Page 2 of Bargains with Benefits
“You certainly always had hope.” She snapped a towel at me playfully.
When she turned, I pretended not to notice her wiping what I could only assume was a tear from her eye. Good. She deserved this. I hope she enjoyed it.
Evelyn returned with another order and gestured to a table in the back. “She asked for you specifically, Luna.”
I glanced at the unfamiliar woman sitting there. She wore a navy-blue dress, and not a strand of hair was out of place in her dark brown bob. The fae were difficult to distinguish from humans. They generally looked the same, except that every fae was extraordinarily beautiful. Their only real tells were slow aging and some quirks of their magic. This woman was stunning. She had light brown skin and looked to be in her mid-twenties, although she carried herself with a superiority that made her seem older. It was that, and the conservative dress, that led me to believe she was fae, and if she wasn’t part of one of the old fae families in Sandrin, she at least worked for one.
In Sandrin, there were fae, and there were old fae.
I didn’t think the distinction existed elsewhere on the continent. The old fae in Sandrin were so named because the families had been here since the city’s creation. They considered themselves founders of sorts. A made-up title, but one that held weight for some reason.
As much as I loved reading about fae trends in the paper, no one would mistake me for one of them. My dark brown hair was wild with waves and had uncommon white-blond streaks in the front. It was messily tied atop my head, ensuring it didn’t get in my way while I worked. My strapless golden top exposed too much pale skin. The tavern was hot when it was filled, and I’d had a good feeling about today. I’d even worn my lucky bright blue skirt. It was a favorite because it matched my eyes. The silk material fell to the floor but was made of slitted layers of fabric that appeared to move with me. It was a purchase from the day I met Seraphina, the same day I arrived in the city.
I glanced at Seraphina. “You alright behind the bar for a minute?”
She nodded, a brief look of concern crossing her face as she surveyed the woman. I had no doubt she drew the same conclusion I did. There weren’t many good reasons someone working for an old fae family would want to speak with me. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Wiping my hands on a dry towel, I collected the woman’s order and headed to the table. Her smile was too warm at my approach. Something twisted in my stomach with every step. I knew what she would say before I arrived, though I had no idea why she was here. The words I feared were out of her mouth before I set down the drink.
“Hello, Luna. I’m Nora, your father’s assistant.”
My stomach bottomed out.
I kept it together, apparently not needing to introduce myself since she knew me already.She seemed perplexed by my lack of response but recovered quickly. “He would like to speak with you.”
I bit the inside of my red-painted lips, trying to guess why. My father and I hadn’t spoken in years. The last time was when I’d moved to Sandrin after my mom’s death. That was when he’d offered me the groundskeeper’s cottage at Cliff House. My fingers twitched at my sides as I remembered the brevity of even that conversation. He’d spent mere moments with me before retreating to Pierce House and leaving me to my grief.
“Why?” I raised my hands to my hips.
She looked briefly taken aback at the bluntness of my question, but again, she recovered quickly. The old families of fae rarely asked what they wanted in the obvious way. It would likely have taken one of them an hour to arrive at the question I dropped in Nora’s lap.
“He’d like to tell you that when he speaks with you.” She took a sip of the drink I’d delivered.
“And when does Darius want this conversation to take place?” I asked sweetly, knowing I would not like the response by the way she scrunched her nose.
“As soon as possible.” She cleared her throat. “This afternoon is preferable.”
I glanced out the window. It was afternoon now, nearly evening. He meant for me to drop everything and come to him. My hands balled into fists at my sides. This was unreasonable. I took a step closer, dropping my voice while keeping a smile plastered on my face. “I’m not sure if you’re new, Nora, but my father and I don’t talk often, or at all. So, you’ll have to forgive me, but I need more information if I’m to leave my boss in thelurch to meet with him.” I hated to be rude even as I gestured to the filling tavern around us.
None of this was Nora's fault; she only did what she was told. She paused, considering. “It’s my understanding, Miss Luna, that he, too, is your boss. This conversation is about your other employment.”
I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling. Darius did ask very little of me at the inn. He didn’t exactly pay me, but he gave me a steep discount on the cottage rental. I would be hard-pressed to find a home that I loved as much anywhere else in Sandrin. Seraphina would understand, and if I went now, I could return before the evening meal rush.
“Alright.” I gestured toward the door. “Let’s get this over with.”
2
Vincent
Have we lost all semblance of etiquette?I took a seat in the gold velvet chair. The Bayside Times staff gathered on the top floor of the old three-story building in the city’s center that served as our office. I cringed at Arnold’s audacity—he’d dared to bring his sandwich to the team meeting. He took a bite as everyone took their seats, and a glob of…was that jam?...dropped on his wrinkled white shirt.
How was he our feature writer?
“Do you know what this is about?” Daisy took the seat next to me. The rest of the team filled the brown leather couch or the dark wood chairs handcrafted by a local fae artisan I’d recommended in my column.
“I’m sure she’ll tell us momentarily.” I folded my hands in my lap. My wind magic itched to swipe the crumbs from Arnold’s shirt.
“Did you see how many people arrived today?” Daisy asked.
