possible?” Anne asked. “Did Sam win the lottery?”
“ I think Sam has a fantastic business opportunity here and she sure has some of the best employees, so I decided to invest. I am paying off the debt so Sam won’t have that high interest rate every month. We will be able to pay you both more and increase your hours if you want that.”
Both women had shocked looks on their faces.
“ I’ll also be in to help out around here in an unofficial capacity when you need it and I’ll do some of the office work to help take the burden off of Sam.”
“ Wow! I don’t know what to say!” Susie grinned from ear to ear.
“ Fantastic!” Anne chimed in.
The buzzing of my cell sounded and I pulled it from my pocket to take a peek. Crystal? Why would she be calling me?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I swallowed as I looked towards the back of the auditorium. Zeke and Eileen were sitting several rows behind me, near the exit sign. Damn. I knew that like all tiger shifters, Zeke had excellent eyesight. I should have known he would sit towards the back. I wish I’d sat in the very last row. Then I could have stared at his back, instead of wondering if he was looking at mine. I turned around quickly to face the stage. I didn’t want him to catch me looking.
I had been so surprised when Crystal had called and invited me to her school play. She didn’t have the lead but she had a major role and I could tell from the way her voice was bubbling over on the phone that she was thrilled. What could I say? I’d grown close to Crystal. I missed her and I wanted to see her. At the same time, I didn’t want to see Zeke. I knew it would be painful. But I couldn’t let that stop me from supporting Crystal.
As the play unfolded my mind drifted and I had trouble focusing. I tried not to think about Zeke. He was so close, yet so far. I wanted to feel his strong arms around me, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I perked up as I saw Crystal come on the stage. The girl was a natural; she was so relaxed and confident. It was wonderful to see her so alive and happy. Still, it didn’t heal the ache I felt for Zeke.
Suddenly the lights came on and I realized it was intermission. I decided to get a cool drink and walked out to the refreshment stand in the lobby area.
“ Janet! Janet! Did you see me?”
Crystal, wearing her costume, was waving at me.
“ Aren’t you supposed to be backstage with the rest of the cast?” I asked her as she sidled up to me.
She waved her hand dismissively. “I had to come see you and Uncle Zeke,” she glanced off in the distance. “Oh, there he is!”
Before I had a chance to say anything, Crystal grabbed my hand and pulled me towards Zeke.
“ Uncle Zeke! Uncle Zeke!” Crystal waved towards him.
“ Crystal, how’s my favorite girl?” He gave her a warm hug.
“ Janet’s here,” Crystal announced, pointing towards me.
“ Yes, I see that. Hello, Janet,” Zeke said curtly. He looked miserable.
“ Did you see me in the play? What did you think?”
“ You were fantastic, honey,” Zeke forced a grin on his face.
It was obvious that Zeke wasn’t happy. I guess he didn’t want to be around me at all.
“ Why aren’t you two seeing each other anymore? I thought you were in love,” Crystal asked bluntly.
I could see Zeke wasn’t sure what to say. I figured I might as well get it out into the open.
“ Crystal, I want to apologize to you. I’ve apologized to your Uncle but I’d like to do so again,” I said, looking at Zeke. “I was pretending to be someone that I’m not.”
Crystal wrinkled her brows. “You mean, you are really another person? You’re not Janet Sayer?”
“ Well, no…yes...I mean, my name is Janet Sayer, but I don’t normally work at Courtland’s Gems. I mean, I do now, but before I didn’t…” Ugh, this wasn’t coming out right. How do you tell a twelve year old that you were pretending to be poor to get a man?
“ I was basically
“ I think Sam has a fantastic business opportunity here and she sure has some of the best employees, so I decided to invest. I am paying off the debt so Sam won’t have that high interest rate every month. We will be able to pay you both more and increase your hours if you want that.”
Both women had shocked looks on their faces.
“ I’ll also be in to help out around here in an unofficial capacity when you need it and I’ll do some of the office work to help take the burden off of Sam.”
“ Wow! I don’t know what to say!” Susie grinned from ear to ear.
“ Fantastic!” Anne chimed in.
The buzzing of my cell sounded and I pulled it from my pocket to take a peek. Crystal? Why would she be calling me?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I swallowed as I looked towards the back of the auditorium. Zeke and Eileen were sitting several rows behind me, near the exit sign. Damn. I knew that like all tiger shifters, Zeke had excellent eyesight. I should have known he would sit towards the back. I wish I’d sat in the very last row. Then I could have stared at his back, instead of wondering if he was looking at mine. I turned around quickly to face the stage. I didn’t want him to catch me looking.
I had been so surprised when Crystal had called and invited me to her school play. She didn’t have the lead but she had a major role and I could tell from the way her voice was bubbling over on the phone that she was thrilled. What could I say? I’d grown close to Crystal. I missed her and I wanted to see her. At the same time, I didn’t want to see Zeke. I knew it would be painful. But I couldn’t let that stop me from supporting Crystal.
As the play unfolded my mind drifted and I had trouble focusing. I tried not to think about Zeke. He was so close, yet so far. I wanted to feel his strong arms around me, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I perked up as I saw Crystal come on the stage. The girl was a natural; she was so relaxed and confident. It was wonderful to see her so alive and happy. Still, it didn’t heal the ache I felt for Zeke.
Suddenly the lights came on and I realized it was intermission. I decided to get a cool drink and walked out to the refreshment stand in the lobby area.
“ Janet! Janet! Did you see me?”
Crystal, wearing her costume, was waving at me.
“ Aren’t you supposed to be backstage with the rest of the cast?” I asked her as she sidled up to me.
She waved her hand dismissively. “I had to come see you and Uncle Zeke,” she glanced off in the distance. “Oh, there he is!”
Before I had a chance to say anything, Crystal grabbed my hand and pulled me towards Zeke.
“ Uncle Zeke! Uncle Zeke!” Crystal waved towards him.
“ Crystal, how’s my favorite girl?” He gave her a warm hug.
“ Janet’s here,” Crystal announced, pointing towards me.
“ Yes, I see that. Hello, Janet,” Zeke said curtly. He looked miserable.
“ Did you see me in the play? What did you think?”
“ You were fantastic, honey,” Zeke forced a grin on his face.
It was obvious that Zeke wasn’t happy. I guess he didn’t want to be around me at all.
“ Why aren’t you two seeing each other anymore? I thought you were in love,” Crystal asked bluntly.
I could see Zeke wasn’t sure what to say. I figured I might as well get it out into the open.
“ Crystal, I want to apologize to you. I’ve apologized to your Uncle but I’d like to do so again,” I said, looking at Zeke. “I was pretending to be someone that I’m not.”
Crystal wrinkled her brows. “You mean, you are really another person? You’re not Janet Sayer?”
“ Well, no…yes...I mean, my name is Janet Sayer, but I don’t normally work at Courtland’s Gems. I mean, I do now, but before I didn’t…” Ugh, this wasn’t coming out right. How do you tell a twelve year old that you were pretending to be poor to get a man?
“ I was basically
Similar Books
