In Charge by Imani Price

Author:Imani Price [Price, Imani]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Books to Hook Publishing

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Order, predictability, control. From a very young age, these elements had been pounded into Joanne’s psyche. Her upbringing labeled them the ingredients for stability. Back home, down to the smallest of utensils had to be arranged a particular way. Otherwise, all hell would break loose. Because of this, she’d associated stringency with ideality. One could regard her case as a means to pity her, but Joanne had always used her upbringing as a guideline. A way to ensure that life went exactly as she wanted. Joanne took life by the reins and steered it where she believed she should go. If there was one thing she’d picked up, it was that being in charge meant life would bend to her will. Would go where she ordered it because she said so. Who wouldn’t want complete command over their destiny? Anyone ‘going with the flow’ was flippant and destined for mediocrity. But not Joanne. She’d always believed in her outlook and approach because it worked. It hadn’t failed her as long as she’d lived. And she truly believed that it wouldn’t.

That was, until now.

If only she’d split herself evenly. If she’d dedicated time to supervising both branches in equal amounts, then the catastrophe at Sweetgum’s main branch wouldn’t have come about. Her constant meddling in Peachwood’s operations made Joanne neglectful. Now, she needed to replace a barrister for theft. Theft of all things! She’d had a chat with the teen behind the missing tips and toppings this morning. Joanne believed in second chances and wanted to spare one to the teen, but their crime’s reasoning offended her. There was no sad sob story or trials at home. The kid confessed to stealing because they got ‘bored’ and believed they’d get away with it. That revelation burned. She’d handpicked every one of her employees. Usually, they wound up being top-tier. How could she have missed such a bad egg? These were questions she’d asked while driving back to Peachwood. She’d concluded that her absence was what led this on. If only she’d let Peachwood go.

After thinking it through longer, Joanne realized something. By no means was her outlook wrong. That disaster proved it more correct than ever. Every one of her projects required close supervision. She’d never look away again. Without her inspection, everything would spiral, including Joanne herself.

She’d fought tooth and nail with her thoughts to keep them at bay. Joanne had wanted a fresh mind while checking in on Peachwood. From outside, business had looked good. People had been coming in and leaving at lunch hour, something she wasn’t used to. She’d wanted to accept this as a breath of fresh air, but after going in, the changes gave her whiplash.

New menu boards, foreign chairs, strange new drinks. She hadn’t approved of anything called a ‘Dan’s Delight’. What was that? Again, her questions came swirling like a twister. Joanne hadn’t recognized her own café. For a while, she’d wondered if she’d mixed hers up with another. Questioning her sanity made things worse.

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