Page 65 of Protecting Little Phoebe

“Oh. Right. Just let me call his assistant.”

“Sure thing. I’ll wait.”

She turned away and sat in a chair. Strange, was the other woman texting Melly? She had her phone out and was texting away furiously.

Hmm. She sure was taking her time letting Melly know she was here.

And her aura was a bit murky. Phoebe wasn’t too sure that the woman was doing what she said she would.

“Is Melly busy?” she asked after about five minutes.

“Oh, um, I’ll check,” the woman said.

Hmm.

The receptionist picked up her phone and spoke into it briefly.

Melly walked into reception a few minutes later. It was hard to work out Melly’s age. She had white hair that was in a short bob. Her skin was smooth and pretty much wrinkle free. Her clothes were always kind of edgy and dramatic and she wore a bright pink lipstick.

Phoebe loved her look. And she really liked the other woman. Her aura was sharp but with a softness around the edges.

“Phoebe! Don’t sit in here. Come with me.” Melly shot the other woman behind the desk a look. “Linda, from now on Phoebe is to be sent straight through. She’s very important.”

“Ooh. I am?” Phoebe said as she jumped up and moved over to Melly.

Melly smiled at her. “You are. Come through. Barren is still in a meeting that’s running overtime.”

“That’s all right. I don’t mind waiting for him.”

To her surprise, Barren walked into the reception area before they could head back.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve been caught up with some demanding clients. I’m going to try and wrap things up quickly.”

Poor Barren. He seemed kind of stressed. “It’s all right. I can go away and come back if you want.”

“No, I don’t want. What I want is a hug.” He held out his arms.

Oh goody. She hadn’t been sure if he would want to be openly affectionate with her in his workplace.

He hugged her tight, kissing her briefly. “Do you mind waiting with Melly?”

“Nope. I’m happy to wait.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

He disappeared with a wink, and she followed Melly back to her desk in a daze.

“I’m going to make a cup of coffee; can I get you something?” Melly asked.

“No thanks. I’m good.” She sat in a chair in the small waiting area by Melly’s desk. She was reading a magazine when someone appeared in front of her. Putting the magazine down, she glanced up to see a very angry woman glaring down at her. She had her gorgeous blonde hair piled up on her head and wore a pair of tight jeans with a silky black shirt.

“Wow. Your hair is beautiful.”

The woman appeared startled for a moment. Her aura was kind of off. A bit jagged and dark.

“How do you get it so shiny? I need to do something with my hair. It’s a bit dull and boring at the moment. I was thinking of a cut, but maybe I need some new product. What do you use?”

“What? Why would I want to tell you how to care for your hair?” the woman asked.

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