Page 47 of Holly Jolly July

hold up its end of the bargain, it

hurts the rest of us. People are going

into the city to shop in malls rather

than downtown because they are more

festive. We can’t afford to keep sending business away.

BUSINESSWOMAN 1

I know Christmas is a hard time of year

for you, but this is Hemlock Grove.

Everyone here loves Christmas!

BUSINESSWOMAN 2

If you refuse to be part of our community,

then we will find someone who is. We’ve

invited some prospective new tenants to

the party on Saturday.

JAMES

What do you mean?

BUSINESSWOMAN 1

If you can’t turn all this around and

prove to the community that you still have

a place here, then we will find someone

else better suited for it.

JAMES

You can’t do that. We’ve been here...

I’ve been here since the beginning.

BUSINESSWOMAN 1

All good things come to an end.

JAMES

Trust me, I know that better than most.

BUSINESSWOMAN 2

We’ve been patient and understanding,