Amity needs to blow the socks off the shareholders at her product demonstration, but she's worried Odalia will sabotage her work in-transit. Enter Luz and Eda, the highway-chewing truckers at Night-Owl Trucking. Can Luz and Amity get Project MacGuff...
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Art by Mexfan12 (on Insta)
"She did it, Emira," the girl clenched her fists as she stalked toward the door. "She figured out a way to steal my work!" She shook out her hands and rubbed her palms together as she turned, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, trying not to cry, "She knows I can't renew my grant without a shareholder demonstration, and she picked a venue across the country!" She shot a glance toward her sister and hissed, "She'll sabotage it on the way there! I just know it!"
"I won't let that happen," Emira replied as rapid footfalls crossed the room—again!—and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window wall, her sister's slim shadow falling across the hardwood floor. Emira looked up to see Amity backlit and shining in the bright morning sun, and practically vibrating to pieces in her office. "Mittens, I swear," Emira promised, her emerald green hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned on her desk, the thick plait swinging between her straightened elbows, "This transportation company is good."
"Is it, though?" Amity whirled about, her golden eyes wide with barely suppressed panic, her slender hands shaking and fidgeting with the hem of her gray sweater, "Is it good enough? Emira, I— I love you for trying to help with this, but—" The pale girl started to scrape her fingers through her short, chin-length mint-green hair, pulling it back between rigid knuckles to tug on her scalp, her breath whistling harsh and swift through her teeth.
"But you're freaking out," Emira spoke with a calm voice as she stood to walk around her desk and clamp her hands over her younger sister's shoulders, holding the twitchy girl in place. Amity opened her mouth to protest, and Emira cut her off, "Ah! You are!" She gave Amity a stern look, and then pulled her forward into a gentle hug, "Breathe with me, okay? Just for a minute."
Amity briefly considered stomping on the taller girl's foot and running away, but she really needed that hug. Help! I really need Emira'shelp! She corrected herself as she sank into her older sister's warm embrace. Her mind felt like a whirlpool, thundering and drowning everything in a rushing swirl of dark water, but this? Emira's hug was a life preserver. "Thank you," Amity whispered against her sister's collarbone.
"Anytime," Emira hummed. "Listen, this company comes highly recommended word-of-mouth, alright? It's also woman-owned and operated, and you know I have to support our sisters out there." Amity snorted, but she did know. Emira was fiercely loyal to any and all women business owners she could find—corporate "lowest bidder" guidelines be damned. She wouldn't even haggle for better rates! What did it matter? It wasn't her money she was spending.
"Okay," Amity gulped, "I— I trust you, I do! I'll— I'll check them out." She leaned her head against Emira's shoulder and sighed.
"I know this is important to you, Amity," hearing her real name slip from her sister's mouth was unexpected, and she looked up to meet her sister's familiar golden gaze. "You've spent years on this project," Emira smiled, "Just let me know what I can do to help."
