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“Do you ever buy spirits anywhere but Spec's?”

“Of course not,” Vi said. “Oh wait, I did buy a bottle of wine from The Liquor Box. You know, checking out their prices.”

Penny nodded. “Right. Well, I’m through for the day. Do you need anything else?”

“No thanks, Penny. You go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Don’t stay too late. It’s been beautiful today. Go enjoy a little sunshine.”

Vi smiled and looked back at her computer screen.

She heard Penny leave and looked down at the business card she’d been fingering when Penny came into her office. Violet ran her thumb over the name and smiled at the logo on the card. “Corrine Sloan,” she mumbled. “Stay in your lane, you-can-call-me-Cory, and stick to retail. Leave the wholesale business to me and your little Liquor Box will live happily ever after.”

Vi decided to take Penny’s suggestion and gathered her things to go enjoy the warmer weather of spring. She worked late most nights because her customers were often the managers of bars and restaurants and worked evenings.

As she headed for the elevator she noticed the light on in her boss’s office. She decided to stop by and see what she wanted earlier.

Vi tapped quietly on her boss’s door. “Diane? Penny said you stopped by my office?”

“Hi, Vi. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure,” Vi said, taking a seat across from her boss.

Diane smiled at her. “I want you to know that your hard work is not going unnoticed.” She paused. “Continue with those sales numbers and you’ll end up in the VP of Sales office.”

“That’s the goal,” Vi said.

“Can I give you a little advice?”

“Of course,” Vi said, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. She respected and looked up to Diane. As her boss she had always been fair and shared her knowledge of the company.

“I know your goal has been to be the VP of Sales. You have worked hard and it’s paying off. But…”

“But?” Vi’s heart began to thump in her chest.

Diane smiled. “Don’t forget to live a little. I’ve been where you are. Don’t let your job be your entire focus.”

Violet breathed a sigh of relief, but thought about what she said.

“Looking back,” Diane continued, “there are things I missed with my family that I could’ve and should’ve been at instead of working.”

“I play volleyball,” Vi blurted.

“What?”

“The gym I belong to has a volleyball league. Our season is about to begin again. Work isn’t all I do.”

Diane stared at her and narrowed her gaze. “Okay.”

Volleyball was about the only thing Vi did other than work. It was her outlet and she had a feeling Diane knew this.

“I was just leaving to enjoy what’s left of this pretty day,” Vi said, getting up from her chair.

“I’m right behind you. See you tomorrow,” Diane said as she looked back at her computer.

Vi walked out of the building and stopped to look around her. It really was a pretty day. As she got in her car she wondered how the open house was going for Cory Sloan and her sisters. While she’d walked around The Liquor Box earlier she’d overhead Cory explaining that the adjacent stores were owned by her sisters.

Vi could hear the pride in Cory’s voice that she and her sisters were working side by side and owned their own businesses. She had to admit that the shopping center was eye-catching, especially with those clever names. That was quite a shrewd marketing technique. The Sloan sisters had that going for them.