Page 19 of New Day at the Beach House

“True. See you when you get back. I’m going up to shower.”

“See you later.” Trina was true to her word and made the shopping trip as quick as possible, which wasn’t hard to do, since she was only getting a few things. One last-minute item was a three-hole punch, but that was going to help her stay organized, so she considered it a business expense, too.

Buying the printer was a little harder. She had to look at what they had, then make a decision as to which one would best serve her needs without costing an arm and a leg. At least she didn’t need color. That might save her some money.

In the end, she picked the third from the cheapest, which had color anyway. She also got a cable, since it was an option and she knew the wireless connection could get disconnected pretty easily. She’d hooked up their last printer, so she figured she’d be able to manage this one, too. She snagged a large bag of Twizzlers, a carton of eggs, and a Peppermint Patty for herself as a treat.

It had been a long, intense day. A little mint and chocolate would be just the thing. But then she saw a box of Junior Mints and grabbed them. Those she could take with her to the play. The Peppermint Patty she’d stick in the fridge for the next long, intense day.

She went through self-checkout and, just like Mimi had predicted, there wasn’t a single bit of fuss over using her grandmother’s card. That bothered Trina a little. It meant there were shady people out there probably getting away with stuff they shouldn’t.

But then, that was part of life, wasn’t it? An unfortunate part, but a part all the same. She carried her things out to the car and headed home.

She took the elevator up, which was sort of lazy, but her arms were full. Back in the house, her mom was now sitting with her grandmother in the living room. Roxie was in her robe, hair wrapped up in a towel. Mimi was in her light blue track suit that had a rhinestone zipper. Her eyeshadow was light blue to match.

“I’m back,” Trina announced.

“That was quick,” her mom said. “You need help with anything?”

“Nope. I’m going to set up this printer, print a few things out so I can keep myself organized, then get ready for the play.”

“You’ve got time,” Mimi said. “In fact, we should all have a little something to eat before we go. Some cheese and crackers, maybe?”

“Sounds good,” Roxie said. “I’ll put a plate together.” She got up and went into the kitchen, which was a good bit smaller than the one upstairs, but it served their purposes. And while the kitchen was smaller, the living room area was bigger, with a big, comfy sofa and nice side chairs and a long, low coffee table that they often used as their dining table. Dinner and a movie was a big thing for them.

They had a much bigger enclosed deck, too, which also made a great place to eat. Perfect views of the beach and water were easy to see from the outdoor dining area or the seating area.

Trina got her printer set up in the corner of the living room using the box as a stand. She had it operational after the second try. That seemed like some kind of record to her. Printers were notoriously tricky. At least she thought so.

She carefully went through all the purchases they’d made today and printed out the invoices, making a note of the costs, then punching holes in each one and filing them in the proper section of her binder.

When she’d done the last one, she added up the expenses. She blinked at the amount the calculator app on her phone was showing.

Was that right?

She went back through the invoices and totaled them up again. The number was the same. And just as hard to believe. The fact that it didn’t include the printer or the hole punch only made it worse.

Her mom came over with a plate of cheese, some sliced summer sausage, grapes, and another plate of crackers. “Here you go. Who wants what to drink?”

Trina looked at her grandmother. “Mimi?”

Her grandmother was sticking a piece of cheddar on a Ritz. “What’s that, sweetness?”

Trina swallowed. “We spent a lot of money today.”

“I’m sure we did. We ordered a bunch of lights, paint, wallpaper, six client chairs, some shelving units…something else, right?”

Trina nodded. “A washer and dryer, three new sinks, work mats, and six mirrors.” Beautiful, baroque gilt mirrors that would add the nicest touch of glamor at each workstation. They should, too, for what they cost. Maybe they’d been too much of a splurge. Trina sucked in air.

Her grandmother’s brows bent. “What’s wrong? You look a little green around the gills.”

“We spent almost twenty-three thousand dollars.”

Her grandmother nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“Don’t you think that’s…a lot?”

Her grandmother took a bite of the cheese and cracker, then shook her head as she chewed. After a moment, she spoke. “You’re opening a new salon. It needs to be nice. It needs to look like money so women don’t have any trouble spending money there. We’re going to spend more, too. We haven’t even started on product, yet.”

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