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“I need you to schedule a meeting with Precious.”

“All right.” Cherish wrote it down. “Any particular reason?”

“She needs an improvement plan.”

Cherish bit her other cheek, and this time the iron tang of blood hit her tongue before she realized just how hard she was doing it. “Right.” That would take care of one of her problems at least.

“I want you to help Haylee come up with the improvement plan.” Febe glanced up, eyeing Cherish over the top of her laptop. “She needs to learn how to do that.”

“Got it.” Cherish scribbled on the notepad. She’d worked for Febe for nearly ten years now, had known her even longer, and this was Febe on the verge of breaking. “What happened, exactly?”

Febe wrinkled her nose, barely, only a small sign that she was upset. If Cherish didn’t know her so well, she would have missed the signal. “Haylee can fill you in on that.”

Cherish nodded to herself, another sharp twinge ripping through her skull. She winced from the pain.

“Everything all right?”

“It’s fine,” Cherish rushed.

“Another headache?”

Cherish shrugged slightly. “It’s nothing. I just took some medicine for it.”

Febe parted her lips, her eyes widening. She looked Cherish over, the moments ticking into seconds that were way too long. Uncomfortable, Cherish shifted in the chair.

“I have it under control.”

“Are you sure?”

Cherish nodded. “Yes.”

“I’ll trust you. I’ve always trusted you to tell me the truth.”

Cherish’s heart twinged. She needed to remember that, as much as she didn’t want to. She’d held back for the last few years, but it was only because she wanted to protect Febe. “I’ll let you know if it’s too much.”

“Please do.” Febe dropped her gaze back to the computer, curling a strand of hair behind her ear as her gaze moved back and forth, obviously reading something that Cherish couldn’t see.

“Was that all?”

“Hmm?” Febe flicked her eyes up before dropping them again. “Yes, Cherish. Thank you.”

Cherish gave her a forced smile before standing and leaving the darkened office. She relished that Febe could lower the lights in there. She often kept the lights dimmed when she didn’t have a meeting with someone other than Cherish and Haylee. But the darkness had been such a relief to her migraine. Maybe if she stayed in there, she’d have a chance that it would disappear immediately.

“What’d the witch want?” Haylee muttered.

“Don’t call her that,” Cherish chided. “What did Precious do?”

“Oh, it’s bad.” Haylee leaned forward, her elbows on her desk as she pinned Cherish with a look that said all the gossip was about to free flow. “Precious crossed an ethical boundary line.”

Not the first time.

Though Cherish didn’t share that thought out loud.

It wouldn’t help the situation.

Well, maybe it would.

Still, she waited to see what Haylee had to add. Having all the information up front was key to running a business. Febe had taught her that before she’d become a recluse in her office and hidden away from the world outside.