Page 24 of Archer

“That’s perfect. Shoot me a text with the address, and I’ll come pick you up.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. We can leave from the studio, if you give me until like seven-thirty so I can get ready.”

“That works. I’ll meet you down there at seven-thirty.”

Crispin

I legitimately felt like I was floating on a cloud this morning. Was yesterday real life? I spent the whole day with Archer, and it was amazing. Beyond anything I could’ve ever hoped for, better than anything I’d ever dreamed. I’d taken a chance calling him Daddy, and I was so glad I did. He’d called me sweet boy in return. Me, sweet boy. I wonder if he’d call me that from now on. I sure hoped so.

As I started the car to head into the studio, the phone buzzed with a call from Aziza. Too excited to hear from my mentor and friend, I answered quickly. “Aziza, how are you doing? I’ve missed you so much. I have so much to tell you. First of all—”

“Crispin.” Her tinkering laughter followed. “Take a breath. If I’m not mistaken, you’re headed into the studio now, correct?”

Even though she couldn’t see me, I followed her advice and took a breath. I hadn’t realized how much I missed her until I heard her voice. And it hit me how much I really wanted to tell someone else about Archer. “Yeah. You have perfect timing. I just got in the car to drive in.” On that note, I put the car in reverse and pulled out of my brother’s driveway.

“Ha, ha, good. It’s so nice to hear your voice,” she said.

“Yours, too. How’s everything going? Are you still loving it there?”

She hummed. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I do miss you, though, dear boy. So tell me, what’s got you so excited?”

“I’ve met someone.” Had I? Surely yes, but… “I mean, I think I’ve met someone. We spent the whole day together yesterday, and he’s taking me out on a date tonight.”

She whistled into the phone. “My, my, my. It sounds like everything’s coming together for you.”

She would think that. She didn’t know how much money I still needed to save to buy her brand from her. There was also the fact that spending all day with Archer yesterday and going on a date with him tonight was all more time where I wasn’t out earning those extra tips delivering food.

But Archer. So worth it. I sighed. “It feels like it is. And Archer—that’s his name—is helping me build a website for the studio.” I wasn’t sure how she would react to that since she’d never had one, but how could I tell her about my maybe-new-Daddy if I didn’t explain why we spent all that time together yesterday?

“Oh, Crispin, that’s fabulous.” In my mind, I pictured her clapping her hands together under her chin the way she did when I told her something good in my life, like when I’d given notice to the dreadful day job.

“In this day and age, you really need a website. An online presence is so important,” she said in a business-like tone she rarely used.

If I hadn’t been driving, I’d have demanded we go onFaceTimeright this moment. “But, but, you never had one,” I sputtered.

That tinkering laughter filled the cavity of my car. “Well, I didn’t need to, did I?”

I thought of how full her classes always were. If she led the session, she didn’t have to pay for another instructor, so I guessed that made sense. “I see your point.”Kinda.

“Good. I’m glad he’s helping you with that. I like him already. What’s he do for a living?”

“He’s a professional photographer. He took the most beautiful pictures of the studio for the website, and then when I said I didn’t really know what to do with them, he spent the whole day listening to me babble away about my love for yoga and my plans for the future to help me figure out what I needed on it.”

“I can’t wait to see how it turns out. A photographer, you say. You wouldn’t happen to be talking about the tall, brooding man who always walks around with the camera bag slung over his shoulder, would you?” she asked in a teasing voice.

I blushed furiously, realizing that I mentioned the hot, brooding man to her on more than one occasion. I cleared my throat. “That would be him.”

“Mm. Good job. Look at you, attracting all the right things into your life.”

“I still miss you, though,” I admitted.

“I miss you, too. I’ll be home to visit before you know it,” she promised.

“Just a visit?” I asked, disappointed. As much as I loved the idea of owning Harmony and Joy, I wasn’t so sure how I felt about being a business owner. Was I ready or equipped for this? Even if I was, I’d rather have Aziza.

“A long weekend, maybe. I must follow my own plan, just like you’re following yours, and I’m definitely being called here.”

“Ugh. Okay. I figured you’d say that, but it never hurts to ask.”