by Berri Fox
I go to the reception desk. “Hi, my name is Rachel Morgan. I’m here to see Tiffany Wake.”
The receptionist nods. “Please, have a seat. Miss Wake will be with you shortly.”
I go over to the chairs arranged around the lobby and look around. The office is just as intimidating as I thought it would be.
I feel so out of place. Not only do they do business differently from me, but they also just look different. It’s like they’re an alien race. Or maybe I’m the alien.
I curse myself for wearing mom jeans when everyone else is in a suit. It would have looked weird to wear to the bookstore and tea store, but I feel way more out of place here.
Maybe I should have made time to go home and change.
A door opens, and a gorgeous redhead strolls past me into an office. I feel my heart skip a beat.
That may have been the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. From the brief moment I saw her, I noticed her flaming red hair and emerald green eyes. I could also tell she had an incredible body under her stuffy, yet fashionable, business suit.
She looked stressed out, but even stressed, she was a stunner.
The receptionist picks up a phone and talks into it for a moment before hanging up. She looks over at me.
“Miss Wake will see you now.”
Four
Tiffany
Today is categorically awful. It’s only barely begun and it’s already a nightmare.
Already my personal assistant, Jordan, has had to contact me about more threats we’ve received in the mail. The police are stopping by later and I need to speak to them.
On top of that, we have seven new entrants in our international conference. That means we have to handle travel and accommodations on top of getting more translators.
And, as if that wasn’t already the cherry on top of a bad day, I can’t get my new supermall development in motion because there’s a bookstore in the way. I need to foreclose on it, but it hasn’t budged yet.
I get into the office later than I want to and settle in. I’m already going through the list of things I need to do when I get a call from reception.
I put the call on speaker. “Yes?” I answer.
“Miss Wake, Rachel Morgan from the Cozy Nook is here to see you.”
Perhaps my day is looking up. That’s the bookstore I need to get out of my way.
“Send her in,” I say before hanging up.
If I can get this taken care of, I can get started on the development earlier than expected. It’s nice to be able to iron out kinks.
When Rachel Morgan from The Cozy Nook walks in, I’m taken aback.
I had expected someone older. It’s the type of store that seems like it should be run by someone at least middle aged.
Rachel is young and quite beautiful. She’s all curves and has long, dark hair. Even though she’s dressed in what look to be mom jeans, I can tell she’s stunning.
“Hi,” she says. She extends her hand. “I’m Rachel Morgan.”
“Ah, yes, Miss Morgan.” I shake her hand. “Tiffany Wake. I understand that you want to discuss The Cozy Nook. Please, sit.” I gesture to the chairs across from my desk.
She sits down, looking a little nervous. I can’t blame her. I know I’m intimidating. If she lets me foreclose, she can just get this over with.
“So, I understand I have some debts with your company,” she begins. She sets her folder across her lap.
“Yes, that’s right,” I say. She isn’t telling me anything I don’t already know.
“Well, I have a plan here for repayment,” she says, opening the folder.
I raise an eyebrow. The bookstore shouldn’t be all that profitable. It has way too many employees and not enough customers.
“You can pay off your debts with my company?” I ask.
“Yes,” she says, nodding. “I just need a little more time…”
I raise a hand, cutting her off. “I’m not interested in hypotheticals, Miss Morgan.”
I’m getting annoyed with this. It’s becoming one of those conversations. I want results. This bookstore isn’t going to get me any results.
“Can you or can you not pay your debts?” I ask.
“Well, I can’t pay them right now,” she says. “But I can pay them back over a period of six months. I have a foolproof plan in place for that!”
“If you had a foolproof plan, then your bookstore would have no debts to begin with,” I explain. “I don’t want your debt repaid in six months. I want it repaid this month. If you can’t do that, then I don’t think your business is very viable.”
She looks like she’s a mixture of flustered and embarrassed. I almost feel bad, but we need to get down to brass tacks here.
I know she thinks I’m being a bitch, but I’m giving her respect. I’m not fooling around with her by entertaining a plan that I don’t want to accept.
She seems to be ignoring my gesture. I can already tell she’s a bleeding heart type. That’s probably why her business isn’t doing well.
“You don’t know anything about my business,” she says.
“And apparently you don’t know anything about mine.”
I see a flash of anger across her face.
“Are we done here?” I ask.
“No! You aren’t listening to me,” she insists. She goes on to say more but I hold my hand up again to stop her.
“I am listening to you, Miss Morgan. I’m just not agreeing with your proposal. I am uninterested in agreeing to a payment plan. I want the debt repaid. If you can’t repay, we will foreclose on your store.”
“But…” She sputters, trying to continue.
“Do you have the funds to pay off your debts by the due date. Yes or no?”
“You’re not—“ I cut her off.
I’m getting tired of playing these games with her. She’s just wasting my time at this point.
I hate it when people waste my time.
“It’s a no. Goodbye, Miss Morgan. You’ll be receiving foreclosure paperwork after the due date passes.”
