Empty Net

“Can’t wait.”


Audrey’s grin was unstoppable as she drove to Rocky Top Wines. It was going to be a quick meeting and she was ready to get it over with. After parking the car, she grabbed her files and headed inside. Taking a different elevator than she normally would, she headed up to the second floor and down the hall to Fallon’s office. Rob, Fallon’s assistant, had an appreciative look on his face as he watched her enter. Dressed to impress, he wore dark blue slacks, a white dress shirt, and pink suspenders. His dark hair was brushed to the side and he had big geeky black glasses on. He was too cute for words.

Too bad he was gay; they would have made a beautiful closet together.

“I swear, Ms. Audrey, I don’t know where you get these clothes, but damn, you look good!”

Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes. She knew for a fact that Rob was not interested in anything but her outfit, and she was glad he liked it. She shared a smile with him and said, “Thanks, Rob. Is my sis in there?”

“She is! Go on in,” he said, hugging her before she walked away.

Opening the door, she saw Fallon on the phone, talking very loud.

“I understand that, Lucas, but I don’t think he needs a tree house for Christmas. That is ridiculous and I refuse to spend thirteen thousand on it!” Audrey rolled her eyes as she sat down in front of Fallon’s desk. “Whatever, we’re not doing it! Lucas, oh my God. Okay, whatever you say, no, you’re gonna do what you want anyways. Yes, you are! Well that isn’t fair. Oh, you frustrate me!”

Fallon looked up and shot Audrey a smile. “Listen, Audrey’s here, I gotta let you go. Yeah yeah yeah, love you more.” Hanging up the phone, she told Audrey, “He is crazy.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“No you don’t, ’cause it will just frustrate you,” Fallon said, shaking her head. “Anyway, do you have those mock-ups?”

Audrey tried to control her laughter as she handed Fallon the paperwork that officially started the meeting. Rocky Top Wines was expanding into four more states, and Fallon needed to know all the customer inputs and stuff like that. Audrey found it boring as all get out and hated talking about it. She would have much preferred to sleep or make cupcakes. She had made some amazing butter-beer cupcakes for her night with Tate when they watched the first three Harry Potter movies. He had mentioned that he wanted to try butter beer, so she decided to do that in a cupcake. She knew he would love them.

Fallon glanced up from a list of companies wanting to buy from Rocky Top and narrowed her eyes.

“Am I boring you?”

“You know darn well it isn’t you, it’s the fact that I hate this.”

Fallon narrowed her eyes. “Hate what?”

“This company, I hate it.”

Her sister shook her head. “Actually,” she said, putting the list down, “I didn’t know you hated working here.”

“Oh, well, I do,” Audrey admitted, looking up at the ceiling. “I want to quit so bad.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yes,” she said, looked back at Fallon. “I feel trapped here.”

“What the hell? Where is this coming from?”

“Come on, Fallon, you know I’m not happy here.”

“I mean, I knew you were bored but I didn’t know you hated it. This is our family’s company; it should mean something to you.”

“It does, but I’d much rather do something else.”

“Like what?”

Audrey looked down, picking at her nails as she shrugged one shoulder. “I want to open a cupcakery,” she said shyly. “I want to make cupcakes for a living, make people happy.”

It was the first time she told anyone other than Tate. Glancing up, she saw Fallon smiling at her and couldn’t help smiling back. “Really?” her sister said.

“Yeah.”

“Then do it. Quit.”

Audrey laughed. “You make it sound so easy; you’re just like Tate.”

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