BooksBarbecue
Back Our Italian Summer
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for the novels of
  3. Titles by Jennifer Probst
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. CHAPTER TEN
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  17. CHAPTER TWELVE
  18. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  42. NOTE TO READER
  43. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  44. Readers Guide
  45. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
  46. Excerpt from THE SECRET LOVE LETTERS OF OLIVIA MORETTI
  47. Chapter One
  48. Chapter Two
  49. About the Author
  50. What’s next onyour reading list?

She’d rushed out of the room and left me behind.

She wasn’t listening anyway.

CHAPTER NINE

Francesca

“What do you mean they want me off the account? It’s my company.”

I stared in growing disbelief at Kate and Layla, who, after a long, drawn-out reunion consisting of me telling them the details of my panic attack and reassuring them I was fine, had reluctantly launched into an explanation of the status of the Lexi’s Lemonade account. The chill began deep in my gut and spread outward, and the sick feeling of betrayal began to flicker.

It couldn’t be. I trusted them. What were they talking about?

They shared a pointed glance, but it was Layla who took the lead. “Fran, please listen to me. It was an extremely stressful experience for everyone in the conference room. We were all terrified something serious had happened to you. When you called to let us know things were fine, we took them to lunch. Both Lexi and Alan agreed they loved the pitch, including the proposed commercial and social media launch. But they were also insistent they preferred us to be the leads.”

“Why? Because I collapsed? It was one incident. Listen, I left a message with Lexi, and I’m sure I can make things right. I’ll explain it was a fluke, tell them what the doctor said—I’ll handle it.”

Kate nibbled her bottom lip in her telltale sign of discomfort. “I’m sure you will. But I will say there’s been a lot of gossip in the office. Talk about another incident during the launch meeting with the bakery bread account.”

Dammit. I’d excused myself early, locking myself in my office until I’d calmed down. I didn’t think anyone had noticed after I’d cited an emergency call that trumped the meeting. I should have known eyes were on me at all times.

My voice turned cold. “I guess people aren’t working hard enough if they’re gossiping over such ridiculousness. Nothing was wrong with me.”

Layla nodded. “Okay, we believe you. We’re on your side, Fran. We never promised them anything—when you talk to Lexi and Alan, you’ll see we backed you up and cited our complete confidence in you. But it’s more than work. We’re both really worried about you.”

“You’re not the same,” Kate said slowly. “Distracted, making silly errors in meetings. But watching you today, thinking you were going to die, we just think you need a break.”

I gave a humorless laugh. “You want me to take a vacation, right? That way I can come back and find you tried to take over my company.”