Page 58 of Finding Her Strength

“What are you thinking about so hard over there? I thought I sexed those worries out of you a minute ago.” Levi leans into the shower, turning the water on full blast.

“Oh, you definitely did. I feel so languid, I’m worried I won’t be able to make it to work.” I grin at him, and he pulls me into the shower, kissing me under the warm spray.

“Good. Since I’m the cause, I’ll happily help get you to work.” He winks, and my knees threaten to buckle.

The wink gets me every time.

Clicking print on the file,I wait for the résumés to print out. I want to go over them one more time before the candidates arrive. I also want them handy while I conduct the interviews. I’ve got three lined up today, each one seemingly a good fit based on their experiences. We’ll see how we mesh personality-wise when they get here. That will be my deciding factor. It’s the reason I hired Claire on the spot.

“Hey, your first interview is here,” Claire says, her eyebrows raised in an unreadable expression.

“Thanks, I’ll come grab her.” I stand from my chair, following Claire out to the front of the shop.

A woman with sleek, black hair pulled up in a chignon stands next to one of my hibiscus plants. She’s in business attire—actually, she’s in a full pantsuit, which feels overly formal since I’m in my work T-shirt and high-waisted shorts. I’ll give her credit for effort, though.

“Hi, Theresa, I’m Hope Langley.” I stretch my hand out to her when she turns. Her lips turn up in a minuscule smile, barely softening her severe features as she takes my hand. “Why don’t we head back to my office so we can chat.”

After leading Theresa through the back room, I gesture for her to enter my office. Her face pinches as she takes in the small space. It seems my small, cozy office doesn’t appeal to her. Theresa sits down, crosses her legs, then stares at me.

I blink at her, forgetting for a moment I’m supposed to be leading this interview. She’s a little intimidating, which feels weird to say when I’m the business owner.

I clear my throat and open my mouth to start when Theresa interrupts my thought. “Your hibiscus plant seemed overwatered.”

I pause. That wasn’t what I expected her to say. “Um, I’lltake a look at it later.” I know for a fact I’m not drowning my plant, but I’ve always been a peacemaker, so I don’t say anything about it.

“Anyway, can you tell me about the last store you worked for?”

Theresa begins telling me about her previous job, managing the entire store of ten employees. According to her, she ran a tight ship with no slacking and carefully structured plans for each plant on the floor. I think flower warden would’ve been a better description for her previous title.

She’s completely overqualified for this job. And… stern.

When she finally finishes her diatribe on how plants should be cared for—with strict, regimented schedules—I let out a deep breath in an attempt to gather my thoughts.

“Wow, it seems like you have a lot of experience with a multitude of plants. Um, the thing is, I’m only looking for a floor worker. Not a manager. I feel like you’re overqualified for this position.”

“Hmm. That was evident when I walked in the door.”

Ouch.

I clear my throat. “Right, well, thank you for coming in. It was lovely meeting you.” I stand from my chair to lead Theresa back out to the main floor.

The minute the door closes, I sag against the counter.

“You okay there, boss?”

“She was a very scary lady.”

Claire laughs, nudging me with her shoulder. “I wondered if the inside matched the outside. I try not to judge based on looks, but she wore her personality on her sleeve.”

“That is completely accurate. My next interview should be here in twenty minutes.”

“Can’t wait.” Claire grins. I’m more nervous about the second interview since the first one was such a disaster.

Nerves seem to be my constant companion these past fewweeks. Keeping them at bay has almost become a sport for me at this point. I almost wish Tomas had never called me in the first place. All it’s done is put me on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder for the boogie man to be lurking behind me. It’s exhausting. There have been many times I wish I would’ve told Levi the full truth of what happened to me so I could share this burden with him. That makes me feel selfish, though. All Levi’s done since we got together is make me feel safe. The least I can do is not add to his already full plate.

When the door chimes, I look up to see a twenty-some-odd-year-old girl, striding into the store. She’s the epitome of goth queen, hitting both the slightly scary and sort of chic look.

“Are you Anna?”

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