Page 169 of Daddy's Pride
“Bri left,” said Isla.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Shit.”
“Precisely.”
“Leave it with me. I’ll get Mossie to come and show Giraffe to customers, and talk them through how all the repairs went. It’ll be a good draw.”
“Excellent, thanks.”
Isla headed back over to where Susie was sat. “Come on Susie; there’s a quiet room round the corner. I think we need to have a chat.”
Susie did not want to talk much. She was down to monosyllabic answers, and slight rocking back and forth. She didn’t even want to look at the kitty stuffie in Isla’s pocket, when she offered it.
Getting her phone out to call Bri, Isla slipped out of the quiet room and pulled the door closed behind her. Bri picked up on the first ring.
“Hello? Isla?”
“Bri, really sorry to bother you, but Susie’s in a bit of a state. I think she might be close to burnout. But she said you’d left?”
Briana swore. “I haven’t left left. Two seconds.” The call cut off suddenly, and then the door to the café across the foyer opened, and Bri hurried towards Isla, balancing two coffees and her mobile phone precariously, the coffee lids loosening and threatening to fall.
Isla took one of the coffees from her. “You look flustered.”
“Yeah, well, Susie wouldn’t go home, even though she’s exhausted, and I said that I was going to get some coffee. And in her so-tired-she-can’t-concentrate-properly state, I think she’s assumed that I meant that I was going going.” Bri sighed. “I know she’s your boss, and I probably shouldn’t say anything…”
“She’s my friend too,” said Isla. “And I’m worried about her.”
The weariness on Bri’s face showed how concerned she was too. “I just don’t know what to do. She won’t take time off work, she insists on working all of the hours… It’s just not sustainable.”
“Actually,” said Isla. “I’m hoping to maybe change my working pattern—a couple of days in the office, a couple of days working from home—maybe that could prompt a discussion where you bring up her work-life balance?”
“That’s definitely a possibility. Look, I’m going to go in; I don’t want her thinking that I actually left her behind.”
When Bri opened the door to the quiet room, Isla heard Susie exclaim, and then turned away as the very definite sound of tears drifted out. As friendly as she and Susie were, she didn’t think that Susie would want her to overhear that conversation.
It was a hard balance to get right, and she’d noticed that Littles often struggled to get it right. Isla had spent the last the years worrying about Rachel and her inability to feed or water herself when she was down an ADHD rabbit hole. That would be one of the benefits of moving down, she realized. She’d be able to keep a closer eye on Rachel, and make sure that she didn’t reach the levels of burnout that Susie was occupying.
She paused, before reentering the hall. Huh. She was assuming that the move was a done deal, before she’d even spoken to Rachel. Isla guessed that meant that she’d kind of made up her mind.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Clearing up did not take as long as anyone had expected. Once the market closed its doors to the public, Cat bought a round of drinks—alcoholic and otherwise—for all who remained, and Rachel was pleased to see that there was socializing happening alongside packing up.
Tel highlighted that the space wasn’t being used that evening, and suggested that if people wanted, they would be able to chill out in the café until it closed in a few hours.
Most of the vendors joined them, though it looked like Bri was going to take Susie home early. But Daniel and Mossie stayed, and a handful of the security guards as well. It all felt very jolly.
Nevertheless, in between discussions about how much stock to bring to market, and which website made the most ethical porn, Rachel found her gaze always landing upon Isla.
Despite the fact that she’d clearly been overwhelmed during the day, her girlfriend was doing her best. A bit more relaxed now, Isla was chatting away with Emma, but her smile seemed always reserved for Rachel. Every time their eyes met, Isla gave this lovely half-smile, where the corners of her eyes crinkled up, and Rachel decided that they most definitely weren’t staying out late.
She needed her girlfriend to do her.
Thoroughly.
She gave up on waiting for everyone to tire out and begin leaving, and strode over, offering her hand to Isla.
“Hey babygirl. You okay?”