tension building in the back of her neck, as the women managed to make the piles even worse. “Uh, you know…I could use a bite to eat. A quick one.”
Sheila clapped her hands. “Oh, good. Do you like doughnuts?”
“Who doesn’t?” Blair answered and was rewarded with a burst of laughter from the trio.
Sheila sucked in a breath and raised a finger. “I know!” She scooted around the desk and pulled several huge hardbacks from the bookshelf. A small key was taped to the shelf. “Ha. Figured as much.” She ripped it off and handed it to Blair with a pleased smile. “There ya go.”
“Thanks.” Blair didn’t want to ask why Sheila knew where the key was, because it would probably involve a wacky explanation that made even less sense. With a grin, she slipped it in her purse, picked up the jailer-sized ring of keys, and locked the office behind her. She followed the parade of bright blouses out the door and into the elevator. On the basement level, they tromped down the hallway toward the back door.
“We’ll walk. It will cancel out the doughnuts,” Sheila said over her shoulder as she pushed the door open. She stopped still and sniffed the air. “Dammit, Joe. Sherry’s gonna kill him when she finds out he’s been smoking.” With a sigh, she marched around the building to the sidewalk facing Enterprise Street.
“You don’t have to tell her, Sheila,” called Barb from the back of the pack.
“Hmph,” Sheila answered.
Blair smiled, but didn’t say a word. She would probably be doing a lot of keeping her mouth shut over the next few weeks. It still hadn’t completely sunk in that she actually had a job, much less had to think about the dealing with all the nutty personalities in Celebration. What the hell had she gotten herself into? But still—she needed to be positive. This position was a stepping-stone and anything was better than working for Leon at a boring, dead-end, soul-sucking job.
As they walked down the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of fresh air. Kaley had been right, it was heating up quickly and her turtleneck was starting to feel warm. Blair reached into her purse, pulled out a clip, and twisted her hair up before they arrived at the brightly painted pink door of Debbie’s Doughnuts.
“This place looks promising,” she made herself say. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to be sociable, but she was still nervous and wouldn’t feel at ease until she had seen her trailer office and tackled something . She needed to be busy, or her thoughts would slide right toward Ben Lambert, and that was guaranteed to make her a nervous wreck. But maybe, if she caught a glimpse of him, he wouldn’t be as good-looking as he had been yesterday. Yeah. Then she wouldn’t be blindsided when she had to meet him in—she glanced at her watch—fifty minutes. She peeked down the block at Skinnovations, but the window was dark. Damn.
A second later a shout from across the street made her head snap around.
“Chick killer!” A group of boys stood next to the gazebo pointing at her. One of them giggled and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Murderer!”
The accounting girls gasped. “You four ought to be ashamed!” Sheila yelled.
“Shouldn’t they be in school?” Blair asked through tightly clamped teeth.
“They’re homeschooled,” Paula answered. “And home is where they should be.”
“Their moms are probably over at Christmas Crazies,” Sheila said, clucking her tongue.
“You didn’t mean to knock that sweet little chick’s head off,” Barb murmured. She patted Blair’s arm. “We know that, honey.”
Blair sighed.
“You okay?” asked Sheila.
Blair turned and smiled. “Sure. Yum, doughnuts. I think I’m in for a treat.”
“You sure are,” Sheila said, pushing open the door, which jangled. When Blair stepped inside, her jaw dropped. Every surface was covered in pigs—the wallpaper, the tables, the figurines crammed onto a shelf running along the top of the
Sheila clapped her hands. “Oh, good. Do you like doughnuts?”
“Who doesn’t?” Blair answered and was rewarded with a burst of laughter from the trio.
Sheila sucked in a breath and raised a finger. “I know!” She scooted around the desk and pulled several huge hardbacks from the bookshelf. A small key was taped to the shelf. “Ha. Figured as much.” She ripped it off and handed it to Blair with a pleased smile. “There ya go.”
“Thanks.” Blair didn’t want to ask why Sheila knew where the key was, because it would probably involve a wacky explanation that made even less sense. With a grin, she slipped it in her purse, picked up the jailer-sized ring of keys, and locked the office behind her. She followed the parade of bright blouses out the door and into the elevator. On the basement level, they tromped down the hallway toward the back door.
“We’ll walk. It will cancel out the doughnuts,” Sheila said over her shoulder as she pushed the door open. She stopped still and sniffed the air. “Dammit, Joe. Sherry’s gonna kill him when she finds out he’s been smoking.” With a sigh, she marched around the building to the sidewalk facing Enterprise Street.
“You don’t have to tell her, Sheila,” called Barb from the back of the pack.
“Hmph,” Sheila answered.
Blair smiled, but didn’t say a word. She would probably be doing a lot of keeping her mouth shut over the next few weeks. It still hadn’t completely sunk in that she actually had a job, much less had to think about the dealing with all the nutty personalities in Celebration. What the hell had she gotten herself into? But still—she needed to be positive. This position was a stepping-stone and anything was better than working for Leon at a boring, dead-end, soul-sucking job.
As they walked down the sidewalk, she took a deep breath of fresh air. Kaley had been right, it was heating up quickly and her turtleneck was starting to feel warm. Blair reached into her purse, pulled out a clip, and twisted her hair up before they arrived at the brightly painted pink door of Debbie’s Doughnuts.
“This place looks promising,” she made herself say. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to be sociable, but she was still nervous and wouldn’t feel at ease until she had seen her trailer office and tackled something . She needed to be busy, or her thoughts would slide right toward Ben Lambert, and that was guaranteed to make her a nervous wreck. But maybe, if she caught a glimpse of him, he wouldn’t be as good-looking as he had been yesterday. Yeah. Then she wouldn’t be blindsided when she had to meet him in—she glanced at her watch—fifty minutes. She peeked down the block at Skinnovations, but the window was dark. Damn.
A second later a shout from across the street made her head snap around.
“Chick killer!” A group of boys stood next to the gazebo pointing at her. One of them giggled and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Murderer!”
The accounting girls gasped. “You four ought to be ashamed!” Sheila yelled.
“Shouldn’t they be in school?” Blair asked through tightly clamped teeth.
“They’re homeschooled,” Paula answered. “And home is where they should be.”
“Their moms are probably over at Christmas Crazies,” Sheila said, clucking her tongue.
“You didn’t mean to knock that sweet little chick’s head off,” Barb murmured. She patted Blair’s arm. “We know that, honey.”
Blair sighed.
“You okay?” asked Sheila.
Blair turned and smiled. “Sure. Yum, doughnuts. I think I’m in for a treat.”
“You sure are,” Sheila said, pushing open the door, which jangled. When Blair stepped inside, her jaw dropped. Every surface was covered in pigs—the wallpaper, the tables, the figurines crammed onto a shelf running along the top of the
Similar Books
