Breaking All My Rules by Trice Hickman

Author:Trice Hickman [Hickman, Trice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-05-29T04:00:00+00:00

When Erica walked into Opulence, she was glad to see customers buzzing about, browsing, and making purchases. The beginning of spring and fall were always great for business, because people were switching to new fragrances and products to fit the coming season. And now that she had a new body butter to present, Erica was even more excited. She was also proud to show Jerome the company she’d built from the ground up—her very own exclusive boutique that had started in the basement of her row house.

Cindy was heading to the back of the store when Erica spotted her. “Cindy, do you have a minute?” she called out in a voice so cheery she was sure it made Cindy nauseous. She knew that cheeriness aggravated Cindy to no end, and glee often made her downright annoyed. But Erica was over-the-top happy, and she wanted to spread the good feeling around.

Cindy walked toward her, carrying a small box. “Here’s what you’ve been waiting for, the new jars of Paradise.” She thrust the open package toward Erica and even managed to wrestle up a half smile.

“I’ll take a look in just a minute,” Erica quickly said.

Cindy’s small eyes squinted with surprise. “You’ve been dying to see these all week. What’s more important than your prized swag bag products?”

Erica beamed like the sun. “I want you to meet Jerome Kimbrough.”

She’d told Cindy about Jerome two days ago, when she’d come in after court to interview an applicant. Cindy had been skeptical, as was her nature, asking question after question, just as Ashley had done. It was her protective, mama-bear nature, and she reminded Erica of her own mother in that regard.

Cindy looked Jerome up and down, inspecting him through what Erica knew was a very jaded lens. Because Cindy’s life had been filled with so many duplicitous charlatans, she was cautious of nearly everyone she met. That was why Erica was shocked when she saw her store manager extend her tiny hand to Jerome, form her lips into an uncharacteristic smile, and greet him as though he was a friend who’d just stopped by for a visit.

“I’ve heard very nice things about you, Jerome,” Cindy said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise, and the pleasure is all mine.”

Erica looked on in astonishment as the two continued to exchange pleasantries. She watched as Jerome literally charmed the box out of Cindy’s hands, relieving her small arms of the heavy weight. He reached inside, pulled out ajar, and looked at it before handing it over to Erica.

“Wow, this is really nice,” he said.

Erica carefully examined her long-awaited product, turning the jar this way and that so she could inspect it from every angle. She was so happy, she could have jumped up and down. The jar, which was heavy plastic that had been fashioned to mimic the look of lead crystal, was embossed with a deep purple, vibrant pink, pale lavender, and cream design that was outlined with small crystal-like gemstones, giving it a sophisticated bling.

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