38. Life Happens

38

LIFE HAPPENS

A month later, if it wasn’t for the fact Laurel was so happy in her own life she might be nauseated over all the joy going on around her.

Rose had her daughter, Summer, two weeks ago. Heather announced she was pregnant and due in November. Daisy was getting married in a few weeks and Aster got engaged over the weekend.

Blossoms did seem to have the magic touch when it came to people’s personal lives.

“Hi, Laurel.”

She turned when Lily knocked on the doorframe to her office. She’d been staring at her computer and the production lines and timeframes while trying to update her supply order.

“Hi,” she said. “Come on in.”

“How are things going?” Lily asked.

“Great,” she said. “Everything is right on schedule and I don’t want to jinx it by saying that.”

“I love when that happens,” Lily said. “We have time in there for delays or machine issues, but with Aster here, it seems we don’t have many of them. That and you holding down the fort. I’m sorry that I’m getting to your review so late.”

“No worries,” she said. “It’s been a busy six months and lots going on. Not just with Blossoms, but with your family and other coworkers. We’ve been down key members other than just your sisters.”

“All for the good,” Lily said. “Life happens, as you know. We all know.”

“It does,” she said.

“Look at the smile on your face. I can tell things are going well with Easton.”

“They are,” she said. Even that little fight they had a month ago was blown over fast enough.

Everyone had insecurities and she knew it was hard for a guy to voice them, but she wanted Easton to know he could talk to her.

The past few times he’d come to town, he’d done it on a Thursday night and worked from her house on Friday. He would leave later on Sunday and they’d have more time together.

It was working better than she could have imagined it would.

She didn’t need to see him daily and he wasn’t bothered by it. She knew he wasn’t the clingy type and neither was she.

It was nice knowing they were on the same page for that.

“I’m thrilled for you,” Lily said. “You can tell me to mind my business, but the long-distance thing is okay? Do you need some time? I worry about the weekends and work.”

“It’s all good,” she said. “I’ve had to come in a few times, but normally it’s only an hour or two, or I just spend that on the phone.”

“Things with Denise are better or worse?” Lily asked. “The other two supervisors seem to be fine, but they are in different divisions and not always able to figure things out as quickly as Denise.”

“It’s working. Denise and I are cordial. I think being written up knocked her into shape. Her attitude hasn’t improved but hasn’t gotten worse. I don’t expect someone to change their personality. They are who they are. We aren’t here making friends but rather doing a job. As long as that is getting done and no trouble is being caused.”

Lily smirked. “There is always trouble. That is common.”

“There is,” she said. “But nothing I can’t handle or haven’t handled in the past.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Lily said. “We are thrilled to have you on board. The time it frees up for me and my sisters to deal with other things can’t be measured, but I hope this helps.”

Lily slid a piece of paper in front of her. She’d already read her six-month evaluation that was emailed to her an hour ago. Everything good possible was written and if she was flexible enough to use both hands and pat herself on the back at the same time, she would have.

“What’s this?” she asked.

It was a personnel form with a raise on it. Ten percent. Damn. She’d never gotten a ten percent raise in her life and she was already making more here than any other job she’d been at.

“Between you and Aster, I feel like the plant is in the best hands possible. All those worries I had in the past, I don’t have now. I can sleep better knowing that you’re dealing with one end of the plant and Aster has the other. That you both work well together too.”

“Thank you,” she said. “This is completely unexpected.”

“I know,” Lily said. “Which is why it gives me pleasure to give it to you.”

“I’m speechless and that is rare for me.”

Lily smiled. “Good.”

The two of them talked some more about work and what was going on, orders coming in, new products, and shifts to be covered. They were producing the items now for the Holly Bloom Foundation, the charity the sisters had created in memory of their mother, and also getting started on the holiday rush, plus their normal orders.

Not many liked working full weekends in the summer, but they needed to get ahead of it and were open seven days a week now until December.

Having summer help from college students helped a ton too.

