17. Things Are…A Changing
17
THINGS ARE…A CHANGING
SUMMER
T he bell above the door jingled, and I looked up from the counter where I was working updating our website, expecting to see a customer, instead I saw Drew and Karen.
My, my!
I texted Basil from my laptop: Your best ex-buds D&K are here at Sage & Sunflower. Please come and collect your trash.
Harsh? Well, I didn’t care any longer. Basil had dumped his old friends, except Felix, and in the past few weeks since we began dating again—he’d given me the lowdown on everything that happened at work and with his friends, so I wasn’t feeling insecure at all, which was a marvel.
Basil responded within seconds: On my way. Don’t commit acts of violence. Just in case, will bring bail money .
I chuckled reading his message.
“Can I help you?” I demanded insolently.
Drew’s lips curled into a smirk as her gaze flicked around my store—my carefully curated world of handmade goods and warmth. The place that smelled like patchouli and sage, with soft fairy lights strung along the exposed brick walls and shelves lined with candles, crystals, and small-batch essential oils. It was cozy, inviting—everything they weren’t.
Karen wrinkled her nose. “Wow, this is…rustic.”
Drew snorted. “More like a flea market exploded.”
“Now, now, ladies.” I tilted my head, a smirk on my face. “Let’s play nice. Are you here to buy something or just to be your usual bitchy selves?”
Drew’s smirk widened. “We’re just here to check out what Basil’s ex-girlfriend is up to.”
Karen pouted, all fake sympathy. “Must be so hard to get back to living like this when you’d had all that with Basil.”
“No, it’s not hard at all.” I let out a soft laugh. “Especially now that Basil and I are back together.”
Drew took a step closer, lowering her voice. “It’s not going to last.”
Karen scoffed. “It’ll fall apart just like it did the last time.”
I sighed, giving a dramatic tilt of my head. “Look, I have a job unlike you, Drew, so say what you have to or buy something and get the fuck out.”
Drew huffed out a sharp breath. “You know you cost me my job?”
I arched an eyebrow. “How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?”
“Because you poisoned Basil against me,” Drew cried out, looking like someone who was just about ready to lose her shit.
Karen grabbed her arm. “Drew, calm down.”
“No. She stole Basil and…ruined everything.” Her chest was heaving now. “Thanks to him I can’t get a new job. He blackballed me.”
“No, I didn’t.” Basil came in from the back of the store. He leaned, and dropped a quick kiss on my lips.
“Basil,” Drew gasped.
Karen froze.
Basil casually slipped an arm around my waist, as if utterly unbothered by the mess unfolding in my store. “I didn’t blackball you, Drew,” he stated, amused. “You did that all on your own.”
Drew’s face flushed an impressive shade of red. “You fired me! You ruined my career!”
Basil exhaled, as if he was explaining something simple to a complicated person. “I fired you because you were unprofessional, incompetent, and toxic to the company culture. If no one wants to hire you now, that’s not on me—that’s on you . I told you time and again, be careful about who you kick on your way up because you meet them all on your way down.”
Basil had told me that Drew was struggling because she didn’t have a good reputation in the Seattle IT community as a leader, especially now that everyone knew she’d been kicked out of Stratos. The tech world was a small, incestuous one, and your screw-ups or your successes didn’t remain secret.
Karen forced a tense smile. “Well, this has been fun, but we should?—”
“Oh, no, don’t leave on my account.” I smiled sweetly. “I was just about to gift you both some sage bundles for all that negative energy you’re carrying.”
Drew seethed, her hands clenching into fists. “Basil?—”
He sighed, finally losing patience. “What the fuck did you both think you were going to achieve coming here?”
“She ruined my life,” Drew blubbered. “I thought…I thought she’d talk to you and…I need a job, Basil.”
She thought I’d help her? Lord, this woman was unhinged! And desperate , I thought feeling slightly bad for her. I didn’t want to hurt anyone ever, but Drew was not my problem, and her issues were hers to solve, not mine.
I stepped around the counter. “Alright, the show is over. Both of you, get out.”
Drew glared at me and then turned to Basil. “Basil, please?—”
“Enough,” I cut her off and gestured toward the door. “I don’t sell desperation and regret, so you’re really not my target demographic.”
The door jangled, and I worried a customer was walking into this clusterfuck but it was Meadow. She looked at the scene and let out a delighted laugh. “Just need some popcorn.”
Drew sputtered, looking from Basil to me as if she still couldn’t believe this was happening. But Basil had already turned his attention fully to me, completely done with her.
Karen yanked Drew’s arm. “Let’s go.”
The bell jingled aggressively as they stormed out.
Silence stretched.
Then Basil turned to me, eyes glinting with something wicked. “You really didn’t need my help taking out the trash, did you?”
“Apparently not. And I also didn’t need bail money,” I pointed out.
He tilted his head, dragging his gaze over me, slow and appreciative. “You looked damn hot doing it, though.”
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks betrayed me, heating under his very obvious admiration. “Men are such neanderthals.”
He leaned in, his voice a low murmur meant just for me. “Something about you all sassy and sarcastic just does it for me.”
Meadow cleared her throat loudly. “Okay, lovebirds, let’s not defile the candles.”
Basil chuckled but didn’t pull away. His fingers brushed my waist, his voice teasing but gentle. “You good?”
I exhaled, finally letting go of the tension those two had brought in with them. “Yeah. I’m good.”
Meadow folded her arms. “Good because I’d hate for them to take up more of our precious energy. Now, are we ready for drinks and dinner?”
Basil stroked a finger down my cheek. “Yes.”
I pretended to consider. “I don’t know…throwing out garbage is exhausting work. I may…want to go to bed.”
His dimple appeared, and I knew I was so screwed.
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” He dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “Meadow, get out.”
“Sheesh! And here I was hoping your rich boyfriend would pay the tab.”
I didn’t watch Meadow leave because I couldn’t look away from Basil’s eyes.