Don’t Let Your BFF Drag You Into Their Comparisons
Day 136 of The Andie Chronicles
Wedged between James and Sophia, I couldn’t believe we were taking one of Douglas’ fleets to a warehouse.
It should have been a triumphant moment in our business development. Yet, it was the last place I wanted to be.
James couldn’t sit still. “This traffic is god awful. And where the fuck is this place?”
I didn’t understand his morning frustrations. I assumed it had something to do with the upcoming court date, but didn’t know for sure.
Yet, according to Barbie, he was handling it as well as I thought he was; not well. And that was from the very little I could see, and the even smaller of what he let me know.
I went to put my hand on his knee but then retracted it as fast as the thought came to me.
I didn’t know how to be around him.
Sophia seemed a little more calm, though James wasn’t helping her keep her cool.
“It’s where all the other retail warehouses in Melbourne are. Which is not in the city, so you’re going to have to be patient.” There was a pause.
“Couldn’t you be more like Andie?”
Oh hell, I thought. Don’t bring me into this.
The car pulled up in one of the back streets of Collingwood. I always adored the area; it was dirty, industrial yet modern and very happening.
You could walk down an alleyway and eat the most expensive steaks in Melbourne, and then walk back out to the main road and feel like you shouldn’t touch anything for fear of what you might catch.
The warehouse was grey, nondescript, accented by a black garage door and matching office entrance.
You wouldn’t know the scale of what was behind this facade until you stepped in.
Sophia led the way past a few offices, a bathroom and a break room into a sky-high warehouse. I couldn’t appreciate how many stories it was, but to reach the top shelving units, a person needed a crane.
A man in blue overalls met us at the warehouse entrance. “Sophia, come this way. Let me show you the section available if you want to take it.”
I followed behind my friends as we snaked our way around the space. I watched as James touched every piece of inventory they had in this warehouse.
Names, brands we knew, clothing we had seen in stores, shoes and bags, waiting for distribution. Our competitors, in a way. It was thrilling.
We stopped at the end of a vacant aisle. Both sides of the shelving were completely empty.
“This,” pointed the overalls man, “is the space for you.” Sophia looked at it, scanning the rows up and down.
“Hmm,” she mused, inspecting the aisle carefully. “I don’t think this will be big enough. Do you have more space?”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I remember when we thought about using my spare bedroom as storage for the clothes. Now, we were contemplating warehouses.
My body began to shake.
This didn’t feel right.
You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that, too.
Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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