CHAPTER 27 #2
Colter shook his head but then, strangely, nodded before he turned and left the shop.
Seeing that Lainey was still busy not helping Mr. Barnard, who appeared to need books pulled down from a high shelf, Maisie grabbed her bag from under the counter and walked out the door, knowing Lainey could cover the counter and also knowing that she needed a break.
“Hey. You’re early,” India noted when Maisie sat down at the café table across from her. “I just came down to work before lunch.”
She closed her laptop.
“Your brother stopped by the shop just now.”
“Colter?”
“You have more than one?”
“No. I have a sister, though. What did he do? Why are you upset?”
“He couldn’t get me on the agenda, after all.”
“What? Why not?”
“Your uncle.”
“My uncle?” India asked.
“Not yours. Sorry. His.”
“His uncle?”
“India, his uncle.” Maisie motioned with her hand as if India should understand her just from that. “He needed some favor.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t know what I’m talking about?”
“Why would I? I barely know Colter’s uncle on his dad’s side. I think I’ve met him a handful of times in my life.”
“He owns some big company.”
“Yes, I do know that.”
“Well, Colter used up his political favors to get some property zoned for him.”
“Oh,” India said. “Okay. So, now, he can’t do what you need?”
“I guess he could have, but he had to use the rest of his favors for you, too.”
“Me?”
“A parking garage?”
“What about it?” India asked.
“That’s all he said.”
“We’re expanding the parking garage behind the building. I met with vendors this morning, but we haven’t done anything with the city council yet.”
“He said something about permits.”
“Permits? We’ll need them, but the vendors will be applying for those,” India replied. “Maybe one of them reached out. I don’t know. Either way, I had no idea he even knew about that. You don’t think I asked him to–”
“What? No,” Maisie said. “But why are you changing a parking garage, exactly?”
“The CEO wanted a gym and a day care, and we’re out of space. We also needed more parking for all the new people we’re hiring.”
“And Colter cares about that?”
“He probably thought he was doing something nice for his sister. Maisie, I’d never put your shop in jeopardy. If there was some issue, we’d work through the permit stuff.”
“I know,” Maisie said, still feeling a little defeated.
“I actually stopped my boss from buying the land.”
“What land?”
“Your shop.”
“You stopped–”
“He wanted to buy your land to turn it into more offices with the gym and day care. I told him about the garage idea, and we’re doing that instead.”
“You did that? When?”
“Before you and I met.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Why would you?” India asked with a smile.
“I don’t know what to do, India. It takes months in this city to get on the agenda.
Sure, I can go and speak, but even just to ask a damn question, there’s a form and a process.
It took me forever both times to get on the agenda before.
I know he said he wasn’t going to come after the shop, but I believe him about as far as I can throw him.
He told me I had a spot on the agenda, and that didn’t work out.
He could find someone like his uncle who wants the property tomorrow.
And yes, I can turn down the sale, but he’s right: the city can take someone’s property at any time with some lowball offer, and that’s it. ”
“I’ll talk to him and get you back on the agenda, Maisie. I know people, too. I’ll talk to all of them if I have to.”
Maisie tilted her head and said, “No, that’s not what–”
“It’ll be okay. I’ll take care of it. You may not be able to trust him, but you can trust me. You know that, right?”
“Yes, but–”
“I’ll call that idiot right now,” India said. “And I’ll call whoever else I need to.”
“India!”
“What?”
“I don’t need you to fix it.”
“But it’s my fault,” India replied.
“No, it’s not. It’s not about you at all.”
“The parking garage.”
“You didn’t ask him for that. He did it on his own.”
“But it’s getting in your way.”
“Yes, my way. And I’ll solve this on my own.”
“On your own,” India repeated softly. “But I’m here to help.”
“I don’t need you to fix things for me. I can handle this myself,” she said. “I just needed to vent to the woman I’m dating. That’s why I came over here.”
“Okay. Then, I won’t call him, but–”
“I’m not really hungry anymore,” Maisie stated.
“Not hungry? Maisie, what is happening right now?”
“Nothing. I just need to go. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay. But, Maisie, I didn’t–”
“I know.” She stood. “I’ve got stuff, too, India. You’ve got stuff, and I’ve got stuff.”
“What are you talking about?”
Maisie knew what she meant by that statement, but she didn’t know how to properly articulate it.
“Baggage. Issues. I need to walk this off, okay?” she replied, wishing she could just breathe and talk to this woman, who was being patient with her right now when Maisie didn’t deserve it. “It’s not about you.”
“I don’t know what this is, but okay. I’ll… I’ll be here if you need me.”
Maisie looked down at her and knew that India would.