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Mid-morning, George arrived carrying a bag of jelly donuts. He took one look at the faint shadows beneath her eyes and shook his head. “Now don’t tell me you aren’t hungry, because it sure looks to me as though you could use a good meal.”
Ignoring his astute observation, Darcy helped herself to a donut, but after thanking him, she left the plump pastry resting on a napkin on her desk while she sipped the last of her tea. “I doubt we’ll see a tourist all day in this weather,” she mused aloud.
“Monday is never very busy, but it’s good to have some extra time to clean up and restock after the weekend.”
“Make a note of whatever is running low, and I’ll call in an order.”
“Looks to me like it’s morale that’s in short supply around here, and I expected you to be a happier girl once Griffin came home. Not that I’m prying into your love life, of course.”
“Of course not,” she replied, but the curious light in his eyes prompted a truthful response. “We didn’t even make it through dinner last night before he got up and left.”
George licked the last drop of raspberry jelly from his fingers, wiped them on a napkin, then leaned back against her door to get comfortable. “Then it’s no wonder you’re upset. I know you’re an only child. Does Griffin have brothers and sisters?”
“No, but what’s that got to do with anything?”
“Well, from what I read in Marge’s magazines, it seems birth order might matter a great deal in relationships. Only children, as well as those who are the firstborn, are used to getting their own way. That works fine if they’re paired up with someone who was a second or third child and is accustomed to going along with others. But when two such independent people get together, they just naturally butt heads.”
Darcy nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I can see where that might create a problem, but we have so damn many conflicts, and I can’t blame them all on the fact that we’re both only children.”
“We could nibble away at those conflicts one at a time. What’s your worst problem?”
“Nosy employees,” she shot right back at him.
George waved aside her complaint. “Other than that.”
Darcy shrugged slightly as she ticked off the list in her mind. “That he wants this building is right up near the top.”
“Eat your donut,” George ordered, and he waited until she’d taken a bite to respond. “We can blame the fact that he’s a celebrity and people cater to his every whim, but that’s too easy. What’s the real reason he’s so set on taking over this place?”
“He has plans to record here.”
George appeared puzzled. “He could do that anywhere.”
“That’s my view exactly, but no, he insists upon having Defy the World’s space in the universe for his own.”
“Well, it is his own,” George agreed, “but do you remember what I said about people sabotaging good relationships?”
“Sure. Do you think that’s what he’s doing?”
“Could be.” George straightened. “Give it some thought.”
“I’ve already exhausted myself on that score,” she protested. “I think Griffin is simply a control freak who’s going to push for every advantage. First he’ll take our location, and if I’m still speaking to him, then he’ll insist I travel with him. Every time I give in, he’ll come up with some new demand. Nothing will ever be enough for him.”
“That’s a real dark prediction, little lady.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” she replied sadly. “Now, I’m not paying you for therapy. Let’s rotate the stock in the pottery shed and see if we can’t sell some of the largest pots this we
ek.”
“I’ll get on it, but right now I’m going into the shop with the rest of these donuts. I hope you’ll remember I offered one to you first, though.”
“I’ll make a note of it on my calendar,” she responded, but her pencil remained on her desk. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She wanted to concentrate on business, not Griffin Moore, but seconds later when she made the attempt, he was standing not two feet away. Startled that she might have conjured him up, she bolted to her feet.
“What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I came to pay for the fountain,” he responded calmly. “You left your bill on the kitchen counter, remember?”
Darcy rubbed her palms along the side seams on her overalls. “Sure, but there was no need to rush.”
