Moonlight Hearts (Phoenix Immortal #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was Monday night, just a few minutes after midnight, and the Moonlight was empty.

For some reason, that made me grin from ear to ear, even if, as the manager, it was my job to make sure we were always busy. To be fair, it wasn’t my fault no one was here. We’d closed early today because of the business meeting Dwayne and Soyer were having in the back.

I didn’t know why the two of them discussing whatever it was they were discussing meant we couldn’t serve some pie and coffee, but I didn’t argue.

Also, Ben had been allowed to leave early, and Rae too, and for the first time in forever, it was just me out here in the front, refilling the saltshakers now that I was done folding the napkins and setting the coffee makers up for the early shift.

The windows had turned to mirrors hours ago, and my mind was drifting.

I’d always loved the early hours when the Moonlight got quiet, when everything was quiet.

I stopped in the middle of doing the second to last saltshaker to look at the ring on my finger. Being engaged to Soyer just never got old. It was the perfect little fault in the nostalgic moment I was having. Soyer had changed everything, made everything new.

Before I could get even more swoony, I heard the door in the back, meaning the meeting was over. I hurried to get the last saltshaker done and I’d just about finished when the swing doors opened and Dwayne walked in.

“All done for the day, kid?”

“Yup, all ready to go.”

He grunt-nodded and walked over to table five. “Take a seat, then. Business meeting part two.”

I pointed at my chest. “With me?”

Dwayne fixed me with a steely gaze. “You’re the manager, aren’t you?”

I flushed. “Guess I am.”

I put the box of salt back under the counter and left the shakers out for now, then wiped my hands on my apron and slid into the booth across from Dwayne.

“New server’s working out?” Dwayne asked.

I nodded. “Well, I mean… Levi is really trying, you know? He’s getting better. He has the entire menu down, knows everyone’s specials, can spot the regulars, and he never gets anything wrong when he totals up someone’s order.”

Dwayne nodded once. “You tell him that?”

“I… Some of it.”

Dwayne nodded, then the door went again and Soyer strode in.

My heart swooped. I had no idea whether that was normal after we’d already known each other for months, but it was a reaction I had pretty reliably. He looked at me, looked me over, but kept his expression neutral.

I moved closer to the window, but instead of sitting next to me, Soyer took the seat next to Dwayne.

Dwayne had his hands folded in front of him, elbows on the table, and in a move that I didn’t think was coordinated, Soyer mirrored that pose almost exactly.

I could tell when he noticed, because he frowned, looked to his right where Dwayne sat, and pulled one arm off the table as if he’d always intended that.

“Let’s get this over with then.” Soyer looked at the windows. “We’re going to do a touch of remodeling, get these replaced.”

“The windows?”

Dwayne nodded. “He says mirrored glass is better. For the…different crowd.”

I blinked my eyes two, three times at the casual way Dwayne mentioned the supernatural crowd.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’d walked in on him meeting Kasey for the first time, and that had boiled down to Dwayne standing in the kitchen doorway, Kasey pretending to ignore him but watching him with his snakes, and Dwayne just nodding and heading through to his office.

Yeah, I really shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Okay?” I looked at the windows too, thinking that I’d miss them. They’d been here longer than I had, after all.

“You’ll still be able to look outside, of course. We’ll go with one-way glass,” Soyer continued. “We’ll also add some neon to the outside, make it flashy. And a second entrance through the back.”

“Through the back? Oh, for everyone else?”

Another nod. “We’re going to extend the opening hours to be around the clock, and what used to be closing time will remain so for humans but will become the opening time for pawns and cursed.”

Dwayne nodded. “Apparently, people want to come here but can’t. Makes sense to do this.”

“Right?” I glanced at Soyer, who’d folded his hands in front of him, unconsciously mirroring Dwayne all over again. I had a feeling there was more.

“Amory.”

My eyebrows went up and I looked from one of them to the other.

“Am I…in trouble? Is it because I’m not doing a better job with Levi?”

Soyer rolled his eyes. “Already placed the extra order of dishes.”

“It’s fine. He’ll learn.” Dwayne fixed his gaze on me once more. “You’ll teach him.”

“I… Yeah.” I kept looking from one of them to the other. “You didn’t say I’m not in trouble.”

