Page 79 of With This Witch
He’ll have to bring this up at a council meeting. The thought alone causes his head to pulse with the beginnings of a headache. The council used to be something worthy and important in the community. But with all of this chaos from Grog, it’s becoming a farce. They need to find a way to get rid of him. He’s ruining what the council is meant to stand for and instead is turning it into the Grog show, which would never get greenlit for public viewing.
He grumbles under his breath as he looks at another request from a community member. This one is from the Goblin Market owners asking to extend their space. Unlike many others, they have included a complete development plan, how the new area will be used, and a tentative timeline for construction and cost. They are requesting some added funding from the council, claiming that the community would greatly benefit from the new space, given how frequently it is used. While he knows he should put this in the review pile, he is pleased with the effort and planning the owners have gone and forcefully stamps APPROVED on the front. If Grog can create chaos, he can use his power to do good within the community.
“Fuck you, Grog,” he says, tossing the file on the approved pile.
He’s made good headway on the paperwork, but a daunting stack remains. As he pulls yet another bare-bones request from the pile, his phone vibrates beside him. Declan.
Declan
Answer your door.
Lachlan
Sounds sus.
Ha. Ha.
Let me in.
You could be a murderer. Posing as my little brother.
Yes, because a murderer would text first.
All a part of the plan to trick me into letting them in.
Just let me in, asshole.
Lachlan chuckles as he opens the door to Declan’s less-than-amused expression.
“Seriously. Such a dick,” Declan grumbles, stepping through the entryway.
A deep laugh breaks from Lachlan’s chest. “Had to be sure you weren’t here to kill me, that’s all.”
Declan rolls his eyes at Lachlan and walks further into the house, leading them to the kitchen, where he opens the fridge and helps himself to a drink.
“Welcome. Would you like something to drink?” Lachlan asks sarcastically, taking a seat at the counter.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Declan responds, sticking his tongue out.
“Nice to see you too. What’s prompted this unscheduled visit?”
“Can’t I just want to see my brother?”
“Other people could, but not you.” Lachlan ducks the roll of paper towel flying toward his head. “Hey!”
Declan comes around the corner of the counter, pushing Lachlan off his stool, and continues into the living room, sitting in an overstuffed chair.
“You should clean your windows, man.”
Lachlan sputters his drink. “I’ll get right on that,” he says, smirking, joining Declan in the living room.
“So, how are things with the wife?” Declan asks, leaning back and placing his free hand on the arm of the chair.
The smirk changes to a genuine smile at the mention of Petra. “The past couple of days since Gladys’s passing aside, honestly, it’s better than I imagined. We’ve come a long way in a short time, and I am enjoying getting to know this new side of her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, obviously, we had been friends for a while before all of this marriage stuff. We had some challenges at the start and had to talk about our communication, especially after realizing we had feelings for each other that went beyond friendship. We needed to figure out what our relationship looked like and what we wanted from each other. Moving past that friendship barrier to something more was hard for her. She’s been hurt a lot in the past by people she’s cared about. But setting those expectations of communication has helped wonders. No secrets, no suddenly leaving when we are upset. It’s something else,” Lachlan explains.
