Chapter 20
Junior was proud of his company. Walden Wax Works produced quality candles and had developed a dedicated, vocal following.
His customers’ praises on various sorts of social media had gained their entry into a number of well-known high-end retail chains.
In addition, their direct sales were increasing every year.
The company that he’d started in his garage had surpassed his greatest dreams, which was saying a lot, since he’d had awfully big dreams when he’d started.
He couldn’t take much pride in the accomplishment,though.
All of the company’s success was due to his employees.
From the designers, to the workers on the line, to the sales staff, everyone played a part in the company’s reputation and success.
He was grateful for every person’s hard work and skills.
Just as he was grateful for their customers who continued to support the business.
Unfortunately, at that very moment, all he wanted was for every single person to leave him alone. Better yet, he’d love it if they just went on home. They were driving him crazy, which was kind of a shame, seeing as it wasn’t even noon yet.
Looking down at Honor and Clyde, he was fairly sure his old chocolate Labs felt exactly the same way.
Shifting on the dog bed, Clyde looked up and groaned.
“I hear ya, hund,” he murmured. “What could be going on with everyone? Was there a full moon out last night or something?” He’d never thought such a thing would turn his employees and customers off-kilter, but he had heard of such things affecting patients in an emergency room.
“What do you think the chances are for that?”
Clyde stared up at him a moment longer before shifting and closing his eyes again.
Junior wished he could do the same thing.
He was just about to close his office door when Raymond, one of the company’s designers, waylaid him. “Oh good. You’re not on the phone,” he said. “We’ve got to talk.”
“I’m kind of busy right now, Raymond. Can we talk later?”
Raymond put his hand on the doorframe, effectively stopping Junior from going anywhere. “Sorry, boss, but this is important.”
Becoming concerned, he gave Raymond his complete attention. “All right. I’m all ears.”
“It has to do with the summer catalog.”
They weren’t supposed to finalize the summer catalog for another week. “What about it?”
He scratched his head. “See, I was thinking that maybe we should rethink the layout of page fifteen.”
“Page fifteen?” Yes, he’d lifted his eyebrows, and yes, his voice had turned snippy.
“Oh, for sure. You see, I started thinking that maybe we should do less primary colors and concentrate more on greens and maybe geranium.” Raymond droned on, carefully describing a dozen details about a display.
Junior reckoned it was important, but the guy had lost him at “geranium.” He turned to look at his dogs.
Honor’s eyes were halfway closed.
They seemed to be feeling the same way as him.
“Junior. Junior!?”
“No need to yell, man. What?”
Raymond’s eyes narrowed. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Sure. Of course.” He crossed his fingers, felt bad for lying, and attempted to give the man the attention he deserved. “Listen, why don’t you do mockups of the two choices and we’ll choose the best layout at the team meeting.” He smiled, pleased that he’d solved Raymond’s dilemma fairly easily.
Unfortunately, Raymond only looked irritated.
“Ray, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that I don’t understand why you’re acting so put out about me asking you a few simple questions.”
“You know catalog design ain’t my forte.”
“Junior, I know. That’s why I asked you where Beth was.”
“She isn’t here.”
“I know that.”
Something in his tone was starting to send off warning signals. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m starting to get the feeling that you’re not as worried about the catalog as you are about something else.”
Looking sheepish, Raymond shrugged. “Perhaps. See, it’s Beth.”
“Beth?”
“Jah. You see, I don’t—”
“Let me be real clear. Elizabeth is none of your business.”
“That isn’t fair. We’re friends, not just employer and employee.”
“We are friends, but that doesn’t mean we need to talk about her.”
“All I said was that we never know when she’s going to be here.” He lowered his voice. “And that there’s a chance that she’s taking advantage of your good nature, Junior.”
What good nature? “Don’t worry about me, Ray.”
“Junior, I think you should listen to what he says,” Cherry announced as she approached down the hall. “After all, Raymond didn’t do anything but voice what most everyone in the company is wondering.”
“There are almost a hundred people here. All hundred of them shouldn’t be thinking about the comings and goings of Beth Schrock.”
“All I’m saying is that her absence is a concern,” Cherry said as she walked to Raymond’s side. “After all, she talked her way into here and now can’t seem to show up.”
“She shows up, Cherry.”
“Late,” Raymond said. “I’ve noticed her come in late more than once.”
Raising her chin a bit, Cherry continued. “But I’ve never heard you chastise her for being so disrespectful.”
He would give anything to shut his office door. “She hasn’t been disrespectful, Cherry.” He also couldn’t imagine “chastising” Elizabeth for anything.
After exchanging glances with Cherry, Raymond cleared his throat. “All I’m saying is that I think you’ve been blindsided by her beauty. She might be pretty, but she comes in late and sometimes leaves early, too. I don’t think that says much about her work ethic.”
He’d had enough. More than enough. “Don’t talk about Elizabeth.” When Honor flinched at his caustic tone, he took a breath. “It’s all right, Honor. No worries,” he soothed.
“I’m not talking about her.”
“Sounds like it.”
Raymond harumphed. “All I’m saying is that we were all expecting Beth to do some work and she hasn’t shown up yet.” He pointed to the clock on the wall. “An hour ago.”
Cherry popped a hand on her hip. “You know, it could be she changed her mind. A fancy woman like that? She’s likely used to something different than our little place.”
He wasn’t all that happy to hear Walden Wax Works be ing described as a little place.
Junior counted to five. Reminded himself that he liked Raymond and Cherry and that they were good employees, too.
