“She’s back?” Bibbi said.
“Yes. Says her life is too valuable to be left unattended.” He leaned forward, running a hand through his hair.
“So close,” Bibbi said, and then groaned. I joined her.
“So very close,” Zab agreed.
Gillian had gone back to her shop, so I was down to having to ignore two people. I still couldn’t look Hawk in the eye, and Bibbi had been added to the list. Her you’re being so stupid looks were a bit much.
At least I had an appointment this afternoon to take my mind off other things. That was a busy day, the way things were going.
When the door opened, I expected it to be Cassie, a low-level Middling and a fairly well-rounded witch who would still report for work. It was Mertie. Her coming here without a summons was strange enough. Her walking in with a bag thrown over her shoulder was the kind of thing that stole the air from your lungs. Or my lungs, anyway, because I was the only one who understood what was happening.
I hated knowing something was going to come back and bite you in the ass and yet there was no way to avoid it. All you could do was wait for the eventual problem, and then grin and bear it.
She scanned the office until she located me. The only reason I was still sitting was because running out of the room would’ve been too obvious.
She walked over and dropped her bag on my desk. “I’m calling in my favor. Where’s my room?”
With that sentence alone, all eyes swiveled from her to me.
Bibbi’s jaw was hanging down. She’d had no problem believing Hawk declared for me, but this? This was clearly too much for her.
Musso groaned, which turned into a throat clearing. Zab shook his head behind her back.
I was afraid to look at Hawk.
“We had a deal,” she said, getting impatient.
“And I’m going to honor it. I’m just surprised, is all. I didn’t expect you yet.” Or ever, at least when we’d first struck the deal.
“Yeah, well, that place was getting a little too weird for me.” She took a cigarette out and lit it with her finger.
Bibbi stood. “You can’t do—”
Zab pulled her back down to her seat and shook his head.
“Tippi, we need to speak,” Hawk said.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “He probably wants to talk about which room to give you. Why don’t you go in the back room with Zab?” I ignored Zab’s outraged look. “There’s some good cocoa from Gillian back there.”
Or had she taken it all away? Who could keep track anymore?
“Isn’t that the woman who makes the good cocoa? That annoying Sweet Shop lady? I love her cocoa, but she gives me the creeps. I never go in there.” Mertie let out a chimney’s worth of smoke as she talked.
“Well, it’s amazing, and there’s a ton of it in the back.”
“She’s staying here too, right?” Mertie asked.
“She is. Is that a problem?” Please let it be.
“Nah. I’ll get her in line quick enough. She looks like she scares easily. I’ll take a cocoa as you two figure out which room.” She went to turn but then paused. “By the way, I don’t like too much sun. I have sensitive eyes. A shadier spot is better. And quiet. I’m used to a lot of privacy.”
“Got it,” I said.
Zab took a long few seconds to force his mouth into the shape of a smile. “Okay. Yes, I can take you to the cocoa.” He wrung his hands as he walked toward the back, glancing over to keep an eye on Mertie’s location.
Hawk’s expression said it all so clearly before he uttered a word. “You invited her to stay here?”
The only good thing about this situation was that it totally eclipsed the awkwardness of last night. It was such a mess, in fact, that my accusations weren’t a thing anymore.
“I didn’t think she’d take me up on it. She doesn’t like any of us, so why would she move in?”
“Well, apparently she thinks she is.”
“We’re already on top of each other anyway. What’s one more body?” As reasons to let her move in, that one sucked. I’d come up with it, and even I could see the flaws.
“She’s going to get on everyone’s nerves,” he said.
That had to be a joke of some sort. As if his Gillian didn’t?
“Your invites haven’t always been pleasant either.” I pasted a fake smile on my face and held my fingers in the air, raising my voice high as I said, “My cocoa is the best. I’m the best. I do everything better.”
I dropped the act and nailed him with an accusatory glare that should’ve put him in his place.
Instead, he laughed. “She gets under your skin the most, doesn’t she?”
How had this gotten turned back around on me? “She bugs everyone. Can you just make a room?”
I didn’t wait for his answer. I had to go save Zab.
32
“Ugh. You’re here. Some retreat this place is turning out to be,” Mertie said. She was sitting at a chair pulled up to Zab’s desk, her hooves on his paperwork.
I glanced around and saw Lou. The guy was creepy enough without sneaking in without a sound.
“Tippi, he’s not moving in too, is he? I’ve got my limits of what I can stomach.” She flicked her cigarette ashes into the pile formed on the ground near her seat.
“Yes, we all have our limits,” Zab said, giving Mertie the side-eye.
“He’s not moving in.” I got up from my desk and made my way over to Lou, who was acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing Mertie had said.
Before I got to him, Hawk’s voice boomed out from behind me. “Can we help you?”
Lou looked over my shoulder before focusing his attention back on me. “I’m here to speak to you, but he can come along as well. Is there anywhere private in this place we can go?”
“Let’s head to the back,” I said, waving him to where Hawk stood. It was as far into the building as I could stomach. If I took him upstairs, I doubt I’d be able to sleep there again.
Hawk waited for Lou to pass and then stepped in between us. The back room was empty, and a second after we were all inside, the place went quiet. It would stay that way as long as Hawk wanted it to.
Lou looked about the room as if he couldn’t decide where it was safe to sit. He glanced at the couches before returning to the table, where he took a chair and settled down.
I took a seat opposite him and waited for him to speak. He’d come here, after all.
Hawk didn’t bother sitting at all.
“I’m here to do you a favor.” Lou bowed his head as if bestowing a benediction.
“Sorry if I don’t jump for joy, but that’s a bit hard to believe.” I leaned back, folding my arms. I didn’t need to see Hawk to know he was having the same reaction.
“Fine. I was trying to be pleasant, but it behooves me to help you.” Lou smiled as if he were grinning through the pain as he plucked invisible lint from his white dress jacket.
“Why?” Hawk asked, the question sounding more like a demand.
“Because it does. So what will it be? Do you want my help, or would you prefer to let Xazier come and do things his way?” Lou tapped his fingers on the table and crossed his legs, while keeping his grin in place.