Right. The secret.
“No.” Blake hesitated, debating whether to say it out loud.
What the hell. He’d taken one plunge today. Might as well knock them all out.
“I’ve been working on a project. For after graduation.” Here goes nothing. “I want to open a sports bar. I’ve been working on a business plan, and it’s only a rough outline at this point, but I’m hoping to have something ready by Christmas.”
Blake tried to gauge Farrah’s reaction. Nerves churned his stomach into knots. Saying it out loud made his plan real. It was crazy and far-fetched, but it was real, and though the thought of starting his own business made him nauseous, he also felt…excited?
Yep, that was definitely a glimmer of excitement beneath the nerves.
“Blake.”
He held his breath.
“That’s amazing!” Farrah threw her arms around his neck. “Can I see your business plan? What are you going to call the bar? You should have a signature drink!”
“Whoa, slow down.” Blake laughed. Relief bubbled inside him. She didn’t think his idea was stupid. “Yes, you can see it after I’m done, I haven’t decided on a name yet, and let’s cross the signature drink bridge when we get there.”
“It’ll all work out. I am so excited for you.” Farrah’s eyes shone bright in the moonlight.
“You don’t think it’s a dumb idea?”
“Of course not! Why would I think it’s a dumb idea?”
“I have no experience running a business, and there are a million sports bars out there.” Blake frowned. “What if it’s a failure?”
“No one has experience running a business until they run a business, and there may be a million sports bars out there, but they’re not your sports bar.” Farrah cupped his face in her hands. “You are one of the smartest
, hardest-working people I know. If this is what you want to do and you give it your all, you’ll succeed. I have faith in you.”
Rich warmth suffused him, washing away the doubt and uncertainty. Blake couldn’t remember the last time someone had such unconditional faith in him.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but it must’ve been a helluva thing.” He tried not to let too much emotion show in his voice.
“You can repay me with unlimited drinks at your bar.” She gave him a soft kiss. “And unlimited kisses.”
“Yes, ma’am. Your wish is my command.”
Blake intertwined her fingers with his as they resumed their walk along the Bund. It was late, and they had class tomorrow, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. The electricity of Shanghai’s skyline beckoned, drawing him in like a magnet for lost souls.
“I can’t get over this view.” Farrah sounded nostalgic, as if she were speaking of a place lost in the sands of time.
Blake gazed across the river at the city’s iconic skyline. The jungle of high-rises pulsed with energy, lighting up the night with a rainbow of electric blues, neon purples, glowing yellows, and fiery reds. In its midst stood the Pearl Tower, stretching toward the sky with the ambition of one determined to be on top of the world. And in certain fleeting moments, when the glittering sprawl of manmade wonders blended with the diamonds in the sky, that ambition became a reality.
Shanghai, the Paris of the East. It was as different from Texas as you could get, but it reminded Blake of New York. Like New York, it was a city that defined a nation, and it held the dreams of millions of people in its concrete palms. Unlike New York, Shanghai was a city that still woke up and wondered at its success every day, both intoxicated by and unaccustomed to the power it wielded.
Blake inhaled sharply. The cold, crisp air burned his lungs.
In that moment, he saw it—his future, reflected in the lights and shadows before him.
In that moment, looking at that view, with Farrah in his arms, he believed it.
He could do anything.
He could be his own boss.
He could be free.