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Splash tossed a sheaf of her thick, waist-length hair back over her shoulder and looked down at her hands.
Reena gave her partner an angry glare and managed a tight smile of thanks.
The only thing I could do was ignore the tension between them and keep going.
“We’re here to talk about shipping dates, store selections, and cross-promotional opportunities,” I said enthusiastically. “Splash, why don’t you start with some of your ideas?”
“Let Reena do it. She knows everything,” Splash hissed out of the corner of her mouth.
Something was terribly wrong.
“Sure,” Reena said. “Our market is the hip, downtown New York crowd and young people across the country who want to look like them. We think that five-minute commercials before the start of the hit teen movies will catch their attention. In the meantime, Splash and I will . . .”
Splash snorted in a very unladylike way before Reena could finish her sentence. “Probably kill each other.”
Reena flushed and ignored the comment. “Splash and I will use our connections to hit the talk show circuit, always carrying one of the bags on camera.”
“The only connections you have are your tits,” Splash said loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
I had to do something. “Perhaps this isn’t a good day for you ladies. Let’s reschedule this meeting for a time when you’re under less pressure.”
Reena closed her eyes.
Splash looked triumphant.
Delrossi harrumphed and asked me, “Ms. Mitchell, how far are we along in this venture?”
“Sir, we’ve ordered more than one gross. This seems to be a minor glitch. Please don’t worry about it.”
Splash hit the table with her fist. “The Titanic was a minor glitch compared to what my double-crossing partner has done to my relationship.”
So this was about a man. I knew right then that the handbag line was over and, unless our legal department could get our deposit back quickly, so was my job.
Mr. Delrossi was staring at me. His eyebrows were raised. Not a good sign.
“Meeting over,” I announced.
Splash and Reena stood along with the rest of the staff.
I halted their departure with a raise of my hand. “Not you two. There are legal issues here that must be worked out. Don’t you dare move.”
Reena sighed loudly.
Splash sat back down, too, but she clearly didn’t give a fuck about whatever was going to happen to her.
That meant Reena had won the man and Splash was in full self-destructive mode as a result.
Chapter 46
SAUNDRA
If Asha had not been my sister, I would have just taken my things and become another camper in Yero’s already overcrowded house, but if she was headed for trouble, I needed to try to stop her. I planned to find out what the deal was with this new guy by starting a friendly sort of girlfriend-to-girlfriend conversation and making her feel comfortable enough to tell me.
It didn’t work out that way.
I had spent the day checking out various museum exhibits around the city and came home to chaos. When I opened the door the first thing I saw was a pair of pink panties lying right in the middle of the floor. An empty liquor bottle wasn’t too far away and the line of clothing—including men’s boxer shorts, a man’s shirt and pants—led straight to Asha’s bedroom door, which was wide open.
I looked in, expecting to see Nick, but the guy was much shorter and his head was completely bald. They were both sound asleep and the smell of liquor rose and fell from their open mouths, creating a disgusting stench.
