Strictly Business

Chapter One: An Offer

Abby Winslow grabbed her keys off of the coffee table and kissed her husband on the cheek. She reached for her bright pink coat that was draped across the lavished, white loveseat as she slid on her white pumps.

“Going somewhere?” Her husband, Nick, questioned, raising an eyebrow and admiring her outfit. Abby had always paid careful attention to her looks and her style, but she seemed to be particularly over-dressed today, he thought. When she’d usually wear silver, today she wore pearls; when she usually wore her hair down, it was pinned up in an elegant bun, a sparkling pin holding all but a few curly strands in.

Abby smirked and rolled her eyes, “No, I’m going to bed,” she said sarcastically, buttoning the silver buttons on the boat, careful not to snag any of her jingly jewelry on the material.

Nick stood up, setting the newspaper down on the table next to his coffee. He walked to Abby, grabbing her by the waist and kissing her softly on the forehead. “You’re hilarious, honey. Really.”

“You know me,” she laughed, pulling away to grab her tan designer bad off of the floor. She slung it over her shoulder and smiled up at Nick, exchanging a telepathic gaze with him; he knew very well what she was going out to do.

He pushed back her black curls and smiled, gazing into her dazzling pale blue eyes, “You think you can reel in a good one?”

“Nicky, it’s me we’re talking about. I can do everything ten times better than the average person,” she said, standing up on her tip-toes to kiss the tip of his nose. With a smile, she scampered to the door, which was only a few feet away.

Nick walked over to the door with her, holding it open so she wouldn’t have to. “But it’s Chace we’re talking about. He doesn’t talk to anyone—what makes you think you can find someone in the middle of nowhere—”

“Nicky,” Abby interjected, holding a finger to his lips. She smirked, “Trust me. I know what I’m doing. I have a sense for these things.”

“That’s what you said about the last twelve people…”

“Those were experiments!” She barked defensively, stomping her foot. She frowned at Nick, “I’ve got a plan now—this time, I won’t find a stuffy, incompetent teenager who can’t even function well around boys. I’ll find a girl with the balls to stick up for herself, or else she’ll never stand a chance with Chace. I’ll find my diamond in the rough.” She said, sounding totally serious, with her jaw set stiffly in a line.

Nick scoffed at her, grinning, “This ain’t Aladdin, sweetheart.”

Abby didn’t laugh.

Nick’s eyes widened, “Well, I suppose I have to believe you, then.”

Abby finally smiled, nodding fervently. “Don’t you worry, Nicky. Chace will be interacting with someone other than the toaster before you can say ‘Abby is the best aunt ever.’”

Nick shook his head, laughing, “Well, good luck with that,” he said, helping his wife out the door as she clicked her white pumps on the ground on her way out. He stared at her as she walked to the car, and she glanced back for a moment.

“I don’t need it.”

---

“Please, Hanna, we’ve been over this.” I pleaded with her in the center of the town square with Simon, carrying our grocery bags at my side as she ogled an overly priced ice cream stand with greedy eyes. I held onto her hand as tightly as I could without hurting her, but the little girl really wanted ice cream.

“Come on, Shay! I want ice cream!” She beseeched me, tugging on my hand with all the strength she could possess.

“We can’t spend money so carelessly, Hanna. We have ice cream at home—”