Chapter 2
Janice smiled and waved off her last customer.
There would be a lull in the activity in the bank until about one or two and she’d already agreed to meet Addie and Lyle, her bosses, at the bakery with Sascha in tow.
Today they would get to the bottom of what was going on with Sascha, even if they had to stage an intervention to do it.
Granted, Sascha had already promised she would tell Janice what was going on today anyway, but the woman had nerves of steel that could be swayed more easily than a reed…
So they’d decided to stage the intervention first and hope that the pressure of all their expectant and worried friends would give the woman the courage to confess.
Although Janice liked to think she had some idea of what was going on, her decks adamantly refused to give her any concrete clues on it and Janice was really starting to worry about her best friend.
“Okay. What’s wrong?” The sound of Stephany’s petulant huffing drew her attention.
Sascha had her head on the desk with her arms folded around it like she was trying to build a wall to keep the petite annoying blonde out of her life.
“You’ve been different ever since you came back from that medical emergency after your trip.” The blond huffed in a self entitled way that made Janice wish she could smack her upside the back of her head.
But she supposed the timing fit. It would be quiet for at least an hour from here, so the self-entitled blonde had made Janice’s next task so much easier.
“And by the way, what kind of medical excuse is ‘medical emergency’ anyway?”
“Leave her alone, Stephany,” Janice said, taking the opportunity to swoop in and save her friend from the lawsuit she could see forming in the other woman’s aura.
Sascha had definitely been more testy than usual lately and though Janice would love to see the little cunt-waffle get what was coming to her, she’d honestly rather the price not be her friend going to jail for smacking the white off a blonde.
“Her personal life is none of your business.” She placed a gentle hand on Sascha’s shoulder, and waited for the woman to gather the strength to stand and lean against her shoulder instead of reaching out and introducing the little blonde to a new time zone.
“Let’s go get you something to drink while Stephany man’s the teller desk,” she excused.
Which wasn’t technically a lie. People got drinks with lunch all the time.
She just didn’t specify that they’d be leaving the building.
Which brought a smile to her face as Sascha nodded weakly and allowed her to guide her from the bank’s main room to the delicious sound of Stephany screaming after them. “Wait! What?!”
She’d realize soon enough that she was the last person left in the bank, and the entire staff was aware that she’d give them hell for it later, but it wasn’t like they could fire her just because she was a little cunt-waffle.
She was kind to the customers and decent to everyone else when she felt like it.
She was virtually willing to go down on Lyle for a promotion, but not only was he not the head of the bank, but he was happily married…
to the head of the bank, Addie, for ten years now.
And she’d never done her job wrong, so it just seemed they were stuck with her.
But since she was the newest person on staff, they all figured, if they gave her time, she’d mess up at some point.
When they rounded the corner, out of sight and hearing range, Sascha stood on her own, giggling as though she had finally gotten a breath of fresh air.
“Why does she always act like that and then get surprised when she’s excluded from things?” Janice asked humoredly to break the ice. It seemed ridiculous to her that the younger woman expected at all to be included in things when she acted like she was raised by feral cats.
“Because she’s a crap eating arse-face.” Sascha suggested in that humored childish way she always did when they commented on Stephany’s lack of common sense.
“Now, that’s just redundant.” Janice giggled, waving the other woman’s comment off.
She thought logically that any asshole was bound to spew shit, so at the same time it made sense, it really didn’t.
“Anyway, we can all tell you haven’t been feeling well these past several weeks.
” She said gently, broaching the topic of what she really wanted to know.
Sascha had had everyone, but especially Janice, waiting with bated breath for weeks now.
“You told us to wait and that you’d let us know what was going on this week.
I’m tired of waiting.” Janice whined, taking the opportunity to throw a little fit and release some of the pent up magick that had been coiling inside her with anticipation.
She supposed it was time for her to go out and blow off some steam tonight.
But knowing Sascha’s well kept secret would definitely help her to relax at the very least.