I turn back to my computer. I want to signal to her that I am in fact done with this conversation. If she starts getting rowdy or refuses to leave, I’ll call security.
But I’ll allow her to leave with grace. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her start to move like she’s going to leave.
Good. Then we won’t have an issue. She can close her business with dignity. If she can get funds in six months, perhaps she can reopen elsewhere.
She puts her papers back in the folder and gets up. She angrily stomps towards the door. Before she leaves, she turns back to me.
“You know, you’re just as cruel as I’ve heard.” She says. “You are cold-hearted and I hope for your sake that you aren’t like that in the rest of your life.”
She storms out, slamming the door behind her.
I roll my eyes a bit at that. She’s throwing a temper tantrum like a child.
I get back to my work. The foreclosure date is coming up fast. Now that I know we’ll get the property, I can start prepping the supermall.
Five
Rachel
I shake with rage as I leave the building and stand outside for a while trying to calm myself down. As I take deep breaths to rid myself of my anger, a wave of despair crashes over me in its place. What the hell am I going to do now?
I can’t believe what a cold bitch that woman is. She clearly has no regard for anyone’s welfare other than her own. How can she be so dismissive when people’s survival and livelihoods are at stake?
I feel sorry for her staff, but then my shoulders slump and I sigh. She might be a bitch but at least her staff can be paid without putting her company in the red. Maybe I should warn my girls, tell them they need to start hunting for better jobs with bosses who deserve them.
I walk slowly back to the shop. bookstores have always been my favorite places in the world, and I feel calmer and at home among the stacks and shelves of bright colors and imp
ossible worlds. Besides, there’s nowhere else I can go.
I push open the heavy wood door and a rush of warm air hits my face. I inhale the scent of new books, sandalwood, and the sugar cookies the new girl baked this morning.
I look around the shop. It’s busy for mid-morning, and I watch a few people browse the shelves waiting for something to jump out at them. It’s always fun to see the difference between customers and how their browsing habits sometimes have clues to their personalities. I smile as a teenage boy hovers awkwardly around the fantasy section, glancing around to check if anyone is watching before pulling down one of our new vampire graphic novels and hotfooting it to the checkout.
I wave to Cody behind the counter and smile again as Abbie’s lyrical voice rings out from the children’s section, where she’s already half an hour into today’s children’s reading corner. I’m suddenly filled with determination. This is our home, and I have to be able to do something to save it.
I grab my cell phone from my pocket and make to call Lucille. She’s one of the most level headed of us all, and she always knows what to do. If I just tell her everything, she’ll be able to help me fix this.
I dial all but the last digit before I stop. I forgot that Lucille and Sara are away on their honeymoon, gallivanting around Hawaii with the boys. I’m desperate, but I can’t ruin their honeymoon.
I sigh and put my phone back into my pocket. I suddenly feel more alone than ever. I must look utterly hopeless because Cody appears beside me with a cup of coffee and a concerned expression in her eyes.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, squeezing my arm gently.
I try to smile but it comes out more like a grimace. I’m just not sure how to put into words the dire straits we appear to be in. Fuck.
I inhale sharply causing Cody to look at me with more alarm. Are we going to have to close? Am I going to have to let the girls go and give up on all of my dreams? On my aunt’s dreams?
I take a sip of my coffee and try to think about how I can put all of this to Cody. I don’t want to make her worry, but I just don’t know how I can struggle on by myself.
I’m so absorbed in my wallowing that I barely register the high pitched scream, or Abbie’s shout of alarm. Looking up, I see a man grabbing at the arm of a little girl sitting listening to story time.
No.
I look around frantically for anything I can use as a weapon, but the only thing within reach is my broom. Oh well. Better than nothing.
I grab the broom and throw myself over the counter, trying to get between the guy and the door. The little girl is shrieking and I yell to Abbie to get the other kids away before charging forwards and aiming my broom at the stranger’s face with all of the rage and despair I’ve been storing up for the past few days.
It smacks into his jaw and he stumbles in shock. I raise my makeshift weapon high and bring it crashing back down again, hitting him on the head and shoulders, trying not to catch the girl in the process. My assault startles him and his grip loosens on the tiny girl, who throws herself onto the ground and out of his grasp.
I hit him again and hear a feral roar as Cody comes charging up beside me. She’s grabbed her now cold cup of coffee and throws the liquid into his face, following it with the mug itself. She kicks out at him and he stumbles backwards.
I shove him with the broom again and again, and finally he gives up, turns tail and runs from the shop. I’m sweating and breathing hard from the exertion and have to lean on the broom while trying to recover. Good old trusty broom, always here for me.
I look around to make sure the kids are okay, noting with pride how Abbie, Candy and Jess have managed to round up all the patrons and push them towards the back of the shop out of harm’s way. Cody is still beside me, eyes wild as she dials the cops.
I feel something grip my leg and look down to see a pair of big brown eyes staring up at me in fear and confusion. I reach down and hug the precious little girl hard.
“It’s okay sweetie, the bad man’s gone now. Hey, do you want a cookie?” I lead her over to the counter and sit her next to the till, rooting around underneath for my secret cookie jar.
