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“Oh, shit!” Lola’s hand pressed to her chest as her heart launched into her throat Her Fridayoff to a very unexpected, insane start “What the fuck?” she ed to squeak out

“Killer, huh?” Sarah beamed as she stood beside Lola, just outside the conference room

“Oh My God Staci’s in there” Lola tried to breathe It was a natural function One that shouldn’t require any sort of thought or effort Yet, for Lola, at that moment, it demanded her full concentration

She should have known so was up A table had been placed next to the door of the conference roo coffee set out Obviously for a surprise guest She never would have believed it was the surprise guest of the century

In a very calet to mention that?” She smiled coyly “Anyway, Todd and I talked about hoere bringing in the ad agency so quickly, and he suggested it’d be cool to have Staci here before that, and I took that as an exploit nepotisirl has to do, right?”

Lola’s head whipped in Sarah’s direction “You could have warned me,” she snapped

“No” Sarah insisted “I couldn’t take the chance You wouldn’t have slept all night and look as refreshed as you do And it iven you a whole mind-block, which won’t help in a situation like this What you have to do,” Sarah said as she gripped Lola by the shoulders, “is be as savvy as you have been since Tuesday—screw Monday, right?—and look Staci in the eye and sell this caarding those within being the true stewards of shoe sales?”

Lola sed hard

Holy shit

Hoas this happening? She’d just bought a car She’d signed a lease on an apartment She couldn’t afford to lose her job, or she’d end up living in her parents’ house

No! Not an option!

Oh, God What if she opened her mouth in front of Staci and all that came out was blah, blah, blah that didn’t make any sense at all?

“How could you do this to ht ere like, you know, beco friends”

“We are” Sarah stared into her eyes “I would not have called Staci if I didn’t believe, to the depths ofto launch this co else you need to know…” She actually cupped Lola’s face with her hands and stared even harder “Staci wouldn’t have come just because I called She caown it”

She released Lola and sauntered into the conference room