Lexi isn’t sure she’s quite ready for that kind of all-out war. But it’s certainly an idea. She can definitely see it working once, as a novelty. But a regular thing? Who knows? She should speak to her accountant, though she’s pretty sure she can guess his opinion.
‘It’s not going to be a problem, competing with Sam like this?’
Lexi’s stomach drops. Is Natalie asking what she thinks she’s asking?
‘In what way?’
She doesn’t answer. She lets Lexi stew. It’s easier to let Natalie say the words herself.
‘Well...’ Natalie had seemed so self-assured, so willing to be direct in that very American way, but now she looks at her shoes. They’re pretty great shoes: yellow Mary Janes, with a pink flower on the strap, but Lexi is fairly sure Natalie has seen them before. ‘There are rumours.’
Ah. There it is. ‘Rumours about Sam and me?’
‘Listen, nobody would blame you. It’s no secret that it’s slim pickings in the DC dating world.’
‘Are yousurenobody would blame me?’
Another silence that speaks volumes.
‘I’m pretty suresomeof you would blame me.’
‘He’s very attractive. And book people are kindred spirits.’
‘True.’
It’s always bugged Lexi that it’s socially acceptable for people to give their opinions about a single person’s dating life. If she felt petty, if she didn’t know that Natalie meant well, if she wasn’t trying her best to be a dignified, professional boss, she could shut down this conversation pretty quickly, just by asking:How’s your sex life?OrDo you still find your husband interesting after all these years?But she knows Natalie isn’t just being nosy here. It’s fair enough to want to know if Lexi is sleeping with the enemy, because that would impact the shop and all the staff.
Lexi squirms, but she decides that Natalie deserves an answer, so she tells her.
‘I had a temporary lapse in judgement. But that’s over now.’
Natalie knows how to wield silence as a weapon. She waits.
‘His ex-girlfriend is back in town, anyway.’
‘Ah.’
Natalie is still looking at her. How much detail is she expecting from Lexi? How much does Lexi want to give her? In this moment, Lexi is really feeling the oddness of being a boss younger than most of her staff. Their instinct is to look after her and hers is to go to them for advice, but instead she’s supposed to tell them what to do, and they’re meant to believe that she’s doing what’s best for the business. Given her questionable romantic decisions of late, she wouldn’t blame them for finding that difficult.
‘I don’t really have time for a boyfriend, anyway.’
She’s floundering here. That has never crossed her mind as a reason not to date Sam. As a reason not to date in general, maybe. But with Sam, she could make it work. If nothing else because they both have similar pressures on their time.
‘You’re a young woman,’ Natalie says gently. ‘You have needs. It’s okay not to pour every part of your heart and soul into the shop.’
Lexi chooses to take this in the kind spirit it’s intended. She swallows hard. ‘Thank you.’
‘It does seem like dating your most serious competition might not be the greatest idea. But if it’s meant to be, it’ll work out. I’m a big believer in that. You’ve got to do what’s right for you.’
Lexi has a little bit of whiplash. Natalie is swinging between telling her not to date Sam and also telling her to ignore her advice not to date him. It’s very confusing.
‘Just think about what’s most important in your life, and go after that with your whole heart,’ she says.
‘It’s not that simple.’
‘If it isn’t, then maybe you haven’t found that one thing yet. How about while I look into liquor licences, you look into that?’
Seems fair enough. And incredibly kind of her to take on yet another task. Everyone in this shop is already working so hard.
