Page 8 of Axe Backwards
Immediately, she threw her tiny arms around my neck and buried her face in the crook there.
“Love you, Tessie.”
When she’d loosened her hold so she could check out our surroundings, I spun her, holding her close, and surveyed Main Street. This town had changed a lot. In addition to the coffee shop, there was now a salon and a hardware store. Rumor had it a pizzeria was opening in the vacant storefront at the corner too.
The most significant difference had little to do with the new businesses or the newly planted trees lining the sidewalk. For me, the biggest change was in the energy of the place.
As I held my sweet baby girl, I couldn’t help but hope that Tess and I could start fresh here. I’d never replace what she’d lost, but hopefully, I could give her a future.
Chapter 3
Victoria
My anxiety was raging,
Charles Huxley did not strike me as the type of man who enjoyed the presence of a loud woman, and I was too frazzled and exhausted to do even a decent impression of a quiet, well-mannered person today.
Fuck it.
I pushed open the door to Huxley Industries. The office took up the entire top floor of a pretty brick building near one end of downtown. Despite the frigid temperatures, each window was decorated with window boxes filled with blooming flowers. The interior was spotless, with recessed lighting and dark wood furniture. A large fireplace took up one end of the foyer.
I plastered a smile onto my face as I approached the receptionist. Before I could introduce myself, though, Charles Huxley was striding across the space.
He was tall and slim, with thick white hair. His blue suit, without a tie, made him look like he should be sailing his yacht rather than meeting with me.
“It’s a pleasure to see you.”
His teeth were impossibly white and perfectly straight. Being this close to them made me regret not being more vigilant with my retainer in high school.
He shook my hand a little too vigorously, then ushered me into a large office with a bay window and a massive mahogany desk.
As we settled, him behind his desk, and me in the guest seat across from him, I took out my portfolio.
“How is Louise?” He rested his forearms casually on the surface in front of him. “She has always been such a dear friend.”
I had to bite back a laugh at that statement. To avoid giving away how ridiculous I thought the statement was, I ducked my head and pretended to hunt in my purse for a pen.
Aunt Louise loathed politicians and hated rich, entitled people like the Huxleys. One of the biggest reasons the food pantry had struggled so much over the years was that she was constitutionally incapable of sucking up to wealthy people.
Thankfully, I was better at it. I’d encountered plenty of self-important pricks in my lifetime. Hell, I’d married one. So I had a long résumé of experience to draw from.
With a forced smile, I finally focused on him. Charles Huxley was harmless, and I needed to get on his good side. He owned several companies and controlled a lot of the local real estate. He had money and access.
He was a former lieutenant governor and knew a lot of important people in Augusta.
In the past few years, he’d shifted his business interests to the area and would be a great partner for the food pantry. He could bring in donations and help with grants and political stuff. There were so many opportunities to help build up this community if I could only get my hands on the funds and connections.
Needless to say, this meeting was critical.
“Here is our prospectus.” I held out the glossy booklet I’d spent a fortune having printed at the Staples in Orono. “As you can see, the area is facing record food insecurity, and on page seven, we detail the regional assets that have closed or reduced their impact since the pandemic.”
With his lips pressed together, he flipped through, skimming the pages.
“We’re looking at unprecedented increases in need in the region and state, and locally, we’re outpacing them.”
He nodded.
“We truly have more clients than we can handle, and those numbers are only growing.” I was veering off my prepared script and starting to sweat. I had been hopeful that the stats about childhood hunger were all I’d need to hook him in.
