Page 103 of February

“What will you be able to do that we haven’t been?” her mother asked.

“Mom, there are so many things you and Dad haven’t even considered or done yet. There shouldn’t be quarterly bonuses for at least the next year, and if that means we lose an employee or two, so be it. We’re not performing well enough to give them out, and we can use that money to cover the increase in benefits cost. We can also use that time to discuss a true bonus program where it’s annual and partly based on their individual performance. We need to figure out sales and marketing, and I can do that.”

“All by yourself? You can just figure it all out?”

“You never listened when I gave you ideas, did you?” Bridgette asked.

“Of course, we did,” her mother said, sounding a little upset now.

“Then, you’d know that I’ve had these ideas for years, and I tried to give them to you, but you wanted to do things your way. Your way got ushere. Give me a chance to present my ideas to you to get us out of this hole, and if you still want to sell after that, I can’t stop you.”

When her father turned to her mother, Bridgette had a chance to look out through the glass and see Monica looking up at her. Monica gave her a comforting smile and a nod, and Bridgette breathed out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure why exactly she was relieved. They hadn’t agreed to anything yet. But just getting this off of her chest finally felt so good that even if they said no, she could at least tell herself that she’d tried.

“We can give you a couple of days,” her dad said after a moment.

Bridgette hadn’t heard them actually say anything to one another, which meant that they’d silently somehow communicated to one another what their answer would be. Despite how upset she was with them right now about the business, Bridgette had always admired their marriage and hoped to have a similar one to theirs one day.

“Well, good,” she said and looked back out at Monica, thinking about the fortune teller’s comment about dogs and them being right on schedule.

CHAPTER 24

“Hello?”

“Monica, hey. It’s Sophie.”

“Hi there,” Monica said into the phone as she watched Bridgette in the conference room, talking to her parents.

“I’m free for lunch today, so I thought I’d call and see if you wanted to join me. I’m not sure when you’re heading back to New York.”

“I don’t know if I can today,” she said as she watched Bridgette stand up. “Can I text you in a bit? Somethings going on at the office, and I need to check on a few things.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. I’m here to possibly buy the company, but things are kind of spiraling at the moment, so I need to get an update first.”

“Okay. No problem. Just message me when you know.”

“Would it be okay if I bring someone with me if I’m able to make it?”

“Someone?”

“Bridgette; the woman you met by the water the other day.”

“Oh, sure. The more the merrier, I guess.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know,” Monica said. “If I can’t, we’ll still get together before I go.”

“When will that be?”

Monica watched the conference room door open, and Bridgette walked out by herself.

“I don’t know, actually. I’m not thinking soon, though.”

“That’s good. I’d love to spend more time with you before you go. You can fill me in more on what I’ve been missing back in New York.”

“I will,” she replied, wondering if she actually had anything to fill Sophie in on. “I’ve got to run. I’ll text you.”

“Okay. Bye.”

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