by Amy DeMeritt
“Oh, Elli, you’re both gorgeous.” Lana gently places two fingers over Elli’s smiling image, lightly caressing her with a loving smile. She reads the handwritten print under the picture, and asks, “So, this was taken on Isabell’s family estate in Medina, Italy? It looks like it was gorgeous there.”
“Aye, it is breathtaking. This was taken under an ancient fig tree that overlooks the entire property on one side, and the countryside on the opposite side. It was the perfect place for a picnic.”
Lana turns the page and releases a small laugh as she caresses a picture of Elli and Isabell laying on the ground laughing with eight shiny black and dark gray puppies licking their faces and standing on them.
“One of Isabell’s uncles breeds Cane Corsos and he had a litter of puppies born just before we arrived. They were absolute treasures.” Elli points to the one standing on her chest, and adds, “This is Violet. We took her back home to Wembley with us. She was such a love-bug. She loved to play and cuddle. We loved her dearly, like she was our own child.”
“What happened to her?”
“We had her for five years. We don’t really know what happened. She laid down in the bay window to nap under the warmth of the sun about midday like she did every day, and she just didn’t wake up. The vet said it was heart failure, but we don’t know what caused it. She was as fit as a fiddle, as they say. It was a terrible loss.”
“I’m so sorry, Elli. We’ve had many pets growing up at my mom’s and at my dad’s house. We’ve had loads of fish, hamsters, cats, dogs, and even some reptiles.” Lana laughs a little, and continues, “We basically helped keep the local pet shops open. It was always hard when one of them died, especially when Rufus died. He was a shaggy Otterhound. He was so big that when he stood on his hindlegs, he could put his paws on our shoulders. He liked to do that and dance with us. Otterhounds are only expected to live for about ten years, give or take a few years, but he was with us for sixteen. It felt like we lost a family member when he succumbed to old age. Did you ever get another pet?”
“No, but I thought about getting some cats after you didn’t call me after my request for coffee.” Lana blushes with a bashful smile, making Elli release a small laugh. She kisses Lana’s lips and caresses her cheek. “But since you came back and stuck around, perhaps we’ll have a pet or two one day.”
“I would like that.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“How is that length, Mr. Arthur?”
The portly gentleman, coming in at less than five and a half feet tall, turns to look in the mirror to check the length of his new tuxedo slacks. He squats, as if he’s taking a seat in a chair, then stands upright again.
Before he can answer, the bell above the door jingles with a customer walking in. Lana calls out, “Good afternoon. Someone will be right with…”
She quickly stands up from kneeling next to Mr. Arthur and flattens out her work apron. Her manager from Bit-Cube Tech walks over to stand a few feet away, dressed in a sharp business suit and carrying a leather laptop bag over her shoulder.
“Beverly, what are you doing here?”
“I have been sent by Mitch Hamburg to discuss business with you.”
“Excuse me, young lady, but you will need to take a seat. I have an appointment with Lana and we are not through.” Beverly’s look of shock is so exaggerated it almost makes Lana laugh. Mr. Arthur, however, is not amused, and he waves a dismissive hand at her, saying, “Go on.”
Lana clears her throat, and as politely as she can while fighting the urge to laugh, she says, “I need to finish with this fitting, then we can talk. There are chairs just behind you next to the counter.”
Looking embarrassed and out of her element, Beverly turns on her heels and walks away to take a seat. Mr. Arthur clears his throat, puffing out his round chest while looping his thumbs through his suspenders.
“Right, back to work. I think this ought to work. But to be sure, can you hand me that chair?”
Lana sets a chair down in front of the mirrors, and Mr. Arthur takes a seat. He moves around a bit, watching how his pants ride up his legs.
“What do you think? Will my daughter call me a dweeb for showing too much sock?”
Lana releases a small laugh as she steps forward, placing a hand on the back of the chair so she can see his reflection in the mirrors better.
“I think you’re showing just the right amount of sock. Stand up for me for a moment.” He obliges, and Lana kneels down next to him, tugging down on the bottom cuff of his pant leg. “Are these the shoes you plan to wear to the ball?”
“Yes.”
“Well, as you can see, the hem sits just at the top of the outer sole of your shoe. If I go any longer in the length, your heel may get caught in the back of your pantleg when you’re walking or dancing.”
“And that would be a disaster. I don’t want to look like one of those sloppy posers who don’t know the first thing about how to properly dress themselves. Right, this is perfect then. Now…” He grabs his tuxedo jacket off of a suit rack and slips it on. He buttons the jacket, then lets his arms hang at his sides. “What can we do about these sleeves? They’re just a tad too long, don’t you think?”
“Just a bit.” Lana steps forward and measures where the jacket sleeve falls on his hand versus where his shirt falls underneath. “It’s about an inch too long.”
“But you can fix it?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll just have to bring the hem up and reset the buttons a bit higher. Let me just get a few measurements so I can make sure both arms are even.”
With a cheeky grin, Mr. Arthur asks, “Worried I have one arm longer than the other?”
“You’d actually be surprised how many people do.”
With amusement in his tone, and looking at his own outstretched arms, he asks, “Really? Well, wouldn’t that be interesting? Alright, measure away.”
