Page 4 of Business or Pleasure

“Aye.”

“This is Baylen McFann.”

“Mr. McFann.” He squeaked and then cleared his throat, continuing in a steadier voice. “How can I help you?”

“Have you spoken to Angie Ulster today?” That was as good a place as any to start.

“Not today, sir.”

“So you didn’t call her to say you wouldn’t be comin’ in this mornin’?” I kept my tone mild.

“No, sir.” He sounded confused. “She told me on Thursday evenin’ that I didn’t need to come. Did I misunderstand? I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll be right there. I—”

“Sorley.” I interrupted what would be a lengthy apology. “Don’t worry. It seems a miscommunication all the way around. You have a good day.”

I frowned as I hung up. Why would Angie have told Sorley not to come in today? Had she done the same with Alasdair? When she and I met, we needed an extra hand or two, especially if we had an important meeting.

My text to Angie still had yet to be read.

With nothing else productive to do, I called Irvine and Kirsty McTaggart, a couple not scheduled to work today but who might know something. They’d last seen Angie Thursday morning at the shop. She had mentioned nothing about today.

Before I could call Alasdair—the last name on the list—my phone rang.

A rush of relief went through me when Angie’s name appeared on the screen.

“Angie, are you alright?”

“I am.”

Her voice sounded strange, and my relief twisted into concern.

“I’m so sorry, but…well…Damian and I have eloped.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it again as I realized that I honestly didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t even entirely sure that I’d heard what I thought I’d heard.

“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” Angie continued. “I fought against it. We both did. But it was inevitable. I never wanted to hurt you.”

I finally found my voice. “You’re married? To Damian, your ex-boyfriend?”

Had I fallen asleep at some point, and this was all a strange dream?

“Aye, Bay.” The sadness I heard was sincere, but that didn’t make me feel any better. “I’ve been a right mess for weeks. I kept meaning to talk to you, explain that I couldn’t marry you because I was still in love with Damian.”

I didn’t know how to react to that. What did a person say when their fiancée suddenly stated they’d married someone else? Nothing in my life had prepared me for this. I wasn’t sure anything could have.

“I’m at a loss, Angie,” I admitted. “We have a life together. A business. What about that?”

“I already signed the patent over to you. It’s all yours.”

The guilty tone in her voice could have been only because of the infidelity and those consequences, but the sinking feeling in my gut said there was something I wasn’t seeing. “But we have a meeting today with Wholesale Bras, and inventory is coming soon.”

There was a long pause, long enough that I would’ve thought the call dropped if I hadn’t been able to hear her breathing still. “I’m sorry, Bay. There is no meeting. And there’s no inventory either.”

My chest suddenly felt tight. “What do you mean there’s no inventory? The order for a hundred thousand bras was paid and will be delivered in two weeks. You found the company, worked closely with them, vouched for them.”

“I’m so sorry, Bay,” she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. “The company we hired…it’s closed. The owner has disappeared. Everything…it’s gone.”

Fuck.

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