The woman had started putting on weight, she didn’t seem to ever get enough sleep, and she was often short tempered, cranky, and even irritable. If she’d only admit to Janice she had a new boyfriend and they were finally getting serious, Janice would be so desperately relieved.
“Ugh.” Sascha groaned, making an unpleasant face. “Stop being so excited or I won’t tell you.”
Janice gripped the sleeve of her shirt, jostling Sascha as she bounced and whined plaintively. “Oh, come on~ You’ve had me on the ropes for weeks~”
Sascha groaned again, louder this time, before saying, “Lunch is on you. Stop shaking me up.” She then pushed Janice away as they clocked out and exited the building through the back door. “You’re making my nausea worse.”
“What?” Janice’s eyes bugged at the comment, suddenly feeling hot with worry. Was her best friend sick or something? Perhaps she should be taking her to the hospital instead of the bakery…
“Stop it.” Sascha warned carefully as they walked to the end of the building to her car. Janice watched as she pulled her keys from her pocket as they approached the vehicle.
Taking a deep breath and now a touch uncertain about their course of action, she decided it would be best to warn her friend about what they were walking into and took the moment to remind herself that it had been several hours since they last ate.
Janice was feeling a bit hungry herself, but she supposed if someone was staying with their hot new boyfriend, they could be expected to accidentally skip a meal or two here and there.
So instead of worrying she grinned, and changed the subject.
“Everyone is already waiting for us at the bakery.”
Sascha frowned, pressing the fob button and waiting for the double chirp to open her door. “What do you mean ‘everyone’?”
Janice fixed her with a wry look. “Do you really think I am the only person who’s been trying to get at what’s been eating you for the past few weeks?” She pulled her door open. “Even Stephany, fucked up as she is, wants to know what’s been up with you.”
Janice watched the other woman frown thoughtfully. Probably taking a moment to think objectively about Stephany’s now— not so caustic— approach.
Janice shrugged it off as she climbed into the passenger seat, waiting for Sascha to climb into the car.
“Anyway, the cards don’t lie.” She told her friend matter-of-factly as she did up her seat belt.
“Whatever’s up with you is big. Like, change the way the office works, big.
” She smiled softly, muttering to herself.
“I’m glad you’ll finally put my worries to rest.”
“What do you mean the cards said there will be big changes?” Sascha asked as she started up her engine and buckled her seat belt. “What, exactly, did they say?”
Janice watched as the other woman put the car in reverse and started to back out of the parking space.
“Not much. Just that secrets would be revealed, lives would be changed, and that you’re experiencing new beginnings.
” She shrugged, still more than a little peeved that none of her decks would even give her a hint at what was going on.
“I wanted more information but they just kept telling me to have patience…”
True to expectation, everyone was there. Even some of the bank regulars that were close enough to be considered friends were there. All in all, it was an impressive turn out for a weekday.
And judging by the way Sascha froze up, it was definitely what they needed to make sure she confessed and set everyone’s minds to rest once and for all.
Janice had to actually urge her friend over to the group of expectantly waiting company, because Sascha did not want to go over to them.
“Hey guys, did you order already?” She asked the group, by way of greeting.
Chet, the maintenance guy, was the one to speak up when everyone else nodded and murmured their greetings and affirmatives. “Yeah. You’re the last to arrive, but you brought Sascha, so we’ll forgive you.”
A light rumble of laughter issued from the group and Addie, big boss she was, waved them over to the center of the group, where two chairs sat conspicuously empty. “I saved your seats.”
Janice smiled and waved her thanks as she gently urged Sascha to wade through the group when a surprisingly unknown male voice called over the group’s din. “Sash?”
Everyone stopped, and turned to look curiously at the newcomer.
Janice had never seen him before. And on top of that, Sascha had never really been one for pet names, saying that it reminded her of when she was a kid and the few times she’d met her father…
who apparently hadn’t been quite the notable figure a father should have been…
But then, Janice supposed her own father wouldn’t have made role model of the year, so she was one to talk.