“I hope Kaz puts his foot down,” Ci says. “The way Maybellynn talked to you is unacceptable. It’s not like you stole that office from her. It was never hers to begin with. And then the phones. That’s thousands of dollars down the drain.”
“Kaz has been out of the office all week.”
She tilts her head to the side. “He’s still dealing with the Grazie Mille situation?”
“After three days of extended search, the police and FBI didn’t find any drugs hidden anywhere in therestaurant. Kaz hired a plumber and a renovation crew to repair the bathroom he had to have destroyed. That nightmare is behind him, but the Brazilian owner is itching to sell. All of these surprises aren’t helping his heart condition. The man is literally pulling his hair out.”
“Poor guy,” Ci says. “In a matter of weeks, he’s had to deal with a manager who was running an illegal gambling operation after hours whose partner in crime is the idiot stepson of a Chicago Governor who groped you, a bartender who was stealing booze, and a bunch of morons using his restaurant as an exchange place for drugs.”
“It’s been nonstop for the poor man. In any case, Kaz has been at the restaurant, overseeing everything, and meeting with perspective buyers. Once he’s done with Grazie Mille, he needs to take care of his own businesses. He’s usually at the office really late.”
“Kaz has been MIA from the office with good reason, so he has no idea Maybellynn is a terrible human being, but I hope you’re going to tell him.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to be the one instigating office drama. I only just started this job.”
She considers me for a beat. “I see where you’re coming from, but someone needs to put that woman in her place.”
“Let’s hope she got all the venomous poison out of her with her childish antics this week.”
“You think? She wants your office and your man.” She brings the phone close to her face. “Watch your back with that bitch.”
Ciara’s ominous tone and her serious expression give me chills.
“I will.”
“I bet after having to deal with Maybellynn, you need a drink unless you retreat to your home to do your drinking.”
“I ––”
I’m just about to slip, when I catch myself.
I haven’t told her I lost my house.
She’s still in the dark about my financial ruination due to my poor judgement in trusting immoral assholes.
“You… what?”
“Drinking is never the answer, girlfriend,” I say.
“Sometimes it is.”
I laugh a little. “I have a much healthier way of decompressing.”
“Don’t tell me I’ve rubbed off on you and you joined a gym.”
No need for a gym membership. I’ve been on the broke-ass diet for months.And stress burns plenty of calories.“The best way to disconnect with reality is to read.”
“Now you’re talking.”
“I…”How do I say this without revealing too much?I shift in my chair. “I discovered this cool new bookstore. It’s in Brooklyn, so super convenient after work.”
“I like the way you think.”
“The name of the bookstore is My Little Bookish Heart and their romance selection is a book girlie’s dream come true. They have a succulent section—not a floral section.Succulents. I love flowers, but succulents are a feast for the eyes. They have an incredible café you want to linger in for hours. Lazing outside at the curb in front of the shop, there’s always a menagerie of dogs quenching their thirst in the doggie water bowls.”
“I wish I could share that experience with you—” Her eyes lift over her screen and she smiles wide.
She’s as endearing as the heart eyes emoji.
