Page 48 of PenPal Hero

Alice was waiting for her with a stormy expression riding her normally smiling features. “Where have you been?”

“At the diner.” Bonnie couldn’t believe Alice had forgotten.

“I tried calling you.” Alice sounded frustrated. “When you didn’t answer, I almost jogged down there in person to see if you were still there.”

“What’s wrong?” You first. I’ll lay my bad news on you next.

“Everything!” Alice threw her hands into the air. “While you were gone, we had an out-of-towner march in here and put in an offer on the warehouse. A higher offer than what Mr. Blackstone was planning on making.” Her distress was palpable. “I told the man that someone else had gotten an offer in ahead of his, but he didn’t seem to mind. He said to just get in touch with him if the other contract fell through.” She glanced pointedly at Bonnie’s briefcase. “Please assure me you’re in possession of a signed offer from Mr. Blackstone.”

“Unfortunately not.” Bonnie shook her head ruefully. “He never showed up.” Bless his heart! After his many visits to the warehouse and his endless dickering over his intended offer, he’d just lost the property to another customer. To an out-of-towner, no less. It was going to look really bad for their realty company when they told him the news.

She and Alice stared bleakly at each other.

“What are we going to do?” Bonnie was trying to decide if she should admit she’d fallen asleep on the job. “I was about to get back on the phone with Mr. Blackstone to see what the holdup was.”

“No.” Alice shook her head. “I’ll call him. He’s going to demand to talk to me, anyway, after he hears about this.” She held the back of her hand to her forehead, looking feverish.

“This is my fault,” Bonnie blurted in a rush. As much as she hated to admit what had truly happened, Alice deserved no less than the truth. “Mr. Blackstone called me while I was walking into the diner. Said he was running late. Then he asked me to hold. I grabbed a booth and a cup of coffee, while keeping my phone balanced against my ear.”

Listening to that blasted elevator music. Just thinking about it brought on another wave of sleepiness. She stifled a yawn. “While I waited, I fell asleep.”

“You fell asleep,” Alice repeated slowly.

“For an entire hour, according to Lane.” Bonnie added miserably. Who does that? “She’s the one who woke me up.”

Alice frowned. “What about Mr. Blackstone’s phone call?”

Bonnie shook her head in confusion. “It was still connected, and the elevator music was still playing.” She had no idea if he’d tried to get back on the line. She was betting he hadn’t. Otherwise, he’d have hung up when she hadn’t answered.

Alice’s frown deepened. “He must have forgotten you were on hold.”

“No matter how you slice it, it’s my fault,” Bonnie said miserably. “If I hadn’t fallen asleep, I would’ve disconnected the line and called him back.” Eventually. She probably would’ve waited a while first. At least five or ten minutes. “I’ll totally understand if you fire me on the spot.”

“I’m not firing you.” Alice spun around and returned to her office without another word.

Bonnie stood there feeling awful, while she listened to Alice dial Mr. Blackstone.

What she overheard didn’t make her feel any better. “I’m so sorry to hear you were involved in a car accident, sir.” Alice went on to ask how bad his injuries were and if there was anything he needed.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse!

Bonnie moved behind her desk and slowly took a seat. She propped her elbows on her desk and leaned forward to massage her temples.

Several minutes passed before Alice returned to the room as silently as she’d left it. “Mr. Blackstone’s failure to get his offer in wasn’t your fault. He was involved in a car accident. So, even if you were still asleep at the diner right this second…”

Bonnie winced. “Not funny.”

Alice snorted. “It kind of was.”

“Is there anything we can do for Mr. Blackstone?” Losing the warehouse bid had to feel like a double whammy on top of his car accident.

Alice shrugged. “Other than taking him a meal or sending him a get-well card? No. Unless the other guy withdraws his offer, the warehouse is sold.”

Bonnie wasn’t ready to forgive herself. “I still can’t believe I fell asleep in the middle of the diner. That’s never happened to me before.”

“I’m more concerned about the second phone call you said you received from Mr. Blackstone.” Alice studied her shrewdly. “He said he got in his car right after you called him, asking him to meet you at the diner, and he was t-boned on his way out of the parking lot. There was no opportunity for him to make a second phone call.”

“But I didn’t call him. It was the other way around.” Bonnie shook her head. “You were right here when it happened.”

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