“Not now,” her boss said. “I have four—”
“Now,” Flora said, surprising both of them with the force of her tone.
She almost apologized for sounding so assertive but then realized that you couldn’t be firm one minute and wobbly the next. If she was doing this, she was doing this.
“I wondered if it might be possible to—” pathetic, pathetic. She stopped in midsentence and lifted her chin. “I need to take three weeks off from the middle of July.”
Celia frowned. “Is this some sort of joke?”
Flora’s heart beat faster. Celia wasn’t happy, and Flora preferred people to be happy. But Celia wasn’t her aunt. Flora didn’t owe her anything except her dedication as an employee. And she’d gone way beyond that.
It was time she grabbed a little happiness for herself. “It’s no joke.”
“Staff are allowed a maximum of a week at a time.”
“I know, but I took no vacation time at all last year, and I have worked most weekends and every holiday for—” she searched her brain “—actually since I started working here.”
“You’re seriously asking me for three weeks off?” Celia’s expression was so threatening that Flora had an almost overwhelming urge to apologize and back down. Three weeks? You’re right, it’s a ridiculous request. Ignore me.
But then she imagined Jack and the girls on vacation by themselves. Taking long walks in the forest, and enjoying lazy evenings under the stars. And she knew that if she backed down now, not only would she not get to go on vacation with Jack, but Celia would never stop giving her the armpit work slots.
She clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. “Actually, Celia, I’m not asking. I’m telling you. As a courtesy.” Panic engulfed her. Her legs weakened as she imagined Celia showing her the door.
Celia was obviously imagining that too because she straightened her shoulders in an aggressive stance. “And what if I tell you your job won’t be here when you come back?”
Flora felt a wave of dizziness. What if Celia was serious? What if she lost her job? “I hope that won’t be the case because I enjoy working here—” that wasn’t exactly true, but there was a limit to how assertive Flora was prepared to be in one session “—and I think there are many of your regular clients who would miss me if I wasn’t here.”
Celia’s eyes narrowed and her mouth tightened. “Fine,” she said finally. “But not a day longer than three weeks.”
Flora almost died of shock. Part of her wanted to check that she’d understood correctly. Are you sure? Do you mean it? Fortunately her instinct told her to quit while she was ahead. And she smothered the impulse to hug Celia, because her boss was about as huggable as a cactus.
“Thank you.” Flora turned and guided her shaking legs across the store to where Julia was wrestling with a huge hand-tied bouquet.
“What are you looking so pleased about?” Julia cursed as she trapped her finger under the knot she was tying. “And how do you make this look so easy? I’m the only person who can lose a finger making a bouquet.”
“I stood up to Celia.”
“Well good for you. And not before time.” Julia finally managed to tie the bouquet. “Does this look okay?”
Flora tweaked it a little. “It’s great.”
“So what did you say no to? Another weekend? Another early morning? That woman really pushes her luck.”
“I’m taking three weeks off in the summer.” She gave Julia a summary of her encounter with Celia but instead of punching the air and congratulating her, her friend looked appalled.
“You’re going on a three-week vacation? I can’t believe you asked Celia for that.”
“You’re the one who told me to stand up to her.”
“I know, but I was talking about not letting her force you to work every weekend. Not this. Three weeks with the dead wife’s best friend? Doing all the things the wife used to do? Are you sure about this?”
Flora’s stomach lurched. She was sure. She was. “Yes. I’m excited. I want to be with Jack. Being with Jack means being with his girls and fitting into his life. Fitting in with whatever they usually do as a family.”
“What about the friend? She might not be thrilled to see her best friend’s husband with another woman. She might stab you between the shoulder blades the moment you arrive. Before you know it, your body will be decaying in that forest.”
Why was it that Julia always managed to articulate the fears Flora had been trying to ignore?
“I promise not to turn my back on her.”