Page 42 of Archer
Aziza looked startled, and my heart sank. Had she been expecting more?
Aziza sighed. “Oh, Crispin. I didn’t give you a price because I didn’t want you worried about it yet. I wanted you to sink every bit of money you earned right now back into the studio. I had no idea you were so worried. No, I didn’t expect anything of the kind. I was thinking five percent a month. That’s it.”
“And what was your initial investment price for him?” Archer asked.
She blinked. “Well, nothing, of course. I don’t expect any kind of initial investment. Especially not at those prices. Good grief. It’s only one little studio. It’s not a chain or anything.”
I gaped. “Nothing? Aziza, I researched it. At the very least, people are charging—”
She waved her hand, cutting me off. “I’m not concerned about what other people are doing.” Her tinkling laughter filled the air. “In fact, the only reason I planned on charging you the five percent was because I knew you wouldn’t just let me give it to you.”
“But… but…what will you live on? You can’t give me Harmony and Joy for free.”
“Why not? Crispin, honey, there’s a reason I never had a website or worried about advertisements. I was blessed with a significant inheritance when I was younger, and I invested wisely. I can retire right now without any financial concerns ever again.”
“No way,” I blurted.
She nodded. “Yes way. The studio was my baby, but it also kept me from getting bored. I’m peaceful leaving it in your capable hands. I don’t want you worrying about sending me money again. I’m so sorry that you’ve been working so hard. I’d assumed you hadn’t hired any other instructors because you wanted to do a remodel on the facility or something.”
I gasped. “Why would I do that? Aziza, the studio’s perfect.”
She hummed. “It was perfect for me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t want to put your own spin on it.”
Archer chuckled. “Thank you for clearing this all up. I think Crispin has some thinking to do.”
While Archer and Aziza continued chatting, getting to know each other better, I was lost in my own thoughts. Why hadn’t I ever asked Aziza for a price? I’d been working myself to the bone for no reason, and I kind of felt foolish now. Aziza knew my financial situation. She knew all about my family and that I was living with my brother. Of course, she hadn’t expected me to give her some huge sum of money.
“Crispin, you look like you need to speak this over with your Daddy.” I felt my face heat as Archer beamed. He was my Daddy, but I couldn’t believe she put it out there like that. Oh wait. Yeah, I could.
“How about you give me a call tomorrow, and we’ll talk some more?” she continued. “I’m so so sorry that I caused so much confusion and unnecessary worry. If anything, I hadn’t meant to burden you.”
“No, I understand that. This is on me. I love you, Aziza. I’ll call tomorrow.”
“It was nice meeting you. Thank you for loving my boy so much,” Archer said with a smile.
She tipped her head in acknowledgment. “Back attcha. Please take care of him.”
Archer’s smile widened. “You bet I will.”
As soon as we hung up, Archer pulled me onto his lap, and I cuddled into him. “Do you feel better?” he asked softly.
“I feel kind of silly, to tell you the truth. Aziza knows everything about me. Why would I think she’d ever expect me to hand her over some huge lump sum right off the bat?”
“I think even more importantly, she obviously loves you. So the question is, why were you putting so much pressure on yourself?”
All the things that my father had said and that my mother had sat by passively letting him say floated through my mind. “I guess I felt like I needed to prove myself.”
“And where did that come from? Maybe your parents?” he guessed.
I nodded into his chest. “Yeah, it was them. My brother’s been nothing but supportive, and all the yogis have been excited that I’m taking over, even if they’ll miss Aziza. This was definitely all me.”
Archer’s fingers tipped my chin up, and I met his blue eyes that were full of compassion. “We’re going to work on you being kinder to yourself, sweet boy. How does that sound?”
“I think I need that help, Daddy. I hadn’t even realized…” For the millionth time, I trailed off.
Archer pressed a lingering kiss to my lips. Pulling back just a little, he murmured, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
With a sense of relief, I snuggled into him. Not only did I not have to worry about coming up with thousands upon thousands of dollars, but my Daddy would make sure that I took better care of myself. Knowing that he was here and that he was so mindful of me was almost better than knowing I didn’t have to be so concerned about saving more money.