Page 23 of Love at First Swim
Arielle
Getting to work in the morning, she had a smile on her face.
She had woken up alone in Gunner’s massive bed, and rushed around getting dressed.
She called for a cab and left. Sad that she was. But work was calling and she couldn’t take a day off.
When she got to her car, she put her things inside and knew that she didn’t have time to go home and shower.
She drove to her store, and when her phone rang, she picked it up. Gunner.
He immediately did his best to be angry that she left and he was being crazy.
She knew he was possessive, and yes it thrilled her, it just was not the time for him to be like that and she hung up on him.
Fuming that he was angry that she would go to work at the business she built.
She opened the door, almost kicking it in her anger, and then sat down at her station.
She saw the dresses and the piles of fabric ready to cut and took a deep breath, letting her anger go.
She knew that he was just worried about her and she actually loved it. She looked at her phone and knew she wanted to text him, but needed to get to work.
She put her headphones in and started cutting out the fabric, getting them set in different piles ready for the next step.
As she was getting in a rhythm she heard the bell ding on the front door and she put down the scissors with a curse.
It was Sunday. No one usually came to the store. But she didn’t want to hurt anyone by ignoring them, and she was the one who left the door unlocked, so she went to see who it was.
An older man was looking around the store, studying the dresses there, with his hands behind his back, some kind of files in his hands.
She immediately got a bad feeling in her stomach and when he noticed her standing there, a grin overtook his face, but it didn’t meet his eyes.
“May I help you?” She asked and he sauntered closer to her, making her want to back up.
She held her ground though and when he stopped a few paces in front of her, he looked her over and she held back her shudder.
“I just came to find a dress for my granddaughter.”
She nodded, “Okay. Take a look at the ones we have or I can make a custom one for you. They are more expensive though.”
He shook his head, “No my daughter needs a certain dress.”
She felt her eyebrows pinch together quickly, “Your granddaughter you mean?”
He grinned, “Oh yes. My granddaughter.”
“Sir, I think you need to leave.”
He stepped toward her, “Alright, I don’t need a dress, but I am here for a reason.”
He held the file out to her, “I think you should take a look at this. See who it is you invited in between your legs last night.”
She let out a gasp and looked up at him in outrage and shock. He sneered at her, “Slut. At least this will show him.”
Then he turned on his heel and walked from the store, and she opened the file with shaking hands.
What she read made her blood go cold and she slumped against the counter.
