“I know,” River replied. “But, Cal, I really have to get to work now, so can we talk about how I’m confused and maybealreadymiserable because I like someone who won’t call me when she tells me she’s going to while we make some fudge? I’m exhausted, and I need to get this done and get to the bank.”
“We can. Then,I’llgo to the bank for you, but you have to promise me that you’ll go upstairs and get some sleep. You can’t use the extra time to make more stuff down here.”
“I’m behind, Cal.”
“On sleep. Yes, I agree. Look, River, you have to live to fight another day. If you burn yourself out, you’ll never make it through, however long this Kennedy-related rush lasts.”
“I know. You’re right.” River stood up. “You’re on the chocolate. I’ll get two more batches started at once. That’ll be enough for tonight. I’ll do the rest tomorrow morning.”
“Okay. Let’s get to work.”
She and Calista made enough for River to feel like she could open tomorrow with at least a fully stocked shop, and Calista agreed to come in at noon again and help the two part-timers in the front so that River could make more products to sell in the back for as long as she could get away with it before needing to help with the possible rush. Then, Calista left, and River went upstairs to her apartment, showered, and climbed into her bed.
“God, it’s hot,” she stated, got up, turned on her fans, and got back into bed.
Then, she ordered herself a new window AC unit because the old one wasn’t cutting it, and she was done sweltering in her own apartment when she could do something about it. Her new air conditioner would be here in two days, and she’d plug it in right away, but it got her thinking. Yes, she liked the convenience of living above her shop, but it no longer felt the same to her. She was in her mid-thirties, renting a studio apartment above her own store, and while that saved her money on gas and time, she didn’t want this forever. For some reason, her brain chose that moment to start thinking about what could be, and she did her best to force it to be quiet so that she could fall asleep. Just as she was about to close her eyes and, hopefully, sleep for hours, her phone dinged.
Ken: I owe you a phone call.
River smiled and typed back.
River Ervin: Yes, you do.
She wasn’t about to let Kennedy off the hook.
Ken: I’m sorry. Can you talk now?
River wanted to say no because she needed to get some sleep, but she didn’t, and a few seconds after her response was read by Kennedy, she got an incoming call.
“Hello,” she said.
CHAPTER 36
Lacey
“I can’t do tonight, no,” she said, and she didn’t have to check her calendar to know that she was unavailable for a late appointment that evening.
“Oh, okay. I understand. What about tomorrow after five? I’m sorry; I know it’s probably inconvenient for you, but I’m in meetings all day, every day, and you were referred to me by a friend who said you do late appointments.”
“I do sometimes. I just don’t usually do them the same day. And I can’t tomorrow,” she said, checking her calendar for her next after-five-o’clock opening. “What about Thursday?”
“I can’t Thursday. I have a dinner.”
“Well, I can send you a booking link where you can find an opening that could work for you. I’m actually on the road right now, and I’m not supposed to be using my phone.”
“Yeah, send me the link,” the woman replied. “I’ll find something. I’ve got a bad back. I should mention that to you, right?”
“Yes. That applies to any areas you need me to avoid or pay attention to. You can put that all in the form when you book your appointment as well,” Lacey told her.
“It’s from a car accident about five years ago. I tried a chiropractor, but he was useless. They said it was whiplash afterthe accident, but physical therapy didn’t help, so I was hoping a more traditional massage might work. It’s my neck, too.”
Lacey shook her head as she tried to focus on the traffic she was sitting in while she was trying to get this woman off the phone.
“I’ll pay double if you can do six tonight,” the woman added. “I’ve been in a lot of pain recently.”
“I’m sorry; I really can’t. I’m not even in town tonight. And while massagecanoffer pain relief, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to–”
“Oh, I know,” the woman interjected. “Did you send me the link already? I don’t have it in my messages.”
