Right now is not the time to say the phrase "I told you so", because it is spectacularly unnecessary and unhelpful. Also, it has every chance of inviting violence. Instead, I say, "I thought you said he was harmless."
"Turns out he's dangerous when he's desperate."
"What do you mean?" asks Lutek.
I pull up a chair for her to sit down on, but as soon as she does, she stands again. "I need to pace."
I return to my table to give her space. I don't want to. I want to pull her into my arms and stroke her hair and tell her everything will be okay, but that is the stuff of fantasy. All I can do is listen and offer advice that is hopefully helpful.
Also, see aforementioned possibility of violence.
She takes a deep breath. "So. The Odour, it would appear, is financially compromised."
"You're kidding," says Elly. "The man drips money. How could he possibly have none?"
"By speculating on the wrong investment, or something, like the greedy fucker he is. That's how."
Carlos, who has returned to his chair, but not replaced his clothes, says, "I once speculated on the saying 'As foot-melting as lava' not being a literal estimation of lava's heat-damaging potential. Turned out I was wrong."
"Okay, one," says Elly, "that is not a saying. And two: You have your feet."
"I havea pairof feet, dear girl. Who they used to belong to, I wasn't told."
Lutek laughs quietly and I use it as an opportunity to move things back to the matter at hand. "I take it he wants a higher return on his real estate investment?"
Bess points at me. "Got it in one."
"What does that mean?" asks Jeanette. "He's going to raise the rents?"
“He sure is. In one month.”
"He can't," says Lutek. "Can he? Not without your say so."
Bess laughs humourlessly into the struts supporting the roof. "I have no power here. He's the majority shareholder. If I fight him, he can do a forced shareholder buyout and then I lose the small toe hold I have."
"But," says Jeanette and doesn't bother to finish what can only be a terrible end to the sentence.
No one says anything for several seconds, each of us pondering the enormity of what this means.
Elly breaks the silence. "No! You are not going to let this happen, Bess. You could single-handedly put that man-boy over your knee and give him the spanking of a lifetime if you chose to." She adds, "Metaphorically," but I imagine Bess could do it literally, too.
"We'll all help," says Jeanette. "Not with the spanking. We'll find another patron."
Bess shakes her head. "We couldtry. But even if we do, The Odour refuses to be bought out. His daddy wouldn't approve, apparently."
"Ugh." Elly turns and throws a handful of glitter as hard as she can into the very near distance. "What a spineless knob stain."
"My workshop," says Lutek mournfully.
"My flat," says Elly with sudden alarm and looks at the baby monitor with knitted brows. “I can’t afford anything else in Port Derrum with room for me and Jacks.” Then she gasps and turns back to Bess. "What about our jobs?"
Bess pauses before answering. "I'm pretty sure the café can survive higher rent. I'll just have to cut some of the weekend staff to protect wages. I’m not sure about the rest of it."
"My art therapy classes," says Jeanette. “We’ve got stroke recovery patients and rehabilitating offenders in there, among others. Do you know how proud they are to have their work in the gallery? How much it supports their mental health?”
“I know,” says Bess gently.
Everything in me sinks. My heart, my stomach. While this awful turn of events has no direct impact on me, the indirect effects are almost as brutal. Watching my friends have to navigate this threat. Losing them if they can't see a way through and aren't able to afford staying in Port Derrum.
