The Waylon Bed
THE WAYLON BED
RACHEL
I only had a few days to get a bunch of orders completed before Andrew officially started his sham of a job. The pent-up frustration from Cam invading every free thought of mine and the threat of having to work with Andrew translated to me burning up the sales floor. I got a dopamine hit every time I recognized a customer had found something they loved.
By the end of the day, the sales receipts were overflowing. Our busy season would soon come to a close as the unforgiving heat of summer descended on Scottsdale, so the money from my sales would carry us through to the fall.
The next morning, I breezed through the showroom dusting and straightening. The front door chimed, and a couple wandered in, gazing and pointing at all the special details that made our store such a stunning place to shop. I stashed my duster behind the counter and sanitized my hands, ready to hopefully hustle my way to another successful sale.
“Hello and welcome, is there something I can help you with today?”
The couple blushed in unison when they exchanged glances with each other. “Um, well, we were looking for the bedroom set that was discussed in that Google review.”
I tilted my head. “Oh, uh. I’m sorry, which bedroom set?”
“This one,” said the man. He cued up something on his phone and handed it to me.
Five stars from Cam N.
Son of a bitch .
If your bed’s falling apart from all those years of afternoon delight, consider this new masterpiece from Kicklighter Home Decor and Interiors. The Waylon bed frame would be a sensuous addition to your boudoir. The mattress height is perfect for throwing her down on the bed in a moment of unbridled passion, and the headboard is sturdy enough for her to hold on to when she’s riding you into the sunset. Just be sure to add the supreme satin sheets to your order. Inspired by Rachel, the hottest saleswoman in the store, these sheets are silky, supple, and won’t even wrinkle when you’re wrapping your naked body in them. Get the Waylon bed frame, perfect for whatever your desires are—morning, noon, and night!
I gulped. I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake angry fists at the ceiling.“Um, yes, yes, let me show you that.”
Thankfully, Carol had just finished with a customer and was returning to the sales counter.
“Carol, would you mind helping this lovely couple with the Waylon?”
Carol smiled her cute little smile. “Of course.”
She led them away so I could rush to my desk. My mother didn’t acknowledge me when I entered the office. Her eyes were glued to her phone and her jaw tightened as if it was turning to stone.
“Have you read this review?” she seethed. “I can’t believe what that horrible man wrote.”
“Yes. Relax, Mother. We’ve already had a sale from a couple seeing it this morning.”
Carol’s voice came over our employee radio system. “Is there a sale on the Waylon that I don’t know about? Four other couples are in here asking about it. Going to need some other bodies out here.”
I turned to my mother. “Will you go help Carol, please?”
“No!” she said, her eyes watering. “Not until you remove that review. Remove it right now!”
My first instinct would have been to delete a review like that, but seeing how it had completely ruffled my mother’s feathers, I wanted to read it again, slowly this time. I had to admit, Cam certainly had a way with words. What if he were equally talented with his hands?
“Rachel!” my mother howled.
I blinked, banishing the mental images that had popped up in my mind. “I’m leaving it. If we get some sales from it, it’s worth a little embarrassment.”
“That man has crossed the line this time!”
A smile crept across my lips. “He certainly has.”
I was still giggling from the review when I drove into Paradise Valley. I was excited to head to Victoria’s to personally hang some wall art pieces that had been delivered. Thankfully, she had a glass of wine poured for me when I arrived at her house.
“How was your day?” she asked.
I set my purse down. “It was … uh … interesting. Had a lot of good sales today so that was a boost. My mother was her usual self which threatened to put a damper on things.”
“I’m sorry you two don’t get along.” Victoria took a sip of wine and swiveled her bar stool toward me as I took a seat beside her.
“We never really had that typical mother-daughter relationship, and it’s even more strained since she has decided that my scumbag ex is the only man for me.”
Victoria cocked her head. “Oh no.”
“Yep, my mother has decided that Andrew needs to work with us on weekends in a twisted effort to reunite us.”
“Reunite you? With the man who cheated on you?”
During a previous meeting with Victoria, I had come over to discuss home linens and window shades, and ended up telling her the entire story of Andrew and me. Her expressions alone conveyed everything she was feeling. I valued the nights I was spending decorating and arranging her home, partly because of our conversations. Victoria had even suggested that I stay in the main level guest room anytime I needed. I suspected she was starting to enjoy my company as much as I enjoyed hers.
“Your mother should stand up for and protect you from a man like that,” Victoria said, reaching for my hand.
“Thank you. I think she thinks she’s protecting me from?—”
The door opening behind us cut me off. My heart slammed so hard against my chest that I jumped and almost knocked over my wine.
Hot Baker.
His gait, wavy hair, and his annoyingly beautiful face immediately hypnotized me. I was tiring of the countless little sparks that lit up inside me every time I saw him.
“Hi sweetie,” Victoria said as Cam kissed her cheek.
“Hi, Mom.” Those teal eyes settled on me again. “Place is looking good.”
“Thanks to this talented woman here,” Victoria said, beaming. “She has really made this house a home.”
“She’s definitely a talented designer,” Cam said, pouring himself a glass of wine. “Did you know she’s a writer as well?”
Victoria gaped. “Really? What have you written?”
I took a long pull of my wine. “He’s being funny.” I swiveled my chair toward Cam, who recorked the wine bottle. “Are you just stopping by or staying a while?”
“Thought I was picking Mom up for dinner,” Cam said, leaning over the counter. “So I guess … staying a while.”
Victoria stood. “Rachel, will you join us for dinner?”
“Well, I …” I stammered unnerved by the way Cam was looking at me. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“Not at all.” Victoria checked her watch. “I have a quick client call, but Cam, you could help Rachel hang some of the new pieces that came in, and then we can go.”
“I don’t need help. Nothing is that heavy,” I protested. The last thing I needed was Hot Baker holding my ladder and handing me a hammer.
“I’d be happy to help,” Cam said, winking.
“Oh, that’s great!” Victoria gathered her laptop. “I’m going to slip into my office, and I’ll adjust our dinner reservation as well.”
If I weren’t about to get on a ladder, I would have gulped the rest of the wine straight from the bottle. To make matters worse, the delicious man rounded the counter and closed the gap between us.