Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
“I still can’t believe you need your Neanderthal boyfriend to come see me,” Adam grouses.
I raise my eyebrows. “I’m here to see the exhibit, not you,” I remind him.
“Why are you always such a bitch? You weren’t like this when we were together.”
“Because we weren’t together all that long and you didn’t show your true colors until I turned down your proposal. Which, by the way, is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
At the reminder, his face turns a mottled shade of red. “You cunt.” He raises a hand as if to slap me, and before I can take him out by the balls, as Kaylee suggested, Lucas grasps Adam’s wrist and yanks it behind his back.
“You’re finished,” Lucas says through clenched teeth. He tightens his hold on Adam’s wrist.
“Ouch. Let me fucking go.” He attempts to shift out of Lucas’s grasp.
Lucas holds on for a few more, what must be painful, seconds and releases him.
“Let’s go, Rainey.” He wraps an arm around me and we walk out of the exhibit room.
I swallow hard.
“That son of a bitch. If we weren’t in a museum, I’d have beat him to a pulp.” I look up at him to see a vein throbbing in his temple.
I glance around and see a man seated behind the information desk. “Come with me,” I tell Lucas.
We reach the older gentleman. “How can I help you?” he asks.
“I’d like to see the director,” I tell him.
After reporting Adam to his boss for inappropriate behavior, we walk out of the museum, and I feel one hundred pounds lighter.
“I am finished with him.” I wipe my hands together as if ridding myself of Adam Roberts for good.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rainey
I look across the room at Kaylee.
She looks back and shakes her head, then shrugs.
I run my fingers through my hair and let out a scream of frustration. “How can this be happening again?”
We’re supposed to be putting together gift bags with the swag and merch I’d ordered for the anniversary party. Instead, I have tissue paper everywhere in the back, empty bags with the Thunder logo, and nothing to put inside them. None of the ordered items arrived at the beginning of the week the way they were supposed to. I waited another few days and they still haven’t shown up.
I draw a deep breath and take control. “I’ll call the Thunder PR office and ask where their merch is,” I say.
“And I’ll call the retailers we ordered the glasses and other swag from and ask when they sent everything out.” Kaylee picks up her phone and I do the same.
We discover the boxes were shipped and their tracking number says they’ve arrived. Except they haven’t.
“Ashlynn?” I call out. “Can you come in here?”
She walks in, looking tired, bags beneath her eyes. I hadn’t seen her when she came in and I’m worried about her.
“What’s up?” she asks.
“I know Kaylee and I have been in and out while working the last few days. Did you sign for any deliveries and forget to tell us?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No. I always check them off based on what we’re expecting on the computer. You can see everything I logged in.”
I nod. “I assumed that was the case but we’re missing shipments, so I needed to ask.”
“Sorry,” she says in a soft voice.
“Are you okay? I don’t mean this badly, but you look exhausted. Is there anything we can do?” I gesture between myself and Kaylee.
“My grandfather is sick and I was at the hospital late the last couple of days.”
I glance at my partner and as if reading my mind, Kaylee nods.
I turn to Ashlynn. “There’s nothing we need you to do today. With the deliveries missing, we’re at a standstill. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep?” I offer.
She shakes her head. “I couldn’t.”
“Of course you can.” I step over and put a hand on her shoulder. “I know it’s hard when someone in your family is sick. I’m offering you time to catch up. Take it.”
“Okay.” She glances at me, then Kaylee. “Thank you both. You’re amazing bosses.” Head down, she walks back to the front of the office.
“Poor kid. She looked like she was about to fall over,” Kaylee says. “I’m glad she’s going home. Now… back to our issue.” As I think about how to fix yet another blow to the anniversary celebration, I begin to pace the floor between our desks.
“So, forgetting the swag for now, the merch from the Thunder is an issue. The guy I spoke to on the phone said they don’t have enough on hand to send more.” His exact words were, they don’t have enough current merchandise. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have older items from years past. Like vintage merch. “Wait! I have an idea!”
I stride to my desk, grab my phone, and call my aunt Olivia, an executive in the Thunder front office. After I explain my predicament and pitch my idea, she tells me to come by and she’ll give me the keys to the storage room where old merch is kept. I thank her and promise to be right over.