The Surprise of Her Life

“Take care of you.”

Eve waved her appreciation for his concern and cut a brisk about-face to increase her pace back to her apartment. Her mood sank with each step as she processed what he’d told her.

He had friends, a life, things to do. How silly and egotistical to hide indoors believing he’d been lying in wait for her!

Note to self—he’s out of your league! Get back to doing what you came up here to do.

Chapter Three

“Eve! Will you come in here please?”

Rae had only been in the office a few minutes before that sharp command came. It sent the other five people in the outer room trying to hide behind their laptops. Sitting at a desk that faced the others in their lobby office, Eve gave up on the call she’d been repeatedly attempting without success since arriving two hours ago. A consistent busy signal at a florist the day after New Year’s was an attention-getter. It should be their quiet time, so either someone big had died, or there had been a number of passings over the holiday.

“On my way,” she called back. Wryly noting the other ladies’ reactions, she grabbed her notebook and daily planner, and hurried into Rae’s resplendent copper-and-leopard-skin-wallpapered office and closed the door behind her. “The troops want to know if you need sweetener in your coffee?”

“I’m not being witchy, I’m legitimately upset. Where are the brochures for the historical building fundraiser that were promised first thing this morning? I was going to take some to the luncheon—a good idea, n’est-ce pas? And who decided mud brown napkins were a good color for a formal event?” She pushed the offending item across her desk with her pen as though afraid the color would come off and stain her designer winter-white suit.

Eve recognized the napkin and realized that was a possibility. “Oui, il est si,” she replied obediently, knowing Rae’s penchant for constant self-improvement. But she had the French, Is it not so? Yes, it is so down pat. What she wanted was for something to go smoothly this morning. They were starting January seriously behind. “Lisa expedited the brochures the minute she arrived. We know they’re on the freight carrier’s truck for delivery today. The time is anyone’s guess. I knew Honor had put a report on your desk, but I didn’t realize she’d put a napkin in there, too. I’m guessing that since The Garden Show does include dirt, she thought the City of Denver booth should use a color that was a thematic match. I’m sure when she found that big box of them in the storage room, she also thought she was doing you a huge favor and saving the firm money.” The city planned on serving herbal tea to visitors at the February show, as they handed out maps of the city’s parks.

“I should have known this was Honor’s doing.” Dropping her pen on her desk, Rae rested her head in her hand and used the opportunity to peek under her fingers at their newest employee sitting closest to the entryway. “The poor dear. She makes a fine receptionist, but there’s no future for her on our front line.”

While Eve ultimately agreed, she couldn’t blame the middle-aged widow entirely for what had happened. “We really should have eaten the loss and tossed the napkins the first time we realized the color bled the moment the napkin gets wet. It’s not like we were going to risk using them for another client’s event.”

Looking ready to justify her decision, Rae opened her mouth to respond, only to check herself. “Fudge,” she muttered instead. Dropping the napkin into her trash can under her desk, she said, “Have her call Carlos down in Maintenance to get him to take those things to the Dumpster. Then add white cocktail napkins to your list. You’re still handling the nonperishable shopping this afternoon for the Medical Center open house, aren’t you?”

That had been the plan when they last went over schedules before the holiday. “I have so many fires to put out, I can’t afford to lose the time here. If you don’t mind, I’ll do it on my way home this evening?”

“As busy a week as it’s going to be, I hate for you to have to do that, but thank you. What else is wrong?”

“I can’t get anyone to answer at Executive Floral Services. Did some big deal in Denver die that I don’t know about?” she asked her boss. She’d accused Rae of sleeping with a radio scanner beside the bed, since she was always on top of the news in town.

“No, but there was some cable cut at a construction site by the airport. That could have something to do with the problem.” Rae browsed through the other paperwork and mail that was covering her desk. “Why don’t you detour that way on your lunch hour?”

“Because I’m not taking lunch, for the same reason I’m not going shopping for those supplies until later.” Realizing Rae hadn’t noticed yet, Eve updated her. “At any moment Kristen is going to admit that she’s come down with the flu and—”

“Good grief, where’s my disinfectant spray?” Rae opened her top desk drawer and took out a bottle of hand sanitizer instead. “Now the alcohol in this will make me look like a crone. Tell her to get out. Now. We can’t afford to spread her condition through the office. And tell her to stop and get a case of chicken soup on the way home—I’ll reimburse her.”

Smiling at her boss’s logic, as well as her generosity, in the face of her germ phobia, she stepped out to have a few words with Kristen Minnow, then returned. “She says you’re the nicest scary person she knows.”

“Liar, that’s pure you,” Rae said as she waved at the departing woman through her window. As Eve resumed her seat, Rae sighed. “I’m sorry for being so tightly wound. I’d push up my sleeves and help you with things, but I have that Chamber of Commerce luncheon.”

“Yeah, that would be a smart one not to miss considering you’re an honoree. We don’t have a job if you aren’t out there doing yours. Fabulous suit, by the way.”

Turning up the collar, Rae relaxed enough to preen. “Thank you kindly. You don’t think it’s too Good Witch? I know some there will be thinking a black pointed hat would be more appropriate.”

“Only your competitors.” Crossing her arms over her sapphire-blue tunic sweater-skirt set, Eve said, “You look regal as well as radiant. Wasn’t that the idea?”

Shaking her glossy red coif, a move that also made her gold-and-diamond earrings sparkle in the light, Rae sighed with satisfaction. “You’re so good for my ego, and the best business decision I ever made.”

Eve wasn’t convinced that she agreed, considering that four of the five people left working in the next room had degrees, pedigrees and ambitions that made her look like an underachiever.