Chapter 1 #3
“It's mostly chamomile, but it has a few other teas mixed in. Probably all the soothing, calming ones that will make you go to sleep easily."
“The taste is sweet. Does it have honey in it?” Cally questioned.
“It does. That's the way I like my tea sweetened, so they made yours the same. I hope you don't mind.”
“Not at all, I just want to be sure in case I need some tea at bedtime again.”
“Why don't you tell me a little bit more about yourself. What did you do before you worked for Tyne?” Carlos wondered.
“I went to college and held just regular jobs to help pay my way. Getting a doctorate is expensive. There were a few scholarships, and that helped a great deal.”
“What kind of degree did you get?”
“This might surprise you, but I have a great interest in archaeology. I did a double and got business, too. I've always hunted arrowheads and fossils near our home.” Cally replied.
Carlos grinned. “I have a bit of an arrowhead collection. There are also a few other artifacts that I have found or purchased.”
“Where do you keep them?” She asked.
“They are displayed in my office. Want to see them?”
“I'd love to.”
He escorted her back to the house and then led the way to his office.
It was a surprisingly large room, and he had display cases on the walls full of arrowheads.
There were also cases set up around the room that had the other artifacts he had spoken of.
These were larger items, such as pottery or pottery fragments, a bow and arrow, and items with art.
“This is amazing. Why haven't you set up a museum?”
“I thought about it, but I'm always so busy, and I really don't know much about running one. Maybe you could help me with that?” Carlos wondered.
“Maybe I could, but we'd have to do that once we get this new business going well.”
“Of course, and in the meantime, maybe I can add some pieces.”
“Do you have any more?”
“I do. This room couldn't hold any more without looking cluttered. I have several boxes and a storage full of similar items.”
“It may not be enough for a museum by itself, but it is a good start. We'd best get some sleep because, judging by today, tomorrow is going to be very busy.” Cally observed.
“You're right. I will see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight.”
In the morning, she got that wakeup call that she had gotten used to.
She hurried to take a shower, dry off, get dressed, and make sure she was ready for the day before she joined Carlos in the dining room.
Cally didn't know what breakfast was like on the days she wasn't here, but when she was, there were often gourmet items. This morning it was eggs Benedict, and it was a large plate for that wolf's appetite.
There was also a fruit platter, beautiful with the different colors of oranges, apples, and various berries.
He or the server had remembered that she liked both coffee and OJ, and her coffee had arrived exactly as she drank it.
Staying here was like being on vacation, except she had to work.
Carlos usually timed it so they would get there about fifteen minutes before opening.
Today, they were training a new secretary whom he had hired.
She was a member of his pack, so she would probably be hardworking and dedicated.
Once they were done eating, they headed to work.
The young lady was already there waiting for them to open.
When things got going and she was trained, she would be the one opening in the mornings.
Cally knew that once it became clear the girl would do a good job, Carlos would give her a key.
The moment they entered, the phone was ringing.
It was still a few minutes before opening time, but Carlos answered the phone anyway.
That started their day, and it was a crazy one.
To deal with the massive number of calls, the day set up another phone line.
Two phone lines were ideal since they had three people.
The third person gave breaks, dealt with people who walked into the business, picked up lunch at lunchtime, and then let the other two people off so they could eat.
The new girl’s name was Teresa, and for her first day, she was doing a really good job.
One thing that was obvious was that if business continued like this, he would have to hire another person to help with the office work.
At the end of the day, a few calls were still coming in, even though it was after business hours.
Carlos had them answer a few before he finally shut down the phone lines.
“That was incredible,” Cally observed.
“I never expected anything like that.” Carlos offered. “Same time tomorrow, Teresa.”
“See you then,” Teresa said.
“You think she'll be back. That was hard for a first day, and she was supposed to be training, so she jumped right in.” Carlos pointed it out.
“I'm sure she will. She must have some experience because she seemed to know exactly what to do.”
“She worked in a bank, but the pay was poor. Teresa has a small child, and she said it was hard to make ends meet on what she was paid.”
“I've heard it's not the best job until you've worked your way up a little bit,” Cally observed. “I’m sure the pay will keep her here.”
“With so many orders, the guys going out on the trucks are going to have a hard time keeping up, too.”
“You can always hire more. It's not like you don't intend to cover a bigger area down the road. Tyne will be very pleased if we continue to get this much business. I thought you would do well, but I never expected you to be completely overwhelmed.”
“We'd best lock up and go home,” Carlos suggested.
Cally looked around to see if anything was out of place and then put it where it belonged.
Carlos was doing the same thing, making sure all the orders were entered on the computer.
Now they headed out, and he locked the door.
They drove to his house, and it was a little early to go to bed.
He suggested they watch a movie, and he even let her pick one.
It turned out that it was a movie he'd been looking forward to as well.
When they were through watching it, it was time for supper.
It seemed they always had a great deal to talk about, and they ate slowly as they conversed about many things.
Carlos had to be prodded to discuss anything personal, but she felt she had gotten a little out of him.
He had taken over the alpha position from his father, who had decided to take his mother on a trip around the world.
It seemed that his good looks were mistaken for a sign of weakness.
The first challenge should have told them something, but those wishing to take over the pack seemed endless in number.
At that point, he had no choice but to beat up his opponents until they were unconscious.
Now that he had made a challenge painful, some of those who would be pack alphas decided they didn't want to fight.
It was clear that some feared being killed, but apparently, others still didn't.
He continued beating them badly, and eventually the challenges slowed. There were fewer, and now he was challenged rarely. Carlos truly did not want to kill someone because they were ambitious and a little stupid.