A New Life by Design by Cheryl Phipps
Author:Cheryl Phipps [Phipps, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cheryl Phipps
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lara
Here she was again, forced into surroundings that made her feel like she was in a strange play. The man opposite her was the ridiculously handsome leading man and sheâshe was merely a supporting actor, but he didnât seem to understand that.
She shouldnât be here. She had things to organize. She should be with Emma and Sam. Maybe updating her will. When had she last done it? Before Gary died.
Mark kept trying to engage her in conversation, but Lara couldnât seem to find anything interesting to say or add. She sat as far away from him as she could, trying not to look at him.
âCeline shouldnât be much longer,â Mark broke another long silence.
âGood, Iâve got a busy day ahead of me.â
After another ten minutes of cool rebuffs, Mark must have decided heâd had enough.
âIf this is going to continue, then perhaps the whole plan is a bad idea.â
âYou wouldnât pull the plug on the business at this stage?â she asked with horror.
âIf it means not having to put up with your perpetual bad moods, I might consider it.â
âIâm not in a bad mood,â she said defensively.
âYou certainly could have fooled me.â
âIt wouldnât be the first time.â A bored voice entered the fray.
His daughter was tall, leggy, and very pretty.
âHello, Celine. Youâve decided to grace us with your presence then?â
âI was on the phone.â She sauntered across the room to sit cross-legged on one of the sofas, as if she had all the time in the world.
âWeâve been waiting for you. Never mind. This is Lara Moss, and she will be your boss at ELATE.â
âWeird name. Who thought that up?â
âLara Moss or ELATE?â Lara asked, deadpan.
âFunny lady, I meant ELATE.â
âI did. I take it that you donât like it.â
âNo, I donât. It basically means Iâll have to pretend people look great even if theyâre fat, right?â
âI guess youâve heard us talking about making affordable clothes for people who donât get a fair deal in the usual stores. What that means is when youâre trained, you will sell clothes for average to plus-sized women.â
She looked suspicious. âWhat size is that?â
âAnyone who isnât skinny.â
âHmmm. Not sure what the difference is, but whatâs the deal with the training?â
Lara sighed heavily. âThe deal is that youâll learn the difference. Then you can treat all our customers the way any retail person should, with respect and professionalism.â
âSounds like hard work.â
Laraâs anger mounted. âAre you scared of that?â
âIâm not scared of anything,â Celine said indignantly.
âGood to hear. Iâll expect you at the factory on Monday morning, two weeks from today, at eight-thirty sharp.â
âI donât get up until ten.â
Lara wondered if Mark had ever said no to this young woman or punished her for rudeness. âThen donât take the job.â
âDad says I have to.â
âThatâs not really my problem, is it?â
âWhy canât I start when the shop opens?â
âItâll be some time before we open a shop, and it will be better if you learn from the ground up. Donât worry, thereâll be plenty for you to do. See you in two weeks.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
African American | Contemporary |
Divorce | Domestic Life |
Friendship | Mothers & Children |
Single Women | Sisters |
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne(17789)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes(10104)
Most of All You by Mia Sheridan(9006)
The Break by Marian Keyes(8749)
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens(7929)
Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian (Fifty Shades of Grey Series) by E L James(6811)
Burn for You (Slow Burn Book 1) by J.T. Geissinger(6595)
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins(6525)
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang(6492)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng(6339)
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult(6240)
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid(6047)
The Mistress Wife by Lynne Graham(5959)
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover(5542)
Royally Screwed by Emma Chase(4807)
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman(4760)
Elite Ops - 01 - Wild Card by Lora Leigh(4654)
Beloved (The Salvation Series Book 1) by Corinne Michaels(4331)
The Billionaire's Secrets (The Sinclairs Book 6) by J. S. Scott(4188)