Page 30 of The Estate
“Why don’t we do this?” Jess said finally. “Give me a few minutes. I have a friend that does larger events. Let me call her and get some names. I’ll text you whatever we come up with.”
“That would be incredible, Jess.” Rachel couldn’t help the jolt of fear that ran through her. What if she was distracting Jess from her actual job, and she got in trouble for doing this? Sure, Jess was an adult, but that didn’t prevent Rachel from worrying. She shouldn’t have called her. What was supposed to be a simple phone call was now becoming a whole thing.
Before Rachel could claw back her request, Jess replied, “It’s a quick call. Besides, I haven’t talked to Joan in an age, it’ll be good to reconnect with her. Although, I can’t promise any of these companies will have what Cal needs, but he’ll know they’re reputable companies.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Rachel said.
“My pleasure,” her sister replied before adding, “Seriously, call me whenever.”
“Thanks, sis. I think this is above and beyond the call of duty, but it’s much appreciated.”
“Well, that’s true. But what are sisters for if not for linen rental company names?”
Chapter Eleven
Now We’re Talking
Rachel sipped her coffee, grimacing when the cold liquid hit her tongue. It seemed like just a moment ago, she’d poured herself a fresh cup. Glancing at the clock on her computer she couldn’t believe two hours had passed. Shoving the cup away, she looked back over the document she’d been formatting.
Since arriving at the office early this morning, she’d been hunched over her desk. It had been a long day out at the estate yesterday, and she was due back again this afternoon. Which meant she had little time to catch up on the administrative and analytical aspects of the project—writing up her notes, pulling industry data, researching potential improvements for the business.
Her breath caught as she remembered Cal’s return to his office after handling the linen mishap the other day. She was behind his desk diving into the financials. He’d rushed in to grab a folder, but he’d stopped to thank her.
“Your sister came through for us,” he said. His gaze was intense, his green eyes stormy as they examined her, as if she were an enigma he struggled to decipher.
“I’m… I’m glad,” she stuttered, flustered by the power of his look. It made her stomach fill with butterflies. And she didn’t like that one bit.
“Please give her my thanks,” he continued, closing the distance between them. “And thank you for helping.”
Rachel nodded, not trusting her voice. She could smell his tantalizing smokey cologne, now that he was so near. It had a hint of leather and tobacco. It was messing with her ability to concentrate.
“Seriously, Rachel,” he said, as he reached out to cup her shoulder. “I appreciate it.”
His hand could have been there a minute or a millennium. She couldn’t say. All she could focus on was the wave of warmth that spread throughout her. Before she had a chance to reply, he was out the door, leaving her feeling unsettled.
When she left the estate, he remained locked in Trace’s office. To avoid disturbing them, she left without saying goodbye. They certainly had other things to worry about right then. Her additional questions about the invoicing system could wait.
But what couldn’t be delayed now was her need for more caffeine. She leaned back and rolled her shoulders to relieve tension. That cold coffee wasn’t going to cut it. She also needed something to stop her from thinking about the emotions Cal stirred up.
And what was good for unsettled feelings? Work. Work was great for that. Numbers and figures and invoices. All great for ignoring whatever that moment yesterday was.
Happily, the news on that front was not only straightforward, it was positive. She conceded that the business was in excellent hands. What Cal had accomplished in the short time he’d been running the estate was impressive, especially considering the renovations he’d had to manage. As disagreeable as it couldsometimes be working with him, his balance sheet said he was doing something right.
A quiet knock on her office door interrupted her thoughts. When she looked up, Seth was standing in her doorway.
“You available for a quick check in?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” she responded, wondering if she should chug the cold coffee anyway. A little jolt of caffeine would be great right about now. As Seth settled into one of her office chairs, she saved her document. It only took one time losing her work to make her paranoid.
“I know you haven’t spent much time at White Hall Estate,” Seth started. “But what are your first impressions?”
Her stomach dropped. She was much better when she had time to prepare and think through her remarks. If Seth wanted to talk facts, she could do that for days. But an impression or opinion was risky. She could say the wrong thing or say it in the wrong way. It was a field of land mines waiting for her to make a wrong step.
Rachel attempted to avoid thinking too hard about her answer. She knew Seth was feeling her out, trying to get an idea of where her head was at. She wrestled with the choice: a carefully crafted reply or some unrehearsed remarks. All she could do was hope they wouldn’t come back to haunt her.
She hesitated and then responded, “From what I’ve seen of the books, which is really only a glimpse, I’m impressed. At least initially,” she hedged. Seeing Seth’s quizzical look, she continued, “Again, it’s the early days, and I haven’t reviewed all the information, but Cal pretty much started from scratch. He had to renovate, market, staff, and basically build everything heneeded. The business is operating at a fair profit in a very short time especially given the start-up costs.”
“Let’s hope that your first impression holds out as we get more of the numbers in. Anything else stand out?”
