All shops must be staffed at all times.
No cell phone usage in view of the guests.
No modern attire can be worn when in character, such as electronics, jeans, leggings, jackets, watches, shoes, etc.
The restrictions had originally caught Lilian off guard, especially given the fact that the faire served food and beverages that certainly weren’t authentic to the era.But it wasn’t all bad.There were some fun rules as well, like saying “huzzah” whenever the town crier deemed it and bowing when the king and queen walked past.And an unspoken rule that allowed drinking on the job as long as the employee didn't get shitfaced.
She turned to the last page, where a line for her signature was waiting to be inked.“Um.”Lilian patted herself down quickly.“I don’t have a quill on me.”
“A pen will do.”He handed her a metal monstrosity of a pen.
When Lilian looked up, she noticed Hawk was staring at the contents of her shop.His eyes were transfixed on the large romance section visible through the window.
“Are those Harlequins?”
“They are.”Lilian bit the inside of her cheek to hide a smile.Talking to men about romance novels was always an interesting experience.Sometimes bad, sometimes good.But she’d been dealing with the same predictable questions since she was a teenager.There was nothing she hadn’t heard before.
“Huh.”He took the clipboard and pen back in hand and pointed at the doorway.“You’ll need a sign then.18+ only, unless accompanied by an adult.”
What?
“You can’t be serious.”Laughter burst from her lips, but Hawk was not smiling.The man never did.
“I’m very serious.We can’t have minors come in here skimming those books.It could make us liable.”
“They’re books,” she shot back.“Ones I read when I was a minor.”
“Well, whoever gave you those books probably wasn’t vulnerable to lawsuits.”Hawk tucked his pen into the clipboard and shrugged his large shoulders at Lilian’s flabbergasted state.“I’ll expect to see that business license before the end of the day.”
Asshole!The word burned hot against the wall of her mind.Maybe shehadbeen a little too young when she'd first picked up Johanna Lindsey.
But she was never going to admit that out loud.
This was her first day, her first shop, and she knew making an enemy of Hawk Carlisle would make the next ten weeks very long.
“Fine,” she said, arms crossed.“But as the fair manager, I need you to go get one of the contractors to help me with my sign.We’ve been waiting for an hour already.”
Hawk followed her gaze to the largeBodice and Brawnsign that sat at the base of the floorboards.His mouth pursed in distaste, but his tone remained professional.“I’ll have someone come by.”
“Thank you.”It wasn’t much, but getting the last word in came with a delicious swell of petty pride.
This would be the first of many interactions with Hawk Carlisle.And she was ready for him.
Therewasaknockagainst the door frame not long after Hawk left.Lilian looked up from her iPad, where she was setting up her credit card reader, hoping to see one of the hired hands she’d requested.A man with a long salt-and-pepper beard stood in the doorway.He was heavyset, dressed in a black T-shirt and cargo pants.Margo and Lilian shared a look.
“Hello?”Lilian scrubbed a hand over her sweat-covered face in embarrassment.“Are you here to help with our sign?”
“Oh, no,” the man said.“I’m Russ Wooden.I work in the cottage next door.”He jabbed a thumb to the right.
