She blinks, then shrugs. “I’m in.”
“Great. So, next thing on my list?—”
“Do I get a turn?”
“A turn?”
She nods. “You haven’t been here in weeks, so I have a laundry list of things to go over with you.”
I sigh. “Okay. You go.”
“The bankers are spooked because I asked for a lower rate and strongly implied we would be switching banks. They’ve been begging for a meeting with you because they don’t want to deal with me anymore. I set that up for you tonight so be prepared to smile and play nice, but don’t ruin the progress I made. Budge a little, not a lot.”
I nod. “Okay. How much of a rate decrease did you ask for?”
“Fifty percent.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Man, I should let you off leash more often.” And then I realize that’ll delay seeing Evie again. “Wait, what time is the meeting?”
“Eight.”
My heart drops. “We can’t make it any earlier?”
“You’re getting a drink with the owner of the construction company who’s flipping the plumbing at the Lavender Springs property. He wants to finalize the details I went over with him last week—I sent the details to your email. Honestly, I think he just wants to be buddy-buddy with you so you funnel him business for your other properties.”
I roll my eyes. “Alright, sure.”
“We had three new hires start while you were gone. Theyknowyou usually like to introduce yourself when someone new starts, and at least one of them is antsy that you hate her without ever having met her.”
My brow crinkles. “Seriously?”
Sana taps her pen against her notebook. “She’s young. She’s good but she’s nervous.”
“Okay. I’ll do a lap and say hi to anyone I don’t recognize.” I drum my fingers along the desk. “What else?”
“Library gala tomorrow night. Half the company wasinvited and it wouldlook goodif you showed, but I think the rest of us have it covered if you’re not up for it.”
I shake my head. “Bare minimum for the next few days.”
She nods. “Got it.” She sighs, apparently relieved at having gotten her list out of the way. “Okay, now you go.”
I stand, rounding my desk and nudging my door so it slowly closes.
Sana raises her eyebrows as I lean against my desk. “I need you to do a little digging for me. In your capacity as some weird hybrid assistant slash business manager slash COO.”
She crosses her arms. “Okay?”
“Garrett Reed from Sunflower Hill. The mayor who also happens to be the head of the historical society there. A company named Sunflower Hill Restoration. There’s something fishy going on there and I’m not sure what it is. Reed has been almost impossible to work with despite insisting on this property being developed. And this company quoted us an exorbitant amount for pretty minor repairs to a water wheel. I’m not surewhatis going on, but Reed has a reputation for manipulation so I just… have a feeling.”
Sana’s eyes narrow. “‘Us’?”
I blink. “What?”
“You said ‘us.’”
“Oh. I guess I did.”
Sana smiles. “You should bring her into the office. I’d love to meet her.”