Lana laughs a little and gets to work measuring his arms from his shoulders to his wrists. After triple checking her work, she writes the length down, and says, “I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Arthur, but you’re completely symmetrical. Your arms are the same length.”
He slaps his thigh while making a sucking sound with his tongue and cheek in mock disappointment, then laughs, saying, “Well, a man could hope to learn he’s more interesting than previously thought. But alas, I’m just a short, balding stock broker. When should I come back for the second fitting?”
“I’ll check the schedule. You can change. Just be careful with the pins in your pant legs.”
“Right, we don’t need to give new meaning to having pins and needles in the legs.”
He winks at her with a cheeky grin, making Lana release a small laugh, then he goes inside the dressing room to change.
Lana walks to the counter with Mr. Arthur’s work order in hand, and as she pulls the day planner over to look at it, she looks over at Beverly sitting across from her. Beverly is staring blank faced at her. Lana glances over towards the dressing room, which is still closed, then looks at Beverly again.
“I have another appointment in twenty minutes. I won’t be able to give you much time.”
“I understand.”
Lana nods, then looks back down at the day planner and starts flipping through the pages, trying to estimate the hours of work on each page based on the projects listed. Every day is packed with dozens of pick-ups for projects in progress or projects that they haven’t even started yet. They have so much work that all four of them have been working every day late into the evening to keep up with it all.
“I left the suit on the rack. How’s your schedule looking?”
Lana looks up at Mr. Arthur with a polite smile. “Could you come back in on Thursday at either 8am or 4pm?”
He pulls his cellphone out and brings up his calendar to check his own schedule. “No, I have a full day on Thursday. I couldn’t get here before seven. That’s after hours for you, right?”
“It is. What about Friday?”
“Same.” He exhales hard as he scratches the back of his head while still looking at his phone. Speaking to himself, he says, “I can’t move these two, but maybe this one.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll write you in for Thursday at seven. If you can make it earlier, please phone ahead and I’ll make sure I’m ready for you.”
“That’s very fine of you. Thank you. What do I owe you?” He adds the appointment to his calendar on his phone, then pulls out his wallet, offering his credit card to Lana. “Oh, and I need some new shoe polish, if you could add that on as well. The best you have.”
Lana nods as she turns and grabs a tin of the best black shoe polish that they stock for leather dress shoes. She types the various alterations into the register, as well as the polish, then gives him a total. After she runs his credit card, and he signs the receipt, they wish each other a nice day and he leaves the shop.
Beverly promptly stands and Lana walks out from behind the counter to meet her in the center of the shop.
“Is there someplace private we can talk?”
“Upstairs.”
She waves her forward, and when they walk into the work studio, Elli, Maggie, and Hudson stop what they’re doing and look at them expectantly.
“Beverly, this is Elli, my girlfriend, and her parents, Maggie and Hudson. Everyone, this is my old manager.”
All of them offer her polite greetings, and Elli walks forward to shake her hand, saying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Beverly looks around the work studio with great interest at the number of projects on work tables and fine clothing hanging on racks. “Business looks good.”
“Aye, business is always good, but we’re in a bit of a heavy season right now with the Dalewood Country Club Debutante Ball in two weeks. I won’t keep you; I know you have things to discuss.”
“I won’t be long.”
Elli squeezes Lana’s shoulder encouragingly, trying to let her know it’s okay that she needs to take a break. Beverly waves awkwardly at the family, then follows Lana up the spiral staircase to the apartment.
“Would you like coffee or tea?”
“Have something stronger, maybe some whiskey?”
Lana nods as she opens a cabinet. “Is Irish whiskey okay?”
“Sure.”
She pours a few ounces into two glasses, then leads Beverly to the dining room table to sit across from each other.
“I’m sorry you were sent here like this.”
Beverly exhales hard as she rolls her eyes, then takes a large gulp of whiskey. With difficulty in keeping her tone even, she says, “You are unquestionably a valuable asset to the company, more so than I realized. I guess they think since you have worked under me for six-years I might be able to persuade you into coming back to the company to become my superior.”
Lana’s face scrunches in distaste at the idea, then takes a drink of whiskey. She shakes her head with a deep exhale. “I’m sorry. I really am. We didn’t always get along, but you have been good to me in many ways. I was shocked by Mrs. Flagstone’s offer, and honestly, I think it’s absurd. I have never managed anyone a day in my life. I might be good with analyzing numbers and have great attention to details, but I don’t know the first thing about managing staff or being a financial advisor. Even if I was interested in coming back to the company, which I’m not, I am not qualified for the position she offered me.”
“Can I be frank without it getting back to Mrs. Flagstone?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Then, I agree with you. You’re not qualified for that position and I can’t think of a single person in the company who is. The position she offered you doesn’t even exist. They created the position on the spur of the moment to try to blind you with the big title and shiny paycheck so you would stay with the company. I wouldn’t be surprised if your role doesn’t really change much from what you were doing before your sabbatical.”
“I had a feeling as much. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you first. I really did owe it to you after you put up with my bullshit for two months and then granted me my sabbatical.”
