Jake’s hand emerged from the bag, his fingers clutching a lavender-colored can of flavored sparkling water called Bloom. Jake was the top salesman at Bloom, but for the moment he was more like Vanna White as he proudly showcased the newest flavor in the company’s line of botanical-based, calorie-free fizz. “Now, Chloe . . .” he started.

Mira took immediate note of the waitress’s subtle wince but judging by Jake’s come-hither stare he didn’t have a clue.

“My name is Colette.”

He wasn’t the least bit fazed.

“Yes of course, Colette. Now tell me: are you ready to be at the forefront of the next big thing in cocktails?” He gestured to the bar. “Let’s ask the barman to whip up a little something with this lavender magic.”

Colette seemed uncertain.

“I’ll make it worth his while.”

For some ungodly reason, the waitress started to crack, her neutral expression giving way to a hint of excitement.

At first Mira couldn’t believe it, but a moment later she grudgingly realized why Jake was the top salesman at Bloom.

The waitress played with her hair, a clear sign that the mating ritual had begun.

“Perhaps I could speak to the barman.”

Jake lowered his voice for the next part: “I’ll make it worth your while, too.”

And there it was. The typical line used by basic bros the world over.

Without thinking, Mira reached over and patted Jake’s arm. It must’ve been the wine. “You’re coming off a little thirsty.”

He turned to her with a look of faux innocence. “I was talking about giving her a tip.”

Without another word he hopped out of his chair and followed Colette to the bar.

Two

M

Mira shrugged and sipped her wine, her only entertainment now out of earshot. What remained were the colleagues on her right discussing summer camp options for the kids, a colleague on her left filming a video of herself that was bound to wind up in her Instagram stories, and the guy that Jake had been next to, who was now in the grips of a furious texting session.

Inspired by the way the aggressive texter was ignoring them all, Mira pulled out her phone in the hopes of a decent distraction.

Her eyes brightened at the stream of notifications, but the eager glow dimmed out within seconds, when she realized all the messages were from the Bloom group chat.

The company HQ in New York City had clearly heard about their stellar presentation to the top beverage distributor in Paris, and the overall reaction had been different variations of “Kudos!” and “Congrats!”

Today’s big win was the latest high point in Bloom’s skyrocketing success, which now included an expansion into international markets.