Page 110 of A Lesson for Laurel

“We introduced ourselves to each other and then I noticed he was laying paving stones,” Laurel said. “I was worked up and needed to expend some energy. I offered to help. I think he thought I was going to stand around and chat with him while he did all the work.”

“And that is where the embarrassment was,” he said. “I did think that and she proved me wrong. She’s been proving me wrong on a lot of things since.”

“Good for you,” Livi said. “Let's go to this corner and talk. I think I’m going to like you. Come on, Nicole. You too.”

She looked at Easton, but he only shrugged while she was pulled away.

She hadn’t expected that to happen.

“How long have you worked with Easton?” she asked Livi when she found herself sitting at a table with Nicole and two other women coming over.

Livi made the introductions and she was trying to keep the names straight.

“I hired Easton. I knew right away he had what it took. Came in all confident and cocky but not in a horrible way. I could see right through the fact he was forcing it, but I liked that trait. He’s never been one to shy away or back down from anything.”

“That’s what I’ve noticed too,” she said.

“It’s a good trait to have in a man. That last one he brought to these things. She was bad news. What was her name again?” Livi asked.

“Rachelle,” Nicole said, laughing. “She’d come to them for years. It’s been less than a year since they split.”

“I don’t remember names of people I have no interest in getting to know,” Livi said. “But you, Laurel, I can tell right away, you’re good for Easton. Tell us what you do.”

And this was where things could get tricky, but she wasn’t going to back down.

“I’m the Plant Manager for Blossoms. I oversee the operations on the floor.”

“The candles and lotions place?” Bethany asked. She’d heard the name but not what the person did. It wasn’t an attorney though, she caught that much.

“That’s it,” she said. “Plus jewelry, soaps, accessories. They are expanding like crazy. They just had several pieces showcased on a runway in Italy last month.”

“I didn’t know that,” Nicole said.

“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t normally get asked a lot of questions about my job. I’m overseeing production. It’s not as glamorous as design or creating things. Not even marketing. It’s walking around the floor and dealing with inventory, schedules, supplies, and things like that.”

“Are you kidding me?” Livi said. “That’s the nuts and bolts of the operations. Without that, they’d have nothing.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I mean that. I love my job. It has its hiccups like any job does, but overall I love what the Bloom sisters stand for and what they create.”

“Tell us more,” Bethany said. “Those bracelets you’re both wearing are beautiful. With the flowers on them, I’m going to assume from their line?”

Laurel talked about her job for about fifteen minutes and then felt Easton’s hand on her bare shoulder.

“I’m going to steal my girlfriend away. We don’t get to see each other often and would like to have this time together.”

She stood up with Nicole and they moved to a table that Liam and Easton were at.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I’m surprised you stayed,” he said. “You could have gotten up to leave. Was Livi that bad?”

“Not bad at all. She reminded me of my Aunt Helen. She was refreshing for sure. But she asks a lot of questions.”

“Like lawyers are known to do,” he said. “There are some more people I want to introduce you to.”

She let Easton bring her around the room and met more people than she was going to remember, but everyone was nice.

Toward the end of the night, she’d heard more times than she could count how she was so much different than the last one. Seemed not many cared for Rachelle.

---