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“Whatever you say, Winter. I already know I’m the best.” A heavy sigh came from behind her and Juniper knew without looking that an eye roll went with her friend’s exasperated sigh.
Banners flipped one spiraled tress over her shoulder and turned for the door on her stiletto-heeled boots.
Thank sweet baby Jesus.
Juniper had more important things to worry about. Like not getting shut down. Wouldn’t that make Banners’ year. Steel slipped into her spine with that thought and a new resolve took hold. Over her dead body would she let that little smug princess win.
“Oh, by the way,”
Heaven help me, she silently pleaded. Juniper narrowed her eyes at Banners. “Yes, Banners?”
“You guys make it so easy. I thought you should also know your marketing must be trash. Want to know why?”
“Nope.” Juniper held the door open for her.
“Looks like the summer season will be killer. I just booked three weddings. And,” Stacey paused and took a couple of steps back instead of marching right on out the front door. “I was on the phone this morning with Mr. Blackwood.” She tapped her bottom lip to draw out Juniper’s torture.
“I think you know the one. By that shocked look on your face, I would say you do. Well, he’s very charming. By the end of the call, I would say I have a foot in if you mess this up. Now, what do you have?”
Handcuffs if I follow through with my murderous rage.
She didn’t have a problem with confrontations but something sealed Juniper’s mouth shut. It could have been the dull, glassy look to Stacey’s eyes or the way the woman uncharacteristically chewed on her lip. Something was off and she didn’t feel right lashing out.
Apparently, Callie didn’t feel the same way.
“Run along, ice princess. Hasn’t anyone ever told you to be nice and not such a backstabbing slut who has to sleep with their clients? Yeah, we heard about that little makeout session you did with your former client’s fiancé. Yeah, we heard. Run along now and go stuff a cucumber.”
Juniper turned to Callie as Banners’ face morphed from highfalutin to a worrisome red. She huffed a girlie sound and did an about-face before shoving the door open that made the bell jiggle with a vengeance.
Juniper let the door slide shut, a little more than stunned at the words coming from her assistant’s mouth.
“Holy hell, Callie. Stuff a cucumber? How long have you been holding that in?” Juniper admonished now that they were alone. Unable to contain her laughter, she pressed a hand to her mouth. “Now all she’ll do is focus on how to make our lives a living hell.”
“It’ll almost be worth it.” Callie shrugged. “It was fun seeing her face turn red like that.”
She held up her thumb and pointer finger. “Just a little, you know?” Juniper admitted as she sank into a nearby chair. “Let her chew on that for a while.”
Hot air rushed through the open door and her poor bell took the abuse once again. Juniper popped up from her chair and turned to face Banners.You’ve got to be kidding. “Now what? Didn’t you get enough licks in before? Or do you have more venom to spray out?”
Marshall cleared his throat loudly and her eyes widened into fat saucers.
Not Banners.
Fire rose to her cheeks. Fierce blue eyes stared down at her from beneath the brim of his Stetson and Juniper wanted to stuff her head in a hole preferably in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
She was going to be sick. “Mr. Blackwood, good morning.” Straightening her shoulders, Juniper smiled.
“Marshall, please. I’m sorry for being late. I had to see Stella off to the airport.”
“Marshall,” Juniper corrected. All the back and forth was giving her mental whiplash. “I thought you were someone else. I uhh…” What else could she say? Her words sort of trailed off along with her thoughts.
“No need to explain. We’ve all had our moments.”
Yes, apparently, she had more than most. And the recent ones all seemed to happen in front of Marshall.
He stepped all the way into her shop and the scent of his mild aftershave wafted along the warm air currents of the overhead vents.
Clean and fresh. That had to be another bullet point on her man list. If it wasn’t, she would remedy that.
