Penelope gave me a look that said,what the fuck?and I wanted to shrink into my chair.
“What? Am I not allowed to be nice? We have to work together, you know.”
“Drea, in the almost twenty years I have known you, you have never been nice to someone you didn’t like. You make it a known fact that you don’t like them. And Blair is not someone you tolerate at all. So I’m sorry if I’m just a little confused here.”
I sighed. “Look, I made a promise to Cara to at least try and be civil, so I complimented her dress. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like I took her over my desk and tore the dress off her or anything.” I let out a nervous chuckle, hoping Penelope didn’t see how red my cheeks were getting. It was definitely the whiskey talking, fantasizing about Blair like that was crazy.
She arched her brow. “Drea, that sounded very specific. Is that something you’ve thought about?”
I definitely have not thought about Blair in any way or position. Definitely not. “What? No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous, Pen. It was just an example. Let’s get the check. I think I’ve hit my limit for the night.” I motioned for the waitress and ignored eye contact with Penelope.
“Drea?”
I risked a quick glance, and my shoulders sagged at her soft expression. She wasn’t judging. She was just concerned, and so was I. Thinking about Blair with anything other than irritation was downright ludicrous. “I’m fine. Too much whiskey.”
Thankfully she didn’t press anymore and we paid our tab and left.
When I walked into the bookstore on the following Monday morning, Kaia was already there opening up.
“Good morning, Drea,” Kaia cheerfully announced as I walked toward the counter.
Her personality was always sunshine and rainbows, but in the morning, it was on a whole other level. I loved Kaia, but I needed at least two cups of coffee before I could handle those sprinkles of positivity.
“Hello, Kaia.”
“Are you ready for another great day?!” She beamed and I wanted to throw my coffee at her, but I refrained—for now.
“Oh yeah. I can’t wait,” I answered in a sarcastic tone.
“Well, everything is already done for the morning, and we are ready to open.”
I smiled as I headed to my office. “Good. I’ll be out in a bit. Call me if you need anything. I have a few things to finalize before the end of the day.”
“Sounds good! Oh, are you excited for your weekend off? I know you’ll technically be working, but you’ll be in a nice hotel with Cara and Blair. It’ll be so much fun!”
I had told her about the festival yesterday, and she seemed a little too excited for me to be gone for two days. She insisted that she would have it all taken care of and I had nothing to worry about. I knew I could trust Kaia, but I was still nervous.
I glared at her, suppressing an eye roll. No part of that weekend was going to be fun, except maybe the end of it. “Thrilled.”
A few hours later, I left my solitude to check on the store. A few customers milled about, but Kaia seemed to have a hold on it.
“How’s it going, Kaia?” I asked.
She turned to me after her last customer left. “It’s been pretty steady so far, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Good. Do you want me to take over? You look like you could use a break.” She was starting to look a little flushed.
“Well, I guess I could go… check up on some customers. You know, make sure nobody needs anything.” She smiled and headed toward the center of the store.
I chuckled. “Have fun.” I knew exactly who she was going to “check up” on.
Chapter Eleven
Blair
“Good morning, Marcus!”I waved as I walked into Furever Homes Rescue.
I’d started volunteering at the animal shelter when I was twenty. I tried to help out at least once a month, but sometimes my schedule wouldn’t allow for it. I hadn’t been back for two months, and I felt horrible.
