And, seriously, I wasnotin the market for another guy, not for a fling, not for anything.
Elwood turned to me. “So, what did you think of your first committee meeting?”
“I’m surprised someone hasn’t been killed yet,” I said with a laugh. He didn’t laugh with me. Although that might have been because of the banging next door. It sounded like they would break through the wall any minute. I sighed. “Seriously, I didn’t realize festival planning could be so… impassioned.”
“It was certainly quite charged tonight, and it isn’t even a full moon.”
Chapter Four
Coffee, crystals, and corpses
Gideon
I didn’t have to return Winston’s jacket. I could’ve left it there for the vampire to retrieve on his own, but I wanted a chance to talk to him. He was rubbing a lot of people the wrong way with not only his behavior but also his attitude. It might not be my job to keep the peace, but he was more likely to listen to me than human law enforcement, so even if he was breaking all kinds of city ordinances, he likely didn’t care. There were nuances to dealing with the supernatural community that humans didn’t understand, since, for the most part, they had no idea that we not only existed but lived among them.
I chuckled to myself. Kind of like Elwood’s adorable but clueless grandson. I’d noticed him watching as both Elwood and I slipped Eugene a bite of the pastries since we knew he would never come out with that many people in attendance. He’d looked curious, then confused, but I watched as his brainfound an explanation that worked for his human experience, and his expression returned to normal. It had all happened in a matter of seconds, but I saw it all the time with the non-magical community. It was easier for their brains to create a narrative that made sense than to accept there were things in this world they knew nothing about.
Oh well, enough procrastinating. I had to open the pub for lunch in a couple hours, so it was time to get on with it. I pulled the jacket off the rack where I’d hung it last night. I hadn’t recognized the brand written on the fancy label, but the fabric felt like it was of good quality, and I didn’t want to listen to Winston complain about me messing up his expensive clothing. Not that it would surprise me if it was a knockoff. Something about the guy smelled phony to me. Not that it mattered, because again, not my job.
My wolf grumbled in the back of my mind, telling me that these were my people and it was my responsibility to keep them safe. I was too broken for that to be my role, but my wolf didn’t understand. As far as he was concerned, this was my pack, and I was their alpha.
I went out the side entrance that those of us who lived above the pub used and started down the sidewalk toward Main Street. Winston’s office was across the street, so my plan was to stop there with his jacket and have a little chat with him. As a business owner, I understood he was worried about the money these renovations were costing him, but the traffic these festivals could generate was going to be good for him, as well as the rest of the business owners in town.
I crossed the road, nodding at Mrs. Bloomgarden from the quilt shop as I walked by. She had on one of her big hats with what looked like a full bouquet of flowers around the brim. She nodded back, and I swear I thought I saw something move in the flowers, a bird maybe.
I stopped in front of his office and looked in through the glass door. His assistant, Janis, was sitting at her desk, but there was no sign of Winston. She looked a little frazzled, which wasn’t normal for her. She looked up expectantly when I walked in, but when she saw it was me, her expression fell.
“Oh, Gideon, hello. I thought you were Mr. Wilcox.”
“He isn’t here?” I held up his jacket. “He left this at the committee meeting last night, and I wanted to return it to him.”
She shook her head. “No, he isn’t. He should’ve been here for a video call half an hour ago. I had to phone in myself and give them some excuse for why he wasn’t here. He isn’t answering his phone, and he has another appointment at the top of the hour, and it’s an important one. He takes great pride in being punctual, so it isn’t like him to miss scheduled meetings.”
“Okay, I’ll leave his jacket with you then. I’ll stop by the old Nook and see if Jim has seen him today. If he’s there, I’ll tell him to call you.”
“Thank you, Gideon. I’m probably all worked up over nothing, and he’ll be here any minute.”
I pushed open the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I caught the motion to my right just in time to step back out of the way before Declan doused me in coffee again. I glared at the cup in his hand. The Witch’s Brew again.
“I thought I told you to get your coffee at the Twinkling Thistle Café instead,” I said without thinking.
He scoffed. “Funny, I don’t remember you being the boss of me.”
I put up my hands in surrender. “Sorry, you’re right. I didn’t mean it that way.”
He reached up and pushed his glasses up his nose. “It’s alright. We did talk about how much better the drinks are at the café. I could tell everyone at the table last night agreed, but I felt bad when Lily asked what happened to the coffee I bought at hershop, so I thought I would give it a shot this morning. I skipped the peanut butter and jelly one, though. She said it was a flavor she was testing for the festival, but I wasn’t there for a unique flavor this morning. I was there for the caffeine.” He held up his cup. “Dark roast with a double shot of espresso. Surely, she can’t mess that up.”
“I wouldn’t count on it.” I cocked my head to one side and looked him over. He looked more tired today, even though he’d traveled all day yesterday to get here. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just tired. My grandfather got a call late last night and had to go out. He didn’t tell me where he was going, and he was late getting back. I know it’s silly of me. I mean, he lives alone and takes perfectly good care of himself when I’m not here, but I worried anyway.”
We started walking back toward the corner to cross back to our side of the street.
“Well, hopefully the coffee will do the trick.”
I watched as he tipped the cup up and took a drink. He winced and let out a long sigh. “How can you mess up a dark roast double shot of espresso coffee?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know, but Lily manages it.”
