“Are you looking for investors for your expansion?” Amy asked. “I’m looking to broaden my portfolio and you guys seem like a great bet.”
Emily was shocked by the offer. Though Amy was always offering positions at her business to her friends, she was cautious when it came to mixing friendship and money. She’d been burned in the past when lending to friends and didn’t do it often anymore.
Suddenly, Chantelle let out a frustrated groan. “This is boring!” she wailed. “Can we please stop talking about business?”
Everyone laughed. Emily nodded to Amy. “Let’s discuss it another time.”
Amy smiled. “Sure.”
Emily looked again at Harry. “So did you go to college here in Maine?”
“No, actually I went abroad instead,” Harry said. “I was supposed to spend a month building homes in Ghana but I ended up staying for eight months.”
Emily’s eyes widened with surprise. “How fascinating!”
Harry smiled. “It was great. I loved the hands-on work. It was hard going, digging trenches, laying foundations, building tanks for water, but it was so satisfying. And I met so many great people. My parents thought it was a bit of a strange thing to do voluntarily, though. I think they would have preferred that if I wasn’t going to college I at least earned some money.”
“Do you get on well with your parents? With George?”
Harry nodded. “Oh yeah, we’re very close. They can just be a bit traditional sometimes. They wanted us both to go to college, get sensible jobs, marry, have kids. So far neither of us have followed the path they were intending.”
Chantelle piped up then. “Well, when you marry Amy they’ll get their wish.”
Emily laughed loudly. Amy’s eyes darted to the table. But Harry took Chantelle’s comment in good spirits. Emily found herself liking him more and more. She had no time for men who acted terrified by the very thought of commitment. Harry had definitely passed that initial test with flying colors.
Amy turned to Chantelle, clearly wanting to steer the course of the conversation away from her budding relationship. “Right, it’s your turn. What’s happening in the world of Chantelle? Any exciting news? Any secrets?”
Chantelle’s eyes widened at the mention of the word “secret” and Emily could tell her mind had instantly gone to the pregnancy, which they taken great pains to explain to her was a secret.