The little girl, Ana as she so firmly tells me, doesn’t take long to recover from her ordeal. She manages to grab four biscuits at once and between big bites starts telling me all about herself. I learn about her nanny, who doesn’t seem to have re-emerged from behind the bookshelves since her charge was almost kidnapped, her school, her friends and how much she desperately wants a parrot for her birthday.
She’s moved on to her favorite Disney songs and what she’s going to name the 12 rabbits she is pestering her poor mother for when the door opens behind me. I stiffen and reach for the broom again but relax as I realize it’s just the police.
“Mommy!” Ana exclaims, and I turn around again. My heart drops.
Of all the things Ana has told me about herself, she’s neglected to mention the most important thing. That, of all people, Tiffany Wake is her mother.
Fuck.
Six
Tiffany
I stop speaking to draw breath and sneak a look around the conference room. My contractors sit around the table, nodding and occasionally taking notes. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to engage a room.
I’ve just moved on to profit margins when Eva, one of my assistants, pushes her head into the room.
“Ms. Wake? Um, you have a phone call.”
I pause and shoot her a look. “Tell them I am in a meeting and will call back.”
She shifts uncomfortably. “But Ms. Wake, it’s the police. It’s about your little girl.” Her voice lowers towards the end of the sentence, but the moment I hear police I am already out of the door.
I listen as the police tell me about the incident at the bookstore, and I find I can barely breathe. Not Ana. Not my baby.
I rummage in my purse and unearth my car keys and run from the office. I slam into one of the glass doors with my shoulder in my hurry, but don’t even feel the impact. I dimly hear someone calling after me but don’t stop.
Once in my car I realize I’m shaking. I grip my steering wheel hard and try to calm down, but all I can hear is the officer’s voice swirling around in my head.
“Ms. Wake, it’s about your daughter, Anastasia. We have been made aware that while she was at a public event earlier today a stranger attempted to abduct her. We need you to come with us.”
I choke out a sob and press the heels of my hands to my eyes. My baby almost got kidnapped. My baby was getting kidnapped while I sat here and joked around with contractors about whether our project is on track and how soon we can crack open the champagne.
I shake myself back into the present. I can despair later, but right now I need to get across town. I need to get to my daughter.
I’ve never driven this fast in my life. I’m usually such a careful driver, but now I have to swerve to avoid a cab as I shoot out of a side street in front of it. The driver laying on the horn doesn’t even register with me.
I skid to a halt in front of the bookstore and park haphazardly outside. I’m sure I’ll get a ticket, and when the couple of police officers standing outside the shop see my shoddy parking job, they raise their eyebrows.
“My daughter! Where’s my daughter, please, I have to see my daughter right now!” I plead, desperate, before they have the chance to admonish me.
One of the officer’s gestures to me, and I follow him inside.
“Mommy!” My heart clamps within my chest. I’ve never felt such relief in all my life.
I push past the officers and scoop Ana up from her spot on the counter. As I hold her in my arms, I start to cry tears of pure relief.
“Why are you crying, mommy?” Ana looks up at me, all big brown eyes full of concern.
“I’m not,” I reply, sniffing and trying to wipe away my tears while keeping hold of her. She struggles to get down but I’m not ready to let her go just yet.
“Mommy, you haven’t sai
d hello to my new best friend.”
I look up at the woman Ana is pointing to and have to hide my astonishment. I’m not expecting to see the beautiful dark-haired woman who invaded my office earlier today.
“Rachel saved my life from the bad man.” Ana grins a gap-toothed smile at me and my heart melts just like it always does when I’m with her.
I look back at Rachel, swallow hard and pulled her into the hug too.
“Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I whisper to her, as she awkwardly hugs me back.
“Of course, I wasn’t about to let him make off with her,” she replies, and I sniff and nod again.
“Where’s Louise?” I remember suddenly, looking around for Ana’s nanny.
“She quit!” Ana’s voice is ridiculously bright considering the news she just imparted on me, and she reaches surreptitiously for another cookie.
“She…quit?”
“Yep! Or maybe she’s still hiding. Anyway, she was useless when I was dying and then she started crying because you didn’t tell her she’d have to fight off angry men when you gave her a job. She thinks that was naughty of you, mommy.”
I hear a giggle beside me and look up to see Rachel averting her gaze. She spots me looking and quickly hides her smile with her hand.
This is a disaster. I have so many meetings this weekend and there’s that whole conference coming up that I’m supposed to be chairing. What the hell am I going to do about childcare now?
I squeeze my eyes shut in horror. It took months to find a nanny that Ana liked, or at least wouldn’t scream for murder when she was left with her. I don’t have time for this at all.
“Thanks again,” I say to Rachel, my head already swirling with thoughts about how I can make this work.
“No worries. Like I said, I’m always first in line to save a child. Especially one as adorable as Ana.”
I nod vaguely as Ana claps her hands in glee. I turn to leave but the thought strikes me almost instantly. I should thank her properly.