“She’s out sick today. Order a couple of extra samples from storage so she can double-check you when she gets back.”
The pot of coffee Shirley held suddenly looked like a big, black void, sucking all of Anna’s happy feelings out her skin. Shirley might’ve been trying for her poker face, but her tone, the incline of her head, the way her eyes narrowed, Anna knew.
Shirley wanted Jules fired.
Anna couldn’t deny her own feelings toward Jules had frosted like Minnesota in October, but she didn’t want the guilt of being the catalyst that got someone fired.
She inhaled through her nose and moved to close a drawer that was sticking out. “Things have been improving,” she hedged. Her suspicions about Jules and Neil aside, Juleshadbeen more pleasant lately.
“Or she’s hiding it better from you. Shit happens, kid. I’d rather work with someone who bakes pies through it. Been real impressed with you lately. Don’t go screwing it up, putting misguided loyalty above taking care of yourself. Nice doesn’t pay the bills.”
Anna gulped back the bile making her feel as filthy as the coffee looked. She backed toward the door. “I’ll get those extra samples ordered.”
“Good decision, kid. Good decision.”
Jules was back on Tuesday.She was so pale, she made the moon look tan and her cheekbones bordered on Cher sharp. But it was her subconscious gesture to her lower abdomen that made Anna’s breath slip out in surprise.
Jules’s eyes went as brittle as Anna’s luck at weddings. “Problem?”
Anna shook her head. “Just remembered I have a quiz tonight. Feeling better?”
“Yep.”
“How was your weekend?”
“Fine.”
“How’s Brad?”
“Fine.” Her firstfinesounded as fine as a flat tire. This one sounded as fine as cleaning up roadkill.
Anna stifled a sigh. “You talk to Shirley this morning?”
The wonky eyebrow made a rare appearance. “Now why would I want to ruin my perfectly good Monday morning?”
Oh, goody. Anna loved playing go-between as much as she loved having someone play with the days of the week. Her Tuesday, Jules’s Monday. “She asked me to get a couple of extra samples and run them yesterday. Thought she might’ve mentioned it to you.”
“Nope,” Jules said. Her left nostril scrunched up in a sniff, but otherwise, she didn’t seem to care one way or another. She ambled over to Anna’s desk and plopped down at the edge, hands in her lap. “How’d it go?”
“Good,” Anna said cautiously. “I have everything lined up for you to double-check, but nothing looked unusual or raised any flags.”
“Great.” Jules flicked her left thumb over her right fingernail, which was the only one that hadn’t been already taken down to the quick. “Maybe after I’m done we can grab a late lunch.”
They hadn’t done lunch in months.
“Unless you have plans already,” Jules said quickly.
“No plans. Lunch sounds great.” Great for easing some guilt, anyway.
“Great,” Jules said again. She slid off the desk. “Now quit goofing off and get back to work. Reports won’t write themselves.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
There were large fires and small fires, but the fire that burned inside him was the most dangerous fire of all.
—The Temptress of Pecan Lane, by Mae Daniels
