Page 41

“Well. Suspense is killing me, but I have to go to work for a scheduled surgery. Call me later, okay?”

“Yes. Good luck with the op.”

Olivia opened her laptop after she left and found an email from someone named J. Edwards, as Grace mentioned in her text.

‘Dear Olivia,’the email read.‘Please see the link to your new website below. Waiting to go Live pending your approval. I look forward to working with you on any edits required. Feel free to call me any time on my cell. Best, Joel.’

His signature listed him asJoel Edwards, Senior Web Designer, Brazen Inc..And, indeed, it gave a phone number.Direct access?Unsure of how to feel about this unexpected gift, Olivia clicked on the link. And her eyes widened slowly as she took it all in. Somehow, this Joel had found a local news segment where she was interviewed about her work. One she’d actually planned to include on her own site but never managed to figure out how to edit. He had done a brilliant job of it. Some of her more recent work was highlighted, too, like the pieces she had shown to Grace on her phone. Her clunky old website had been transformed into more of a trailer-type animation which showcased her work exquisitely. Olivia bit on her lip as it occurred to her:How did this guy know which music to include?Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor was her all-time favorite theme.

“Oh, gosh…”

Seeing her own creations displayed in such a splendid and thoughtful way made her feel emotional.Grace.The complex and obviously complicated woman who said she did not want to get further involved had done this for her. What did it mean? Olivia took in a deep, steadying breath. It would not be chasingand making a fool of herself, would it, to call her now?

???

Though still early in the day, Grace had already sweated at the gym, slayed a bunch of admin meetings, completed the last of her three holographic designs for the new nightclub because she liked to give her clients plenty of options and scope, and drunk entirely too much coffee. Indeed, all before ten A.M. She felt jittery, which she blamed on the caffeine, whilst also being aware that she was full of shit. There was only one reason for the slight tremor in her hands and a line of tension lingering annoyingly behind her eyes. And that reason was—Oh.She started when her cell phone rang.Olivia.Grace stared at the pulsing screen. Two things might happen now. Either the woman was calling to say thank you. Or to yell at her because Grace had no right to take matters into her own hands when it came to her personal business. Well.Only one way to find out…She picked up.

“Hello.”

“Grace. It’s Olivia.”

“I know. How are you?”

“Brilliant.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes! About the website. WOW! I don’t know how to thank you... It’s AMAZING!”

So, Olivia was happy. Grace exhaled in relief quietly. She went back to her desk, sat down, and swiveled in her chair to gaze at the vibrant Miami sky—electric blue, not a cloud in sight. Olivia sounded equally joyful.

“Given what you’d said to me before, I wasn’t sure you’d appreciate my intervention,” she admitted.

“Oh, I was fully prepared not to.”

Spirited.Spunky.Grace appreciated that about the woman.

“But?” she prompted her with a smile.

“Ah, but I clicked on the link, and I was blown away. This is a full order of magnitude better than my old site.”

“Yes, I think Joel did a good job.”

“You saw the site?”

“Of course. He ran it past me first.”

“How did you know to include Pachelbel? I am in love with this music!”

“Joel did his research. Whatever we design for our clients, be it a website or a brand-new interior for a nightclub, is bespoke to the customer. Excellence goes a long way toward a reputation, so my people spend the time to get it right. And they do. Is there anything you’d like to change?”

“No, it’s perfect!”

“Okay. Tell Joel. He’ll take care of deactivating your old site for you and swapping domain names.”

“I will. Um, Grace… How much do I owe you for this?”

“Nothing, don’t be silly.” A loaded silence ensued, and Grace figured Olivia must be one of those people who struggled to accept gifts. “Problem?” she prompted.