“This is Grady.”
There was silence on the other end. I pulled the phone away from my face to make sure I’d answered.
“Hello?” I said.
I heard a deep breath before she spoke. “Hi, I’m here, sorry.”
My head tilted to the side when I heard her voice. It was soft and low with the curling accent that I’d gotten used to in the past month and a half. But it … I shook my head … something about it made the hairs lift slightly on my arms.
“Did you mean to call my number?” I asked carefully.
Inexplicably, I found myself holding my breath waiting for her to answer.
“I heard you’re looking for help. Administrative help,” she clarified.
My head went back. “Did you?”
She was quiet for a second. “Small town,” she explained. “People talk.”
I laughed under my breath. “So I’m learning.”
It made me shake my head. The darknet had nothing on the Green Valley information pipeline. “So,” I continued, “tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“Of course.” For the second time since I picked up, she let out an audible breath. “I have my BS in Business Administration, an MBA from Vanderbilt, and other than college, I’ve lived in Green Valley my whole life.”
Scratching the side of my face, I glanced around at the horrific state of the office and tried to imagine someone with an MBA wanting anything to do with it. My face was bent in a grimace
“I’ve spent the past five years as an office administrator for my …” She paused. “For a local business, and I’m looking to change things up. Fresh start.”
I sat up slowly. “I can understand wanting a fresh start. That’s why I’m here.”
“I know. I, umm, I heard that. In town.” She stumbled slightly over her words, and I smiled. “I’m not very outdoorsy, and I know that’s what you’ll be doing, but I’m the most organized person you’ll ever meet. My label maker is my favorite accessory, and I have lists for my to-do lists. And I know every single business owner from here to Maryville.”
I laughed. “You sound like you’re already in your interview.”
She laughed too, and I grimaced when my chest tightened. It caused a strong enough physical sensation that I glanced down at my body, like it was separate from me somehow.
“I can come in and fill out an application, if you’d like,” she said.
I laughed under my breath. “If I had applications, I’d say yes.” I glanced around the mess surrounding me. “But … I’m not quite that prepared yet.”
“That’s also why you need someone who knows how to get an office up and running.”
“That’s true,” I agreed. “Can you come in tomorrow so we can talk a little bit more? Since I don’t have an application.”
“That would be great,” she said firmly. The stumbling was gone. I found myself wondering how old she was. What she looked like.
If I had a calendar, I would’ve glanced at it. But that was also buried in a stack of papers.
“How does nine sound? Do you need the address?”
“Sounds perfect,” she answered. “And uh, no, thank you. I know where to find you.”
I shook my head.
“Small town,” we said in unison. She laughed, and my smile took up my whole damn face.
“Then I’ll see you at nine tomorrow …” My voice trailed off. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m still working on my Southern manners.”
She laughed. My chest did that thing again. It wasn’t the heavy press of panic. It was a lightening. A lifting of whatever pressure I’d been feeling before she called.
She spoke slowly, like she was thinking carefully about her answer. “You can call me Lia.”