looking at for start-up costs?” he asks.
I read off the amount that he helped me figure out a few days ago. “We figured we can keep start-up costs low by seein’ if we can do book drives to get donations and buy up some decommissioned school busses.” Thank you, Barrett for that ten-dollar word. “And we can start in just one or two counties to work out the kinks before expanding into new counties and states.”
He gives me a covert thumbs up for nailing the answer we practiced.
After that, the three of them start talking about how much they could put in and how much they’d want to fundraise ahead to spread out their risk. Which, I guess means they’re gonna give us the money?
Barrett
I lead Sterling and Em back out into the hall and pull my boy in for a kiss, which he doesn’t protest this time.
“What happens now? Did we get the funding?” he asks excitedly.
“You got the funding,” I assure him. Of course, he was going to get it; I just thought it would mean more to him if he had the chance to do this the same way we’d make anyone else do it rather than simply having me hand him the money. “What happens next is the two of you make a full business plan and start organizing your own next steps.” Sterling’s eyes go wide, and he looks over at Em who’s looking equally nervous. “Don’t panic; you can borrow Gannon to get you started. Anyway, on our end, I’ll get Nolan working on putting a fundraising event together, and by the end of next month, you’ll have a check in your hands to fund your mobile libraries.”
“Holy heck, I can’t believe this is real,” he says. “This was a silly idea I had on a whim, now I have to create a whole organization to make it real?”
“You are capable of huge things, little rabbit. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” I ask, and he blushes.
“I couldn’t do it without you, Daddy.”
I scoff. “I’m throwing money at an idea you came up with, that’s all.” I kiss him one more time. “I’d better get back to work, but why don’t I take the two of you out for a fancy dinner to celebrate tonight?” I suggest.
“F-f-free food, count me in,” Em agrees.
“Great, I’ll decide on a place and let Kane know where to take you in a few hours.”
I make sure they get back down to the car okay, and then join Alden and Kiernan again in going over the numbers.
“Gotta tell you, even if he wasn’t your boy, this is a solid plan. Not as thorough as most, but I don’t think it’ll be a money pit.”
“That’s good news seeing that I was planning to fund it regardless,” I deadpan.
“You know, just because you’re his Daddy, doesn’t mean you need to be such a cinnamon roll,” Alden points out with a half smirk.
“Don’t be jealous,” I shoot back, and he doesn’t bother to argue with my assessment. We both know if he had a boy, he’d be spoiling them just as much. He plays at being a hard ass but the last time he had a boy, he was softer than hell. Then again, that didn’t exactly work out well for him, so there’s that.
“Who, uh, who was Sterling’s friend again?” Kiernan asks, as if Emerson’s name isn’t written on the papers he’s currently shuffling absently.
“Emerson,” I answer with a smirk, earning the exact glare I was anticipating in return. “What exactly do you want to know?”
He shrugs, and I wait him out. “He was cute,” he says off-handedly.
“And now he’s a business associate. It’s not exactly appropriate. In fact, we’re giving them money, if you come onto him it could be seen as coercion, and not in the sexy, playful way,” I point out.
Kiernan deflates, blowing out a breath and running his fingers through his auburn hair, causing it to stick up in several directions. “Fuck,” he mutters.
“Yes, it’s quite the tragedy. God knows you aren’t swimming in boys dying to snag a ginger Daddy,” I tease.
He sighs. “I guess.” He sounds surprisingly disappointed for a man who’s never brought the same man to two different fundraisers.
Chapter 23
Sterling
I bounce my knee and chew on my bottom lip, watching as one beautiful person after another comes and goes through the waiting room. I can’t work out what all these people who already look perfect are doing going to see a plastic