Free [B.S. #1] Tied Up in Knotts by Dale Cadeau Page A

around the door, looking to see if anyone was up and around. She hoped to run into Clay first. Instead she spotted James pouring himself a cup of coffee, the last person she wanted to see first.
    James’s blue eyes assessed her. “I see you there. You don’t have to skulk around.” Raising his cup, James asked her if she would like some coffee.
    Avery looked at James who still looked sleep ruffled. “Didn’t you go home last night?”
    “No, I had a lot of work to catch up on and it was easier to sleep here then go back to my apartment for a few hours.” James poured Avery some coffee and put it on the table between them.
    “I’m sorry about last night.”
    James looked at her. “Don’t let it bother you. I wasn’t thinking either, barging into your apartment.” He sat wearily down at the table and took a long drink of his coffee.
    “So, it’s OK between us? Clay wasn’t mad at you? I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Avery said in a small voice. She didn’t want to step in it again.
    James set his cup down and really looked at Avery now that the coffee had woken up his brain. He took in the long skirt that almost touched her ankles, the buttoned-up blouse to her chin, and the long blonde hair now captured in a bun at the back of her head. “What are you dressed up for?”
    “Is there something wrong with the way I’ve dressed? I’m trying to present a proper look for the office.” Avery’s voice had now risen as she took in James’s words.
    “If we were in a retirement home, you would be dressed properly. As we are an investment firm, I think we can do without the old lady clothes. We want people to think we are on top of our game and the best there is to have. Not that we have stalled in the last century.” James knew the moment the words left his mouth, that she was going to take offense, but couldn’t retract them.
    Looking at Avery’s angry expression, James could tell that he really put his foot in it this time. The old lady at the door became a spitting kitten again. As he watched her, her over-powdered face turned a bright red. “You think I look like an old lady? Well thanks for your opinion. It’s a good thing you’re not the boss. I would be on my ass out on the sidewalk by now,” Avery spat back at him.
    Grabbing her coffee cup off the table, she gave James her back and walked toward the door of the kitchen.
    “We’ll just see what Clay thinks. After all, only his opinion matters, he is the boss.” Avery held her head high, her back stiff, and left the kitchen and headed for the front reception desk.
    “Clay won’t be able to protect you all the time,” James replied to her back.
    Sitting down at her desk, she plopped her coffee cup down, spilling it with the force she used. She had to get her temper under control before Clay got here. Grabbing a tissue, she was mopping up the mess when Clay walked in the front door.
    God, this day was going downhill and it wasn’t even the start of the work day yet.
    Clay walked up to the front desk and watched as Avery mopped up her mess.
    “Did you and James make nice this morning? Or am I seeing the end of the argument and the coffee lost?” Clay asked with a smile in his voice.
    “Well we started out OK, but James seems to think he is the fashion police. He thought I looked like an old lady from a retirement home,” Avery said, pointing at the clothes she wore.
    “Clay, give me your opinion. I think I look professional.”
    Clay held both hands up. “Don’t get me between the two of you. I think you look nice, but a bit starchy for this office. After all, the people we will be dealing with will want to feel comfortable. The more comfortable they are, the longer they’ll stay. So yes, I think you look professional, but a nice pair of slacks and a top would do.
    Avery sputtered up at him. “I’ll just go change them.”
    Clay grabbed her elbow as she started to head down the hall and the stairs to her apartment. “Look we are