Page 89 of (Not So) Mad About You

Alli took a deep, cleansing breath that tasted slightly more of fresh paint than she might have liked. “No,” she said patiently. “We’re opening tonight and this wall will be perfect by then.”

Sid wrinkled his nose. “Dunno about that.”

Another deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. She could feel the heat in her stomach, could feel the tantalizing creep of it as it tried to rise up. “No,” she said quite calmly. “We’re having an opening party tonight. You will need to stay for the rest of the day and get the hole patched up.”

“I’ve got other jobs to go to,” Sid moaned.

“You have this job to finish first,” Alli said. “And, just as a reminder, there is a no-finish clause in your contract and you will be fined per day until this job is done.”

Sid glared at her. “Fine. I can try. But—”

“No buts. Get it done,” said Alli, turning on her heel andwalking out.

Only when she was out in the little reception area did Alli let out her breath. Eighteen months of anger management training and she was sure that Sid had been sent as some kind of final test. There was something about him that just got on her last nerve.

But her anger drained away as the sunlight shone through the high windows of reception. Those eighteen months hadn’t been wasted. She never had gone back to work. Not the kind of work that she’d left.

Bea had. She’d continued to teach during the days as they worked on their plans at night, and hadn’t given up until just last week. She didn’t have a choice now. If she was going to be running the relaxation and meditation side of the business, she had to be working full time at Moonshine Retreat.

Alli grinned. The name had been Bea’s idea, and it was tacky and she loved it. Even more though, she loved being her own boss. She loved that together they’d created something, a high end relaxation retreat with full psychological services too. Just what the busy businessman and woman needed. Just what she had needed a year and a half ago.

“Al, you know that Sid is still here?” Lex said, coming in from the therapy rooms.

“Did you see that huge hole in the wall by the massage rooms?”

“No.” Lex pulled a face. “Is it going to be fixed in time?”

Alli shrugged. “It’s out of my control. All I know is that at six o’clock tonight, a hundred people are going to descend on us for champagne and canapés. Including all our investors.”

Lex grinned. “We can put a poster over it if we have to. Where’s Bea?”

“Picking up the new towels, she should be here any second.”

Alli breathed in the smell of fresh paint again. They’d come a long way in such a little time. But there was one thing that hadn’t changed. Just the thought of Bea walking through the door made her heart beat harder.

???

“No, no,” wailed Bea, stomping on the accelerator.

But Benny didn’t respond. He gave a grumble and then shuddered to a stop.

“Not now, Ben, come on, please.”

No answer.

She turned the key then turned it again. Absolutely nothing. Why her? Why now? Why today of all days?

She pulled out her phone and called AA, trying not to think about the load of linens in Benny’s boot.

Then she could do nothing but wait.

She laid her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. She was tired. The last few weeks had been exhausting. But every time she tried to go to sleep, she had an idea, or thought of a new paint color, or just got overcome with the scale of everything that they were doing.

She couldn’t have done it without Alli, she knew that. Alli had planned and met investors and had overseen everything. Alli would be the one technically running the business side of things. But it was their place, a place they’d dreamed up together, and just the idea of it made Bea smile.

There was one small issue though. She loved Alli to death and trusted her whole-heartedly. But the closer they got to opening night, the more stress that there was, the more worried she got that Alli was going to lose her cool.

And this wasn’t going to help.

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