“Hmmm?”His fingers brushed over the bare skin of her breasts.It was a slow caress, a silent goodbye.Not forever, but for now.His eyes glanced up at her, the focus returning to them, and it reminded her of someone who was fighting an addiction.
Reluctantly, he stepped away from her and moved to the doorway, checking to make sure the coast was clear before waving her out.The Crown Theater was near the entrance, which meant the foot traffic of incoming visitors was thick, but they managed to escape without any notice.Nothing to see here.Just two coworkers leaving a storage room for no secret reason.
“You know the wax shop next to mine?”
“I’m aware of it.”
“I was talking to Monica the other day, the owner.She said she wasn’t coming back next year.Did she mention that to you?”
His lips pressed into a thin line.“No, but that’s not unusual.”
Lilian frowned.“That she’s not coming back, or that she didn’t tell you?”
“Didn’t tell me.Vendors don’t have to.If they decide not to come back, I find out by having an open cottage.”
“Oh.Well, don’t you think it’s weird?”
“Weird how?”he asked.
“She’s only been here two years.And she’s saying the cost of working here isn’t worth it.”
The crowd thinned, but the sound of screaming children reverberated off the trees.Luckily the side path that flowed past the wedding arch looked relatively uncrowded.They veered down the quieter path.
“For some it isn’t.”
“Hawk.”She grabbed his arm, bringing them both to a stop.They were alone, but she needed his full attention for this conversation.“Do you remember what I said about the Reject Woods?”
Confusion furrowed his brow as he tried to recall.“I remember you mentioning it.”
“Did you ever look into it?”
“I asked my dad.He assured me nothing like that was happening.”
“Hawk.”She took a deep breath.What she was about to say, about to suggest, wasn’t something people could just tell an acquaintance.Not to mention someone they were casually secretly dating.But he needed to know exactly what she thought was happening.He was the only one who could help.Or at the very least, stop it.
“You told me your dad actively hates vendors and acts that don’t fit his vision for the faire.Do you think he’s been willing to put sellers in a location where they wouldn’t make a profit?”
Hawk stared at her as if she’d spoken a dead language.When it finally clicked, he shook his head, the movement hard and jerky.“No.My dad is a jerk, but he wouldn’t purposefully try to hold people down.”
Something in her sank at the reluctance in his voice.She wasn’t done making her plea.“Think about the people located back near my shop.None of us fit the historically accurate image your dad wants—”
“Lilian.”Her name cut her off.It was a single word, a stern warning.
Her mouth clicked shut.He hadn’t said her name like that… ever.
The coldness disappeared from his face immediately as he realized his mistake.“I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry.I shouldn't have pressed.”
She watched as he combed his fingers through his hair, tugging at the dark strands and mussing its usually clean look.“No, you make a good point.I’ll look a little more into it.Okay?If there is even a perception from our vendors that something underhanded is going on, I should verify if the claim has merit.”
“Thank you.”The tightness in her bones eased slightly.They continued to walk, but there was a newfound tension between them.The comfort from before was gone.Hawk had gone quiet, and she couldn’t help but feel like she’d made a mistake in bringing it up again.
He bid her farewell at the cottage without a kiss or a smile.
Before Lilian turned to distract herself with her store, she thought she caught sight of the king’s large golden hat in the direction where Hawk had disappeared.She turned away from it, too wary to confirm her paranoia.
Last Week of Faire: The Final Tournament
