Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“Okay.” I laugh, but the look on her face says there is nothing funny about it. In fact, she looks dead-serious.
“Be careful,” she whispers.
“What?” I whisper back, the hairs on the nape of my neck standing on end.
“I don’t know, but just be careful, especially when you’re driving.”
“All right,” I agree quietly, and her smile is wonky before the look on her face shifts, filling with that same happy light from earlier.
“Take care, Olivia, and if you ever want some cookies or something, come to the bakery and ask for me. I’ll hook you up.”
“I’ll do that.” I watch her push the door shut, then continue watching her as she walks through the automatic doors and into the store.
As I drive off, I try to shake off what she said, but the words play over and over in my head as I drive to work. And they are still in my head when I pull open the door to the spa, which means it takes me a moment to register the sight that greets me inside the reception area.
The entire space has been emptied out. All the art is missing from the walls, and the loveseat that we had for clients to sit on while they waited is gone. Even the shelves that once held all of our products are missing, and all the boxes and containers are on the floor with Holly—who is sitting with her legs crossed on the tile in front of the computer right in front of her because her chair and the reception desk are both gone.
“Umm.” I glance around the empty space. “What’s going on?”
“Eva bought Julie out,” Holly whispers, leaning forward so she can look around the corner and down the hall to where the offices are. When she sees that the coast is clear, she meets my gaze once more and continues whispering. “And apparently, Julie decorated the office with furniture and stuff from her parents’ staging business. So, last night, she came by and took everything. We didn’t know until about five minutes ago when we came in to open up.”
“Seriously?” My nose scrunches in disgust. I mean, I can understand Julie wanting her things back, but to just take everything without giving anyone a heads-up is beyond gross. Especially knowing that Eva would have no idea what she was walking into today.
“Yep, Eva is pissed.”
“As she should be,” I mutter.
“She went to go make a call, but I wonder if I should cancel all the appointments scheduled for toda—” She cuts herself off, snapping her mouth shut when a door slams, and a moment later, Eva comes around the corner with a look of rage on her face.
“Hey, Olivia.” She smiles at me—or tries to—before she looks at Holly on the floor. “Can you do me a favor and start calling everyone who is booked for today and reschedule them for tomorrow or later this week?” She rubs her lips together. “Maybe offer them ten percent off their treatment for the inconvenience.”
“Of course,” Holly says softly, and Eva turns my way.
“I’m so sorry, Olivia. I know you had clients coming in today. Holly will get them rescheduled, and you can take the day off. Hopefully, by tomorrow, I’ll have things sorted out and—”
“I’m not leaving you and Holly to deal with this alone,” I cut her off, and her shoulders droop in relief. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“I don’t even know where to start.” She glances around. “I obviously need to get new furniture, but I also need to call the phone company and the electric company because Julie dealt with that stuff, and I don’t know if she’s going to have it all shut off.”
“All right. While you make those calls, I’ll call around and see if there are any furniture stores that can deliver by the end of today. And if not, my boyfriend has a truck. I can probably borrow it for a couple of hours, and we can take a trip to HomeGoods. They always have stuff available for pickup.”
I look around, then meet her gaze. “I know this all seems overwhelming, but it’s not really that big of a deal. I mean, no, you don’t want clients walking into an empty office, but at the end of the day, all they really care about is the quality of our work, and I know that you and I do an amazing job.”
“You’re right.” She lifts her chin and straightens her shoulders. “Okay.” She lets out a breath. “I’m going to make some calls, and I’ll check in with you when I’m done.”
“Sure.” I watch her walk away, then look at Holly, who just hung up the phone. “Are you okay?”
“Yep.” She grins. “And I know this sucks, but I’m thrilled I don’t have to deal with Julie anymore.”