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As she drove toward the store, Beth tried her best to put it from her mind. It was no big deal. It would be fine. She’d told the police her story, and if Kendall really got nasty, she’d tell the police that, too.
Reassured by her temporary bravado, Beth managed to walk into the White Orchid with a smile.
“Hey, Beth!” Kelly called. “You look cute!”
“Thank you. Why does it smell like tea and ginger in here? Not that I’m complaining.”
“That tea lady stopped by this morning. She said something about gearing up for winter?”
“Linda Fallon? The one with the tea shop?”
“That’s her.”
Beth had met her at the expo that spring, and Linda had claimed that several of her teas contained ingredients to increase female libido. “I told her we’d do a display this winter, so she’s right on time. Did she leave more samples?”
Kelly pushed a box forward on the counter. “Yep. She also brewed up a cup for me. She carries an electric kettle in her car. How cute is that?”
Beth grabbed the box and headed for her office. Maybe she’d actually try some out this time. Before, she’d thought it would be wasted on her barren sex life. But now… Then again, maybe Beth didn’t need an increase in libido at the moment. She was cruising along nicely. Smiling, she took another deep breath of spiced air and hurried to her office.
She felt good again, as if the walls of the store insulated her from the outside world. It was a fantasy world, after all. And if an erotic boutique wasn’t about relaxation, what was?
Determined not to spend the day holed up in her office again, Beth decided to finish the fall cleaning. The racks were getting crowded, and people in Colorado didn’t need swimsuits in October. She marked down the swimwear and moved it to the clearance rack to make more room for Halloween items. Annabelle had always been sure not to let the shop degenerate into a costume store, but they wanted to be festive. And what could be more festive than a naughty nurse uniform?
Beth eyed the mannequin who was dressed in a female soldier outfit that featured hot pants and a sleeveless camo shirt. Not exactly practical for jungle wear, but the customers seemed to get a kick out of it. They’d nearly sold out. She moved some of the plus-size bustiers up to the front, too, because their buxom clients often complained about the challenges of finding sexy outfits in their size. Beth could sympathize. When she shopped for bikinis, the size of the little triangles that were supposed to cover her breasts was laughable.
She was just wiping the tops of the racks with cleaner when the door opened to admit a deep male laugh. “I know I’ve been way too busy,” the man was saying, “but I swear I’ll be home early tonight to make it up to you. In fact, maybe I’ll even have a present.”
Beth turned to greet the customer, and her smile froze on her face. The man froze, too, phone still pressed to his ear and green eyes getting wider by the second.
“Uh, Olivia,” he said. “Can I call you back?” Jamie Donovan slowly lowered the phone and stole a quick glance around the store. When he looked back to her, his eyes fell to the spray bottle and rag she clutched in her hands.
“Oh,” he said softly and blinked several times.
Beth was still frozen, but when her hand squeezed hard enough, the bottle released a mist that made her jump.
“Hello,” Jamie said.
“Hello,” she repeated. She shouldn’t be surprised to see him here. He was a past customer, after all. But somehow she hadn’t thought of this, and knowing what she’d done with Eric the night before… “Can I help you find something?” she asked automatically, because she couldn’t think past the automatic at this point.
“Oh, I…” Jamie glanced around again, and his cheeks turned faintly pink. “I was looking for a gift. I’ll just…browse.”
“Okay.”
But he didn’t move, he just rocked back on his heels a little and stuck his hands in his pockets, a gesture that reminded her of Eric. “So, you work here?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. We were never actually introduced.” He stepped closer and reached out a hand. “I’m… Well, I guess you know my name.”
“Right. I’m Beth.” She shifted the rag to the other hand and gave his hand only one good shake before moving back. “Anyway, I’d better get back to work or—”
“Beth!” Kelly stuck her head out from the back room. “There’s a woman on the phone who does henna tattoos and she asked to speak to the manager.”
Beth met Jamie’s gaze and watched his eyes widen even more. “Excuse me,” she murmured. She’d never been so happy to get a call from a vendor. Not only did it get her away from Jamie, but after a few minutes on the phone with the woman, Beth realized she was actually proposing a good idea.
“I know you have occasional gatherings at the store,” the henna artist said, a little breathless with nervousness. “I’d love it if you’d consider hiring me to give tattoos.”
Beth knew what henna tattoos were, but she let the woman explain her process and her experience with the art. “If you’d be willing to come in and maybe give a demonstration, I’d certainly consider the idea.”
