it raised the question—why wasn't Lee working somewhere else? Somewhere where she could make a heck of a lot more money than we could pay her.
Cam, bless her soul, knew exactly what I was thinking because she said, "I don't mean to pry but with a degree like that and the fact that you graduated cum laude, why aren't you working in Dallas for a big firm or somewhere in town where you can make a lot more money?"
Lee smiled, but it was weak. "You want the honest answer or the one that sounds the best?"
"Honesty, please," I said.
"I've never wanted to live anywhere but Farley. I liked college but I missed home. And I like the idea of working for a small business. It will give me a chance to learn and grow with the company."
I glanced at Cam. That sounded a lot like something she'd told me when she was getting ready to graduate college. I'd asked her to get an apartment with me in Dallas but she wanted to go back home. She liked it there and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
I saw her expression and knew that she wanted to hire Lee based on that answer alone. But that wasn't necessarily a smart business practice, so I asked a few more questions about her work experience and if she would be willing to develop a marketing plan for the shop.
Cam chimed in a few times but I knew that everything Lee said only cemented her decision.
After a half hour, Cam rose to her feet and I followed her lead. "Thanks for coming in today, Lee. Can you give me a few minutes to talk to Cam? Feel free to grab a drink or something while you wait."
Lee stood as well. "No problem."
As soon as Lee walked out of the office, Cam turned to me. "I want to hire her."
I bit back a sigh. "I do, too, but we should at least check with her references first."
Cam nodded. "We should do that, but I can tell you right now that if Natalie Phelps recommends her, all her references will, too."
"So you want to give her the job immediately?" I asked.
"Yeah, I do."
"Then, I defer to your judgment. I pitch in around here, but this is your baby."
Cam nudged me with her elbow. "Stop that. It's a joint endeavor. Let me go grab her and tell her she got the job."
She left the office and returned with Lee in tow. I'd moved to the chair behind the desk by the time they entered and Cam rolled her eyes at me, probably because I was swinging back and forth in the swivel seat.
"Lee, Sierra and I discussed it and we would like to offer you the job," Cam said.
Lee's smile was radiant. "Really?"
"Yep," I answered.
"Great! When do you need me to start?" she asked.
"The sooner, the better," Cam replied.
Lee seemed to mull that over. "I'll have to shift some of my clients around. You'll mostly need me in the afternoons, correct?" she asked.
Cam nodded. "The shop is closed to customers on Monday, but we're open from two to eight Tuesday through Saturday and three to eight on Sunday. We come in early to prep, so noon to eight would be your usual shift most days once we're ready to have you here full-time."
She nodded. "Any idea when that might be?"
Cam looked at me and I answered for her. "Probably early next year."
"Okay. Can you give me a week to reschedule my cleaning clients before I start?"
"Of course," I answered.
Cam and Lee decided her first day would be toward the end of next week and she left with a smile still on her face.
"Now that the interview is done, on to more important things. Do we want to have lunch delivered or go to the cafe to eat?" I asked her.
"Pizza," Cam replied with a laugh.
"That's the reason we're friends—pizza."
"And because it's one of the only places in town that delivers. Just call it in. And get me a salad."
I shook my head. "Ruining a perfectly good pizza with salad. Maybe I was wrong about the reasons we're friends."
I grinned as she laughed again. But I got us both a salad when I ordered.
Cam insisted I go home a few hours before closing time because I'd put my foot down and told her she was leaving early tomorrow night and taking Sunday off. I'd wanted to argue about going home, but my feet were killing me. I still hadn't gotten