Second Chance

Summary: Sasha has never been one to shy away from a challenge and that sense of determination is going to be more important than ever as she fights to keep her company afloat.

A/N: This update has been a long time coming. Please tell me what you think!

….

Chapter 11 – Sasha (Good Day)

"Well, if Tuesday is no good for you, we can reschedule for…" I ran a finger along the calendar taped to the wall, "Thursday morning or maybe try for one of the weekend slots."

"Ah, well, the thing is…I think we're going with a new company. So, uh, we don't need to reschedule."

"Oh," I paused, taken aback, "Have you been dissatisfied with your service?"

"No, no, it's not like that. They just gave me a really good deal, is all. I decided to take it. Sorry."

I'm pretty good at reading people's voices and I can usually tell when someone has made up their mind.

I swallowed my frustration and said in the most civil voice that I could summon, "I'm very sorry to hear that. If you don't mind, could you tell me what company it is?"

"It's, uh, Woodbury something. Landscaping and Design, yeah."

"Thank you," I murmured and hung up the phone before they could hear me say anything else.

I held my tongue for a long three seconds and then I couldn't take it anymore. My hands clenched into fists.

"THAT DIRTY BASTARD!" I yelled, startling everyone else who was in the office.

Glenn froze like a deer in the headlights but Tyreese only raised an eyebrow cautiously.

Ignoring them, I got up from my chair and stomped over to the far side of the office where a large map of King County, Georgia, is tacked to the wall.

"What's going on?" a bewildered Glenn asked.

"Probably the Governor again," Ty answered.

"What?!" Glenn was even more confused.

"Not the actual Governor. The guy who runs Woodbury Landscaping and Design," my brother explained helpfully, "He's our rival."

"Ohh," Glenn had only been on the job a few weeks and he was still learning.

"He's stolen another one of our customers," I said bitterly, still studying the map.

"Who did we lose now?" Ty asked.

"Allen and Donna," I replied, reaching over to grab a red marker from his desk.

Who does he think he is, poaching my customers? Allen and Donna have been with me for over a year. So much for loyalty.

Looking closely, I found the right street and marked a big red 'X' near their address, then stood back and stared at the map intently.

"He's expanding," I concluded, not for the first time.

"But so are we, Sasha. We got two new houses last week, remember?" Tyreese tried to reassure me, but I wasn't convinced.

"And we've lost five houses this month alone. That's not expanding," I argued.

My brother sighed. This was a debate that we had on a regular basis and it wouldn't be solved today.

I know it doesn't look cool for me to get so angry, but I can't help it. When that arrogant prick lures my customers away, it feels personal.

I checked my watch and decided it was time to get things moving. We were wasting daylight.

"Alright everyone," I called out to the room, "You have your assignments. Let's work hard and get the job done right. Any questions?"

"Yeah," my brother spoke up and somehow I could tell that this wasn't going to be a serious question.

"Was there ever a time you weren't the boss of me?" Tyreese teased me.

I cracked a smile, "You had a couple years before I was born."

Everyone finished signing in on the timesheet, filled their coffee mugs, and grabbed their green vests before heading out to the trucks. Daryl Dixon rode up on his motorcycle, barely on time as usual.

It didn't take me long to abandon any hope of Daryl ever wearing the company vest in place of his trademark leather vest. Considering his local hero status, the iconic angel wings on black leather were as much of a boost to our image as the company colors. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

We were all loaded up and I had the driver's door open when my newest employee approached me.

"Hey," he lifted his hand in greeting, "I'd like to start pulling my weight around here."

"Bob, it's only been a week," I said cautiously.

"That's a week of gainful employment. Let me earn my keep," he was not deterred.

I rested my arm against the door and said as tactfully as I could, "You've been out of the game for a while. I just want to make sure you know how to play on a team."

Bob was recommended to me through a neighbor who knew him through AA. I believe in giving people a second chance but it's still my nature to be cautious.

Daryl grunted as he walked past me, "You didn't hire him to sit on his ass all day, did you?"

"You know he was a medic in the Army?" Glenn added, leaning on the hood of the truck.

Bob watched me expectantly, "You're one hell of a tough sell, you know that?"

"Okay," I finally relented and we all climbed into the trucks.

The decal on the door was green with the words Good Day Lawn Care in a happy yellow under a sun that looked like a child's chalk outline.

Our television commercial, whenever I finally save enough money, will say 'It's always a good day with Good Day Lawn Care!' or something along those lines. The whole thing is a little bit cheesy, but the name is simple and easy for people to remember, which I like.

"Where are we headed today?" Bob asked from the back seat.

I glanced in the rearview and explained, "Usually Tyreese and I are both crew leaders. We split up and go to different jobs, but on Mondays we all go work the shopping center off main street, the one with the Big Spot."

"Yeah, I know the place," Bob replied.

Daryl was fiddling with the radio, looking for a station he liked.

"The big job today is trimming back the trees and getting the plots ready for new flowers. Otherwise it's just the usual maintenance. Gotta keep everything tidy, you know. Nothing too exciting."

Daryl finally found a song that he considered acceptable but, as soon as he leaned back in his seat, it changed over to a commercial. He sighed in defeat and stared out the window.

A static-y voice came through the truck's old speakers, "Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, thrive. At Terminus Day Care Centers…."

"What a weird commercial," I said absently, merging into traffic.

"I think that's where my girlfriend's sister works," Glenn said from the back seat.

"Well, they've got a weird way of explaining it," I replied.

"Sounds like a cult," Daryl added dismissively.

Before anything else could be said on the subject, I pulled in to the parking lot of the Big Spot, Tyreese's truck pulling up next to me.

"Alright, let's get to work!" I announced, feeling a renewed determination to prove myself today.

After an untimely shoulder injury cut short my dream career at the fire station and I decided to start my own yard maintenance company, nobody expressly told me I couldn't do it, but nobody expected me to succeed. That much was clear.

Two years later, I'd love to say that I've proved all the doubters wrong, but in this business any measure of success is tenuous at best. Persistence is almost as valuable as experience.

That's why I'm picky when it comes to hiring. I need people with skills, but I also need them to be invested in their work, to have a sense of pride in a job well done.

At the end of the day, 'Good Day' is a family company and I believe my little family can stand up to the competition and carve out our own slice of success.

Those people over at Woodbury don't know who they're messing with!

….

TBC!

Second Chance Fact: Sasha and Tyreese are both co-owners of Good Day Lawn Care, but Sasha is definitely the leader. Employees include Daryl Dixon, Glenn Rhee, Bob Stuckey, Zack Gallner, and a couple others who come and go with the seasons. (Zack doesn't have a last name on the show so I gave him the actor's last name.)