Chapter 5
HUDSON
Ineeded to start a list of businesses for inspections and figure out a schedule. I was almost to Angela's shop when I noticed a few people standing in front of her door.
Angela stood next to her daughter balancing a pizza box and a sub.
She was talking to Bill, the owner of the puzzle shop. I think someone had mentioned he tended to be cantankerous, but I couldn't remember why.
"If you have a problem with the way the inspections and repairs are being handled, you'll need to talk to Eve," Angela said firmly.
I approached, taking the carry-out containers from her hands. "What's going on?"
Bill frowned. "Her shop shouldn't be allowed to reopen. No one wants an underwear shop in town. It's not family friendly."
I couldn't believe he was attacking Angela on the sidewalk in front of her daughter.
Irritation made my chest tight, and I asked Angela, "Why don't you take Ayla inside, and I'll be in shortly?"
Angela nodded gratefully.
Once they were inside, I said, "If you have a problem, you need talk to Eve. Keep Angela and her daughter out of it."
"No one wants an illicit store in town."
From what I could see, Angela sold lingerie, panties, and bras. Some of it was cotton with gingerbread men and candy canes, and others were silk or lace. All were sexy, but I hadn't heard any complaints about her business around town. "It's hardly illicit."
He threw his hand in the air. "Who knows what she sells in the back of her store?"
Was he implying she had some sort of porn or sex-toy shop? "I've inspected the store, and I can assure you she sells lingerie. Nothing else."
From his expression, he didn't believe me.
"You're not to confront Angela or her daughter again. If you do, we're going to have a problem." My jaw was tight.
"I'm going to talk to Eve." He turned and walked away, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Inside, I locked the door and ensured the sign was flipped to Closed. Angela didn't need any more people coming inside to give her a hard time. She had enough to deal with: the damage and repairs.
I found Angela and Ayla in the break room.
Angela set the rickety table with paper plates, and Ayla poured water into paper cups.
"You got rid of him?" Angela asked as I set the box on the counter.
"For now. But he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who will let things go."
She let out a breath. "Tell me about it."
I wanted to ask her more questions about how often he'd hassled her, but I didn't want to talk about it in front of Ayla.
Angela plated the slices for her and Ayla, and I unwrapped my sub. They sat at the table, and I leaned against the cabinet.
Angela took a bite of her pizza. "I'm sorry I don't have another chair. Usually it's just Ayla and me here."
"It's not a problem." I took a big bite of the sub, loving the grilled onions.
Angela shifted slightly in her chair to face me. "How did the meeting with Eve go?"
"Good. I'm going to start inspecting the other businesses and get a crew or two together."
"I can't believe this is happening right before Christmas. Eve and Natasha bought the town wanting to revitalize it, and they can't afford to have any issues during their first holiday season."
It was nice she was worried about others when she was the one experiencing the worst of it. I wanted to get her store open as soon as possible. I just hoped that Bill didn't get his way.
The store meant a lot to her. It represented her independence. If the store failed, she'd take it hard. She wanted to be the one to support her daughter, and I could respect that.
"I'm going to plan a few pop-up shops at the local malls and sell my holiday product. They've been popular before, but I'm worried no one follows me online anymore."
"You never know. They might be waiting for you to do another one."
"I'll have to reach out through my old channels. I used to have a newsletter, and I have a few social-media accounts."
Ayla finished her slice and threw the plate in the garbage. "Can I go play?"
"Yes, just don't knock any of the racks over."
"Okay, Momma," Ayla said in a baby voice before she raced out of the room.
Angela rolled her eyes. "She only calls me Momma when she's trying to be cute. As if I'll give in to whatever she wants."
"You don't? I'm helpless against her pleading." I took the last bite of my sub.
Angela laughed. "It is adorable when she calls me Momma. I want her to stay little forever. But she's growing up more every day."
"You can't stop them from growing up."
Angela closed the pizza box. "I'm sorry you had to deal with Bill. He's a pain."
When she walked past me to place the box in the fridge, I took it from her. "I'm sorry you had to deal with him. You shouldn't have to."
She gave me a weary smile. "He hates my store, and he won't stop until I'm gone."
"Is that going to work?" I couldn't imagine Eve listening to him.
