Page 33 of Cakewalk
Griffin stoodoutside on the sidewalk, leaning against a light pole near the haberdashery. In greeting, he pointed at his shoes, which were shiny enough to see my own reflection on. “Got my shoes shined.”
“By Killian?”
“I was early, on account of my apartment being a one-minute walk to the crime scene, then the owner of the haberdashery saw me and convinced me that any gentleman worth his salt always kept his shoes in tip-top condition.”
“That would be Killian, then. Did you tell him who you were?”
“I figured I should wait for my PR officer before I tried that.”
I smiled. He knew how to make me feel needed. “All right, then. Let me properly introduce you to him.”
Inside the store that smelled of wood and leather, Killian’s demeanor changed just a hair when I first explained to him who Griffin was, but he was the least liable out of anyone to cause a fuss over it. He concluded, “I guess this town has nothing left to lose. Might as well see how this all shakes out.”
“All traffic to the Marketplace Square will have to go through Main Street,” Griffin started. “So you can expect plenty of people stopping by as they ask themselves, ‘What the hell is a haberdashery again?’”
Killian laughed. “Ah, you’ve identified my key demographic.”
We were out about ten minutes later, after Killian convinced Griffin that a certain vest would match perfectly with his suit. Outside, Griffin squinted against the sunlight, pointing vaguely in the direction of the cake shop. “Should we stop by your sister’s?”
“Not a damn chance, now that she knows who you are.”
He pouted. “I figured. I guess that means no cupcakes for me until I make her a Griffin convert.”
“I can still pick some up for you on the sly. But yeah, best to wait until after the town hall meeting.”
Griffin turned the other direction. “Then next would be Madison’s boutique?”
I almost choked. “Thatwill probably never happen.”
“What’s the beef between you again?”
“She got mad that I went out of town for college. Thought I wouldn’t come back, like all her other friends. I guess she expected me to stay in town forever and just work at the cake shop. But I told her I’d come back.”
Griffin glanced at me. “Seems our roles will have to be reversed. I’ll act as your PR officer. Come.” He started walking, and I grasped after him to stop him, grabbing nothing but air instead.
“Wait!” I nearly shouted.
He glanced back at me, all innocent.
“I can’t deal with her. Especially after I destroyed her cake.”
He crossed his arms. “You know it’s not about the cake.”
“Yeah, obviously.”
“Then we need to get to the heart of the matter.”
“Which is?”
Griffin shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never talked to her. But that’s what I’m fixing to do right now, if you’ll allow me.”
I stared down at my feet. I didn’t have much to lose if she and I weren’t friends anymore anyway, but then again, did I want to reopen that wound?
Griffin added, “There has to be more to it than her being mad that you left.”
“Why? Why can’t it be that simple?”
“You’d be surprised how people say they want one thing, when they really want something else entirely. I’ve been in enough negotiations to know that the first figure they give you? It’s beside the point. There’s always something else you can offer, a more pressing human need than money. Or in this case, a friend staying nearby. That’s what she claims she wanted out of you, but I suspect it’s something else. More often than not, they want recognition and understanding more than anything.”
