Me
Have a wonderful weekend, Eli. May the sun shine brightly on your bonsai *sunshine emoji* *plant emoji*
I expect a sarcastic reply, but joy fills every cell of my body when he replies.
Eli
I hope you find the finest fabric in all of San Francisco to give to your mom, and enjoy your weekend with Ghost *ghost emoji * *cat emoji*
There’s nothing sexier than a guy who listens or seems tougher than a rock but still sends emojis.
Me
Speak Monday.
Eli
I’m busy on Monday.
Me
Tuesday?
Eli
I’m busy all week. Please email me.
Oh, great, we’re back to square one.
His kindness was good while it lasted, even if it was short-lived.
The next few months are going to be a bumpy ride, and I’m going to need more than matcha lattes to get me through; it’s going to take every ounce of courage and resilience I’ve got.
I might even have to try one of his complicated coffees he likes.
Having already forgotten what it was, I pull up my notes to reread it… Venti, half-caf, extra-hot, no foam, triple shot caramel macchiato, with one pump of vanilla and no cinnamon.
Hell, doesn’t that just roll off the tongue?
Amused by his quirks, I know I will need more than just resilience and courage. Maybe a little luck and some deep breaths, too.
And meditation, lots and lots of meditation.
9
SAPPHIRE
I’ve been out all morning delivering a keynote speech to a management team at an advertising agency on the importance of self-care in high-pressure roles.
The thrill of working with creatives always leaves me buzzing, and that’s why I prefer to take a walk right after an intimate event like the one this morning. They get me, and love what I say and do for them. They leave motivated and buzzing with new ideas and a new sense of determination they lost somewhere along the way.
At Safire & Spark we help everyone rediscover their mojo, and that’s exactly what I did today. Again. One woman compared me to a shot of caffeine, making everyone laugh. When I joked about using that as our new tagline, she chuckled and said she might have to patent it first, which made me laugh even harder. Damn advertising execs and their intellectual property rights.
Turning the corner into my favorite part of the city, I stroll back to the office, enjoying the sun shining down on me, bees buzzing happily, birds chirping, the wind blowing, and seagulls squawking in the distance, creating their own symphony, when I see someone I would recognize anywhere sitting outside my favorite coffee shop across the street, stopping me in my tracks.
It’s Eli.
Eli-annoyingly-handsome-still-hates-all-of-my-suggestions-Hart.