"I only have a short-term lease; it was presented as a probationary period. Eve said she wanted to see if my shop would do well here. But I think it was to appease Bill. He thinks he has a chance to oust me. I'm sure it would be easier on Eve if she gave in to his demands."
I placed the pizza box in the fridge and closed it. "He thinks that the shop isn't family friendly."
She rolled her eyes. "Malls have lingerie shops next to teen clothing and toy stores. What's the difference?"
"None I can see."
She sat in her seat. "I'm following all the rules. We have to sell a certain percentage of holiday products year-round to go with the theme of the town, and I'm doing that."
Now I wondered if she wore gingerbread men on her panties, and if so, were they the cotton or lace ones? "People like that are always upset about something. I'm sure it's not you."
"Thanks for getting rid of him. I hate how I can't walk down the sidewalk without worrying about running into him."
"What's he say to you normally?"
Her shoulders hunched slightly. "That no one wants me here. Children shouldn't have to see what I'm selling." Her face flushed. "As if I'm running some kind of smut shop."
"Yeah, that's what he said to me too. He insinuated that you're selling other stuff under the counter or from the back room."
She threw her hands in the air. "I don't sell anything you didn't see me pack up yesterday. If women's underthings are illicit, then I guess I'm guilty. But no one else has complained, and I do a good business in this location. Obviously, someone wants me here."
"I don't see a problem with what you're selling. But it might not be a bad idea to have a back-up plan, like that online shop you were talking about."
She sighed heavily. "I'm working on it. It might take some time to get the website up and running. There are so many things to consider."
"It's cute how interested Ayla is in the business."
"I talk to her all the time about it, and when the shop is doing well, we celebrate. She's aware when times are lean. She's as invested in the success of the store as I am."
"You're setting a good example for her. She's watching you build a business from the ground up. That's invaluable."
"You think?" Angela asked.
"Oh, yeah. She sees you work hard and continue to try even when things don't work. I'm sure she's proud of you."
She stood and walked toward the doorway. "I'd better get back to work."
"I'm going to inspect other businesses this afternoon." I didn't think Bill would return today.
"Good luck with that," Angela said as she disappeared down the hallway.
I needed to prioritize inspections while we were waiting for her shop to dry out.
Then there was the other issue of needing to create some space between us.
The more time I spent with her, the more I liked her, and I couldn't afford any distractions.
This was a big job, and I wanted to prove that I was up for it.
Ischeduled inspections the rest of the week to keep me away from Angela and her adorable daughter. So far, the buildings I checked had the same pipes as Angela's, so I put together a crew that could help with replacement.
By Friday, I needed to stop by Angela's to check on the damage. After lunch with Cooper and Ford, I knocked on her door.
A woman I didn't recognize waved me in. She held a professional-looking camera, and there were lights set up throughout the space, including a Victorian-looking chaise lounge.
I stepped inside, wiping my feet on the mat. "What's going on?"
She touched her chest. "I'm Wynter, the photographer. We're shooting a few pictures for Angela's online shop."
"I'm Hudson Sterling, the guy who's fixing the water damage. I just wanted to check on things."
Wynter waved a hand toward the back. "Angela's in the dressing room changing, but you can access the break room and bathroom. We'll be done in here soon."
"If you don't mind, I'll just take a quick look around." I moved around the room, crouching down to check the wood planks.
"Suit yourself." Wynter turned her attention to her camera.
"What do you think about this one?" Angela asked.
I looked up from where I knelt on the floor to see her bare legs; Angela was wearing a red bustier of some sort.
I had no idea what the name for something like that was, but the bottom was like a bathing suit, cut high on her hips, the lace tight around her waist. It had satin ties that pushed up her breasts to the point I was worried they'd spill out.
My mouth was suddenly very dry, and the blood quickly drained from my brain.
Wynter set her camera aside and moved toward Angela. "I think we need to contain the girls. This is a classy photo shoot."
Angela rolled her eyes. "Not like the ones you do in the backroom?"
Wynter laughed. "I wouldn't call it the backroom. I do sexy photo shoots in my studio, but it's all tasteful. Usually women who want to gift their husbands with the perfect picture on their anniversary or birthday."
I sat back on my heels, making the plank under my boots creak.