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She grumbled something unintelligible and sighed. “Is she still giving you hell?”

“I don’t even know what to call it,” I murmured, staring at a spot on the floor in front of me. “I feel confused but I don’t wanna talk about it right now; my head might explode.”

“Give her hell, Frankie,” Nikkie said. “And tell your mom I said hi, love you, and feel better.”

I chuckled.

“Come home soon.” I pouted. “I miss my best friend.”

Chapter fourteen

A Professional Courtesy

Hayden

“Didyouenjoylunch?”

I glanced up at Marina as she walked, carrying our coffees in her hands. She shuffled forward, careful not to spill any of it before she reached my desk.

“Lunch?” I asked blankly, my thoughts preoccupied.

“Yeah, you said you had an important lunch meeting yesterday and you didn’t come back to the office,” she mused, settling my coffee down on my coaster. “I’m guessing it went well?”

“Thanks,” I said, grabbing my coffee for a sip. “And I actually don’t know if it went well or not. I suppose it remains to be seen.”

“Was Frankie surprised?”

My eyes snapped up to hers and she smiled a little guiltily.

“I made the reservation,” she explained with a little shrug. “I guessed it was Frankie from the new store.”

“Right, I forgot about that.” I chuckled. “She was surprised. I hope she feels a little more at ease with me around.”

“I’m sorry if this is forward, but was she not happy with you taking over the store?”

I laughed for real that time. “No. God, no,” I said. “She was pissed that her parents sold the place; imagine how she felt when I walked in.”

“I don’t really get it,” Marina admitted, folding her hands behind her back. “It’s not like you’ve replaced the staff and cleared out the store. Why is she so resistant?”

I didn’t want to say that it might have something to do with me. I didn’t want that to be the reality of our relationship.

“I guess she grew up in the store and she’s afraid of losing that.” I sighed. “I don’t know much about her home life or how she is with her family, but I know that she protects them fearlessly. I want to respect that, at least.”

“You’re the owner,” Marina reminded me, and I nodded. “So, in theory, you could do whatever you wanted regardless of her resistance, no?”

“In, theory, yes,” I told her. “In practice, it’s not that simple. I only just bought the place and inciting that kind of negativity is the wrong way to go about it. I want them to know they can trust me to take care of things. I want her to trust me.”

I didn’t let my mind wander too far from the implications of my statement. It was just professional courtesy.

“I understand that,” Marina said, pressing her lips into a thin line. “It’s just- you seem put out about it.”

“Of course I am,” I agreed. “Business is never easy but it’s made all the more difficult when there’s so much resistance. I don’t want it to slow the progress of the store down.”

Nice save, Hayden.

“And why that store in particular?”

“Because the family aspect of it is the gem.” I sighed. “Their entire business was founded on the basis of helping their daughter with her food allergies, and they’ve been successful ever since. It’s a powerful angle because everyone wants to feel like they have a family, whether by birth or found. In a society that dismisses food allergies that are often fatal, that’s something money can’t buy.”