Part 13 (2/2)
”Just think things through,” her sister-in-law suggested softly. ”We'll talk when I get back, okay?”
”Yeah,” Audra agreed. ”But-”
”How's business been in the boutique?” Natasha asked in an obvious change of subject.
Audra considered refusing to follow her lead. But knowing Natasha, she wouldn't get anywhere pus.h.i.+ng the confrontation. Even though it went against her personal preference, she sighed and let it go. Besides, she honestly didn't know what she'd have said.
”We've been really busy, actually,” Audra replied finally. A lot busier than she would have preferred, given that Sharon was sick, leaving Audra to work the boutique alone while trying to get the last batch of designs done. ”I'm guessing there will be just enough profit to cover your long-distance bill.”
”Seriously, is it going okay?”
Depended on what the day's definition of okay was. Audra looked around the shop, unvacuumed, slightly disheveled and looking like a cla.s.sy dame who'd partied a little too hard.
”Has it really been that busy?” Natasha persisted. ”How's the inventory holding up? Do we need to reorder anything? You know Wednesdays are the deadline to order paper supplies.”
Audra winced and averted her eyes from the empty hangers. She spied random threads strewn over the burgundy carpet and the empty boxes where the stock of gift bags were supposed to be.
Maybe she should do a little housekeeping before her date? She opened the storage cabinet and saw there were no more gift bags to stock. Maybe she should completely cancel her date?
If nothing else, this was a good distraction from the ident.i.ty crisis throbbing in her head.
”Audra?”
”It's all good. Don't worry. The boutique will be exactly as you left it when you get back.”
”I knew I could count on you.”
Feeling sick to her stomach, Audra pressed her lips together. She spent a whole five seconds trying to tell herself to let it go and keep her mouth shut. Then she gave up.
”Look, Natasha, I'm sorry you were embarra.s.sed by the design,” Audra said. ”I didn't send it to hurt you. I'm proud of that concept and wanted to share it, you know?”
”I know.” There was a m.u.f.fled conversation on the other end, then Audra heard her brother's raised voice. She rolled her eyes. She grabbed a piece of paper and pen, trying futilely to figure out which stock needed replenis.h.i.+ng. She'd do better to list what she had on the racks, instead. It'd take less time.
”We'll talk when I get home, okay? But for now, your brother wants to talk to you.”
”Drew? Why?” Audra asked, puzzled. She and Drew had a nice enough relations.h.i.+p going on. They weren't super tight, though, and she could count on one hand the number of phone conversations they'd had in her lifetime. Why waste money for a long-distance one now? Especially when he couldn't be pleased she'd embarra.s.sed his wife.
Oh, man, he better not be planning to lecture her. Just what she needed, a kick in the b.u.t.t to make life decisions via long distance. Audra's tension shot up another notch, this time slipping into anger.
”Why...” she trailed off as her brother's voice came over the line.
”Hey, Audra. How's it going?”
”Peachy. What's up, Drew?” Her tone was probably more defensive than he deserved, but she couldn't imagine this was going to be fun. She made her way to the stockroom and stared at the neatly labeled shelves of inventory. Inventory? Inventory? Natasha was always boasting how easy stocking was thanks to her computer program. Maybe that'd help. Natasha was always boasting how easy stocking was thanks to her computer program. Maybe that'd help.
”I need your help,” Drew said.
”You in the market for some s.e.xy undies?”
Audra booted up the computer and glared at the inventory program Natasha was so proud of. She'd never tried to figure it out before. Then she remembered the carefully detailed instruction list, complete with color-coded bullet points. With a quick glance, she was actually able to punch a couple keys and get a list of what stock they'd sold that week and what they had in-house that she could restock on the sales floor. Neat trick.
Drew's laugh made some of Audra's irritation slip away. He sounded just like their late father when he did that. She heaved a sigh at the familial tug at her heart. She really needed to change her brand of water or something; she was getting all mushy lately.
”No thanks, I need a favor. Tash said it'd be a pain in your b.u.t.t, but it's important to me.”
”Sure, whatever you need.” Even wallowing in her guilt over disappointing his wife, Drew was likely the only person on earth she'd give that open agreement to.
”Thanks. This is important. Remember old Joe? A regular at the Sports Bar? I think he used to buy you s.h.i.+rley Temples and play Go Fish with you for pretzels?”
Audra grinned as the memory of the old guy flashed through her mind. ”Looks like Popeye, right? Old sailor dude, tattoo of an anchor on his arm, always smelled like peppermints?”
”Yeah, that's him. Perfect, I'm glad you remember. He'll be glad, too.”
”Will he? Why?” She took the computer printout into the stockroom and started gathering inventory to put out.
”Tonight's his birthday. It's been like a tradition since he started coming into the bar, back when Dad first bought it, that he comes in on his birthday for a drink. On the house.”
”Okay? So what? You want me to call your manager and make sure she remembers his drink?”
”Nah, it's on the calendar. That's not the problem. The thing is, he always makes a fuss about how he's been served his birthday drink for the last twenty years by a Walker in the Home Run Sports Bar.”
Audra paused in the act of restocking satin chemises on their padded hangers. ”Twenty years? How old is the guy? He seemed ancient when I was a kid.”
”I think he's in his eighties. So you see why this is so important to him?”
Audra squinted from the list in her hand to the phone. ”I guess, sure. It sounds like this drink might be the highlight of the old guy's year.”
”Exactly. So you'll do it?”
”Do what? I'm not following you, Drew.”
”You'll go to the Home Run and serve him his drink?”
”Tonight?” No way. The only thing getting her through this h.e.l.lish week was the fact that she had a date tonight to look forward to. She had to get the first of three dates with Jesse out of the way so she could get to the main event.
”Yeah, tonight. What? It's not like you can ask a guy in his eighties to hold off a week or so, right? I mean, he might not last, you know?”
Her already tapped-out guilt meter flas.h.i.+ng red, Audra's lower lip poked out and she dropped the silky midnight blue nightie she'd been hanging. Not last? Now that wasn't a pretty thought. Poor old Joe.
”Will you do it? You don't have to do much more than be at the bar around eight. The bartender will get his drink ready, you serve it with a rousing chorus of 'Happy Birthday,' maybe give him a kiss on the cheek if his heart's up to the excitement.”
s.h.i.+t. As if she could refuse that? Not only was Drew directly responsible for any successes she'd achieved, but he never asked anything of her. And old Joe? He'd taught her to bluff. She'd be a heartless b.i.t.c.h to say no to handing the old guy a drink and singing to him.
But what about her date?
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