Beverly waves her off as she takes another hearty drink of whiskey. “The circumstance was out of your control. At first, I wanted to wring your neck when I found out.” She laughs a little with a teasing smile. “But after I had a couple of drinks and some time to think about it, I realized you were just as blindsided as I was. Then I pulled Asia into my office to ask for her opinion on where your mind is right now. After hearing about everything you’re learning and how much you love it, I felt bad for you. This is what you set out to find during your sabbatical, isn’t it?”
Lana nods as she looks out to the living room with a faraway look in her eyes. She inhales deeply, as if sucking in the memories and dreams that have been growing here.
“Yes, I found what I was looking for – what I have been missing from my life.” She looks at Beverly with a content and calm smile. “I’m sorry you wasted your time coming, but I’m not returning to Bit-Cube Tech. I will do as promised and train Asia to fully take over my position, but I cannot give you more than two weeks. I hope my resignation doesn’t cause you any problems.”
“I’m sure I’ll have an earful from Mitch Hamburg to listen to. But legally, they can’t actually take any actions against me or my position just because an associate chooses to leave the company. Now, about Asia, I know you two are friends, so I need you to be as unbiased as possible. Do you believe she has what it takes to be the senior analyst, or should I start looking for a proper replacement?”
“Asia can handle it. She’s very smart, learns quickly, and she’s great at problem solving.”
“She has proven herself well while you’ve been out. I’ve had to give her some of your past projects as guidance to fill in some training gaps, but she has adapted well. Alright, after you finish with this ball thing you’re doing, I’ll accept your offer to train Asia for two weeks. It would be easier to find a replacement for a junior analyst position than for a senior role. I would appreciate it if you would keep this between us. I would like to be the one to tell Asia about her promotion.”
“Yeah, of course, I understand.”
“Thank you.” Beverly looks at her watch, then drinks the rest of the whiskey in her glass. “Okay, if you don’t have any questions for me, I’m going to take off.”
“I do have just one question.” Beverly looks surprised and almost anxious. “Well, I just hope there aren’t any hard feelings between us.”
Beverly smiles as she shakes her head and stands up with Lana following. “Not at all, Lana. You were a royal pain in my ass the last couple of months of your tenure, but otherwise, you have been an A-class employee. If you ever decide you want back into the corporate world, you can count on a good reference from me, assuming I’m not able to just hire you back, of course.”
“Thank you, that is greatly appreciated. Beverly, I honestly do appreciate you granting me the sabbatical, even though you knew there was a good chance I wouldn’t come back.”
“In hindsight, it was probably my saving grace that I did. Had I fired you or let you resign then and there I might be standing on the unemployment line. It’s ironic that one of your job responsibilities was to determine each employee’s financial impact on the company, not knowing you had the greatest impact of all. Now that we know the facts, I should be thanking you for being so good at your job and making sure all of us kept ours. I always thought the exit of Tom Jones from the company was sudden and a bit odd, but getting the executives to talk about it was impossible. Anyway, there are no hard feelings about any of it. Shoot me an email at least the day before you’re ready to come back to the office to continue training Asia so I can have your access badge reactivated.”
“Okay, I will. Thanks for coming over.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Asia stands back with a makeup brush in her hand and tilts her head side to side while she inspects Lana’s
face. She smiles and nods once as she licks her lips to moisten them.
“Perfect.” She sets her makeup brush down, then pulls the towel off of Lana that she was using to protect her dress from the makeup. “Damn, honey, you are stunning. Okay, stand up and let me see you strut your stuff.”
Lana giggles as her cheeks lightly blush under the layers of foundation Asia put on her. She stands up and takes several long, elegant strides away from her towards her bedroom. Asia whistles and Lana giggles again as she turns on her pointed cranberry heels to face her.
“I really look okay?”
“Lana, you are gorgeous. Jaws are going to drop, hearts are going to break ribcages, and eyes are going to fall out of heads when you walk into that ball.”
Lana smiles brightly as she walks back to Asia and gives her a tight hug. “Thank you for helping me with my hair and makeup. I wish I could bring you with us.”
“You and Elli have been working non-stop for two months. You need a romantic evening together. I really hope you don’t have too much work to do tonight so you can enjoy this as much as possible.”
“Me too, but I kind of want something to happen so I can prove that I can do it. Is that horrible of me?”
Asia laughs as she shakes her head and starts packing all of her makeup. “As long as you and Elli can fix whatever disaster you just wished upon those young women, then no, it’s not horrible of you. Do you mind if I stay till Elli arrives so I can see how she’s dressed?”
“Yes. And can you take some pictures of us together?”
“Of course, honey. I think it’s adorable that you’re not getting ready together when you’ve practically been living together since your sabbatical started. Okay, I’m all packed up. Where do you want me to put this towel?”
“In the…”
There’s a knock on the door and Lana releases a silly squeal of excitement as she grabs the skirt of her dress and hastens to answer it, making Asia laugh hard. When she gets to the door, she releases the skirt of the gown and smooths it out as she takes a few calming breaths. She pulls the door open with a broad smile, but as soon as she sees Elli, her jaw drops and she gasps.