Lily got up and went to talk to other people and Laurel returned to work.

An hour later she was walking around the floor when her name came over the speaker to report to the front.

“Yes, Cassie,” she said when she got to the main entrance. There was an employee that worked there letting people in for deliveries and dealing with some administrative work with supplies and deliveries.

“Sorry to bother you,” Cassie said. “There is a woman that came in asking for you. She said she didn’t have an appointment but wanted to know if you were available.”

“Did she give her name?” she asked. She’d come in from the back and couldn’t see the person sitting in the small waiting room.

“Kristine Dobson,” Cassie said.

“I don’t know the name. I’ll go out and see what it’s about. Thanks.” She went through the door. “Hi, I’m Laurel. How can I help you?”

“Laurel Glasgow?” Kristine said.

“Yes,” she said.

“You’ve been served,” Kristine said and handed over an envelope.

Laurel stood there staring at the large envelope in her hand just dumbfounded. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine what this could be about.

“Everything okay?” Cassie asked. She knew Cassie couldn’t hear what had been said. At least she didn’t think so.

“Yes,” she said. “Thanks.”

She went back to her office and sat down, opened the envelope and couldn’t believe what she was reading.

“You look a little white,” Lily said, standing at the door to her office.

She lifted her eyes at her boss, not realizing she was still in the building. “I’m being sued.”

“Can I ask for what?” Lily asked.

She burst out laughing. This was just too much. “My ex’s parents are suing me for the cancellation of my wedding. They want me to reimburse them the fifty thousand dollars that they lost.”

The wedding would have cost more than that, but maybe that was the only amount they lost. She didn’t know. She didn’t care.

This was ridiculous.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Lily said.

“Me neither,” she said. “I don’t even know what to say to this.”

“First thing is you need an attorney,” Lily said.

“I’ll call Easton in a minute,” she said. She looked up and saw Denise standing in the doorway. “Yes?”

“Sorry to bother you,” Denise said. “But one of the machines is beeping and Aster isn’t in the building right now.”

“I’ll check it out,” she said, standing up.

Lily followed her out, and when Laurel got to the machine, she noticed it was just a silly thing that happened all the time and could easily be reset. Something Denise could have done.

When she went to talk to Denise about it, who had her back to her, she heard Denise talking about her being sued.

She ground her teeth. She’d bet anything that Denise was listening at the door and then when she was caught made up some excuse. The beeping meant nothing and wasn’t even affecting production.

She cleared her throat. “Oh, Laurel,” Denise said, jumping. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“Clearly,” she said. “It’s all set. There was nothing wrong, as I’m sure you were aware. You can get back to your station.”

She walked away and returned to her office, saw Lily move over to talk to Denise, and didn’t care.

When she sat down she took a few deep breaths.

This was the last thing she wanted as public knowledge.

“Denise was just put on final notice,” Lily said, walking into her office.

“What?”

“I’m not dealing with this,” Lily said. “I told her this is coming from me and not you. That I don’t like how she conducts herself. She’s walking a thin wire and has little to no respect from her staff. One more mark and she’s done.”

“With all due respect, that might make her have more animosity toward me or anyone else.”

“Sometimes people need to be made an example of. There wasn’t anyone close enough to hear what I said, but they could see Denise’s reaction. I’m just letting you know. She might quit. It’s a good possibility.”

“Might be for the best,” she said. “I’ll start looking for possible replacements. There are a few I could see in that position with a little guidance.”

“Good,” Lily said. “Being proactive. Why don’t you call Easton? Take a few hours this afternoon and go home to deal with this.”

“No,” she said. “It’s fine. I’ll see what he has to say and go from there. I’m not sure if this is something he can handle or if I’ve got to get another attorney, but he’ll be able to refer me to someone.”

She could call Rose’s husband, Thomas, but wouldn’t for something like this. It might be better to go get someone in New Haven if Easton couldn’t do it.

So much for the bliss she’d been feeling this morning!