“He catches on fast,” Soyer said.

Dwayn grunt-nodded. “Always was a smart cookie.”

“Do you want to tell him?”

My jaw dropped. “Tell me? You’re not—are you firing me? Come on, this is a joke, right? I know this is a joke.”

The only problem with that was that it didn’t feel like a joke, and neither of them was laughing.

I was in trouble, and I had no idea what for.

“Amory. Dwayne and I have been reviewing a few things.”

“Several years of a few things,” Dwayne said.

“Okay?”

Soyer drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “Do you know how many sick days you took? How much vacation time?”

“Well, uh, I didn’t need to. I told you that. Didn’t we talk about that?”

Dwayne grunted. “Man told you to stay home after you got hurt. Then told you to stay home after you got hurt again by that witch, which I understand was bad.”

“Uh…”

I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

I saw the corners of Soyer’s lips quirk. “We can’t have you working till six. That wouldn’t do.”

Dwayne nodded. “Health and safety violation.”

“So you’re…hiring more staff?”

“Yes. And a co-manager. So you can catch up on some of that vacation time.” Now Soyer was giddy. I could see he was hiding it, but not particularly well.

Dwayne grunted. “Four days a week; that’s all you’re getting.”

“To start with. Ideally you’ll be working three days a week down the line.” Soyer raised one of his hands as if to examine the black of his nails. “I’ll need your business advice during that time. It appears the staff happily talks to you, but not me.”

“But—but—”

“Means Levi would get to step up. Might be good for him,” Dwayne said.

Soyer nodded. “Especially since I just ordered all those new plates for him to break. And just think, that way, Rae might enjoy some of their overtime as well. And Ben could pursue his…auteur.”

I straightened. “You’re not messing with their romance! That one’s for the ages, once they’ve overcome the jilted lovers in the machine and the notebook, respectively.”

Dwayne cocked his head, looking confused. “What now?”

Soyer made a dismissive gesture. “He makes up stories about some of the regulars. Don’t tell anyone. We don’t want that to get out.”

Dwayne shrugged. “Fine by me.” He leveled his gaze at me. “So we’re done here?”

“But—”

Soyer nodded. “Almost, Dwayne. We’ll be closing for a day to get the windows done. That’ll be next week, so we’re ready in time for Thanksgiving and all of that.” He grinned at me. “You’ll be so busy, training your co-manager.”

“You planned that!” I pointed at him as if I were some meme.

“He sure did, kid. Should’ve seen that coming when you burned the place down,” Dwayne said.

That had my jaw dropping yet again. Soyer was cackling, the villain. As I watched, the two of them high-fived without looking. Apparently, I’d been sucked into a parallel universe where my boss and my fiancé were much too close for comfort. Where they were…friends?

That made me ignore my indignation for long enough to marvel at that and feel happy for Soyer, who was far too pleased about showing off how scary he was most of the time. Having a friend like Dwayne suited him.

“Now I think we’re done here,” Soyer said.

The two of them shuffled out of the booth, stood up, then shook hands. Yup, they were in cahoots.

“You good to close up?” Dwayne asked me.

“Yeah. Just the saltshakers—”

Dwayne turned away, chuckling as he walked off toward the back.

Soyer stretched, bringing his arms up over his head in such a way that his long-sleeve stretched over his chest.

“A job well done.”

I frowned. “You planned that.”

“Sure did.”

“You didn’t even tell me! You could’ve told me and asked me about this.”

Soyer lifted his left eyebrow. “My heart, there are many things I don’t know, but one certainty I have accepted is that it is far too easy for you to get me to agree with you.”

I crossed my arms. “I could say the same.”

“Could you? Please do. Tell me all about it. Over ice cream? I think we should get ice cream.”

I pointed out the windows. “It’s November, you know.”

“So?”

I couldn’t help myself. Soyer made me smile. He made me happy. “Sure, let’s get ice cream. After I do the saltshakers. But nothing will be open.”

That made him laugh out loud.

He tried to help me with the saltshakers but gave up when he saw me straightening them after he’d placed them on the tables.

He seemed not to mind though, watching me instead from where he was leaning against the counter, fondly amused.

With his attention on me, I ran my thumb over the band on my left hand.

Having his ring was a prize I’d not soon give up, not for anything.