Part 46 (1/2)

”Well... thanks, I think,” I said to her.

”You're welcome,” she said back then, I didn't know why but something moved my eyes from Laura to the front window and at what they saw I got a chill down my back when I discovered I had a superhero power and it wasn't super-cake-baking it was b.i.t.c.h Radar.

And I discovered this because Olivia was standing in the window, glossy, Cherry Creek North bags dangling from her fingers, eyes staring at a Rex who had clearly taken orders from a gaggle of mermaids because he was heading back to Laura and me. Then her eyes moved from Rex through the shop and locked on me. Then her entire face got tight and she moved toward the door.

”Uh-oh,” I muttered, my eyes glued to her closing in on the door, my body experiencing an omen of doom and I knew when Laura clocked her because she muttered, ”Oh my freaking G.o.d.”

Olivia opened the door and took two long strides in, did another scan of the shop, her eyes narrowed on Joel when she caught sight of him and then, if you can believe this, from across the room, she snapped loudly, ”Where's Slim?”

I quickly looked between the boys who both were close to me and were now frozen to the spot and staring at their mother.

”I got this,” Laura muttered and panic seized me because I was afraid she would ”get this”

and how she would get it was not so good considering the fact that the last time she was near Olivia she attacked, nails bared but before I could stop her, she headed toward Olivia.

”You stay away from me,” Olivia snapped, again loudly, her hand raised with finger pointed at Laura and all my customers, and I had many, were starting to stare. Then her eyes came to me. ”Where's Slim?”

”He's working and you need to go,” Laura told her.

”Boys,” I said quietly to Joey and Rex, ”why don't you go in the back?”

”No!” Olivia flared, getting louder, moving forward, skirting Laura and coming toward Joel, Rex and me. Then, if you can believe this, she announced, ”Boys, come with me. We're going home.”

I blinked in shock.

Then I asked, ”What?”

This was at the same time Laura, who was following her, snapped (loudly), ”What?”

Olivia ignored both of us and said to Brock's sons. ”Get your coats, let's go.”

d.a.m.n! What did I do about this?

Both boys stared up at her, Rex with an open mouth, Joel with indecision warring clear as day on his mini-hot-guy face.

Okay, I didn't know what to do about this but I did know I had to do something and whatever it was wasn't going to be in front of the boys or my customers.

”Olivia,” I took a step toward her, ”how about you come into the back and we can talk?”

She totally ignored me and snapped at her sons, ”What'd I say?”

”It's Slim's weekend,” Laura told her, sidling close to her side and Olivia's head turned sharply to her ex-sister-in-law.

”It is? Then where is he?”

”Like I said, he's working,” Laura answered.

”Well, if he's working then he's working and that's his problem but my sons are not with that...” she jabbed a finger at me, ”b.i.t.c.h.” And at this there were a number of audible gasps.

Okay, now hang on a minute.

I was not a b.i.t.c.h and I was not about to be called one but definitely not in front of Rex and Joey and my staff and my customers.

”I cannot believe you,” Laura hissed, anger turning to fury as the attention around us went from curious to avid.

”That is way uncool,” Kalie stated from behind the counter.

”Totally uncool,” Nora chimed in.

”Like, off-the-charts uncool,” Suni put in her opinion.

”How about we take this to my office,” I suggested again, holding tight to my control on my temper, ”or, if that doesn't work for you, outside.”

Olivia's angry eyes slashed to me and she declared, ”You do not exist.”

I ignored that idiotic comment and replied, ”For Rex and Joel, please, Olivia, let's discuss this elsewhere.”

She ignored me again and looked to her sons, ”Right now, what did I say? Let's go!” Then she started marching to the door.

”Kalie, go get your phone, call your uncle,” Laura ordered. ”Rex and Joey, you stay put.”

Olivia stopped marching and turned to Laura. ”Don't you tell my sons what to do.”

”I'll do what I like and stop making a scene,” Laura snapped. ”This is where Tess works.”

”Do I care?” Olivia retorted.

”No, but I do and so does Uncle Slim and everybody else,” Kalie entered the fray.

”What's going on?” Kellie asked from behind me, I turned to her, saw her eyes on Olivia, her face scrunched and then she muttered, ”Oh, I know what's going on.”

”Mommy, what's happening?” Ellie called, her voice shaky, her eyes and all the eyes of her mermaid friends riveted to the activity and not in a good way.

”It's okay, baby,” Laura called back, ”Mommy's just talking with Olivia.”

”Please, please,” I cut in, sensing the situation was deteriorating and, getting desperate, my eyes moving to Olivia, ”can we talk about this in the back?”

Olivia ignored me yet again, her face going stone cold and her voice dripping with ice when she clipped loudly. ”Joel! Rex! Now!”

I moved closer to her (though not that close, she had nails and I was afraid she'd use them) and said softly, ”I'll ask again, Olivia, because you're distressing the boys and Ellie and her friends, can we talk about this in the back? When we get back there, I'll call Brock and you can discuss this with him.”

”f.u.c.k Brock and f.u.c.k you! ” she suddenly shouted, my torso jerked back like she hit me, Laura's p.i.s.sed off energy snapped through the air, I sensed movement behind the counter so I knew Kalie and/or Kellie were on the go and I opened my mouth to speak but someone beat me.

And that someone was Joel.

”That's not nice,” he whispered, his voice trembling and I stepped aside and turned to see his face pale and his hands clenched in fists at his sides. ”You shouldn't talk to Tess that way.

She's a nice lady, she's nice to everyone and that's not nice.”

Taking him in and hearing his words my hatred for his mother achieved new heights.