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.“Melting technique?”“He was looking for something different, original.And when I showed him how we could lay the patterned material on the walls and paint over them in a semi-translucent color and then apply low-grade heat, he was hooked.We used a tweed-ish material with an oatmeal overlay.”“You showed him my technique?” Violet asked.The air swirled about her head, dangerously.It was the first sign of fury; she knew it well as it was one of only two danger zones.But Brenda was her friend and her sense of loyalty was throwing her synapses all off whack.Fury had no place in friendship, right?Brenda covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes grew large.“Oh, Violet, I haven’t offended you, have I? It’s just that I was losing his interest so fast I had to think of something.And it isn’t like Melting is your trademark or anything.I mean, it’s a procedure anyone could have thought of.”“But anyone didn’t think of it.I thought of it.And patented it,” Violet ground out through her smile.“Oh God, Violet, you’re not mad, are you?” Brenda had finally caught a whiff of Violet’s inner fury and the water in her eyes threatened to spilleth over.Violet could feel the eyes of her staff and customers on her.It would not do to make a scene.And what would be the point? If she ran around now claiming the Melting technique was hers, it would only look like sour grapes.She would have to find another way to handle this.She shuffled her anger beneath her pain, which was anchored somewhere underneath her stomach and intestines, and shrugged, despite the dangerous pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears.“Don’t be silly.I’m happy for you.”She was the bigger person, she said to herself as she enveloped Brenda in a hug way too tight, hoping to rupture her spleen.Sometimes extra weight came in handy.But Brenda was immune to injury and pulled herself from Violet’s grasp, happy again.“Besides, this isn’t just a good thing for me.Ronald Bickman could have flown in someone from New York, Milan, Paris, anywhere.But he stuck with a designer from right here in Columbus.This is going to put all of us on the map.I hear his last home was featured in InStyle.”Violet winced and was only half joking when she said, “Okay, stop right now or I’m really going to have to do you bodily harm.”She hadn’t had a blow to the gut like this since.last night.And before that? Oh yes, the time she’d found out Brenda and Gary had been going at it like jackrabbits behind her back; that had nearly made her pass out.She’d always thought it was ridiculous when she’d read about women catching the “vapors” but that time she was pretty darned sure she’d caught a vapor or two.She must have caught a whole vat of vapors.She could barely crawl out of bed after that.If it weren’t for the fact that Brenda was her only friend, she would no longer be a friend at all, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.And the cheating thing, that was a memory best reminisced along with a bottle of tequila and a quart of ice cream at home.It had no place in the office.No place in the office!“You know, I feel a little headache right here between the eyes.” Violet tweaked the area of her nose in that spot, disappointed that it was actually true.It had started out such a wonderful day.“I know; it’s like my luck is incredible, right? But now I don’t know how I’m going to do everything.A wedding and a contract and we’re going to have to move, for sure.We need something way bigger, for expansion, you know?”Violet covered a hiccup behind pursed lips.The hiccups were the first sign of her second danger zone: the one she was more afraid of than blind fury.“Look at me standing around, shooting the breeze when there’s so much to do.Gotta go.I’ll see you later!” Brenda called happily, in her unique blustery, self-centered way.The bell tinkled behind her as her jaunty, skinny behind wiggled out the door.It was the tinkling bell signaling the utter futility of her life that finally did it.In what “law of averages” universal theory did spoiled little rich girls always trump lower–middle class, hardworking, smart, determined, ambitious girls? Every freakin’ time.Violet’s breath caught in a louder hiccup gasp and all eyes swung her way.Calm down, sister.But how could she calm down? Brenda stole her man and her contract right from under her! Her eyelid jerked ominously and before uttering another word she began a quick, stiff power walk to her office, feeling the eyes of her staff following her all the way.Shutting the door behind her, she fumbled the blinds closed, and made a mad sprint to her desk.Quickly, she procured an empty brown paper lunch bag from her hidden stash as the gasps erupted from her in progressively louder, stronger increments.Finally, Violet plopped into her chair, leaned her head between her knees, and pressed the opening of the bag to her face with trembling fingers.She let loose, breathing in a huge amount of air so quickly stars swam in front of her face, exhaling just as violently.The brown paper balled up tight and then expanded on her exhale like a crazed balloon as she gave in to the hyperventilation.What was the matter with her? Brenda was a twit.Why did she let her upset her? So what if she had Gary? He wasn’t any prize.So what if Violet had once thought he was the one? Didn’t mean anything.So what if Brenda passed her technique off as her own? Didn’t mean anything.So what, right?She was working that bag like an accordion.After a few minutes her lungs had relaxed, along with her shoulders, neck, and stomach; and she lifted her head, sighing as her body relaxed into the chair.She balled up the bag and tossed it into the trash, allowing her brain to take over now that her silly emotions were in check.She breathed her relief.Thank goodness she’d made it into her office.There was no way she could ever let her employees see her like this.Again, that is.Score one for Brenda.This time.Violet was none too happy but she had more important things to think about.Her friend had bested her, but Violet was nothing if not wily.She was nothing if not resourceful.She was nothing if.Her receptionist’s head jerked upward when Violet’s office door opened.Violet strode toward her, calm and in control once again.She knew what she had to do and everyone had to see her do it.She picked up the receiver and punched out some numbers.“Tracy? Violet Jackson.So, what is going on over there?” She laughed a fake laugh that would have been believable had it not been forced through a grimace instead of the requisite smile.“Has your boss lost his mind? I thought he was going to look at all the bids before making a decision.”Bickman’s overworked assistant was a competent, resourceful woman.Violet had known from the first moment she’d tracked Tracy down as she left work and followed her halfway home to accidentally trip over her and introduce herself as a “new designer with a few ideas” that Tracy was a force to be reckoned with.Tracy, on the other hand, was used to being targeted by eager business people, job hunters, and paparazzi on behalf of Ronald Bickman.Tracy answered warily, “I’m sorry, Violet.I tried to convince him to continue seeing designers but he was really impressed with Odyssey Designs.”“It doesn’t take much to impress him, does it? Never mind.You’ve got to get me in to see him.”“Oh, Violet, he’s already made up his mind.”“Has he already signed the contract?”“Not yet, but it’s right here in his in-basket.”“Pull it for me.”“I can’t do that, Violet.”“One meeting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]