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With our drinks in hand, we made our way back out onto the sidewalk. We stood to one side as the early morning traffic bustled past us.
“About tonight,” Lavena announced, ice chips rattling around her cup with every deliberate swirl of her drink. “Are we meeting up at Ollie’s or are we meeting at the apartment?”
“I’m going to be at the office late,” Kas sighed. “I’ll meet you guys there.”
“I need to run home and change first,” Sasha added.
“Same,” I piped in.
The consensus in the end was that we would meet up in the lobby at eight. Kas would arrive at the restaurant when shecould, and we would keep in touch throughout the day. With that, we waved goodbye and headed in separate directions.
The new shipment of elegant gowns glimmered in the windows when I arrived atLe Hush. I stood on the sidewalk, keys in hand, studying the sleek lines of the new, fall line. Kaila had done a wonderful job creating a story of elegance and beauty behind clean, gleaming glass. The nondescript mannequins with their featureless faces stood poised in their new outfits, showcasing what was to be the trend of the season.
Marcella never skimped on fashion. Her whole life was the art of clothing. She spent hours with designers, sitting front row at every fashion show and cultivating relationships with everyone from the janitors to the directors. She had an eye for the most exquisite collections, and she had yet to be wrong. Every piece she ever brought in was gold and snatched up months in advance by eager, wealthy women. This selection was no different.
The fall line looked radiant in their bold, autumn colors and tight lines. Deep, royal blues and dramatic black tones were perfect for the impending slide into winter when the darker shades would brighten to whites and brilliant reds to suit the holiday season.
The bell above the door jingled softly in the still emptiness of the shop as I let myself into the soft scent of roses. One quick glance at the new displays assured me Kaila had followed my instructions to the letter. Everything looked perfect, as I knew it would; Kaila was a unicorn, and I didn’t know what I would have done without her. She was the only person I trusted to treat the store the way I would, and I always made sure she knew just how much I appreciated everything she did by adding extra to her pay at every opportunity thanks to Marcella’s generosity. She always believed a dedicated worker was someone who was compensatedwell. In turn, she made sure all her stores were given bonuses and commissions on top of a well over average salary.
“Why would anyone want to put their heart into a job when their head is full of worry? Help your people pay their bills and they will in turn give you their loyalty and hard work,”was her moto, a stance I fully agreed with. So, I always made sure my team was cared for.
I deposited my bag behind the counter and set to work opening for the day. It was a task not checking my phone every minute, but there was so much to do before I had to close for the day, run home, change, and meet the girls for Darius’s welcome dinner. I just had to focus.
CHAPTER 10
Darius
My coffee cooled at my elbow as it sat ignored by me. The dark liquid rippled with every scribble of my own across various lines.
Lourdes, my very efficient secretary, stood at my shoulder, hands clasped in front of her, watching my every pen stroke with the no-nonsense of a grade schoolteacher making sure I got my E’s correct.
“One more, sir,” she kept saying as she flipped to a new page and a new line for me to defile with my scribble.
“Are these getting sent to my father?” I asked, passing her the fully signed contract.
“Yes sir.” It was piled on top of the other six in her possession. A fresh one replaced it. “This is the final paperwork for the new building Mr. Medlock purchased earlier this year. It needs the final signatures to start the renovations.”
I paused on this one. “Shouldn’t my father be looking this over? I don’t even know what this building is being renovated into.”
Lourdes eyed me over the thin wires of her round glasses. “It’s for the casino. I was informed by Meredith that you were given the emails explaining all of this.”
I searched my memory trying to remember if I’d seen an email mentioning a casino.
“I don’t recall a casino,” I stated after a moment. “Put this aside until I’ve spoken to my father.”
She said nothing as she pulled the contract away and straightened. “You have a meeting with Cormac McGavin at one, right after lunch. I will have him on line one for you. At three, you will be needed—”
I never found out what was needed of me when the phone on my desk rattled to life.
Lourdes had it up and at her ear before the second ring. “Mr. Medlock’s office,” there was a pause, then, “yes ma’am. Just a moment, please.” I was trying to think who Lourdes was callingma’amwhen the receiver was held out to me. “Your mother, sir.”
I accepted it.
“Mom?”
“Hi baby, I’m sorry to call you at work, but your father is being simply unreasonable that I had no choice.”
I sat back in my seat. “What happened?”
