It’s not a massive building, but it is ornate and stately. The building has to be at least a hundred years old. Somehow it fits so well with the quirkiness of this town.
Only in a small town can you walk in to talk to the mayor without having an appointment or needing to mention my family name.
Two minutes after I sit down in his waiting room, a big, burly man with a loosened tie steps out. “Welcome, Miss Hestons.” He ushers me into his office. “My secretary said something about you wanting to secure a space for a concert.”
“That’s right. It’s for the winter festival that’s being run by the motorcycle club the Children of Chaos.”
His eyes go wide. “You must be Bram’s woman.”
Is the whole town gossiping about us? It seems so.
“How big a venue do you need?”
From past events, they get about two thousand people attending this event, which seems good for a small town. With a draw from surrounding areas, we’d probably be able to pull in double that. “Space for several hundred. I was wondering if we could block off the park in the center of town for three days and use that?”
“Three days? The festival only lasts one afternoon.”
“We’d need to set up the stage and do sound checks.” Artists get picky without them.
“There’s already a stage in the park.”
“Kia likes to combine visual art with her music.”
“You got Kia to perform?”
“She isn’t signed yet, but I think she will if we can accommodate her.” I’m almost positive.
“Well then, let’s get that done. Is there anything else you might need for the festival?”
Do I try it? There will be a ton more work… “Are there any spaces that would work as a ballroom?”
He leans back in his chair, then snaps back up. “There actually is right here in City Hall. We use it for storage now. Why?”
“Could I reserve that for the entire weekend as well?”
“That’s going to take quite a bit of effort and your budget. Are you sure you want to?”
It won’t be coming out of the festival budget. “Absolutely, will cash work?” I set a stack of neatly wrapped bills.
The mayor looks at them and then back at me. “You’re paying in cash? We usually invoice the club.”
“We’re changing things up this year. Is that okay?” Don’t make me explain who I am.
“Fine. Anything for a brother. I’ll get everything taken care of and sent to Bram.”
I mentally shake my head but keep a smile on my face. “Thank you so very much. I appreciate all your help.”
“The club and the town appreciate your dedication to…um—” He coughs. “—the cause. I’m sure your efforts won’t go unnoticed.”
Hopefully they do, at least until I’m done. The good part is he’ll talk to Bram, who already knows some of my backstory…I might need to buy a less expensive purse, though. As soon as I start showing, I’m going to need a new wardrobe.
Am I ever going to start showing, or are you going to keep hiding in there until it’s time for you to pop out? “Can I see the space? And do you have a floor plan so that I can start making arrangements?” My caterer is going to have fits when I ask him to travel all the way out here for a job. That’s not going to stop him, but it’s going to make him grumpy and charge more.
“Sure, I can take you around now, if you’d like.”
“Thanks, that would be perfect.” I’ve done enough of these to be able to judge how many tables will fit in the space without the exact measurements.
City Hall doesn’t look large from the outside, but the mayor takes me down a series of long hallways until he stops at a set of French doors that are covered in white curtains that block the contents of the room from passersby.
