Slay Bells - Hildie McQueen
Chapter One
Gabriela Diaz’ editor at Today’s Lifestyle magazine caught her at a weak moment and she’d accepted the assignment no one else wanted. Who in their right mind would leave the vibrant city of San Diego during the holidays for an assignment at a location that could easily pass for Siberia? Her best friend, Mila had kicked her under the conference table, but it was too late, she’d already raised her hand.
“Wonderful, we have a volunteer,” Genevieve, her boss, said with a surprised expression. Her eyes narrowed and overly plumped lips curved with satisfaction. “Gabriela, you will love it. I’m sure.”
The meeting continued, but Gabriela didn’t hear a thing, her mind had gone blank after accepting the assignment. There was so much to do and if she left, it would be impossible to complete a myriad of tasks, not just for work, but personal as well.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re going to miss all the parties and gift exchanges, unless you fly back every weekend,” Mila hissed when leaving the meeting.
“Oh, I don’t know. Could be I haven’t slept more than a couple hours a night in weeks, my damn ex is harassing everyone I know for my address, and oh let’s not forget, my dog died.” At the last remark, Gabriela sniffed. “Poor Bailey.”
“I can ask to go with you,” Mila offered weakly. In Gabriela’s opinion, a true measure of a good friend was one who would go with you to a shithole assignment. Then she considered that the other friend would of course turn her down.
Just then their boss click-clacked her way toward them. The newest Manolos or Jimmy Choos making quick work across the shiny office flooring. “Gawbreela, I appreciate your willingness to take the travel assignment,” Genevieve said, making Gabriela cringe at the way her boss always mispronounced her name. “You will love Montana, it’s beautiful.”
“Have you been Genevieve?” Gabriela knew the woman had not, but asked anyway.
Genevieve’s lips curved just enough to make her look like the Grinch. “I have seen many, many pictures. Each time the caption states that they cannot do it justice.”
Both Mila and Gabriela stared at the woman waiting to hear what other idiotic thing she’d say.
Genevieve turned as if someone called. “Oh, I have a phone call.” She hurried off to answer the imaginary call.
“She’s a number,” Mila said, shaking her head. “Knows damn well the only place she goes in the west is wherever shirtless men serve her drinks. Las Vegas probably has a welcome sign with her name on it.”
Gabriela giggled. “She is a perve, but I have to say, that last party she posted on social media did look fun.”
“The one with the guys wearing tiny aprons and nothing else? Scandalous,” Mila said. “Let’s go have lunch.”
After salads and gossip, they walked back to their offices. Downtown San Diego was vibrant, the weather chilly, but never cold, just enough of a breeze to give the illusion of the upcoming holiday season.
“You should probably go pack,” Mila suggested. “It sounded like they needed you to leave right away.”
Gabriela hesitated in front of the elevators, not quite sure where to go and what to do. She didn’t have the energy to go home and do any research on the place where she’d be spending the holidays.
With the sun peeking out through the clouds outside, it was a beautiful day in San Diego and the last thing she wanted to do on a Friday afternoon was look at pictures of snow and forests or whatever else they had in Montana.
“On the bright side, it will get me away. Perhaps, it’s the cosmos telling me I need to get away.” Gabriela tried to sound serious, but she’d never been one for believing in what she often referred to as “woo-woo things.”
Mila gave her a bland stare. “I believe Pluto is circling Uranus.”
However, one part of what she’d said was definitely true. The assignment would get her away from the pestering ex-boyfriend and the constant reminders of Bailey’s death. She’d owned the dog since it was a puppy, over twelve years. The dog had been a gift for her sixteenth birthday from her grandmother. It had been a wonderful day. They’d gone to her favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, to eat, after spending most of the day at the in Old Town, a place she never grew tired of. Then to end the day, upon returning home, she’d found a furry whining puppy on her bed.
The more Gabriela considered it,