Chapter 10
SPENSER
It’s become my habit to seek out Juliet as soon as I come downstairs for my shift.
Hell, it’s more than a habit, it’s automatic.
Sometimes I find her restocking her popular display at the counter, sometimes I find her joking with Jin, sometimes I find her helping customers, which she’s very skilled at.
The only time I’ve ever come down and found her mad was the day she was trying to learn the organizational system.
This makes the second time.
She’s standing in front of the checkout, her hands on her hips and her posture stiff.
Across from her is the most average human man I’ve ever seen. He’s about six feet tall, with hair that falls between blond and brown. His eyes are an unremarkable shade of blue, and he’s wearing a navy shirt and khakis, hands casually in his pockets.
Whatever has Juliet fired up clearly isn’t bothering him.
Out of respect for the customers, Juliet is keeping her voice low, but the closer I get, the more clearly I can see that her jaw is clenched and she’s speaking through gritted teeth.
“You cannot say things like that,” she hisses.
“Why not? It’s true.”
“It absolutely is not. It is offensive and racist and speciesist!”
I sidle up to the counter and tip my head toward Jin’s. “What’s going on?”
“Juliet’s ex just appeared out of nowhere. Said she should come back home and they should try again, rather than staying in this town full of inferior monster people. Or something to that effect.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” They nod. “This dude seems terrible, not to mention bland. I can’t figure out how or why Juliet would ever have dated him.”
That is a good question.
“Maybe I’ll ask Maggie next time I see her. I bet she knows.”
“Or we could just ask Juliet,” I suggest.
“Eh, you have your way and I have mine. Has she mentioned him to you before? His name is Braeden. With two Es.” Jin nods when I wince. “Right? Awful name for an awful guy.”
We tune back into Juliet’s whispered argument.
“All I’m saying is that you should come back home. Breaking up was a mistake.”
“How did you even find me? It’s not like we’ve stayed in touch.”
“I messaged your mom on socials. She was thrilled to hear we’re getting back together and sent me the address. She always liked me, you know.”
Juliet’s mouth drops in rage, but before she can respond, Flicker appears out of nowhere, a stick in her mouth. She releases it on his shoe, and I can tell from here that it’s covered in bird droppings. He doesn’t seem to notice, but the message strikes me as pretty clear.
“Did the cat just call him a shitstick?” Jin whispers.
“Sure seems like it.”
“Where did she get that thing?”
I shake my head. “No idea. Flick works in mysterious ways.”
Juliet doesn’t react to Flicker’s statement either.
She’s too busy whisper-yelling at her ex.
“Was the fact that I never responded to your messages not a clue? I’m not interested in talking to you, much less dating you.
Besides, you broke up with me! You can’t just undo that now that you’ve realized how good you had it. ”
He opens his mouth, but she steamrolls right over him. “And furthermore, stop referring to it as ‘home.’ I am home. I live here.” She points to the ground. “In Harmony Glen. My friends are here and I have no intention of going anywhere with you.”
Braeden has spotted me with Jin. “Friends, huh?” he says with a sneer. “Is that freak one of them?”
Juliet glances over her shoulder and sees me. Her expression instantly shifts from angry to mortified.
She whips back around. “My god, you are such an asshole. Come with me.” She grabs his arm and drags him out onto the sidewalk.
“I guess the show’s over,” Jin muses.
“I’m not sure about that,” I say, moving closer to the window. One of the advantages of my anatomy is my incredible hearing; I should be able to make out the entire conversation, even through the glass. Generally, I don’t use this particular talent, because nobody likes an eavesdropper.
But, hey, what can I say? I really want to know what happens next.
JULIET
I drag Braeden to the sidewalk in front of Moonbeam Books and glare at him.
“I don’t know why you think you have the right to show up here, insult my life, and then expect me to waltz off into the sunset with you, but you’re dead wrong.
And I can’t believe you insulted Spenser to his face like that. What’s wrong with you?”
“Who’s Spenser?”
I resist the urge to stomp my foot like a child. This idiot is infuriating. “Spenser is my boss, the owner of this business, a pillar of the community, and the person you just called a freak.”
“Oh,” he says, grimacing. “The one with the wings and the fur. That’s your boss?”
“Yes. He’s a mothman.”
“He’s an abomination,” Braeden retorts, crossing his arms over his chest. “All these monsters are. I can’t believe you work for one.”
