Page 41 of Tap Left
"It's nobody," I say. "Just a friend telling me something funny that happened."
"Mmm hmm." She rolls her eyes. "Well don't forget Mellie will be here for lunch soon. So, can I go on my break now?"
Crap. I did forget that Mellie was coming today. Usually, I'd be ecstatic to have lunch with her. But after our last meeting, I'm not so sure she's going to feel the same. Add to that the fact that we're going over the books today, and dread churns in my stomach.
Mellie isn’t just a good friend and therapist when I need it, but she also offers moral support with the bookkeeping aspect of the business. I've remained positive and upbeat during the last two sessions when she tried to give me some not so subtle reality checks. But I have a feeling today my bubble of denial might burst.
"Go on your break," I tell Britt. "I've got this."
She flies out the door and down to her favorite deli while I look around the empty shop. We've had two customers today. And suddenly the smile that I couldn't hold back five minutes ago is nowhere to be found.
I love this shop. It’s everything to me, but I know Daire is right. Everything is online these days. And I don't know how to salvage this sinking ship.
My phone pings.
ThatGuy:
Are you completely traumatized? Do I need to have you committed now?
LolaB:
No. Sorry. Just recovering from my fit of laughter.
ThatGuy:
Phew. I was worried there for a minute.
LolaB:
Well the visual you painted was horrifying. But I think I'll survive with a little chocolate to help me cope.
ThatGuy:
Hmmm.... if only I had your address. I'd send you the entire Hershey's factory.
LolaB:
Too late. I already ate it.
The front door chimes, and when I glance up, Mellie is there. I pocket my phone guiltily, even though I wasn't talking to Daire. She holds out an extra cup of coffee in her hand. "Peace offering?"
"Thank you." I take the cup, and she retrieves a bag from her purse, offering up a brownie next. And already, I know this is going to be bad. Mellie only brings me brownies when she's about to drop some bad news.
I don't have time to dwell on it before Britt comes in and takes her place at the register, absently saying hello to Mellie before scrolling through her phone and tapping out messages.
"Well, you ready for this?" Mellie asks.
I nod, and we walk to the back of the store. I eat my brownie while Mellie pulls out ledgers and charts and graphs and things that I have no desire to see right now.
"I've been going over the sales." She gets straight down to business, shoving some numbers in my direction. "Expenses. Taxes. I think you know where I'm going with this Lola."
I swallow, and the brownie is no longer appealing, even though it's from my favorite bakery. "So what do we do?"
I say we like we're a team, but really, it's just me. Mellie is quiet for too long, and I know what she thinks I should do. Close down the shop and save myself from drowning before I'm too far gone.
"The projections don't look good," she says. "You can keep this up until the end of the year at best, Lola. But something needs to change."
It isn't what I want to hear. And while before, I seemed to have possessed a knack for just believing that everything would turn out alright, I know that's no longer a viable or logical solution to my problems. And with the store in trouble, dating should be the last thing on my mind.
