woman would also be working on a holiday weekend. So much for earning brownie points from the clients for service above and beyond the call of duty.
“How long do you think it will take?”
“I want to introduce you and go through the letter in detail with her. She’s also going to need to have some grasp on how long it will take to get this deal ready to close.”
“Some warning would have been nice,” she said.
“You got us ahead of the game by working up the draft of the letter last night. Why lose those gains today?”
“No good deed shall go unpunished,” she said, then pushed away from the conference table and stood. Her life was about to become a black hole of suckiness. “I need to make a call and rearrange some things. I’ll be right back.”
Cara gave a small shake of her head as she walked from the room. He’d actually stood as she’d left, as though they were out to dinner at a five-star restaurant. It was quite a feat, the way he managed to touch her and annoy her at the same time.
Once in her office, Cara called Bri. As she waited for her best friend to answer, Cara fussed with the phone cord and tried to figure out how to gracefully be a rat.
Bri finally picked up. “Retreads.”
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Hi! So are you ready to go see world’s ugliest dresses? I swear I wouldn’t be having a traditional wedding if it weren’t for my mom. She’d go ballistic if I even—”
This was like caging a puppy. “Bri, I need to reschedule.”
Cara was treated to death by silence before her friend finally said, “Get real. You’ve already canceled twice.”
“I know, but technically this time I’m not canceling. I just need an extra hour or two before we take off.”
“I have Seth’s cousin covering the store from two until six. And do you know how hard it was to pull that off? I know I don’t seem like the most dedicated store owner, but I have some rules. Being open is one of them.”
Cara scrambled for a compromise. “Maybe I could call Dani and see if she could help?”
“No way. Your sister’s a menace. Remember when you and I went to look at veils, and she covered for me? It took me hours to get the merchandise back the way it’s supposed to be.”
Which was the same reason Cara generally wasn’tallowed in Retreads without Bri’s supervision. The Adams’ orderliness gene was of the dominant variety.
Bri’s exasperated sigh added to Cara’s guilt. “Let’s just forget it for today,” her friend said. “We’d never make it out to the salon in Ann Arbor and be back in time.”
“I’m sorry,” Cara offered.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“Heard that, too.”
“Well, how about this?” She made a kissy sound into the phone, followed by a heartfelt, “I love you.”
In the doorway, Morgan cleared his throat and pointed at his watch.
“I have to go,” she said to Bri.
“Okay, but understand that you have now abdicated any decision-making power. I’m buying you the most hideous, Scarlett O’Hara, frills-up-the-wazoo dress I can find.”
Morgan was scowling at her.
“You’re the best,” she said to Bri.
“And a parasol,” her friend added before hanging up.
“Bye,” she said to the buzzing phone line, then returned the receiver to its cradle. In the true spirit of Scarlett, she’d wait until later to think about how she’d just stomped all over her best friend.
“I recall you saying that you weren’t dating anyone.”
“What? When?” Cara winced. This guy was too good at throwing her off guard—making her sound like a college Journalism 101 student.
“The other day. Right over there,” he said, pointingat the area in front of her credenza. “I was looking at the picture of your sister’s kids.”
“Oh, okay.” She thought back to the moment, which was easy since when not frazzled, she could recall virtually every word Morgan had said since reappearing in her life.
“Actually, I said that
“How long do you think it will take?”
“I want to introduce you and go through the letter in detail with her. She’s also going to need to have some grasp on how long it will take to get this deal ready to close.”
“Some warning would have been nice,” she said.
“You got us ahead of the game by working up the draft of the letter last night. Why lose those gains today?”
“No good deed shall go unpunished,” she said, then pushed away from the conference table and stood. Her life was about to become a black hole of suckiness. “I need to make a call and rearrange some things. I’ll be right back.”
Cara gave a small shake of her head as she walked from the room. He’d actually stood as she’d left, as though they were out to dinner at a five-star restaurant. It was quite a feat, the way he managed to touch her and annoy her at the same time.
Once in her office, Cara called Bri. As she waited for her best friend to answer, Cara fussed with the phone cord and tried to figure out how to gracefully be a rat.
Bri finally picked up. “Retreads.”
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Hi! So are you ready to go see world’s ugliest dresses? I swear I wouldn’t be having a traditional wedding if it weren’t for my mom. She’d go ballistic if I even—”
This was like caging a puppy. “Bri, I need to reschedule.”
Cara was treated to death by silence before her friend finally said, “Get real. You’ve already canceled twice.”
“I know, but technically this time I’m not canceling. I just need an extra hour or two before we take off.”
“I have Seth’s cousin covering the store from two until six. And do you know how hard it was to pull that off? I know I don’t seem like the most dedicated store owner, but I have some rules. Being open is one of them.”
Cara scrambled for a compromise. “Maybe I could call Dani and see if she could help?”
“No way. Your sister’s a menace. Remember when you and I went to look at veils, and she covered for me? It took me hours to get the merchandise back the way it’s supposed to be.”
Which was the same reason Cara generally wasn’tallowed in Retreads without Bri’s supervision. The Adams’ orderliness gene was of the dominant variety.
Bri’s exasperated sigh added to Cara’s guilt. “Let’s just forget it for today,” her friend said. “We’d never make it out to the salon in Ann Arbor and be back in time.”
“I’m sorry,” Cara offered.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“Heard that, too.”
“Well, how about this?” She made a kissy sound into the phone, followed by a heartfelt, “I love you.”
In the doorway, Morgan cleared his throat and pointed at his watch.
“I have to go,” she said to Bri.
“Okay, but understand that you have now abdicated any decision-making power. I’m buying you the most hideous, Scarlett O’Hara, frills-up-the-wazoo dress I can find.”
Morgan was scowling at her.
“You’re the best,” she said to Bri.
“And a parasol,” her friend added before hanging up.
“Bye,” she said to the buzzing phone line, then returned the receiver to its cradle. In the true spirit of Scarlett, she’d wait until later to think about how she’d just stomped all over her best friend.
“I recall you saying that you weren’t dating anyone.”
“What? When?” Cara winced. This guy was too good at throwing her off guard—making her sound like a college Journalism 101 student.
“The other day. Right over there,” he said, pointingat the area in front of her credenza. “I was looking at the picture of your sister’s kids.”
“Oh, okay.” She thought back to the moment, which was easy since when not frazzled, she could recall virtually every word Morgan had said since reappearing in her life.
“Actually, I said that
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