Page 31 of Bargain With the Boss

Then I’d traded that for never being able to be good enough or smart enough to match my mother.

God, I sounded pathetic to even my own brain.

I had one job, and it was to save my department. The promise of my own company was probably just another empty effort, but putting six people or more out of a job was unacceptable.

I bowed my head. I didn’t have a choice.

But now I was at loose ends.

Jude was busy with the new baby and his wife. I could go by the work site, but Gavin seemed to be in demolition mode and that wasn’t my strength. I could log into my team’s Slack program. There were always things to be done when it came to the Christmas and holiday line. But then I’d have to speak with my mother because I was very sure she was tracking me.

Annoyed with myself and the situation, I walked back into the alterations area. Another woman was picking through an armful of dresses. She was around my age with soft brown hair and huge dark eyes that dominated her face.

The woman looked up, a friendly smile on her face. She dropped her pile into one of the large comfy chairs and held up a tan dress and a camel colored one. “Which one?”

I hugged my stack closer. “Umm.”

She sighed. “Neither, right? I am the worst at picking colors for myself. I always skew toward neutrals so I don’t screw up.”

I set my pile down and crossed to her mess. “I think this one.” I dug through to the butter yellow one and held it up against her. “Shows off your skin.”

She smiled widely. “Of course that was my impulse pick.”

“Because that’s your instinct talking.”

She rolled her eyes. “My instinct is buried under etiquette.”

I laughed. “I know how that is.” I tugged at my dress, unable to relax about how it hugged my hips. “Impulse is how I ended up with my stack.”

She peered around me. “It’s a lovely stack. It was actually a dress in the window that urged me in.” She dropped her voiceinto a whisper. “My mother would die if she knew I was buying off the rack.”

I laughed. “I think your mother and mine would be fast friends.”

She held her hand out. “I’m Claire.”

“Sydney.”

“Well, Sydney here’s to a fun bit of impulse shopping.”

I nibbled my lower lip. I didn’t have anywhere to be, and the ever-helpful Ember was dealing with two customers at checkout. “Do you want help?”

She reached out and gripped my arm. “I would love help.”

I glanced down at her pile and wrinkled my nose. “Pretty sure the yellow one was it.”

Claire sighed. “You’re right. They’re all beautiful, but they’re...”

“For someone a bit older. You need something fun. Do you have a special occasion?”

She nodded. “Not just one. I’m supposed to go to a garden wedding for one of my favorite people, but I’ll stick out if I wear one of my Chanel dresses.” She sighed. “Honestly, I don’t want to wear pearls and safe pinks.”

“Then we’ll find you something fun.”

“I don’t want to bother you if you have somewhere to be.”

“I actually have nothing on my plate today.”

“Well, then we can shop and have lunch maybe?”