Page 17 of Smokey's Distraction
“If they were going so well, Mr. Harty wouldn’t have hired my firm. Can you please tell me where my office is?”
The woman shrugged and turned away. “I dunno.”
Ashley placed a hand on her hip as her body temperature quickly rose. “Then find someone who does,” she replied.
The receptionist leaned over and picked up the phone receiver and pushed a button. “Some lady’s here saying she works here now. I don’t know anything about that.” As she listened to the response, the woman kept scowling at Ashley.
What’s is her fucking problem? Man, I wish I was back in Denver. You owe me big time for this bullshit, Zach.
The receptionist hung up the phone and pointed to a row of brown leather chairs. “Sit down over there. Pearl will be here in a sec.”
A streak of defiance raced through Ashley, and she purposefully strode over to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the falling snow.
“Ms. Callahan?”
Ashley turned around, and a woman in her fifties with styled short brown hair and a navy blue dress with gray pinstripes crossed the room to greet her. She took the woman’s offered hand and shook it.
“I’m Pearl Thomas—Mr. Harty’s assistant. I’ll show you to your office.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m late, but I couldn’t get the garage door opened this morning and had to call a Lyft. I guess there aren’t too many in town because I had to wait a while before the driver came by.”
Pearl smiled and the fine lines under her eyes deepened. “You’re from Denver, right?”
“I am. I guess it’ll take me a little time to get used to being in a small town. Are you from here?” she asked as she followed the woman down the hall.
“Not originally, but my husband and I have lived here for the past twenty-five years.” Pearl stopped in front of a doorjamb, then reached inside and switched on the lights. “This will be your office during your stay,” she said.
Ashley walked inside the room and smiled when she saw the picture window and the view of the snow-covered mountains. “The scenery is so beautiful that I may get distracted from working.”
Pearl smiled and ambled across the space. “The password to the computer and the phone extensions for the employees are in the desk’s middle drawer.”
Ashley nodded. “Thanks. What’s the receptionist’s name?”The bitch is what I should say.
“Sabrina Flint. She handles the front desk. If you need anything clerical, your assistant is Georgia, but you won’t be able to meet her since she’s called in sick. I’ll bring her by when she returns to work.”
“That sounds good. I didn’t think I’d have an assistant, so I’m happy about Georgia,” she said as she put her tote down on the desk.
“Mr. Harty wants to meet you. He’s with a client at the moment, but when he’s finished, I’ll come down and get you.” Pearl looked around the room. “If you need anything or have any questions, please let me know.”
“I will. Thank you, Pearl.”
Ashley closed the door behind Pearl as the woman exited the office. Happiness surged through her since she’d pictured her workspace as a cubicle in a dusty office. She never imagined she’d have her own office, an assistant, and a killer view. It was almost too good to be true.
As Ashley settled in, the sound of her phone ringing drew her attention. Digging in her purse, she gripped the phone, checked the number, and then answered.
“Have you met the owner?” Zach’s jovial voice irked her.
“Not yet, but I have a bone to pick with you,” she said, sinking down into the desk chair.
“Already?” There was a soft chuckle.
“I could’ve been seriously injured this morning in the shower. After I got out, the damn tiles in the ceiling came crashing down. Then, the garage door didn’t work, so I had to take a Lyft. The company’s house is pretty much a fixer-upper, and believe me, I’m being polite about it.”
“They have Lyft in Pinewood Springs? I’ll be damned.”
The muscles in her face tightened, and she resisted the urge to fling the phone against the wall. “So your curiosity about a ride-sharing platform takes precedence over a potential lawsuit?”
“Lawsuit?” Zach asked.
