Several important clients had appointments all around the same time, which meant all hands on deck and Annie spending more time than usual out on the floor instead of in the office.

Unused to being on her feet these days, by the time four o’clock hit she was exhausted and almost ready to go home and collapse into bed when the phone rang.

“Annie, it’s Nick. Can you come over to my office—preferably today? I need to speak with you face-to-face.”

Nick was her business manager of sorts, her friend Gemma’s brother and a financial whiz kid. Annie was thinking of expanding the business and opening a second and possibly even a third salon, and he’d originally agreed to help her look at the best way to finance it all without putting the current operation under pressure.

But he’d recently ended up having to take a more hands-on role by stepping in and taking over the accountancy side when Annie’s previous guy immigrated abroad suddenly.

She checked her watch. “Timing’s not great, Nick. Can’t it wait till tomorrow? I was just about to head off. Anyway, what’s going on?” she teased, her voice light. “You make it all sound so serious.”

“It is, actually. And no, I’m not sure it can wait.”

She sat forward in her seat, all ears. They had an easygoing, almost buddy-like relationship, and she’d never actually heard him sound so serious.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

He sighed heavily. “Well, I’m looking through the accounts for the last three years and I have to tell you, there’s something very wrong.”

Her heart leaped into her throat. “Wrong how?”

“I really think it’ll be easier if you just come here and see for yourself.”

“OK. I’ll try to be with you within the hour.”

“Great. See you then.”

Annie was troubled. She was due to meet with the bank soon to help fund the second premises and thus needed the accounts in order before then.

Nick had only been working on them a wet week. What could possibly be wrong? Business was booming. Every single day they were out the door with clients—exactly the thing that made the idea of a second salon a no-brainer.

Distracted, and still feeling more than a little uneasy, she picked up her mobile and fired off a quick text.

Something unexpected’s come up so I’ll be a bit late. Call me if any issues.

Annie left the salon for the girls to close up later.

She got into her car and headed straight to Nick’s office in nearby Kimmage, meeting some annoying traffic on the way. Half an hour later she was seated in front of his desk.

“So what’s going on?” she demanded, sitting up straight in the chair, unsure what to expect, but bracing herself for a problem.

In her world, there was always a problem.