Page 44 of The Pumpkin Spice Romance
10
MADDIE
“For the last time,” I said to the smug-looking lawyer, “I am not interested in selling. Not to Cometcents, not to anyone.”
Behind the lawyer, Romeo had his fangs out and was making chomping motions. I tried desperately not to laugh. Killing lawyers probably wasn’t funny, but I had a date with Felix later, and that made everything sunshine and roses.
“I don’t think you understand what you’re rejecting,” said the lawyer. “We are offering a very competitive buy-out package.”
“No, what you’re offering is below baseline for the marketplace. You know that my location is perfectly situated between two freeway on-ramps and within walking distance of a business park and restaurants. What you’re trying to do is intimidate me into accepting a substandard offer so that you can dismantle my shop and replace it with one of your own. And maybe if I hadn’t done any research, I might be fooled into taking your offer, but I’m not an idiot.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to talk to the owner of the building,” said the lawyer. “Perhaps they would be interested in having a more professional establishment in their location with more rent.”
That was a legitimate threat, and he knew it.
“And I guess I’ll ask you to leave now before I call the cops on you for trespassing,” I said.
The lawyer made a furious noise and stomped out, slamming the door so hard that the bells bounced off the door and the ceiling.
Mr. Benjamin, who had been sitting near the door, winced at the sharp noise. “Well,” said he, wiggling his hearing aids, “he is not a very nice boy. That’s very upsetting. Something should be done.”
“Should have let me eat him,” said Romeo and went back to the counter.
The door banged open again, and I jumped. Shayla stood at the entrance, clutching her laptop.
“Sorry, Mr. Benjamin!” she yelled at the elderly gentleman as she hurried past.
“That’s all right, dear.”
“Your office—now.”
I sighed and followed Shayla. So much for basking in the glow of having a date with Felix.
She plunked her computer on the desk and typed in her password.
“Come on, come on,” she muttered as it took longer than she wanted to connect to the wi-fi.
“OK,” she said, looking up as her web browser loaded. “I’m really sorry. I’m really, really sorry, but I think I know why Cometcents is hitting you up now.”
“Because they had a turnover in staffing, and they institutionally forgot what a bad idea it was to mess with me?” I suggested.
Shayla sighed and stepped aside to reveal that her computer had loaded the Cometcents corporate website.
Cometcents Buys Local
The headline was comically out of tune for a page about how Cometcents acquired local coffee shops.
“The photo,” whispered Shayla.
The photo showed two men shaking hands—a handsome, dark-haired man in a suit and the other wearing a coffee shop apron.
My heart sank and then hit the floor as I read the caption.
Local shop becomes part of the Cometcents family, closing the deal with our Head of Acquisitions.
“Felix is the Head of Acquisitions,” said Shayla.
FELIX
