Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [21]
“Nice little shop. I saw it earlier.”
“We started it with less than five hundred dollars and a lot of hard work,” Annie snapped irritably.
“That’s what Mr. Peabody said. Good night, ladies.”
I’m going to faint or throw up or both and choke at the same time, Annie thought. She swigged from the wineglass until her eyes started to water.
“Do you think he suspects us?” Jane asked nervously. “By the way, Elmo canceled. The lovely Helen is preparing something for him.”
“Us? Nah. He was just being obnoxious. Was he a detective or an insurance person?”
“Both I think. Investigative insurance adjuster. Something like that. He reminded me of a bulldog. Smart-ass.”
Annie forced a laugh. “Hey, he can go through my car anytime he wants.”
“I think he did. Mine too.”
“He needs a warrant,” Annie said.
“Maybe he just stood outside and looked in or something. Guess what, my windows are down.”
Annie’s laugh was genuine this time. “So are mine. So are half the car windows in this city. So, what’s for dinner? Boy, I can’t wait to tell you about this guy I bumped into. We are talking hand-some!”
“Since Elmo canceled, I decided on filled peppers, and tell me more.”
“There he was in those cute running shorts . . .”
It was close to midnight when Annie pulled her diary out of her knitting bag. I met two men today. My heart feels like it’s too big for my chest and will explode any minute. I feel frightened and yet I feel elated. A lady from Texas bought three of Jane’s paintings today. Business has quadrupled.
Annie looked at the calendar on the small makeshift desk in the back room. Time to pay the quarterly taxes. Her eyes crossed when she stared at the neat rows of numbers in the ledger. “We need an accountant. All this stuff is eating into my time,” she grumbled to Jane. “Elmo is like a caged cat. He says we need to open another shop over by the Baptist College in North Charleston. How are we going to do it, Jane, and keep up with all this?”
“We have to delegate. One of us needs to be here all the time. So far we’ve been lucky with the two part-timers we hired. I guess we do need to hire more help. Elmo has a very good business head, but he’s running us ragged.”
“I know,” Annie said. “He’s right, though. It is time to open another shop. We can afford it as long as we don’t go overboard. God, Jane, do you remember how we had those ten coffeepots from Super Mart when we first opened? Twelve cups to a pot and all ten of them were going all day long. That fancy-dancy Bunn coffeemaker is a godsend. I can’t wait till we have enough money to buy the cappuccino machine. This is just so fantastic.”
“See, Annie, our gut instincts were right. We’re making more money serving coffee than we would make working in the business world. I get to paint, drink all the coffee I want, and know I’m a half owner in a business that is thriving. What more could anyone want?”
“More hours in the day. A day off just to sleep once in a while. A couple of really nice men in our lives. I’d settle for all of the above.” Annie laughed.
“Speaking of men. What’s with the professor?”
“He’s called for dates three times and three times he canceled. I gave up on him. Now, are you in favor of hiring an accounting firm to handle all of this?”
“Absolutely. I’ll check it out today. I’m ahead on my postcards. I can paint them now with my eyes closed. Some man came in here last week and said he would hang some of my pictures in his gallery on Charlotte Street. He said I just might be the next Josie Edell. I don’t know who she is, but he sounded impressed.”
“Oh, Jane, that’s wonderful. Then it’s settled. You’re going to find us an accounting firm. I’m going to go over to the college and post a notice for more part-time help, then I’m going to head out to the Baptist College and check out the situation.”
“As long as you’re going over to the college, why don’t you take the professor some coffee and brownies?” Jane asked slyly.
“Why don’t you mind your own business.” Annie grinned.
“Phone’s ringing,” Jane said.
“The phone’s always ringing. You