To this day, I still think she doesn’t like me.
“That building has been gathering dust for years since Old Man Reynolds closed the general store.”
She shrugs, her glasses sliding down her nose. “I’m not allowed to disclose any details of the new deal. The mayor made sure of it.”
“I’ll bet he did,” I grumble.
“Dear, that’s a big space. Do you even have the money for the lease?”
Her coddling tone nearly sends me over the edge. “Of course I do. Look around,”—I wave my hand around the store—“business has never been better.”
And thank God the store is crowded today. I can’t imagine what her face would look like if it were empty.
“Nevertheless, word is a new company is setting up shop in town.”
“What company?” I stare her dead in the eye.
Nice tone be damned.
“That’s not for you to worry about.”
“It is if you’re giving them the building that I’m trying to lease.”
She purses her lips at me. “Not trying. Sorry, Layla, but that’s the final word.”
“And nothing I say will change your mind?”
“You can try talking to the mayor, but I doubt it.”
Sticking her nose in the air, she gives my store a once-over, like it’s one of the most offensive places she’s ever stepped foot in.
“Have a nice day, Layla.” With a wave, she’s out of the store.
“Fuck.” I look at the paper in my hand.
All my hard work over the last few months down the drain by one company moving into town. Supposedly.
“What was that about?” Erica, my shop assistant, pops up by my shoulder.
“We didn’t get the Reynolds building.”
“You’re kidding.”
I hand over the piece of paper. “She just dropped it off. Says there’s a new company coming into town.”
“What company? We would’ve heard about it.”
Erica is outraged on my behalf, fuming next to me.
Pinstripes & Push-Ups is everything I’ve spent my adult career working toward. While I buy a lot of pieces from designers, I work night and day to bring my own fashion to life.
Dresses, tops, lingerie. I want people to come into my shop and leave feeling better about themselves.
P&P is now bursting at the seams. With trying to grow my online business, staying within these four walls is proving a lot harder than I thought.
If I want to grow, I need more space.
The building on Main Street, right in the heart of Dixon, would be the perfect place to expand. Gorgeous brick walls with old-fashioned overhead lighting. It’s everything I’ve wanted in a new store.