I rake a hand through my hair. I know I should calm down, stop letting him get to me.
But, ugh, he’s just so frustrating. I can’t believe he and my mom ganged up on me like this.
Well, actually, I can. They’re both infuriating people.
“Spenser is an excellent boss and a good friend. He’s kind and smart and interesting. ”
Distaste washes across my ex’s face. “Oh, my god, are you fucking him?”
“I beg your pardon?” I’m surprised icicles don’t form on my lips, my tone is so frosty.
“You are, aren’t you? You’re disgusting.”
“I’m disgusting? Me?” I throw my hands in the air, furious.
“Have you heard anything you’ve said, you shitty excuse for a human?
As it happens, no, I’m not sleeping with my boss, not that it’s any of your business.
But if I had to choose between the two of you, I’d pick him every time.
He’s smarter, hotter, and I bet he knows how to make a woman come, unlike you! Now get the hell out of my town!”
Braeden shakes his head and turns on his heel, stomping away.
Thank goodness. As long as he thinks I’m a gross weirdo, he’ll leave me alone.
The nerve of him, showing up here…at least one good thing came out of it: I’m very certain of my decision to stay here in Harmony Glen.
Even if I could get my old job back, I wouldn’t.
It was never as fun as this one. And getting back together with Braeden is just laughable.
I can’t believe I used to think my life was perfect.
I turn, preparing to go back inside, only to see Spenser’s face in the window, grinning at me.
Damn him and his mothman hearing. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”
He nods and I bury my face in my hands, not that there’s any way to conceal my embarrassment. I just screamed, in public, that he probably knows how to give someone an orgasm. Not exactly the kind of thing you say about someone you work for.
A moment later, he comes outside and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “That seemed intense. You want to take the afternoon off?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.”
“All right. Come back inside, then. Aside from me, I don’t think anyone actually heard any of that. Well, maybe Jin. Hard to say. If it helps, Flick gave him a twig covered in bird shit. Her way of calling Braeden a shitstick, we think.”
I laugh. Leave it to Flicker.
His arm around me gives me the strength and confidence I need to go back inside and pretend the good people of Harmony Glen didn’t just see me getting into it with my asshole ex. I lift my head high, relying on Spenser’s support, and go finish my shift.
JULIET
Between my hours at the bookstore and Maggie’s various entrepreneurial undertakings, it’s been a few weeks since we last hung out. Gabe is chilling with his werebear friend Mack tonight, watching some sporting thing, so it’s the perfect chance for me to go visit my cousin and Jasper.
At least, I think that’s the plan, until Maggie texts me.
Let’s get drinks at Hip Hops. I need mozzarella sticks.
Works for me. 7:00?
See you then.
I get there first, so I go to the bar and say hi to Vienne, who’s wearing red leather tonight, instead of her customary black. Gillian is at a stool in the corner, wearing a gold caftan and sipping something fancy-looking out of a coupe.
“Ladies,” I say. “Are you enjoying this month’s book club selection?” Gillian has a paperback version of it with her, sitting on the bar. It’s a very spicy romantasy called The Nightshade Prince.
“You’ll find out when we meet,” Vienne says with a grin.
Gillian pats the empty barstool next to her. “Sit,” she says. “And yes, I’m having fun with it. I didn’t realize how popular spicy fantasy had become. Those are some very sexy elves you’ve assigned to us.”
I grin. “Hey, the group voted for it. I had a memoir picked out, remember? And I would have been just as happy with a beach read.” I lift the glass to my mouth.
“We can do that next month,” Vienne says, sliding me a pink cocktail I didn’t order. “June is for beachy fluff. May is for elf fucking.”
I choke on my drink. “That’s one way of putting it.”
My phone dings, and I expect it to be a text from Maggie, telling me she’s on her way. Instead, it’s from Spenser.
You busy tonight?
Having drinks with Mags at Hip Hops. Free later, though.
He gives my response a thumbs up and I turn back to the gals at the bar.
Maggie rolls up a few minutes later and asks Vienne to put in a double order of mozzarella sticks.
Vienne raises her black brows, puts in the order with the kitchen, and immediately grabs the blender, whipping up a frozen margarita.
“You look like you need this,” she tells Maggie.
“Thank you.” My cousin takes a grateful sip and then sighs. “I love my job, but today was a long one, you know?”
I nod. “We all have them.”
She smirks. “Sure. I bet you have bad days all the time at the job that was basically tailor made for you.”