Page 85 of Rich Girl
I turn my head to check and make sure that no one is listening to my conversation. Not sure why I feel self conscious about it, but I know how this next part of the conversation will go, and I don’t want to hurt Evie’s feelings should I say anything that I don’t really mean.
“It’s in a flower shop…”
“A flower shop?” Adeline’s voice echoes in my head. “Doing what?”
“I, uh, I…” I check behind me again. “I help Evie with creating flower arrangements.”
Adeline doesn’t say a word. It’s like she’s trying to process what I just told her.
“How do you do that?” she finally asks. “Design them on the computer for her?”
I look down at my battered fingers and smile. The blisters are no longer there, but I get cuts from the plants almost every day, and I have a couple of calluses forming.
“No, I actually work with flowers.”
“Hayden Benedict, have you lost your ever loving mind?”
“No, listen to me.” I try to come up with the right words. “I got into it. I really enjoy doing it now. I had a hard time at first. But I’m getting better at it, and faster. Evie has been an incredible teacher, so patient…”
“Hayden, I have to stop you,” Adeline warns. “This is insane. I can’t process it. You actually work in a flower shop now?”
I swallow hard. “Yes.”
“And you made friends there?” She sounds incredulous.
“Yes,” I repeat.
“And you have feelings for Ray Parker.Realfeelings.”
She doesn’t ask me this time. She knows. This is serious.
“Are you happy?”
I don’t have to think about it. “I am.”
“Okay.” She lets out a long breath of air. “This is a lot more than what I thought I’d be getting out of this phone call.”
We both laugh at that.
“Did you clarify everything with the police?” she asks, reminding me of the reason I am here and not with Ray.
“I did, but they can’t release Ray yet.”
I explain the entire situation to her, feeling out of breath by the time I’m done.
“How can all the judges be in Las Vegas?” she muses. “Is that normal? I didn’t know they have conventions for judges.”
“Same,” I agree. “And I don’t know what to do. How do I get one of them to sign off on the papers that exonerate Ray of all charges?”
“Let me ask Derek.”
She puts the phone to the side, and I can hear them talking. Meanwhile, I walk back to where Ray’s attorney is, just in case he can help with any information.
Adeline gets back on the line just as I step into the room where everyone is.
“Derek says to take the papers to the judge.”
Finally I feel a shred of optimism.
