and turn it into some kind of fast-food restaurant type of place. My customers expect a certain level of service—”
“Your customers,” Colleen interjected, “are all buying their computers online or down at the Apple store, and taking them there to be fixed.”
Silence.
Mr. Lolly cleared his throat. Colleen expected to feel bad about the way she’d snapped, but the fact was, she’d been working with this guy for months, and he was still fighting her every inch of the way. She understood his reasons. She’d done her share of not letting go of things that no longer served her. But she no longer cared.
“You’ve signed a contract,” she told him. “You’ve been paid all but the final amount. Mr. Lolly, it’s time you signed off on the rest of the agreement. Okay? I have a check right here for the final payment. You could go on a nice, long vacation. Or put this money into a retirement fund. Or send your grandkids to college. But if you don’t sign, I’m going to have to declare this agreement void, and you’ll have to pay us back what you’ve already accepted.”
He looked startled at that. “But I’ve—”
“Sign off,” she told him gently and handed him a pen. All QPQ needed was his final signature releasing QPQ to take over the daily operations, including the hiring and firing of the current employees.
“You said they’d keep their jobs,” he said finally. “It’s just the two of them.”
“Or that they’d get a nice severance. And they will.” Her company actually had no desire to keep Lolly and Pop Computers in business. She’d been instructed to buy out the company for its inventory and real estate, a prime location on the main street of a small town. What QPQ’s owner decided to do with all of that, Colleen didn’t know. Also didn’t care.
Mr. Lolly sighed. Then sighed again. He hung his head, but if he thought puppy eyes were going to gain him any sympathy from her... Colleen put on a smile. She pushed the pen across the desk to him.
“Please sign, Mr. Lolly.”
He did, but with a resentful look she took as an affront, even though she didn’t react to it. At the doorway, the check still clutched in his hand, he turned to her. “It just seems like a very cold way to do business, that’s all.”
He didn’t give her time to respond, and even if he had, what might she have said? Colleen wasn’t the one who’d pursued the sale or even closed the deal. It was her job to see difficult acquisitions through to the end, that was all. And she was good at it. Over the years, she’d sold her soul to the devil for the ability to support herself.
With the plunging temperatures outside and bad weather in the forecast, all she really wanted to do tonight was put the day behind her, take a hot bath, get into a bed made up with fresh sheets and go to sleep. Her sleep last night had been interrupted again by bad dreams about losing her dad. About waking up in bed next to Steve, their divorce being the dream instead.
But it was Thursday, she reminded herself as she poured another cup of coffee from the office communal pot. Thursday meant The Fallen Angel and her ritual.
“Colleen.” It was Mark, looking dapper as usual in a three-piece suit complete with pocket watch. “You took care of Lolly?”
She nodded. “Yes. He signed, took the check. I passed everything along to Jonas.”
Jonas would take care of the final settlement with the Lolly and Pop Computers employees.
Mark grinned and poured himself a cup of coffee. Then he made a face.
“This is swill!”
Colleen laughed. “Um, well, yes. I tried to tell you not to buy the coffee service company. You didn’t listen.”
“I can be a fool.” Mark pulled a sad face so exaggerated that she laughed again.
He narrowed his eyes, looking her over, up and down. “Turn around.”
“No...”
“Colleen, turn around.”
“I’m going to sue you for sexual harassment,” she muttered, but did a slow twirl.
Mark huffed. “Go ahead. That skirt doesn’t suit you at all. Why do you insist on covering up your legs? They’re gorgeous. And those shoes, my God. A nun would think they’re dowdy.”
“I like these shoes.” Colleen looked down at her outfit. She had a few pairs of heels she wore to the office, but today, with the bad weather alert, she’d gone with a serviceable pair of loafers paired with thick tights and a long wool skirt. “Anyway, this is warm.”
“But it’s so not hot.” Mark shook his head. “I should fire you.”
She looked up, startled, to see if he was joking. “You wouldn’t!”
“I like pretty things. This makes me sad.” He waved a hand at her ensemble with a serious look.
She wouldn’t put it past him to fire her for her fashion faux pas. He was just unstable—and rich—enough not to care if there were repercussions. Colleen lifted her chin. “Too bad. I’m not here to look good. I’m here to do my job.”
She paused. Both of them stared each other down.
“Besides,” she added, “you act like I come in here every day looking frowsy. And that, I know for a fact, is not true.”
Mark smiled and tipped his head back in laughter loud enough to make Jonas and Patty both peek over their cubicles to see what was going on. He spilled some coffee on the floor in his delight, which made him put his mug on the counter. He pointed at the coffee station.
“Get someone to take care of this. This is disgusting. And you,” he said to Colleen, “leave early today. Get that abomination out of my office before it makes me puke.”
“I have work to finish,” she said mildly, but Mark cut her off with a furious hand gesture and a scowl.
“Out!” He said. “As a matter of fact, everyone, out! Go home early today. It’s going to be wretched out later. And take tomorrow off, too. I don’t want to see any of you until Monday.”
“We’ll still get paid, right?” Patty popped her head up again. She was already pulling on her coat.
“Maybe.” Mark had turned, heading for his office.
Jonas coughed. “You have to, Mark. It’s in our contracts. We get paid when you close the office.”
“Fine, fine, fine.” Mark didn’t look over his shoulder, just disappeared into his office and closed the door.
Jonas, Patty and Colleen shared a look. Of the three of them, Colleen had known Mark the longest. Her relationship with him was the most complicated because of their history, but that didn’t mean she liked him any better than anyone else did. Colleen was grateful to Mark. She always would be. But he wasn’t easy to deal with on any level.
“He’s such a pain in the ass,” Jonas said, clearly agitated.
Mark’s
