should bring the girls in your office something.”
“I’ll take you to my favorite place. There’s not much of the kitschy stuff, but you can find some really unique items there. The folks are real friendly, and if you’re lucky, you may find one of their cats napping on a display case or shelf.” Stick waved off a glass when Jenny offered. “I can’t drink the margaritas and expect to function tomorrow.” She looked at Layne and smiled. “I want to be alert so I can show you a good time.”
Stacy watched Stick and noticed how she’d turned sideways in her chair toward Layne, making it clear she was there for more than her work. Layne would glance at Stick occasionally but faced the table, steadily nursing her drink. The night they’d met, Layne had been open and maintained steady eye contact, and when Stacy made innuendos, she could see by Layne’s body language and facial expressions that she was well aware of where Stacy was leading her and was eager to follow.
“How’s that margarita treating you?” Stacy asked with a nod toward Layne’s glass that was almost empty.
“Very well, thank you,” Layne said with a faint smile.
“And your headache?”
Layne glanced at Stacy. “Almost gone.”
“Maybe you’ll feel like dancing now,” Stick said hopefully.
Layne shook her head. “Not tonight.”
“Layne travels a lot with work.” Ronnie jumped into the conversation when Stick looked disappointed. “She has to mingle and entertain clients, so I think she’s ready to let her hair down and relax.” Ronnie tipped her glass toward Layne. “God knows you need it.”
Stick picked up the pitcher and refilled Layne’s glass. “What is it that you do?”
“We restructure customer service and human resources departments for companies that receive less-than-stellar customer satisfaction ratings.” Layne glanced at Stacy nervously for a second. “When corporations begin to grow, they’re inundated with business they struggle to maintain, and they tend to forget that they wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the people that buy their product. Too much emphasis is put on moving the products, and they let service slip after the initial sale. We evaluate their operations and their staff, then we rewrite policies and help them to move the right people into different positions where their strengths can be better utilized.”
“Oh, I bet that doesn’t always make you popular,” Stick said with a smile.
“Not always, no.”
Ronnie smacked her hand on the table. “I almost forgot, Layne. Alana Mayeaux is Stacy’s cousin.”
Layne visibly stiffened and glanced at Jenny, who looked away with a smirk. “Ronnie…I already—”
“Are those eyes?” Jenny practically shouted and pointed to the woods. “Are those eyes looking at me? Is that a fucking bear?”
Stick looked over her shoulder and laughed. “That’s a raccoon in a tree. They get kinda brazen when they smell food.”
Jenny looked at Layne wide-eyed and shook her head, silently telegraphing a warning. “I was scared to death there for a moment.”
“You act like you’ve never been outside.” Ronnie pushed Jenny’s glass closer to her. “Drink and chill out.”
“It could’ve been a bear.” Jenny made a face and looked around at the other tables where people stared at her like she was insane.
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Layne, you were saying?”
“I…was going to say that—”
“What’re the words to Blue Moon?” Jenny looked up at the sky. “The moon looks blue tonight. I wanna sing.”
“Layne was talking.” Ronnie looked annoyed. “ Mol , what is wrong with your spouse?”
Molly shrugged. “This is normal.”
“Come on, sing it with me.” Jenny started to clap. “Blue, blue something borrowed something…shit.”
“So you know Alana,” Stacy said and smiled at Layne.
“Uh…yes. We’ve worked together for years.”
“I’m curious about your name, Stick,” Jenny said, smiling at
“I’ll take you to my favorite place. There’s not much of the kitschy stuff, but you can find some really unique items there. The folks are real friendly, and if you’re lucky, you may find one of their cats napping on a display case or shelf.” Stick waved off a glass when Jenny offered. “I can’t drink the margaritas and expect to function tomorrow.” She looked at Layne and smiled. “I want to be alert so I can show you a good time.”
Stacy watched Stick and noticed how she’d turned sideways in her chair toward Layne, making it clear she was there for more than her work. Layne would glance at Stick occasionally but faced the table, steadily nursing her drink. The night they’d met, Layne had been open and maintained steady eye contact, and when Stacy made innuendos, she could see by Layne’s body language and facial expressions that she was well aware of where Stacy was leading her and was eager to follow.
“How’s that margarita treating you?” Stacy asked with a nod toward Layne’s glass that was almost empty.
“Very well, thank you,” Layne said with a faint smile.
“And your headache?”
Layne glanced at Stacy. “Almost gone.”
“Maybe you’ll feel like dancing now,” Stick said hopefully.
Layne shook her head. “Not tonight.”
“Layne travels a lot with work.” Ronnie jumped into the conversation when Stick looked disappointed. “She has to mingle and entertain clients, so I think she’s ready to let her hair down and relax.” Ronnie tipped her glass toward Layne. “God knows you need it.”
Stick picked up the pitcher and refilled Layne’s glass. “What is it that you do?”
“We restructure customer service and human resources departments for companies that receive less-than-stellar customer satisfaction ratings.” Layne glanced at Stacy nervously for a second. “When corporations begin to grow, they’re inundated with business they struggle to maintain, and they tend to forget that they wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the people that buy their product. Too much emphasis is put on moving the products, and they let service slip after the initial sale. We evaluate their operations and their staff, then we rewrite policies and help them to move the right people into different positions where their strengths can be better utilized.”
“Oh, I bet that doesn’t always make you popular,” Stick said with a smile.
“Not always, no.”
Ronnie smacked her hand on the table. “I almost forgot, Layne. Alana Mayeaux is Stacy’s cousin.”
Layne visibly stiffened and glanced at Jenny, who looked away with a smirk. “Ronnie…I already—”
“Are those eyes?” Jenny practically shouted and pointed to the woods. “Are those eyes looking at me? Is that a fucking bear?”
Stick looked over her shoulder and laughed. “That’s a raccoon in a tree. They get kinda brazen when they smell food.”
Jenny looked at Layne wide-eyed and shook her head, silently telegraphing a warning. “I was scared to death there for a moment.”
“You act like you’ve never been outside.” Ronnie pushed Jenny’s glass closer to her. “Drink and chill out.”
“It could’ve been a bear.” Jenny made a face and looked around at the other tables where people stared at her like she was insane.
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Layne, you were saying?”
“I…was going to say that—”
“What’re the words to Blue Moon?” Jenny looked up at the sky. “The moon looks blue tonight. I wanna sing.”
“Layne was talking.” Ronnie looked annoyed. “ Mol , what is wrong with your spouse?”
Molly shrugged. “This is normal.”
“Come on, sing it with me.” Jenny started to clap. “Blue, blue something borrowed something…shit.”
“So you know Alana,” Stacy said and smiled at Layne.
“Uh…yes. We’ve worked together for years.”
“I’m curious about your name, Stick,” Jenny said, smiling at
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