Page 9

These two were still there, even though all the other personnel had gone home for the night. Lena, who was the manager and business partner, and Lola, who was the shop manager, nearly always had to remain late to close the store.
Lena and Lola were walking out of the front gates an hour after the account had already closed. They had put everything back in its place. They stopped in their tracks as they saw Damien sprinting towards them with a big smile.
“Hey, girls,” he said with a grin on his face that made it look like he was eating garbage.
Lena and Lola both raised their eyebrows at it.
“Wow! Did you win the lottery or get one of those coupons that let people go to Honolulu for two holidays?” Lola said with a laugh.
Damien’s face wrinkled up. “No, but it’s something very similar.”
Lena’s face quickly lit up when she saw how happy Damien was. “Ah huh, and what is that?” she said.
Damien gave a wink. “For now, I’d just like to celebrate it with you two over a gallon of ice cream and tell you all about it when the deal is done.”
“So this is a new deal?” Lena chuckled when Damien nearly pulled the two women by their arms to his car on the curb in excitement.
“The biggest one in the short history of my business. If the meeting tomorrow goes well, I will buy from them. And no, I’m not going to tell you the name of the company. I want to see the surprise on your pretty faces and laugh at that,” Damien said as he unlocked his car.
Lena silently asked God to give Damien everything he sought. He saved her in more than one way. He had been a buddy she could count on no matter what. Lena was shocked at how enormous and loving his heart was. These days, it was hard to find someone like this, and she was glad she met him.
Damien, Lola, and a few other people like them made Lena believe in the pleasure and goodness of the world, even while it was full of anguish and pain. Because the gods knew she needed them more than the air she breathed. Even though her heart was crushed, it was still soaking up the brightness that came from these precious gems in her life.
Lena strolled in wearing a white blouse and a long satin skirt that was comfy. She could see it was a busy day. It looked like everyone in the city was shopping. In any case, that was excellent for business. Damien’s smart style of handling his small firm was truly amazing, and Lena knew that this person would soon be at the head of this queue. His kind personality, compassionate heart, and logical intellect were the keys to his success.
Even though the staff was busy with customers, they all looked at Lena and smiled or said hi.
Lena grinned and let out a sigh. She treated them like family now that they were hers. And it seemed like all of her hard work was being rewarded with a lot of love as well.
She had lost a lot in life, but now she had so much more. She felt like a new person now, except for the nights when she was alone. Thanks to Damien.
Lola pushed her way into the little office at the rear of the store, which had three desks crammed into a tight area. Lena, Lola, and Damien could use it anytime they required it for work. Damien has plans to add more room and build separate cottages shortly.
“Lena!” Lola screamed.
Lena looked up from the desk with a perplexed smile after putting her tote bag there. Lola was a total drama queen.
“What is it now?” she enquired in a calm voice.
“Where the heck is your phone?”
Lena said, “In my bag.”  “Why?”
Lola rolled her eyes. “Damien wants you to check it,” said Lola. Lena didn’t see that Lola had her own phone in her now-raised hand until Lola pointed it out. And by the looks of it, Damien was on the phone and presumably not in a good mood.
Lena arched an eyebrow, but then she unlocked the zipper on her bag and pulled out her phone and a bunch of other items. Seeing thirteen missed calls from Damien made her gasp.
Selene gave Lena her phone without saying a word but with a smug smirk. Lena bit her lip, took the phone, and pushed it to her ear. She then put her own phone down on the desk.
Lena said, “My phone has been vibrating.”  “By accident.”
Damien said from the other side, “I’ve been worried sick, Lena!” Then he remarked in a calmer voice, “I thought something had happened to you.”
“You were worried for no reason.”
Damien snorted, “No reason?” Damien stopped and groaned after a minute. “What about when you passed out in front of your apartment? Or when you had a bad headache and blanked out and sat like a statue next to a trash can for four hours? Or the time on the street when…”  “At this rate, Lena, you’ll have to move back into my flat. I know you want to be independent, but this is for your own good.”
There were moments when she didn’t understand why Damien was so worried about her. Kellen did, too, but then his envy and lack of trust took over.
Lena shook her head angrily. No! She wasn’t going to go back there. Her pain was about to hit her in the dark of night. Not just now, not when she could s**k up all the sunlight she needed from the days she could.
“Damien,” she murmured in a calm voice. “If something were to happen to me, like death or whatever, it could have happened by now already. You know that, don’t you? I’m still alive and running fine,” she said with a smirk.
But not her child! How could she still be alive and that innocent young soul who she never got to know would not be?
Damien yelled, “I’m freaking serious!”  “I’m coming over there, and we’re going to talk about this.”
Lena let out a frustrated groan. “No, we’re not. Damien, you need to get ready for your meeting with that new company whose name you wouldn’t even tell me.”
Damien answered, “That’s because I want to surprise you girls.”  “Are you changing the subject, you smartass?”
Lena grinned. “See you later, Damien.”
Damien let out a sigh of defeat. “Just keep the ringtone going, okay? I can’t afford to lose my manager and partner at this point in my career,” he said.
Lena glanced around after hanging up the phone and stumbled back in disbelief. Lola stood right in front of her, frowning like a ghost out for revenge.
Lena gasped and held her heart. “Shit, Lola!”  “Are you trying to kill me?”
Lola waved some papers in front of Lena’s face. Lola said, “If I show this to Damien, he’ll have a heart attack and rip all your hair off.”  “Your doctor has an appointment with you tonight! You have to go through these strange tests where they’ll rip your body apart, and you didn’t even think to tell anyone!”