figured she was single.

She shook her head. "It's a first date. It'll probably be the last too, but you've got to try, right?"

"You've definitely got to try. How did you meet him?"

"Actually, I haven't."

"Set up?"

"Sort of. It's through a matchmaking service."

"A matchmaking service?"

She nodded. "I figured I'd try putting my love life into the hands of professionals, because whatever I'm doing clearly isn't working. You know what happened with the last guy I dated?"

"I have a feeling I'm about to find out."

She leaned toward me and lowered her voice. "I spent the night for the first time at his apartment, and right before we went to sleep, he gave me a brand new toothbrush."

"OK..."

"And then the next morning, he said he was just going to throw it away, so I might as well take it with me."

I winced. "He really said that?"

"He really said that."

"He didn't say you could keep it there?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Ouch."

"Exactly."

"Did you like him?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, I did." She looked...sad.

I made a sad face. "Did I already say ouch?"

"You did. Thanks."

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Paige."

She waved a hand in front of her. "It's OK. I'm used to it by now."

"So that's dating in New York?"

She shrugged. "That's dating in New York. At least my version of it. Which explains my recent decision to let the pros take over."

"Sounds like a smart idea to me."

"Andie tells me you have a serious boyfriend. Josh something? Jake? Jared?"

I took a sip of my beer. "Jake. McIntyre. He lives in Atlanta."

"How long have you been dating?"

"Officially about six months. But I went through my own share of dating h.e.l.l before I met him, including being on the losing end of a broken engagement. So believe me, I feel your pain."

She nodded. "I've heard stories from Andie about the slim pickings in San Francisco, but there's no way it's as bad out there as it is here."

I raised my eyebrows. "Want to try me?"

She laughed. "Is that a dare?"

I laughed too. "I guess so."

"OK, it's on. Can you beat that toothbrush story?"

"I think I can."

"OK, let's hear it."

I paused to think for a minute, then nodded. "OK, I once went on a date with a guy who told me over dinner that I'd be more attractive if my b.o.o.bs were bigger."

Her jaw dropped. "No."

I nodded and looked down at my chest. "I think I was even wearing a padded bra at the time."

"Wowsa. OK, I see that, and I raise you a guy who-after one date-suggested I lose a few pounds before he'd be *up for seeing' me naked."

I pushed her shoulder. "No way! For real?"

She nodded. "For real. He even e-mailed me a link to a special Jenny Craig was running."

"Oh my G.o.d. What an a.s.shole."

"Yeah, that wasn't fun. Can you top that?"

I paused. "That might be hard, but I think I can. Just give me a minute." I closed my eyes to concentrate. I knew there must be something in my memory I could pull out. I'd yet to meet anyone who could compete when it came to my pre-Jake dating disasters.

Think, Waverly!

I kept my eyes closed for moment, and then it came to me.

Yes!

"OK, OK, I've got one. I had a first date once that went well. We had dinner and then went for a walk. I kissed him a little bit, but nothing serious."