It would be a really bad idea to yell at them.
“She’ll come. I think she had some personal business to attend to first.” She was pregnant, after all.
Didn’t expectant mothers get morning sick or something?
“So that’s it?” Cherry asked.
“It is. Now lower your voice. You’re scaring my dogs.”
“Must be nice to be most worried about two old Labs instead of things that matter,” she said under her breath as she walked away.
“Cherry has gotten awfully opinionated,” he muttered. “And my dogs do matter.”
“That’s true, but she also ain’t wrong,” Raymond pointed out. “All of us have things to do, but we still come to work on time.”
“Did you need anything from me, or did you come in just to point out that Beth is late?”
“Ah, well . . .”
“Just for the record, I’m well aware that she is late. I can read the clock as well as anyone around here.”
Raymond’s eyes widened. “Junior.”
“Why? You’re the one who came in here, all flutter and griping about schedules.”
“Nee. Junior. Stop.”
“Why?” Only then did he notice that Raymond was tilting his head to one side. When he turned, he found Beth standing in the doorway with a confused—and yes, angry— look on her face.
“Hey. I didn’t know you were here.”
Honor and Clyde lumbered to their feet and approached her.
He held his breath. She’d been just fine around them when they were at the park, but some people got a little worried when they were in an enclosed space with them.
But instead of flinching, her expression eased. “Hello again, you two.”
Honor and Clyde nudged her hand. Leaning closer, Elizabeth gifted both with lots of pets and attention. “They’re so sweet.”
“I’m happy you don’t mind them being in my office.”
“Not at all. You two are good company,” she cooed as she rubbed their ears again.
Beside him, Raymond looked a little shamefaced.
Deciding to address it openly, Junior said, “Hey, I’m sorry you heard that conversation when you walked in. I didn’t realize you were here.”
Looking up at him, she shrugged. Like it didn’t matter what anyone said about her.
“Seeing you took us all by surprise,” Raymond muttered.
“I noticed.” One dark blond eyebrow rose. “It seems that Cherry must have forgotten to buzz to let you know that I was on my way,” she said as she straightened.
“It would seem so.” Junior felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment.
The dogs, after staring up at him with twin disappointed expressions, walked back to their bed, circled each other, and then curled back down onto the plush spot.
Raymond edged to the door. “Well, now. I, ah, think I’ll be heading on my way. I’ve got a lot that needs to be seen to. I’ll work on those sample layouts, boss.”
Junior nodded but didn’t take his eyes off Beth. She looked as pretty as ever in her pale-green dress, dark stockings, and black boots. He also couldn’t deny that her spark of temper had added a spot of color to her cheeks.
When they were alone, she folded her arms across her chest. “So, when you said that it didn’t really matter when I was coming in, it must have not been the truth.”
“Nee. It was the truth. I, um, I neglected to tell that to anyone else.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Why did you keep it a secret? Did you need me to look lazy or something?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why was everyone acting like I committed a cardinal sin?”
“Hardly that.”
“Cherry would barely let me in the door.”
“I’ll speak to her. She shouldn’t have been so rude to ya.”
“I agree. So, why didn’t you share our agreement about my hours with Cherry?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to start telling everyone in the plant your private business. It weren’t anyone else’s business.”
“I’d believe that if I hadn’t walked in on your conversation with Raymond.”
There was nothing he could do to erase what he said—or to have her forget it. “Would you like to get started now, or would you like to talk some more about how I should’ve handled your first day better?”
“I’d like to get started. Please.”
“Gut.” Standing up, he pointed to the small pile of papers he’d set on her desk two hours ago. “Here you go.”
She’d stepped closer. Close enough for him to realize she had perfume on. Or scented lotion. Something that clung to her skin and filled the air around him. Made him think of all sorts of things that had nothing to do with work, duty, or friendship.
“Junior?”
He cleared his throat. “Jah?” he said.
“Are we good?”
“Of course. Don’t worry about what you heard. My employees are hardworking and professional. But they’re also as human as any other office staff. Sometimes they like to gossip or stir up trouble when things get slow.”
“You know, maybe it would be best if I worked someplace else besides in here with you. Like, I could be off to the side in either the reception area or in the production area.”
He couldn’t think of two worse places for her to be. Cherry would eat her for lunch, and the men in the back wouldn’t appreciate having a young woman in their midst. Not all day long, anyway. “It’s best for you to be here in case you have questions.”
“That makes sense.”
“In addition to those papers, I put out a good calculator.”
“Thanks. I kept meaning to buy one.”
He scratched his head. “Well, there’s a story there. You see, when I first started this company, I made a vow that I’d be modern when it came to dealing with the outside world. But for my finances and such, I’d try to work with a minimum of technology.”
“All right, then.”
He could practically feel her dismay, but it couldn’t be helped. It was what it was. “It ain’t too late to change your mind.” He’d feel regret, but he wouldn’t blame her.
“Looks like I better get busy, then.”
“Let me know if you have any questions.”
“I will. Thanks.” Her smile was tight and didn’t reach her eyes.
He’d likely messed everything up between them. Not that they had anything between them. Not really. They were practically strangers.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to the work piled on his desk and forced himself to ignore everything else around him. Raymond’s knowing glances. Cherry’s confusing jealousy. Instead, he focused on the orders on his computer and the phone calls he needed to return.
There was only one thing to do, and that was to tackle one item at a time.
Tackle work and not the temptation that was Elizabeth Schrock.