Page 14 of Salty Pickle

“Dawn.” She drops her voice too, looking around as if to figure out why.

Yeah, we don’t need that. I open the door wider to take the box from her, but before I realize her intent, she enters the office and sets it on my desk.

When she turns around, her eyes get big. “Is that… a goat?”

And there it is. I can feel the annoyance rising. “Yes.”

“And a pregnant woman?”

Anger rises. If she talks, I’ll be the source of gossip. All courtesy goes out the window. My voice is a low growl. “You may leave. And use discretion like your job depends on it. Because it does.”

Dawn sucks in a breath. “Okay… sir. I’ll be quiet about it.”

There’s a gasp from the corner, then, “Court!”

I whip around to see Lucy struggling to sit up.

My voice is a boom. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Not while you’re being mean to this poor woman!” She pushes on the side arm of the sofa to try to get upright.

Dawn lunges forward. “Let me help you. I remember those days. It’s like being strapped to a bowling ball.”

“This sofa eats you,” Lucy says.

Dawn helps her sit up. “I hated soft cushions. You bend too far.”

“Exactly! Can you help me stand?”

Dawn grasps Lucy’s hands and braces herself to pull Lucy up.

“I like your goat,” Dawn says.

“Her name is Matilda. I have fresh milk if you’d like some.”

Dawn glances back at the box. “Is that why Mr. Armstrong wanted the glass-lined cups?”

They both seem to finally remember I’m also in the room.

“Yes,” I say, stepping behind my desk.

“You got glass cups?” Lucy hurries for the box. “That would be perfect! I just need to wash them.”

The women open the carton and pull out tall green cups with the words “Dill With It” screen-printed on the sides.

“These are hilarious,” Lucy says. She turns to give Dawn a hug. “Thank you so much.”

She seems perfectly recovered from whatever happened earlier.

Suspiciously recovered.

My eyes narrow. Am I being played here?

Lucy leans close to Dawn. “Does he always look like Grumpy Cat?”

Dawn bursts into giggles, but she straightens her expression quickly when she sees me glaring at her. “Mr. Armstrong takes Pickle Media very seriously.”

“Did he threaten your job a minute ago?”

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