while you play, your violin tips will increase tenfold.”
He sucked air through his teeth. “That was surprisingly cold. I’m impressed.”
She was already feeling remorse for the low blow. “Do you really need money? Because I could…”
He cut her off by holding up a hand. “Don’t ruin what little respect I have for you by being nice. I like you better when you’re feisty. Don’t you, Joe?” He turned around, but Joe was gone. “Have you ever wondered if maybe Joe’s not quite real?”
“All the time,” Lacy admitted. Michael gave her a heads up nod and a smile as he let himself out. She tried to shake the disconcerting feeling he had left behind. She was so used to being annoyed by him that she wasn’t sure how to handle getting along.
For a few hours, she worked in relative peace, if the ringing of phones and slamming of doors in the nearby doctor’s offices could be considered peaceful. As the day wore on and the coffee wore off, she became sleepier and sleepier until at last she laid her head down on the desk and dropped off to sleep.
The impromptu nap was short lived, cut off by the slamming of the door. “I decided what I want,” Riley announced as she flounced into the chair Michael had vacated earlier that morning.
“Me, too. A lock on that door,” Lacy muttered. She sat up and swiped at her already ruined makeup.
“I’m serious, Lacy. I put in my time with Pukey Jim, and I want what’s coming to me.”
“I thought you and Travis seemed to be hitting it off,” Lacy said.
“Really? What part went the best—his nervous silence, the smell of upchuck that no amount of breath mints could cover, the age difference—thanks for telling me about that, by the way—his loser job at the sheriff’s office, the sad puppy dog way he kept staring at me every time he thought I wasn’t looking, or the fact that I had to call Grandma to come pick us up after he finished tossing his supper on the floor outside the bathroom? Worst date ever, and of course I have you to thank for it. So I want what I was promised, and I want it now.”
“I said it had to be within reason, Riley,” Lacy said.
“It’s plenty reasonable,” Riley said.
“What is it?” Lacy asked. She reached for her checkbook, sure it would be money.
“I want to know what’s going on. I want to know where your mysterious fortune came from.”
“That’s it?” Lacy asked.
“I told you it was reasonable,” Riley said.
Lacy sat back, templing her fingers. “That is a reasonable request, but I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Riley shouted. “Why not?”
“Because it involves secrets that are not mine to share.”
“Oh, that certainly doesn’t make me any less curious. You’re torturing me because you know I can’t stand being left out of the loop,” Riley said.
“No, that’s an added bonus. What I said was true. If anyone is going to tell you what’s going on, it’s not going to be me.”
Riley stared her down, trying to intimidate with her glare. Lacy stared back, unfazed. After a few minutes of the silent standoff, Riley relented. “Fine, then I want money.”
“How much?” Lacy asked.
“A hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Lacy’s hand froze in midair and she laughed. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You’re loaded, and I know it. Cough it up.”
“You can’t be serious. There is no way I’m giving you that much money. I was thinking the cost of a new dress, and by that I mean a dress that I would buy, something off the rack.”
Riley’s lower lip crept out and lingered in a pout. After another stubborn silence, she let out a breath. “Fine, then I want you to let me throw the grand opening party for this place. And I want you to pay me my standard fee.”
Lacy regarded her in silence again for a
He sucked air through his teeth. “That was surprisingly cold. I’m impressed.”
She was already feeling remorse for the low blow. “Do you really need money? Because I could…”
He cut her off by holding up a hand. “Don’t ruin what little respect I have for you by being nice. I like you better when you’re feisty. Don’t you, Joe?” He turned around, but Joe was gone. “Have you ever wondered if maybe Joe’s not quite real?”
“All the time,” Lacy admitted. Michael gave her a heads up nod and a smile as he let himself out. She tried to shake the disconcerting feeling he had left behind. She was so used to being annoyed by him that she wasn’t sure how to handle getting along.
For a few hours, she worked in relative peace, if the ringing of phones and slamming of doors in the nearby doctor’s offices could be considered peaceful. As the day wore on and the coffee wore off, she became sleepier and sleepier until at last she laid her head down on the desk and dropped off to sleep.
The impromptu nap was short lived, cut off by the slamming of the door. “I decided what I want,” Riley announced as she flounced into the chair Michael had vacated earlier that morning.
“Me, too. A lock on that door,” Lacy muttered. She sat up and swiped at her already ruined makeup.
“I’m serious, Lacy. I put in my time with Pukey Jim, and I want what’s coming to me.”
“I thought you and Travis seemed to be hitting it off,” Lacy said.
“Really? What part went the best—his nervous silence, the smell of upchuck that no amount of breath mints could cover, the age difference—thanks for telling me about that, by the way—his loser job at the sheriff’s office, the sad puppy dog way he kept staring at me every time he thought I wasn’t looking, or the fact that I had to call Grandma to come pick us up after he finished tossing his supper on the floor outside the bathroom? Worst date ever, and of course I have you to thank for it. So I want what I was promised, and I want it now.”
“I said it had to be within reason, Riley,” Lacy said.
“It’s plenty reasonable,” Riley said.
“What is it?” Lacy asked. She reached for her checkbook, sure it would be money.
“I want to know what’s going on. I want to know where your mysterious fortune came from.”
“That’s it?” Lacy asked.
“I told you it was reasonable,” Riley said.
Lacy sat back, templing her fingers. “That is a reasonable request, but I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Riley shouted. “Why not?”
“Because it involves secrets that are not mine to share.”
“Oh, that certainly doesn’t make me any less curious. You’re torturing me because you know I can’t stand being left out of the loop,” Riley said.
“No, that’s an added bonus. What I said was true. If anyone is going to tell you what’s going on, it’s not going to be me.”
Riley stared her down, trying to intimidate with her glare. Lacy stared back, unfazed. After a few minutes of the silent standoff, Riley relented. “Fine, then I want money.”
“How much?” Lacy asked.
“A hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Lacy’s hand froze in midair and she laughed. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You’re loaded, and I know it. Cough it up.”
“You can’t be serious. There is no way I’m giving you that much money. I was thinking the cost of a new dress, and by that I mean a dress that I would buy, something off the rack.”
Riley’s lower lip crept out and lingered in a pout. After another stubborn silence, she let out a breath. “Fine, then I want you to let me throw the grand opening party for this place. And I want you to pay me my standard fee.”
Lacy regarded her in silence again for a
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