Read Online Spurs and Heels by Heather Rainier - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Rainier
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it will look terrible?”
“No, everybody will be too busy admiring your pretty face and your blue eyes to even notice.”
“Sweet talker. Still want to take me out to eat?” she asked, feeling a little better now that she was sure it wasn’t getting infected. The pain reliever must have also kicked in because it hadn’t twinged in a while.
“Sure, if you feel up to it. How does your wrist feel?”
“It ached a little this morning, but it feels fine now. If only I could keep from clunking myself in the head with it,” she said with a chuckle, remembering thumping herself in the forehead as she brushed her hair away from her face several times during the day
* * * *
Juliana and Ash were seated at a quiet corner table at O’Reilley’s and enjoyed their meal and talked for a while. Juliana noticed that Ash had impeccable table manners.
Ash brought up the hours she worked and her need to take time off to heal in the short term, but also for pursuits that were not work related in the long term. It made her uncomfortable, and knowing how thin their staff was spread at Stigall’s, she couldn’t think about taking time off from her current schedule. Out of the goodness of their hearts, Evelyn and Leah were making her time off tonight possible, but this could not become a regular occurrence.
63
“I hate to see you so invested in a store that you don’t even own or co-own. You’re in a position of authority, but ultimately you answer to Mr. Woodworth, right? It’s because of him and his policies that you’re spread so thin, all of you that work there.”
“He wants to implement some of the strategies Leah has been suggesting. I told him we would give some of them a try. Things will get back to normal once she’s done with her experiments.”
“What if the bottom line shows improvements initially and he gives her leave to make other changes? What if the changes directly affect you?”
Juliana was becoming a little irked at Ash for pushing so hard at this sore subject. Part of her knew he pressed because he cared about her, but she was hoping for a change of topic. She didn’t want their evening together to end on a sour note.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, darlin’, have you thought that you may be training your replacement?”
Juliana sighed and sat back in her chair. He was too close for comfort now. “Could we talk about something else, please, Ash?
Please? I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It is what it is, and I’m sorry if I seem so pig-headed about it.”
“I’m sorry. I got to thinking about it last night, and you must be going in way before the store opens and staying until after it’s closed, not occasionally but every day, including Sundays. How can you have a life if the store claims that many hours in a week?”
“It won’t always be that way, and those people are like my family.
I don’t feel like my life is that hard.”
“What about relationships and the holidays and vacations? In a way, the store holds you hostage under the guise of responsibility.
You should be allowed a life, time off with friends. Time for a relationship—”
“Ash.”
64
“With me, Juliana. Where would you fit in time for me?” he asked, leaning in so his question was asked as he stroked the top of her hand. He took her completely by surprise with his question, laying it on the line like that.
The events of the last few days had thrown her completely off-kilter, especially the last twenty-four hours. He pushed her buttons like crazy, he’d undressed her, seen her naked, washed her hair for her, and he still hadn’t really kissed her.
He was pushing her to examine her lifestyle because he wasn’t the type to sit on the backburner for long. With so many thoughts flitting through her mind, she wasn’t sure how to answer his question.
“I’m sorry, Juliana. I know I made you uncomfortable but I care about you.”
She smiled at him, hoping he would see that she
“No, everybody will be too busy admiring your pretty face and your blue eyes to even notice.”
“Sweet talker. Still want to take me out to eat?” she asked, feeling a little better now that she was sure it wasn’t getting infected. The pain reliever must have also kicked in because it hadn’t twinged in a while.
“Sure, if you feel up to it. How does your wrist feel?”
“It ached a little this morning, but it feels fine now. If only I could keep from clunking myself in the head with it,” she said with a chuckle, remembering thumping herself in the forehead as she brushed her hair away from her face several times during the day
* * * *
Juliana and Ash were seated at a quiet corner table at O’Reilley’s and enjoyed their meal and talked for a while. Juliana noticed that Ash had impeccable table manners.
Ash brought up the hours she worked and her need to take time off to heal in the short term, but also for pursuits that were not work related in the long term. It made her uncomfortable, and knowing how thin their staff was spread at Stigall’s, she couldn’t think about taking time off from her current schedule. Out of the goodness of their hearts, Evelyn and Leah were making her time off tonight possible, but this could not become a regular occurrence.
63
“I hate to see you so invested in a store that you don’t even own or co-own. You’re in a position of authority, but ultimately you answer to Mr. Woodworth, right? It’s because of him and his policies that you’re spread so thin, all of you that work there.”
“He wants to implement some of the strategies Leah has been suggesting. I told him we would give some of them a try. Things will get back to normal once she’s done with her experiments.”
“What if the bottom line shows improvements initially and he gives her leave to make other changes? What if the changes directly affect you?”
Juliana was becoming a little irked at Ash for pushing so hard at this sore subject. Part of her knew he pressed because he cared about her, but she was hoping for a change of topic. She didn’t want their evening together to end on a sour note.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, darlin’, have you thought that you may be training your replacement?”
Juliana sighed and sat back in her chair. He was too close for comfort now. “Could we talk about something else, please, Ash?
Please? I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It is what it is, and I’m sorry if I seem so pig-headed about it.”
“I’m sorry. I got to thinking about it last night, and you must be going in way before the store opens and staying until after it’s closed, not occasionally but every day, including Sundays. How can you have a life if the store claims that many hours in a week?”
“It won’t always be that way, and those people are like my family.
I don’t feel like my life is that hard.”
“What about relationships and the holidays and vacations? In a way, the store holds you hostage under the guise of responsibility.
You should be allowed a life, time off with friends. Time for a relationship—”
“Ash.”
64
“With me, Juliana. Where would you fit in time for me?” he asked, leaning in so his question was asked as he stroked the top of her hand. He took her completely by surprise with his question, laying it on the line like that.
The events of the last few days had thrown her completely off-kilter, especially the last twenty-four hours. He pushed her buttons like crazy, he’d undressed her, seen her naked, washed her hair for her, and he still hadn’t really kissed her.
He was pushing her to examine her lifestyle because he wasn’t the type to sit on the backburner for long. With so many thoughts flitting through her mind, she wasn’t sure how to answer his question.
“I’m sorry, Juliana. I know I made you uncomfortable but I care about you.”
She smiled at him, hoping he would see that she
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