Chapter 2 Chapter 2
She opened a spreadsheet and typed the following:
Online store $1000
Real store $200, not much, but it's a start
Art supplies $400
Start of your own place $1000
Start of deposit for a family home to help Mum and Dad, and to stop World War 3 $1000
Rest for bills, food etc
It wasn’t much, but it would make things easier until the next competition and reduce her designs' dependence on her being able to pick up extra shifts at work.
The college’s discord chimed in the background of her laptop. Someone had opened a thread about the competition, labelled Metropolitan_Design_Challenge, set up by none other than Christy Miller, of course, the class princess and heiress to some jewellery group.
It showed the names of all those who entered and those who had won from all over the country.
Iris stared at the announcement thread, scanning through the names until she found her own. There it was: "Iris Maxwell - First Place, Metropolitan Design Challenge." Seeing it in writing made her victory feel suddenly, startlingly real.
A notification popped up in the thread as she watched.
Christy Miller: Congrats to everyone who placed! Special shoutout to our own Iris Maxwell for first place! Who knew? 💅
Iris's jaw tightened. The backhanded compliment was exactly what she'd expect from Christy, whose family connections had paved her way into every exclusive internship and networking event. The passive-aggressive tone suggested surprise that someone like Iris, a scholarship student with no industry connections, could possibly win on merit alone.
She moved her cursor to type a response, then stopped herself. Getting drawn into Christy's games wouldn't help her reach her goals. Instead, she closed the Discord tab and returned to her business plan.
Her phone buzzed with a text. She expected it to be from her mother, Carol, who often had trouble sleeping and would sometimes text during her night shifts at the hospital. Instead, she saw a Discord message from a username she didn’t know.
Antony_K: It's Tony. Congrats on your win. I saw the thread. If you need any help, let me know. I study business, but I could help you with your business plan. It will just cost you a coffee date.
Iris just looked at the screen. Was Tony just trying to ask her out?
Iris stared at the message for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the screen. A business student offering help with her business plan wasn't something she'd normally consider. She'd mapped out everything herself, spent countless nights researching small business strategies in the library when she should have been sleeping. But there was something about the straightforward way he'd phrased it, no pretence, just a simple exchange.
A coffee date, though. The word "date" made her stomach tighten with apprehension. Was this a genuine offer to help, or was Tony just another guy looking to score points with a girl who'd finally done something noteworthy?
She set her phone face down on the desk and ran her fingers through her hair, loosening it from the tight bun she always wore for classes. The practical side of her brain, the part that had gotten her this far, reminded her that seeking input on her business plan from someone with actual business training might be a good idea. Her pride wanted to refuse, to prove she could do this entirely alone.
Her phone buzzed again.
Antony_K: Sorry, didn't mean to be presumptuous. Just thought I might be able to help. No pressure.
The follow-up message softened something in her chest. Most guys would have pushed or gotten defensive. She picked up her phone.
Iris_M: Coffee sounds fine. But it's not a date. Just a business meeting.
She hit send before she could second-guess herself. Her practical side won out; this was about her family and her future. If Tony could offer useful insights, her pride could take a backseat.
Antony_K: Perfect. Tomorrow at Café Meridian after your shift? 6 pm?
Iris frowned. How did he know where she worked? She'd never mentioned it to him.
Iris_M: How do you know I work at Meridian?
The response came quickly.
Antony_K: You had their logo on your coffee cup when we met, and you were wearing their apron sticking out of your bag. Lucky guess about the shift timing.
Heat crept into her cheeks. Of course, she'd been rushing from class to work that day and hadn't fully packed her uniform away. She was being paranoid again, looking for reasons to distrust when there were none.
Iris_M: 6 pm works. See you then.
She set her phone down again and turned back to her spreadsheet, adding a new line: "Business consultation - $0 (coffee only)." Every expense needed to be accounted for, even the small ones. Especially the small ones.
The next evening, Iris finished wiping down the espresso machine fifteen minutes before her shift ended. The café was nearly empty, a blessing after the midday rush that had barely given her time to breathe between orders.
"You can head out early if you want," her manager said, counting the register. "You've been here since opening."
Iris nodded gratefully, untied her apron, and went out back to clock off and clean up.
As she splashed water on her face, ‘Geez, girl, get a grip. He's just giving you a hand, probably due to you telling him about your brother back home, to I don’t know.’
Iris dried her face with a paper towel, carefully reapplying a touch of lip gloss, the only makeup she typically wore. She smoothed her dark hair back into its customary neat bun and straightened her shoulders.
"It's a business meeting," she reminded herself in the mirror. "Nothing more."
When she emerged from the back room, she spotted Tony already seated at a corner table by the window, two steaming cups in front of him. Her stomach gave an unexpected flutter that she immediately attributed to hunger; she'd worked through lunch again.
Tony looked up as she approached, offering a small wave. "Hope you don't mind, I ordered for you. The barista said you always get a chai latte after your shift."
"Oh." Iris slid into the seat across from him, surprised by the thoughtfulness and slightly unsettled by how easily someone had shared her habits. "Thanks."
