Lion's Dangerous(Kings of the Jungle #1)(21)

There was still a wait, though. Work occupied her mind during business hours. After hours were a different matter. She tried to busy herself with books, movies, board games with Rhys when he was willing to emerge from his own darkness. None of it truly helped and the longing was there once she turned out the lights. The sleep shortage was starting to affect her work performance. Sexual frustration didn't lend itself to optimal managerial behavior or customer service.

Between an assistant who hadn't opened on time due to having lost her shop keys and customers who kept messing up her pattern organization only to download the hacked versions from the internet, she was just about done.

"Thanks for stopping in. Let me know if you have any questions about working with that eyelash yarn," Lily said with false cheer to a customer's departing back.

"Oh, I'm sure I can troubleshoot on the internet," the woman replied, eyes already glued to her phone.

After the door swung closed behind her, Lily gave Alexa a pained look. "Do vloggers exist just to steal customers from small businesses?"

Alexa sank deeper into the second-hand couch that served as the centerpiece for the shop's sit-and-knit area and propped her dainty feet up on the coffee table. "I think they exist in order to survive in a world that's increasingly turning workers into contractors. We're living and working in shark-infested waters. We have to get eyes on ourselves any way we can. What about the guy who does your security?" Her eyebrow lifted pointedly. "Didn't you run into him at the Phoenix? He'd hook you up with a good deal on a video set-up."



       
         
       
        

"I don't think security video equipment is the same as recording equipment. But you're right. I need to do it myself. Maybe I'll ask Rhys to help." On her way to the couch, Lily quickly checked her phone, hoping for news about her application to the Jungle, disappointed by the lack of texts or voicemail. With a sigh, she straightened a display and grabbed the project she was pattern testing and then sat across from the other woman.

Instead of picking up where she'd left off, she wrapped her hands around the second latte Alexa had brought with her. "This smells amazing. You've single-handedly guaranteed I'll be able to make it through the rest of the day."

"Yeah, I thought you could use it. Your make-up, as envy-making as it is, isn't quite hiding the evidence of sleepless nights. I'd give you a mini lecture on leaving work at work but I have a feeling you're not staying up late with payroll concerns."

Lily grimaced. "This is a start-up business. There are always payroll concerns."

"Point." Alexa glanced at the security camera mounted behind the register. "You're not worried about another break-in, are you? It's been long enough without another incident that it was probably something random, right?"

Lily hesitated. The night Jude had given her a ride home, she'd discovered the front door of her house unlocked and Rhys in bed with his tablet and mp3 player. At the time, she hadn't given the situation much thought but her brain wouldn't let it go. If Rhys had been downstairs moving past one of the windows when she and Jude drove by, how had he gotten upstairs so quickly, with enough time to catch his breath and settle into bed? She kept meaning to ask, but never thought of it until the middle of the night, at which she point she reminded herself nothing was missing from the house. By morning, she always convinced herself she was being paranoid.

"Yes, it probably was random," she finally said.

"Then, the story?"

Picking up her knitting, Lily gave a shrug. "There isn't a story. I've been staying up late reading a new book."

"Oh, I love to read. What book?"

Damn. The reading thing wasn't a lie, but she couldn't remember a single title she'd plowed through over the past several days. Avoiding Alexa's question, she leaned over to look in the pastry bag between them. "What's in here?"

"Fine, be a hold out."

She gave a genuine laugh. "I will. Are you working late today?"

"Sort of. I have one more appointment in the salon and then I'm heading downtown to meet with a private client. That'll take up the rest of the afternoon and evening." 

Something in Alexa's voice drew Lily's head up. "Private client? You can have those?"

"Yeah, why not? It's not exactly the era of ladies' maids and butlers, but people still bring service providers into their homes. Remember what I said about the sharks? You do what you have to do for work."

Lily held up her free hand. "No judgement. I was just wondering. If you need any help drumming up business, let me know. I don't have many contacts, but you're welcome to put business cards at the register."