When the last immediate line disappeared, Vee finally exhaled.
She walked behind the counter, kicked her shoes off with a groan, and dropped into a chair. Her toes flexed against the cool tile floor.
Tina leaned against the counter beside her, handing her a bottle of water.
"Thank you," Vee muttered, taking a long drink.
Her eyes scanned the shop. Full register. Stacks of receipts.
What did you do?
She picked up her phone, thumb hovering over his name.
Part of her wanted to be furious. To accuse him of interfering. Of controlling. Another part of her felt something softer. He believed in her enough to move mountains. Or at least customer traffic.
She hit call, leaned back in the chair.
"Alright, devil," she murmured under her breath, a tired smile ghosting across her lips. "Tell me what you did."
"Bambola…" his voice drifted from the phone as soon as he picked up.
