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I’d seen several of my students pick their wedgies during class, trying their best to be discreet.

I wanted to use a material that would allow the pants to move without bunching up. I’d been researching different ones online as I sat there, designing a few styles on a notepad, too.

After happily nodding at my work, I went into my desk drawer and fished out an herbal tea K-cup. I chose a detoxifying blend with peaches. The dinner with Richard was delicious, but eating such dense food had made me feel sluggish those past few days. The herbal combination in the tea would take care of that problem.

I made a mental note to develop a detoxifying herbal tea of my own, jotting down a few herbs that worked well for stomach bloating. The idea of creating detoxifying protein bars seemed interesting, too. Something to consume that was full of vitamins and protein, was relatively low in sugar and would help with stomach inflammation.

I also took a moment to check my phone.

I still hadn't heard back from Richard. The longer he took to reply, the more insecure I became.

As my tea was brewing, I casually scrolled through his social media profiles. He hadn’t been active on any of them in over twenty-four hours, which made me feel better. If he had been online, that meant that he had his phone in his hands and chose not to reply.

It reminded me of how my last relationship ended. Edward slowly started drifting away, taking longer to respond to every text message, while still appearing online on social media. It didn't take long for me to figure out who he was fooling around with, either.

Realizing I was starting to overthink every little thing, I jotted down some ideas for making a mental clarity type of tea. Part of holistic health included taking care of the mind, something that I felt western medicine often overlooked.

As soon as my tea was ready, my cellphone went off, and I just about flew out of my chair. I was a bit disappointed to see that it wasn’t Richard, though. I didn’t recognize the number, either.

“Hello?”

“Yes, is this Annie Belmont?”

It sounded like a much older man, probably around Richard’s age. “Yes, it is. Who’s this?”

“I’m Marcus Brereton, and I’m interested in investing in your lifestyle brand.”

“Oh, wow! Where did you hear about it?” I quickly shut the door to my office.

“Well, I’ve been following you on social media for quite some time now. You are the epitome of healthy if I do say so myself.”

I blushed. Even though my online clout had increased over the years, I didn’t expect that type of phone call. “That means a lot to me, thank you. I haven’t launched one yet, though.”

“That’s why I’m calling, Annie. I’m an investor in New York. You’re in California, right?”

“Yes,” I said, trying to calm myself down. “I live in River Valley. Small town, down-home. You've probably never heard of it.”

“It sounds quaint and charming. Anyway, I’d love to set up a virtual meeting to discuss the line with you sometime. On your website, you mention that your main interest is supplements. What else do you plan to develop?”

“Oh, well, yes. Supplements are my number one interest, but I’m also designing activewear, herbal medicines, soaps, candles, and am considering lotions too. I make all of it myself, and have even picked out some fabric for yoga pants.”

“That’s fantastic, Annie. So listen, what time and day work best for you? I’d love to do this sooner rather than later, as I’m sure you do too.”

I went through my desk planner, deciding it was time to give some classes to Crystal. "How about tomorrow? Anytime is good for me.”

“Perfect, Annie. I’ll call you at 10:30 AM. Have a great day!”

I collapsed into my chair as soon as he hung up, stunned that an investor was interested in my lifestyle line.

Crystal walked into our office a few minutes later, her yoga mat in hand, and just stared at me. “Either you did too much yoga, or something big happened.”

“You’ll never believe it, Crystal. An investor from New York just called. He’s been following me on social media, reading about my ideas for a lifestyle brand, and is meeting with me tomorrow. Can you believe it?”

“Oh, my God!” She shrieked so loudly that some of the students looked up at us through the office window. “But how are you going to get to New York so quickly?”

“It’s a virtual meeting, so I’ll just do it from my loft upstairs tomorrow morning.”

“What about your classes, though?”