Page 40 of The Estate
“I pitched them using our own in-house tool since that would be the most economical and quickest. They thought it was a great idea.”
Rachel both loved and hated that he kept calling it her suggestion. Cal was going to hate this idea. He resented that his parents spent money to hire outside consultants, and now they were investing more money and time for a new system. If he found out it was her recommendation… she refused to consider that.
To avoid alerting Seth to the possible issue, she replied, “That’s excellent news. Did you and the Fitzgeralds discuss a timeline for this? Should I incorporate it into the final stages of the project plan, or will we be treating it like its own standalone project?”
“Well, as you discussed, one bonus of this new system is being able to pull the data we need for the current project. The Fitzgeralds were good with implementing it now and pushing back the deadline for the recommendation report.”
Dang it all to heck and back. She’d forgotten that point. Cal was about to lose his mind when he found out they were making a switch and doing it soon. “Okay,” she said, keeping the enthusiasm in her voice. “I’ll start adjusting the project plan to accommodate converting over to a new system.”
“Please do,” Seth replied. “And circulate the new timeline to everyone involved. I’ll huddle up with people here and get more information on implementation.
“Oh wait. Before you finalize a new timeline, reach out to Cal and get his thoughts on the switch. Make sure our normal system conversion estimates are correct.”
“Will do,” she said weakly. Her thoughts whirled as Seth gave her a nod and left.
Could this get any worse?
She now had the joyous job of breaking the news to Cal about a new software system. He was going to hate this. Although, hearing about it from his parents would have sent him through the stratosphere. She didn’t know him all that well, but she’d seen the friction between them from the get-go. Having his parents break this news would have definitely been worse.
When the microwave dinged, she took out her container and walked down to her office. Her appetite was gone, so she just set it aside. She thought about calling Cal but her gut told her she ought to do this in person. Decision made, she grabbed her coat and bag and left. She had to let Cal know the situation, and sheneeded to bring reinforcements. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that her brain was screaming at her to stress eat.
Not at all.
???
When she entered Pie in the Sky forty minutes later, she knew she’d done the right thing. The scents of chocolate, yeast, and coffee swirled together to make an intoxicating perfume of temptation. Her stomach rumbled to remind her that she’d walked out of the office without eating.
There wasn’t a line, so Rachel browsed the row of bakery cases looking for her next victim. She could hear Mrs. S in the back room talking. It sounded as if she were interrogating someone about the taste of a pastry. She loved that Mrs. S was always looking to try new flavors.
Returning to the counter, she placed her order. “Can I get a large caramel latte for here and a ham and cheese croissant? I’d also like a large Americano to go and two of the oatmeal raisin cookies. Can I pay for those now, but have the Americano made after I’ve eaten?”
“Sure thing,” the cashier said just as Mrs. S walked out carrying a tray of cookies. Putting it down, she regarded Rachel and raised an eyebrow. Rachel didn't even pretend to not know what the older woman was saying.
“And a peanut butter fluff blondie,” she said with a sigh.
Mrs. S laughed. “Oh, don’t sound so put out. We both know you would be leaving with that blondie.”
Rachel laughed. “Well, you don’t have to be smug about it. I was playing hard to get.”
Mrs. S smiled and moved down the case to grab her croissant.
“Would you prefer the blondie here or to go?” the cashier asked pleasantly.
“To go would be great. Thank you.”
“Let me heat this up a little for you,” Mrs. S said, carrying the croissant into the back.
“Thanks, Mrs. S,” she called. There weren’t many tables in the bakery, but as it was early afternoon, she had her pick. Grabbing a seat somewhat out of the way, she’d barely settled herself before her latte arrived. The first sip was pure heaven and helped settle every jangly part of her. Could coffee and pastry be considered meditation? If so, this was a meditation practice she could get behind.
Shortly after, Mrs. S emerged with her croissant, making Rachel’s mouth water. Placing the dish on the table, Mrs. S asked, “Would you mind a little company? I was about to take a break and have lunch."
“That would be lovely,” Rachel responded, even as her stomach grumbled loudly. It obviously had gotten the memo that food was near. Slapping a hand across her abdomen, Rachel felt her face flush. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”
“We hear it all the time,” Mrs. S said, grinning. “You be sure to start without me. I’ll be right back.”
Rachel only had time for one melt-in-your-mouth bite before Mrs. S returned with her own lunch. Fighting the impulse for all of twenty seconds, she eventually caved and asked what the other woman was having. It smelled so good.
“This is our turkey bean chili turnover,” she replied as she cut off a piece of the flaky pastry. She pushed it across onto Rachel’splate, adding, “It’s become one of our more popular items. I thought the beef one would be, but we sell more of the turkey ones.”
