The Next Chapter - Painted Pony

The Painted Pony, Chapter Five

Jamie sat in her office feeling like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. What was Courtney involved in that made her so hateful?  It was hard to imagine the poverty and disruption on the reservation since she had last visited. When her father was alive none of this was going on, now…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a customer entering the store. Herbal tonics and information seemed to be much in demand today. Maybe it wasn’t just her world that was in serious need of intervention, of fixing. The interaction with customers allowed her mind to be consumed with their problems instead of her own. It was lunch time before she realized it. 

If she hoped to have her friend take over the business for the next month so she could go back to the reservation and try to help correct what was happening, she needed to do that today.   Donna had expressed an interest in doing just that for some time now, it would be a good opportunity for her to really get involved and decide if she wanted to open her own store as part of Jamie’s chain. The other managers could handle what they had for a month. They had already proven that to Jamie’s satisfaction.

Donna greeted her with a cheerful hug and hello. “So you need to go home for a while.”

“Actually, I call this home. But I do need to go back to Ignacio to take care of some business. I hope I will be back by Christmas.”

“Wow, that’s over a month. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure if you want to take over the store for me for that long.  It will give you some real experience and help you decide if you want to buy into a franchise with me or not.”

“That it surely would. I am convinced, I already want to. But I’d love the chance to prove I can do it to myself and you.” Donna smiled a kind of faraway glaze came into her eyes.

“Why do I feel like a but, is coming here?”

Donna turned toward her and didn’t answer right away. Her pearl gray eyes seemed even more far away as if she was reading through Jamie. 

“What, what is it?”  Jamie felt a cold sweat start in the palms of her hands. Donna had a tendency to be clairvoyant and while it was part of their attraction to each other it sometimes made Jamie very nervous. What was her friend seeing now that Jamie had failed to see about this whole situation. 

Enjoy - until  next time, I hope it won't be so long.  Mean time think about Donna - how does she fit into this mix, does she see something that Jamie doesn't -- is it possible there is more to the whole than it's collective parts so far? 

Billie