Chapter 18 – Sydney
SYDNEY
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a Jade Lee and a Sydney Sinclair?”
I glance up from where I’m straightening books, and peer around the shelf toward the voice coming from the café. A remarkably beautiful woman with sleek black braids and an immaculate Armani pantsuit is standing at the counter, briefcase in hand.
“Well, you’re looking at one of them,” Jade says with a flirtatious grin. That girl can’t help herself when presented with a pretty face. It’s like she was born to flirt. “And the other is in the back, if you want me to get her?”
“I’m here,” I say, stepping out from between the bookshelves. I wipe my palms on my pants to dry them, suddenly nervous. “What is this about?”
“You’re Miss Sinclair?” the woman asks. When I nod, she continues. “I’m here on behalf of my client, Virgil Incorporated. They recently acquired your building.”
Jade blinks rapidly. “Wait, Dorothy sold the building?” she asks, frowning in confusion. “Without telling us first?”
I wince.
“She did, actually. Tell me, at least,” I admit. A flash of hurt crosses Jade’s face, quickly turning to anger. “I’m so, so sorry, I meant to tell you! I just let myself get so distracted lately.”
The anger in her eyes dims a little. “We’ll talk about it later,” she says quietly so only I can hear. Crap. She’s really pissed.
The woman from Virgil Inc. glances between the two of us, but her face stays perfectly professional. “I wanted to touch base with both of you about your new lease. But if now is a bad time…”
“No, now’s fine,” I insist, ushering her to one of the café tables. My nerves are buzzing as I sit down. “Can we get you anything, a coffee maybe?”
A soft weight lands in my lap the moment I get situated. Beatrice. She must have crept over from her bee-nest by the counter. She circles once, twice, then plops down with surprising force and stretches out across my thighs. Her purr vibrates straight through me, absurdly loud for her size.
“No, thank you, I’m fine,” the lawyer insists, taking the seat across from me. She places her briefcase on the table and opens it, removing a stack of documents from inside.
Jade pulls over a seat from another table, and I stroke Bea absentmindedly, fingers trailing over her long fur. I can’t seem to keep still. Jade shoots me a nervous look, and I return it with a small, hesitant smile, reaching out to squeeze her hand tightly.
“To the moon and back,” I mouth at her. She purses her lips but gives my hand a small squeeze in return.
“So, you mentioned a new lease?” I prompt, trying to start us off. “Does that mean the new owner wants to keep us as tenants?”
The woman nods, still sorting through her files. “Oh, yes. The owner has insisted on some changes to your previous agreement, effective at the end of the month. You will remain on the old lease until then, at which point you—”
“I’m sorry,” Jade blurts out, voice a little shrill. “Until the end of the month? So, what, if we don’t agree to these new terms, we have less than two weeks? To be out of here?”
Bea meows sharply, like she’s echoing Jade’s outrage. I shift my fingers to scratch her under the chin until she tips her head back in bliss and shuts her eyes, quieted again.
The woman stops sorting, glancing up through her dark lashes at Jade. “Well, yes. I suppose that would be the case.”
“That can’t be legal!” Jade shouts in frustration. She levels another furious look my way. “Fuck, Syd… If you’d told me, we could have been preparing for this.”
I know. I feel sick, guilt threading its way through my stomach. This is my fault. I should have told her, should have let her know the second Dorothy told me.
“I assure you, everything in this contract is legal and fully vetted. I should know, I’m the one who drafted it,” the lawyer states matter-of-factly, unfazed by our in-fighting.
“But that’s not enough time,” I insist. It’s not just the store, either. My apartment—my home—is part of this building. If we have to shut down, have to try and move to another location, where am I supposed to go?
Now it’s Jade who’s fidgeting, Jade whose leg is bouncing up and down a little too quickly under the table.
“May I suggest you read the document, before you start discussing alternative solutions?” She finally pulls a contract from her stack of papers and slides it over the table for us. I practically snatch it from her, Jade leaning over my shoulder to read.
“That is the new lease agreement,” she tells us, removing a pen from her briefcase, and setting it next to me. “I think you will find the new terms to be very agreeable.”
My eyes roll over the document, only taking in every other word. It’s a standard agreement, almost copied and pasted from our old lease with Dorothy. I turn the page, nearly ripping it off the staple as I scan it for the information I’m looking for.
Finally, at the very bottom of the third page, I find it. Our new rental cost.
I read the number written there.
I blink.
I read the number again.
I feel rather than hear Jade’s quick intake of breath next to me.
“This…” I flip back a page to read more carefully. “This must be some sort of mistake. This can’t be right.”
“Sydney,” Jade whispers, staring at the numbers on the page.
“A mistake?” The woman raises one perfectly manicured eyebrow. “I assure you, Miss Sinclair, I don’t make mistakes.”
I turn to the final page, eyes wide, searching frantically for something I know I’m missing, some sort of explanation.
“But this…” I swallow. “This is less than we’re currently paying.”
A lot less, I think, but don’t say that out loud. This is a better deal than I could have ever imagined for us.
Next to me, Jade lets out a bark of a laugh, quickly covering her mouth.
