AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I snorted, heat flooding my cheeks. This voice belonged to our receptionist, Luna Elliott, who looked like she could be Betty White’s twin, except for the tattoos spiraling up her bare arms. I glanced over at her again.
Supposedly Luna had been a real force in the newspaper world back in the day. I could see her, back in her heyday, cussing and yelling at writers, a lone cigarette dangling from her lips as she tore apart their copy with a bright red pen. But now she mostly sat at the front desk, keeping an eye on Cici’s stock of sparkling water and shouting at anybody who interrupted her Netflix watching.
I wasn’t sure what her title was. But I didn’t question it. She was as much a part of Grove Communications as the small brick and mortar office we met in now. I’d always had the distinct feeling she didn’t like me, even when I’d visited San Francisco as a child, running wildly around tiled halls while Grandpa worked. Now, as an adult, I still hadn’t earned her affection.
Not that it stopped me from trying.
I’d convince her to love me like she did Cici someday.
As if knowing my thoughts, Cici’s dark eyes met mine. I smiled. She wrinkled her nose in my direction.
Someday.
Maybe she’d never forgiven me for working elsewhere after college? I barely resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her like I did when I was little.
Cici cleared her throat. “Luna, that’s not helpful. Not only is she hot, as you say, but Ashlyn is more than capable of handling Liam Macklen. As of now, he is hers to run with. We have plenty of other things to work on. Like keeping this business afloat. Am I clear?” Cici looked around.
Peter tapped his pen against the table but kept his mouth shut. Luna seemed to have lost interest. The conference room was silent. Thank God for the small miracles.
Cici’s eyes flicked to mine, sparkling with a challenge I knew all too well. “So, Ashlyn, are you in?”
I dropped my voice low, hoping that the droning hum of the air conditioning would drown out some of my words. “Are you sure about this, Cici? This is pretty extreme, even for you.”
“I’m absolutely sure. I’ve done the research. This is our way in.”
“What do we do?” Peter was still slumped over, his dark expression a match to the dark eyes and perpetual frown on his face. What had my aunt even seen in this guy? Cici was sunlight stuffed into human form. This guy, he was a grumpy rain cloud hanging over some kid’s birthday party.
“Thank you for asking, Peter. You can start on layouts, fonting, and pricing. I’ll have photos for you within the month.”
“Within the month?” God, I was turning into a parrot.
Peter rose slowly to his feet and lumbered out of the single conference room we had at the shop. He was no doubt headed for his desk space, the tiny corner that Cici had offered the graphic designer the day he was hired.
I still couldn’t believe that he’d taken the job. Not to mention I couldn't believe he actually fit in that tiny little space.
But if anything, he seemed happiest there. His frown would soften into a look of general displeasure there. An improvement on the look he gave each of us at every interaction.
Cici nodded eagerly, holding a hand up to shush me as she went on. “Luna, can you please bring me the files from earlier. And then set up those calls withThe Peer. It’s time to get this party started.”
Luna rose, following Peter out of the room.
I crossed my arms, raising a brow at Cici. “Liam Macklen? You couldn’t have started with his brother or something?”
“Tanner? God no, that guy is basically a ghost. We need Leden, Ashlyn, and he will be at the helm for the next thirty years or something.”
I roll my eyes. “You take him, then.”
Luna walked back in, her tiny, frail-like form half bent over as she hefted a stack of files onto the conference room table. “Here you go, Cici.”
“Thanks, Luna,” I said, smiling broadly.
The woman gave me one unimpressed look before her lips lifted in something closer to a grimace than a smile. Without another word, she shuffled back to her post at the front of our little strip-mall storefront.
“She does not like me.”
“She does not like you,” Cici echoed, humor wrinkling her eyes. “I can’t handle this, Ashlyn. This has to be yours.” She bit her lip.
“Are things really so bad?” I asked.
