Even though Stephanie has only been on maternity leave for two months, Sharon is itching to get her back to work again. Slow to start, she promised. "Can I just borrow you for a couple of meetings?"
Sharon renovated part of the second floor to make a dedicated meeting room so that she wouldn't need to clutter the dining room with magazines and calendars every time she meets with a new client.
Today, they entertain Adam Thompson from the Great Lakes Historical Preservation Society.
(He's Justin's boss, Stephanie notes—or soon to be ex-boss, as the story goes—and feels a bit awkward about it. They have never met before, but she recognizes his name and title right away. Justin talks about him all the time! She decides not to put him or Justin or Sharon on the spot by making that connection right now. Instead, she just sits there quietly until asked a question about the butternut squash bisque, feeling nervous and weird—about the meeting, not the soup. The bisque is excellent!)
Adam hopes to contract Sharon and her fine kitchen staff to supply food for the gift shop cafe he plans to open in Ironwood Bay. Sharon is excited about the deal. This would be the first time she supplied catering to a retail setting. Adam promised that her business would be well advertised in the store.
