Chapter 33
DeeAnn and Sheila sat at her kitchen table with DeeAnn’s laptop in front of them.
“So, after you place the photo on the page, you can change the color or texture or anything,” Sheila said.
“But that’s not really a page,” DeeAnn said.
“Well, you know what I mean,” Sheila said, exasperated.
“It’s pretty cool,” DeeAnn said. “But after I finish all this, then what do I do?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean how do I get the pages off my computer and into my hands? Can I print them?”
“Well, sure. Depending on your page size. If you have a regular scrapbook page, there are places that you can send your pages to and they will print them. Or you can keep them on CDs, jump drives, whatever.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Some people don’t feel the need for paper and clutter. They lead digital lives.” Sheila grinned.
“Sounds fancy,” DeeAnn said, sliding her computer over and her sandwich toward her. Sheila had brought lunch. She made the most wonderful sandwiches—this one was avocado and cream cheese with lettuce and tomatoes. DeeAnn would never have imagined putting all of those ingredients together. But it was good.
“When are you going back to work?” Sheila asked.
DeeAnn shrugged. “I guess when the doc tells me I can.”
“How are you feeling?”
“As long as I have the pain medicine, I’m fine. But when it starts to wear off, I’m not happy. And Jacob won’t let me have more. I say if it hurts I need one. He says only two a day. Prick.” She laughed.
“Guess the bastard likes you or something,” Sheila said and then took a bite of her sandwich.
The two sat quietly for a few minutes as they each ate their sandwiches.
“I’ve been thinking about those paper dolls of yours,” DeeAnn said. “I love them. Have you shown them to your boss yet?”
Sheila shook her head. “I’ll be seeing him next week. I don’t have much hope that they’ll be interested in carrying a line of paper dolls, though. I don’t think they are a popular toy these days.”
“That makes me sad,” DeeAnn said and then paused. “How is Donna?”
The color in Sheila’s faced drained. DeeAnn was sorry she asked.
“I don’t think she’s going back to school anytime soon. They said they’d hold her scholarship for two years. She seems to be fine for days, and then . . .” Sheila gestured. “I don’t know. She weakens. I don’t like leaving her. In fact, I think I might quit my job.”
“What?” DeeAnn dropped her sandwich. “Your dream job?”
“It is a dream job in a way. But it’s not exactly how I thought it would be—and it came at such a bad time for the family. I feel . . . pulled so much of the time. I’m not sure it’s worth it.”
DeeAnn was surprised to hear it. She thought Sheila was so thrilled with her work. “Hey, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. Things happen. Priorities shift.”
Sheila smiled. “Isn’t that the truth?”
The telephone blared. It was a woman from Hathaway Transatlantic Employment. “Just confirming tomorrow’s appointment,” she said.
“I’ll be here,” DeeAnn said. And she wasn’t the only one. Annie would be there and so would Beatrice. Sheila couldn’t make it, as she was going to New York City.
DeeAnn finished the call, hung up the phone, and explained who had called.
“I wish I could be there,” Sheila said. “It should be interesting.”
“I’ll say,” DeeAnn said. “There’s definitely something fishy about these folks.”
“Maybe not.” Sheila pushed her glasses back up on her nose. “Maybe they are exactly what they say they are. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“I wish I could believe that. I don’t understand why Pamela uses them when there are locals who need the work. Maybe it’s because she can get away with paying them less than minimum wage.”
“She does?”
“Good Lord, the woman has more money than God,” DeeAnn said.
“Maybe that’s why—she’s very frugal with it.”
“Baloney! She was born into money and married into it. She’s a selfish bitch.” DeeAnn couldn’t believe she actually said that. But she did—and it felt good to acknowledge that it was exactly how she felt. It wasn’t sour grapes because the Pie Palace was so successful. It was as if that feeling about Pamela had been swirling around inside her for a long time and she just now recognized it.
Sheila lurched back, her hand to her chest.
“I mean it, Sheila, no pussyfooting around about it. When you own a business, you need to treat the people who work for you as good as you can,” DeeAnn said.
“True. Speaking of that, I brought dessert, too, from my favorite bakery.” Sheila reached down next to her feet and lifted a “DeeAnn’s Bakery” bag. Inside was a box of cupcakes.
When she lifted the lid, DeeAnn sighed. Four gorgeous cupcakes were decorated to look like witch hats.
“Chocolate raspberry,” Sheila said. “So beautiful. I don’t know how she does it.”
A lovely, handwritten card was tucked inside the box from her crew.
DeeAnn held back a tear she felt stinging her eyes, then she took a deep breath and shrugged. Well, if she couldn’t be at her shop, it was a good thing Jill was. Figuring she may as well enjoy the treats, DeeAnn reached into the box for a gorgeous cupcake and when she took a bite of it, it tasted like sweet heaven.