“It is,” the woman agrees, nodding. “As I said to you before, I expect you two will find these new terms very agreeable.”
“But I don’t understand.” Bea pokes her head above the table and stretches out one paw to smack the corner of the paper.
“Bea approves,” Jade laughs, her voice shaky. “Wait, are pets allowed?”
The lawyer eyes Bea warily as she scrambles onto the table. “There is nothing in the lease that disallows it. But”—she purses her lips together, like she disapproves—“I would recommend checking with the city ordinances about allowing a pet in any area that serves food.”
I’m still too stunned by the rent cost to do anything but sit there, staring. Sighing, the lawyer takes the document from me and turns to the final page. Next to our names is a bright and friendly yellow sticker that says sign here. She uncaps her pen and hands it to me.
“The new owner is very motivated to keep you as tenants. Especially considering the internet buzz surrounding this location. Virgil Inc. owns the building next door as well, so it is in his best interest to keep you happy with the terms of your rental agreement, so you stay. If this business is doing well, whatever goes in next door will likely also do well, meaning more money for everyone. It’s a win-win. ”
“Is this Alec’s doing?” Jade murmurs to me. She keeps her voice low, but I know just from glancing at the woman watching us that she overheard. Her face is impassive, not even a flicker of recognition at the name.
“Maybe. Or Ash,” I answer, my mind reeling. “But… They never said anything to me about it.”
“Would they, though?” Jade asks, looking skeptical. “It’s not like he asked you about the social media stuff.”
She’s right. I stare down at the rental agreement, my mind reeling. That’s the only explanation that makes sense here, isn’t it?
Do you even want to sign it if this is their doing? Do you want to be even more tied to them?
“Could you tell us anything about the new owners?” I ask, glancing up. “Give us a name, or…?”
She shakes her head, slowly.
“The owner has asked to remain anonymous,” she explains, as though this is a perfectly normal thing. “But, as I said, it’s in his best interests to keep you on as tenants.”
Jade raises her eyebrow at me. “Oh? It’s in his best interests, hm?”
I let out a long breath. Yep. That definitely makes it sound like it’s one of my boys.
“What do you think?” I ask Jade, frowning. “Should we sign, or…?”
Or what? I think to myself. What’s even our alternative here?
Jade snorts and reaches for the pen. “Syd, if those men really believe your pussy is worth almost twenty percent off our rent, who the hell am I to argue?” She sets her pen on the document, signing her name in black ink.
I blush, glancing quickly at the woman as she watches Jade sign, but there’s no judgment or curiosity in her eyes. She looks bored, completely uninterested in Jade’s flippant comment. Jade pivots the document toward me, handing me the pen. Bea rubs against my hand as I take it.
There’s a part of me that argues against signing, that doesn’t like the idea of being indebted to Alec, or Ash, or any of them in this way.
But what other choice do I have?
Fuck it.
I add my own signature quickly, barely glancing at it before I hand the contract back to the woman waiting.
After she packs up her things and leaves, I look up from the copy she left with us to see Jade staring daggers at me.
“Sydney Marie Sinclair,” she says with a scowl, hands on her hips.
I flinch at the anger in her voice. “Oh no, not the middle name.”
“If I could add extra middle names to express how pissed off I am, I would. How could you not tell me about this? I’m your partner!” Her voice breaks over the last word, her eyes starting to fill with tears.
“I know, I’m sorry.” I rush to get the words out. Jade and I never fight. Just the idea of upsetting her makes me break out in a panic sweat all over my body.
“I need more than just a sorry, Syd. This isn’t okay! How is this any different from how the guys have been treating you? You kept this from me! And you lied to me, every time you came into work and didn’t tell me about this! It’s self-involved and mean.”
My chest constricts, and I feel a round of panic sweats coming on. I didn’t even think about that.
“You’re right,” I admit, swallowing hard. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to fix it, and I didn’t want you to worry, but you’re right. I should never have kept that from you. We’re partners, Jade. And I know we’re stronger together. It’ll never happen again. I swear to you.”
I can see her thinking, mulling over what I’m saying. After a few painful seconds, she finally sighs and says, “Fine. I forgive you. But you owe me a present.”
I step forward to wrap her in a hug. “A big one,” I promise.
Later, as I’m closing the shop for the evening, my phone buzzes with a text from Sebastian.
Seb: Your new security system will be installed tomorrow. The crew has already been paid, all you need to do is let them in in the morning so they can set everything up.
I send him a quick thanks in response and gather up all my new kitten supplies to head home. I’m stumbling up the backstairs towards my apartment, Bea nestled safely in her new cat carrier and a lifetime supply of pet accessories in my arms, when I spot something that makes my blood run cold.
My door is open. Not wide open, just slightly ajar, enough to see inside.
It was storming earlier, and it was windy, but I can’t imagine not at least shutting my door. I’m usually meticulous about locking it.
I keep Bea in her carrier as I do a thorough check of my apartment, searching it top to bottom, but nothing seems to be missing. Nothing has been moved or taken.
But it’s strange.
Unsettling.
I spend the rest of the evening constantly looking over my shoulder, feeling like I’m not entirely alone.