Chapter 3
Chapter Three
The Evening Before Hope and Ogram’s Wedding
CATE
At nine o’clock, the night is still young in the main bar, but already the music’s muted beat is steadily thumping its presence in the smaller upstairs room.
I knew this would be the case, and I warned Hope she’d either have to forgo meaningful music at her party or crank it to a volume that’d make conversation impossible.
She chose low-volume instrumental covers for a relaxed, subtle background vibe.
It worked for about an hour, but it’s barely audible now.
“You weren’t kidding about the sound traveling from downstairs,” she says when I sit in a club chair across from the upholstered banquette where she’s seated beside Ogram. “Now I understand why you’ve never rented out this room.”
“I’d definitely have to invest in soundproofing if I wanted to make use of it for business.”
Hope’s gaze travels the room before landing on my face again. “It’s such a warm, cozy space. I can totally picture a musician on the small platform there, playing or singing for an intimate group.”
Old, tamped-down emotions rise to form a ball in my throat. “Yes, that’s how I envisioned it as well.”
“I bet it’d be super popular with locals and the tourist crowd.
Is it the expense of upgrading the building that’s held you back?
Because I bet we could fundraise.” She raises one finger when I open my mouth, probably because she knows I’m about to protest. “You could figuratively repay people who donate by offering free or discounted admission to performances in the first year, etcetera. And of course, the drinks up here would cost more than downstairs, because of the exclusivity factor. That’d help offset the free admissions. ”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” I say with a smile.
Ogram, her huge troll mate and soon-to-be husband, looks at her as if she just single-handedly hung the moon. “There’s no stopping Hope’s beautiful brain from formulating a plan once the seed of an idea takes root.”
“Oh, I’m aware,” I say. “Hope had some very helpful ideas while working downstairs. But this particular seed isn’t going to have an opportunity to grow into a full-fledged plant for reasons other than the cost of building upgrades. And that’s all I’m prepared to say on the subject at this time.”
“Understood.” Hope makes a zipping-the-lips gesture. Or starts to. Her hand is only halfway across when her eyes open wide and her mouth does the same. “He came!”
Smiling widely, Ogram rises from the banquette in tandem with Hope, their full attention directed toward the archway entrance.
Though he’s pleasant and warm, Ogram has always been solitary.
He’s stepped out of his seclusion since Hope entered his life, but he still isn’t one to have social friends.
With his fated mate tucked under his arm, there’s only one person’s arrival that could put a smile like that on the troll’s green lips.
Someone whose name didn’t come up while discussing tonight’s party or the wedding. The one person I want to see more than anyone in the world, while simultaneously wishing I never had to come face-to-face with again.
Shit.