Ethan pointed at the bottom of the flyer. “Check out the websites. You can register to be a beta tester if you’d like, and you’ll have first access to the application once it’s launched on android and iOS. Beta testers have access to the program for free. Tell your friends and family, anyone looking for love and struggling.”
“And if you know anyone in long-term relationships who might be looking for some guidance,” I added as I motioned for her to turn the flyer over, “we’re doing a partnership with another application that’s goal is to reignite lost love. There’s something here for everyone.”
The girls took two flyers each, folded them up to put in their pockets, and headed off to enjoy the rest of the market.
After Ethan and I said our piece to interested parties, everyone left with a flyer. We knew there was a lot of competition out there in the dating market but we also knew there was room for improvement. Quick hookup apps didn’t work for everyone, especially not the lonely people who were looking for a true connection instead of a booty call. Our clients were offering something people wanted. We just had to help them see that they wanted it.
I manned the booth on my own for half an hour while Ethan went to pick up more flyers once we ran out. He returned with a box of them and we set them back out and they disappeared as quickly as they’d arrived. As we pitched our projects to the public, I tried to stay focused on the task at hand.
It wasn’t easy with Ethan looking so dashing right next to me.
He was dressed in his usual black pea coat. It hit him just above the knees, and today, he’d paired it with a plaid scarf that hung along the lapel of his coat. He wore dark jeans, boots, and leather gloves, and he hadn’t shaved in what must have been a few days because his jaw was thick with growth.
It suited him.
Somehow, his eyes looked even more blue than usual, his teeth whiter, and his lips more kissable.
I gave my head a shake. Head in the game, Kathryn. You have to keep your head in the game.
As the night wore on, we couldn’t contain our excitement over how successful the market had been in terms of getting the word out about our applications. The film crew captured more content than we could have hoped for, and as we all packed up our booth, they promised they’d have everything sent over to us in condensed files by Monday morning. They knew we were on a tight deadline and they were working to meet our needs, as well as being more than fairly compensated by the JDR Agency. They’d helped us in tight spots before and they were people we could rely on.
Once our booth was all packed up, we made our way back to our cars. Ethan paused at the crosswalk and gestured over his shoulder to the Cactus Club restaurant behind us. “Do you want to grab a drink?”
I peered down the road where so many cars were parked at the curb. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“We have something worth celebrating,” he said. “One drink and then we’ll go our separate ways.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “All right. One drink. But you’re buying.”
“Water, it is.”
Giggling, we made our way back across the platform alongside the market until we reached the front doors of the restaurant. As per usual, it was busy. This particular Cactus Club was a hot spot for locals and tourists alike, and they pulled out all the stops when it came to the holidays.
We were seen to a table at the back of the restaurant that overlooked the harbor and still had a bit of a view of the market and the Olympic torch. I ordered a martini and Ethan opted for an old fashioned.
“I don’t think tonight could have gone any better,” I told him after taking the first sip of my drink after the waiter dropped it off.
He held up his old fashioned. The curled orange peel dangled off the side. “A toast to a job well done.”
I tapped my glass against the side of his. “To a job well done.”
I watched the way his lips pursed along the rim of the glass. I watched his throat as he swallowed, how his jaw flexed when he set the glass down, how the tendons