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“I have a couple, Holden,” I remind him. “And, if one of them did this, they won’t have a job when I get done.”
“I have it in my records in there, but I don’t need to look. He said his name was Dawson Culver.”
I frown.
“You’re sure?” I ask.
“Completely. He one of your employees?”
“Unfortunately, yeah.”
“Then this discussion is done.”
“Let’s cut the bull, Holden. You know I need you and that I’d never have done this. If I had a problem with your merchandise, I would have come to you. Tell me what I owe to make us square and get you to send a shipment out before my rush crowd tomorrow night.”
“Junie, you aren’t going to like hearing this, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“That’s bullshit and we both know it.”
“No, it’s not. I can reinstate your business. I’d like to keep you as a customer, because your orders have steadily increased since the opening, but when you canceled out, I didn’t order that shipment. I keep some reserves of course, but nothing like what you ordered. There’s no way I can get you what you need by tomorrow. I can rush a shipment, but it won’t be here until Saturday at the earliest and more than likely, it will be Monday.”
“Shit. Friday night is my biggest sales night.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, and I can tell he feels bad, but that doesn’t exactly help.
“You said you had reserves. How much can you give me?” I ask, praying I can work this out somehow.
“Let’s go see what I got,” he says, and I manage to breathe at least a little.
“From here out, you believe nothing unless it comes straight from me, Holden.”
“You got it, Junie,” he says, but that won’t help me much now. When I figure out what’s going on here, I’m going to kill whoever is responsible.
Ben
My cell vibrates at my side. I feel a muscle tighten and flex in my cheek. It always does that when I bite down and I’m upset. It’s my tell. I’ve seen and learned to detect those on other people. It seems only fair I’d know my own. I take a breath and then pull my phone from the belt clip and answer.
“Yeah,” I respond, my voice showing my irritation and I don’t try to hide it. It’s three in the morning. I’m home in two more hours and there’s only one person that would be calling me this late—especially since I’m in the squad car and dispatch knows to get me here.
“I’m so sorry, Ben.”
“I took two hours off for dinner, Junie.”
“Oh God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to forget, I promise. I can explain.”
I look at the time glowing on my dashboard.
3:10 a.m.
Dinner was at seven. She forgot about me and remembered over eight hours later. I’m never going to fucking learn. When it comes to women, I’m an idiot, plain and simple.
“It’s fine, Junie.”
“It doesn’t sound fine,” she says, and I can hear the regret in her voice, but the thing is that it doesn’t make me feel a damn bit better.
“Can’t help that. I said it was fine and it is. Even if it weren’t, there’s nothing either one of us could do right now.”
“I could meet you at your house when you get off work. I don’t have to go into the bar until this evening…”
