Chapter 10
MADDIE
“For the last time,” I said to the smug-looking lawyer, “I am not interested in selling. Not to Cometcents, not to anyone.”
Behind the lawyer, Romeo had his fangs out and was making chomping motions. I tried desperately not to laugh. Killing lawyers probably wasn’t funny, but I had a date with Felix later, and that made everything sunshine and roses.
“I don’t think you understand what you’re rejecting,” said the lawyer. “We are offering a very competitive buy-out package.”
“No, what you’re offering is below baseline for the marketplace.
You know that my location is perfectly situated between two freeway on-ramps and within walking distance of a business park and restaurants.
What you’re trying to do is intimidate me into accepting a substandard offer so that you can dismantle my shop and replace it with one of your own.
And maybe if I hadn’t done any research, I might be fooled into taking your offer, but I’m not an idiot. ”
“Then I guess I’ll have to talk to the owner of the building,” said the lawyer. “Perhaps they would be interested in having a more professional establishment in their location with more rent.”
That was a legitimate threat, and he knew it.
“And I guess I’ll ask you to leave now before I call the cops on you for trespassing,” I said.
The lawyer made a furious noise and stomped out, slamming the door so hard that the bells bounced off the door and the ceiling.
Mr. Benjamin, who had been sitting near the door, winced at the sharp noise. “Well,” said he, wiggling his hearing aids, “he is not a very nice boy. That’s very upsetting. Something should be done.”
“Should have let me eat him,” said Romeo and went back to the counter.
The door banged open again, and I jumped. Shayla stood at the entrance, clutching her laptop.
“Sorry, Mr. Benjamin!” she yelled at the elderly gentleman as she hurried past.
“That’s all right, dear.”
“Your office—now.”
I sighed and followed Shayla. So much for basking in the glow of having a date with Felix.
She plunked her computer on the desk and typed in her password.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered as it took longer than she wanted to connect to the wi-fi.
“OK,” she said, looking up as her web browser loaded. “I’m really sorry. I’m really, really sorry, but I think I know why Cometcents is hitting you up now.”
“Because they had a turnover in staffing, and they institutionally forgot what a bad idea it was to mess with me?” I suggested.
Shayla sighed and stepped aside to reveal that her computer had loaded the Cometcents corporate website.
Cometcents Buys Local
The headline was comically out of tune for a page about how Cometcents acquired local coffee shops.
“The photo,” whispered Shayla.
The photo showed two men shaking hands—a handsome, dark-haired man in a suit and the other wearing a coffee shop apron.
My heart sank and then hit the floor as I read the caption.
Local shop becomes part of the Cometcents family, closing the deal with our Head of Acquisitions.
“Felix is the Head of Acquisitions,” said Shayla.
FELIX
I parked directly in front of Deja Brew, but it wasn’t until I was all the way out of the car that I realized that Romeo and the girl with the calico hair that I usually avoided because she smelled like a cat were standing out front, blocking the door.
“Um, hey,” I said, stopping what felt like a safe distance away. “I’m picking up Maddie.”
“No, you aren’t,” said the girl, folding her arms.
“Um, yes,” I said hesitantly. “We have a date.”
“Not anymore,” snapped Romeo. “We already booted out your lawyer, and if you think for one minute I’m going to let you romance Deja Brew out from under Maddie, you can just think again. I will go to Confession over this.”
“What?”
“Is this how you became Head of Acquisitions?” demanded the girl. “Just cozy up to vulnerable people and take advantage of them?”
I winced. I hadn’t wanted Maddie to find out about my previous career until after the wolf thing.
“OK, I was Head of Acquisitions, but I am not anymore. I quit several years ago.”
“Then why is your picture on the website?” demanded Romeo.
The honest answer was because they had fired everyone in the web design department, claiming that an intern and AI could do everything, and no one would return my calls to get it taken down.
But that didn’t sound particularly convincing.
And arguing with the defensive linemen wasn’t going to get me very far.
“Where is Maddie?” I demanded.
“At home,” said the girl. “Because while Romeo might feel guilt over burying you, I will sleep just fine. Now beat it!” She leaned into my face and hissed with violently sharp fangs on full display.
I jerked back in surprise. She didn’t just smell like a cat—she was a cat.
She turned and marched back into the coffee shop.
“She’s right. I wouldn’t bury you,” said Romeo, smiling, and I blinked at his equally sharp incisors. “I would just leave you naked, confused, and anemic in a field of nettles. “Don’t come back! Hope you die miserable and alone!”
The coffee shop door slammed shut and locked with a very final clunk of the deadbolt.
Maddie’s best friends were a cat Shifter and a vampire. She was absolutely perfect for me, and she didn’t want to see me.