Chapter 21 #2
McKenna looked like she wanted to murder someone, but she finally waved them in. She pointed to the chairs at a bar and said, “You two sit there.”
Indigo and Lily glanced at each other then shrugged and took their seats.
Prim followed McKenna to the two leather chairs that were placed near the windows looking out over the Hood Canal.
“The studio is demanding that we restart filming right away,” McKenna said.
“You can film outside the store,” Prim offered. “Or do any of the town filming. I can help you get the permits. I just can’t let you in the shop while the Magical Task Force is still investigating the crime scene.”
“That’s not going to work. We have a schedule to keep.” McKenna reached over, grabbed a stack of stapled papers, and slammed them down on the table between them. “This is the contract that you signed. I expect you to adhere to it, or the studio will sue.”
Prim sighed. “Threatening me isn’t going to get us anywhere. And honestly, McKenna, I’d think that you of all people would want to know who is responsible for what happened to Bree. That kind of publicity can’t be good for the movie or your reputation.”
The producer stared out the window, and when she returned her attention back to Prim, she said, “Do you know what it’s like to be a woman working at a high level in Hollywood?”
“No.” There wasn’t enough money in the world to get Prim to work for the studios. Not if they treated everyone like this.
“None of them take women executives seriously. And if we’re late delivering this movie, it might be shelved altogether.
So if we don’t find a way to keep it moving, all of us are going to lose.
Including you. I’m not demanding the shop because I’m unreasonable or trying to make your life a living hell, I’m doing it for survival.
You think I’m evil because I’m not out there publicly talking about Bree and how I had to let her go because of the accident?
It’s because if I did, I’d be replaced faster than you can say good riddance.
I’m not evil, and I’m not the enemy. I’m just a woman trying to keep her job so she can keep a lot of other women employed. ”
Prim took in everything she was saying, and despite her magic being depleted, she could read right through the producer. There was some truth to what the woman was saying, but her words were more exaggeration than truth. McKenna wanted something, and it wasn’t necessary access to the store.
“What if there is no way to get you filming in the shop right away, due to the MTF forbidding it? What exactly would the studio sue for?”
She shrugged. “It’s hard to say, but I imagine they’d expect not to have to pay filming fees for your space. And they’d want some reimbursement of money already spent.”
Indigo coughed and muttered, “Bullshit.”
Prim agreed. There was no way they’d win any such lawsuit.
In fact, if she was ever cleared of the charges, Prim would have grounds to sue them for the trouble they’d caused.
Giving McKenna a flat stare, she said, “What do you really want? And don’t say a date with Dante.
I’m not in the business of arranging awkward dates. ”
“Dante?” she scoffed. “No, I’ve had quite enough of him and his kayak.”
That was a good thing. But if this woman didn’t want him, what could she possibly be angling for that Prim could give her?
McKenna glanced at her sisters and then back at Prim. “I want someone to teach me how to cast spells.”
Prim blinked. “What?”
“Yeah, what?” Indigo and Lily said at the same time.
McKenna waved at the room where her assistant had disappeared to. “You remember my assistant, Bette, right?”
Prim nodded. How could she not?
“She’s my sister.” McKenna said. “And she is skilled at spells. I am not. And it drives me insane! I swear, if she hexes me one more time just to irritate me, I’m going to lose my mind.
” The producer went on to rant for five more minutes all about her sister casting annoying but harmless spells just to get under her skin.
Indigo and Lily were having a heck of a time covering their laughter, while Prim just stared at the woman, dumbfounded. All of that nonsense when all she wanted was some lessons on how to cast a few protection spells?
She gritted her teeth. “Fine. I’ll help you. Or my sisters will. But stop threatening my employee and let the Magical Task Force do their job. After they finish, you can have the store anytime you want to film. Agreed?”
McKenna’s entire demeanor changed as she grinned and held out her hand. “Agreed.”
A few minutes later, when the Easton sisters were alone in the elevator on the way back down to the lobby, they all looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Prim laughed so hard tears ran down her cheeks.
When she finally got control of herself, she said, “I guess I should have known that no one can get under someone skin faster and easier than a sister.”
That made them all laugh even harder, and they were still cracking up when the doors opened on the ground floor.
They walked out and headed for the door, but before they got there, Prim spotted the two women who’d been in the bookstore.
They were still wearing their cosplay witch outfits and seemed to be badgering another woman, one who looked familiar to Prim, about helping them cast a spell just like they did last time.
The third woman looked up, met Prim’s eyes, and quickly turned her back on her and her sisters. “I don’t do that. I don’t cast spells.”
“Sure, you do. We were—” Violet said.
“I’m not interested in magic. I already told you that.” The woman walked away from them, her body stiff.
Prim took off after her and cut her off just before she got into the elevator. “Hi, remember me? I work at Tangled Up in a Spell.”
“I’m sorry, no. I don’t think we’ve met.” Prim looked down at her hands, spotted the pretty nail polish with the shooting stars, and said, “You purchased sage and wormwood from me once.”
“I-I don’t… That wasn’t me. I’m sorry. I have to go.” She darted into the elevator and frantically pushed the button until the doors closed.
“That was strange,” Lily said.
“Definitely,” Prim agreed as she eyed the two cosplay witches. They saw her watching them and hurried outside, bumping into each other to get out the door.
“That’s not suspicious at all,” Indigo said sarcastically.
“Call Niko. Tell him his suspects just left the inn,” Prim said, her head suddenly spinning again.
Indigo made her call, and when she was done, she said, “Time to take care of you now, sis. Come on. Let’s do something about your magic before you pass out.”
“Gladly,” Prim said, her head swimming. She knew something significant had just happened. She just couldn’t put enough thoughts together to figure out what it meant.
Lily slipped her arm through Prim’s and said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
Prim nodded and let her sisters take the lead.