Page 49 of Heart Me Up
When I told Greg about it, he agreed with me. “She wasn’t here very long. Having her give a big apology production would just stir up old gossip and distract the team. And, to be honest, the only people who remember her are the two of us and Kat.”
I nodded. “Maybe she can write a letter or something instead.”
I told Foster to give Silvia my number, and my phone rang a few minutes later.
After exchanging greetings, I told Silvia why we didn’t want Corrie to come to the resort, and I suggested the letter option.
Silvia made ahmmmnoise. “I understand, but I’d rather she made her apology in person. Writing a letter would be too easy for her.”
I grinned, even though Silvia couldn’t see it. She was right. An in-person apology would be much more stressful for Corrie. Hah, Foster could attest to that.
“Okay, how about this? Why don’t you bring her to my house and she can apologize to me. If the timing works out I can have my business partner Greg there too.” The man in question wrinkled his nose and mouthedNoat me. I stuck my tongue out at him.
Silvia said, “Yes, that will work. Do you mind if we do it today? I want to get Corrie away from the people she and her mother have been living with.”
I consulted with Greg, who happily agreed to hold down the fort at work if I didn’t make him witness Corrie’s apology. Kat was off today, so it’d only be me.
I told Silvia I could meet them at my house in thirty minutes. Once we hung up, I texted Malcolm to let him know I was on my way home and some guests were coming over. I didn’t think I’d have any issues getting Malcolm to hang out in his room while Corrie and Silvia were there. He wasn’t exactly a people person.
Chapter23
Foster
I textedCraig’s number to Silvia, then turned back to Amy.
“How about this one?” She smirked gleefully while holding out a glittering pink rhinestone dog collar.
“No. And no pictures either,” I warned her. “Mike and the others can suck it,”
She pouted dramatically. “Damn. You’re no fun.”
We were spending our lunch break in the dog collar aisle at PetSmart. Amy had practically run to the car when I’d asked her to help me pick something out.
I selected a plain black leather collar. “Here. This is good.” After a quick glance around for store clerks and other shoppers, I quickly unbuckled it and wrapped it around my neck to check the size. “This one works.” I turned to leave, but Amy was standing in my way with her hands on her hips.
“Foster. This is supposed to be abigromantic gesture. That,” she waved dismissively at the collar I’d chosen. “Is boring. You could walk around town wearing that and hardly anyone would notice. The one Craig had on in the photo was a lot more, you know, like a statement.”
I got what she was saying. A more noticeable collar would be the braver choice. And I’d be wearing it at home, so nobody but Craig would see it. “You’re right,” I sighed. “It needs to be flashy like that one.”
“Exactly.” She held up the pink collar again. I shook my head, but a search through the rest of the collars was fruitless. The one in Amy’s hand was the only rhinestoned option in my size. All the others were designed for tiny purse-sized dogs. I regarded at the leather collar again. It was too bad I couldn’t…. Or could I?
“Isn’t there a craft store around the corner from here?”
Amy grinned. She put the pink rhinestone collar back on the rack.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Forty-five long minutes of craft store shopping later, I was sitting sideways in the passenger seat, holding a plastic bag over my shirt while Amy stood next to the open car door and applied rhinestone letters to the leather collar around my neck. The smell of the glue made my eyes water.
“Remind me again why I have to wear it while you do this?”
Amy stood back and tilted her head to the side to evaluate her work. “Because the glue needs to dry while the collar is in a circle, not lying flat. And this way I can center the letters on your neck.”
I made ahmmmnoise. “It seems to me we’d get the same effect if we just fastened the collar without it being around my neck.”
Amy grinned. “But this is more entertaining for me.”
