AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hardly. Keep doing what you’re doing, Max. I may have a hit on my hands.” She gets up and walks out, grinning like a cat.
“Do I even want to know?” he asks me coming to my desk and pulling me into his arms.
“Nope. You’d never understand.”
“Did I miss something important? I couldn’t even see Mom over all the baskets out front.”
“Apparently every business associate and news outlet in this town is trying to apologize. The gift baskets have been arriving all morning. There’s no way we’ll ever eat that much chocolate or fruit. I stopped reading the messages about two hours ago. Landon’s going to have a full day of sending thank you notes. How’s your day?”
“It’s been interesting to say the least. I came by to talk to all of you. Think we could get a small meeting together?”
“Sure.” I step away but Laci comes through with everyone in tow.
“I heard him.”
“One of these days your eavesdropping may cause you to hear something you don’t want to,” I tell her.
“Probably, but not much scares me away.”
“No shit,” Jake grumbles.
“What’s going on, Max? Is everything okay?” Sara looks worried.
“Oh yeah, things are great. Pedro called this morning and the community center wants to do a celebration in two weeks. They want Stella there.”
“Already?” My head snaps to him.
“
Yeah. They’ve been working hard.”
“How?”
“Bella, this wasn’t a complete rebuild. They tore down some walls and did some renovations. New paint, bookshelves, desks with new computers, and a complete room dedicated to literacy tutors. It’s not the Bush Library by any means, but the pictures are great. The volunteers have worked hard to get this together.”
“I don’t care if it’s a shack in the middle of nowhere. I’m so honored I want to be there too,” I say softly, staring into his bright eyes.
“I have a little bit of business to wrap around it. Do you think you could be gone for a week?”
“Max! No way. I’ve missed so much already. Remember I almost lost my company last week.”
“This is completely business I swear. We’re going to do the new athletic line photo shoot while there. Also, the first phase of the renovations will be done. This will probably be the last time until the entire factory is completed that I’ll need you to travel. And that won’t be for months. Please, Stella?”
“Absolutely she can go. And I’m going too. If she’s going to pull me out of my ‘silent partner’ status, I’m going to be right by her side,” Laci says matter-of- factly.
“What about here?” There’s panic in my voice. “Someone has to work. Remember those six-hundred dollar shoes you like to wear? Those go away if we don’t have clients.”
“Hang onto your panties. First of all, Hurst & McCoy is technically still a client and they need us. Second, we have two weeks to whip this place into shape. We can do this. We’re a team now, all of us.”
“Ooohhh, yes! You are going! No quibbles about it,” Landon insists shaking his finger at me. “And, I’ll be fine here. You can thank me by bringing me back some of the new thermal shirts. Preferably in bright colors. I’ll be the talk of the gym in the hottest athletic wear on the planet.”
Jake and Max both snicker and look to their feet. Laci and Sara are trying to hide their own grins.
“Looks like you’ve got a deal, Mr. McCoy. Lucky for you that you’re a paying client.”
His head dips and he kisses along my neck until he reaches my earlobe. “I wasn’t really going to take no for an answer.”
Of course he wasn’t.
