Page 34 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs
I stare at the empty space for a while, considering what else will have to change with Ever growing busier. Sucking at my teeth, I glance around the downtown area. The reality is that Downtown Ever is pretty small, all things considered, and it’s not immediately clear that Shifter Hollow has another sort of downtown closer to the portal station. Even then, it’s a solid quarter-hour walk along Sycamore Street, and there aren’t even any signs letting folks know where to go.
All of that will have to change.
“What about public transportation since the Ever portal station’s quite a ways from downtown?”
She sighs. “That one’s harder. I was always in favor of something cute and homey-feeling like a streetcar. That feels veryEverto me, but nobody else has ever agreed with that plan. Richard, the shifter pack alpha, always wanted to put a monorail system in that went back and forth between Shifter Hollow and downtown, but we weren’t growing enough to ask HQ for that sort of investment.”
She glances up at me, irritation evident in the scrunch of herbrows. “We could potentially fully fund it as a town, but it would be better if we could use some of HQ’s funding programs for infrastructure growth.”
“And parking?” I wave at the street. “Every time I’ve walked down here, there’ve only been a handful of open spaces.”
Her smile is wry. “It didn’t used to be like that prior to the Grand Portal Station. But, yes, parking is an issue. There’s always been a plan to add parking behind the shops on either side, but I honestly don’t know if that’s enough.” She jerks her head toward the other end of the street. “The stadium has that giant field, and that’s sufficient for game traffic. But as for general tourism, that’s harder.”
I look around. “Are these conversations moving fast, Cath? Because I’ve seen other havens struggle with this. Even Hearth Headquarters has faced its share of growing pains. Parking’s a bitch there and getting worse all the time. Of course, being nestled against the mountain range is limiting…”
She nods, stepping closer to me. “They’re happening, but they need to be happening more quickly. Thankfully, Arkan’s on top of it. Morgan and Abemet have started to get more involved too. Mor’s very interested in the growth plan, Abemet used to be an architect, and I think they’ve been talking with Valentina, who lives here. Since she’s Evenia’s Chief Haven Planner, she’s an excellent resource.” Cath winks. “Speaking of your boss, are you sure it’s not Evenia who’s the limiting factor at HQ?”
I bark out a laugh. “She’s unfriendly but effective. I’ll give her that. Arkan’s pushing hard for this expansion, but what’s an actual timeline look like?”
Her tinkling laugh fills me with joy. “He first brought this up about two weeks ago, and he’s already got plans for us to review at the leadership meeting next week. Between you and me, I know he’s already seeking quotes from construction companies in other havens for the new streets. Ohken and the other trollscan help us with the buildings, but the streets are best done by someone more familiar with infrastructure needs.”
I pull her toward the far side of the movie theater. “Let’s walk. I want to see how much space there is for parking. I’ve got some ideas, but I need a better visual.”
An hour later, we’ve walked all over downtown and along the space where the new street will go, once it’s officially approved. Downtown’s got a couple cutesy stores, the things a town doesn’t have to have but make it feel nice—the flower shop, a candy shop, an ice cream store. There’s Ohken’s General Store and a couple restaurants, but not much else on Main.
I feel pretty okay overall, but parking’s still likely to be an issue. It’s my opinion that the entire footprint of the haven will need to expand. There’s a lot of pretty forest spread throughout, and we don’t necessarily want to lose that, either. Nobody wants to live in the middle of a parking lot.
Eventually, Catherine’s stomach grumbles, so I insist we stop at Herschel’s Fine Dining—noting that it’s one of only two restaurants in downtown Ever, the Galloping Green Bean being the other. That’ll have to change. Pine Gulch has more restaurants than that and half as many citizens. Of course, Gulchers are foodies.
Herschel himself leads us to a gorgeous little table set in the back away from the main dining area. “My second-best spot.” He winks as he sets the menus down.
Half an hour later, Cath looks sated and full, dragging a piece of crusty French bread through the last dregs of marinara.
“I like seeing you this way,” I muse as I swirl whiskey in an etched crystal glass. “Full. Happy. Smiling.”
That pretty blush I’m such a fan of appears, pinkening her high cheekbones.
“It’s hard not to be happy with such excellent company.”
I lean over the table onto my forearms, holding my glass between my hands. “Talk to me aboutyourplans, Cath. You loveEver and the Annabelle. You’re not going anywhere. Do I have that right?”
She sits back in her chair, clasping her hands in her lap. “Truly, I love it here; I’ve told you that. You’d have to blast me out of this haven with dynamite. Even then, I’d only go kicking and screaming.” She laughs at that last visual. “What about you? What’ll you do if this job doesn’t work out?”
I’ve been thinking about this a lot in the last day or so. I consider how much to share with her, since technically she’s on the committee deciding whether to offer me the job or not.
Eventually, I sit back in my chair and level her with a serious look. “I’ll go back to my current role for a bit, but it’s always been my heart’s desire to get home to Pine Gulch at some point.”
Some unnamed emotion flits through her gorgeous gray eyes. I’d bank on disappointment, but I’m not really sure, so I shrug. “I don’t know if or when it’ll ever happen. I’d love to coach the Punishers, but I’d have to murder Rip Shorthorn to get him outta that job, so I don’t see it happening. Well, ever. It’s long been my dream job, but the chances of it happening are basically zero, so I’ve never made a plan assuming a place for me back home. I’ll stick around at HQ until something else pops up, if this doesn’t work out.”
Catherine nods, but it’s slow and thoughtful.
Suddenly, I’m regretting sharing that much with her.
I cock my head to the side. “I’m sorry, Cath, maybe I shouldn’t have said that much. I don’t want it to seem like I’m not thrilled for this opportunity, because I am, absolutely.”
“I get it.” She smiles, although it looks forced to me. “The way Ever feels to me is probably the way Pine Gulch feels to you. Like you’re where you belong.”
I’m too wary to nod in agreement, so I take a sip of my whiskey instead.
