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Wynona put her game face back on and strutted confidently back to the sitting room where Chef Droxon was waiting. “I have it right here,” she said with her best smile, the one Granny said could win over even the hardest of hearts. “I’m ready to sign for the cream puffs, the eclairs...” Wynona continued to rattle off a few more delicacies and ended with, “Plus, those magnificent scones.”
Chef Droxon glared at her while he grabbed the paperwork and began to look it over. It took him a long time to read through it and Wynona mentally begged him to hurry. She was so eager to feel like it was all in the bag. After the arrival of her sister, she desperately wanted this to go right. Her family was probably waiting for any sign of weakness and would do their best to make her life a living purgatory if they sensed they could get to her. They weren’t likely to forget how she had slipped through their fingers.
Chef Droxon grunted several times before holding out a hand and snapping his fingers. Wynona ignored the rudeness and dutifully handed him a pen, which he promptly used to scribble something illegible on the line at the bottom.
She swallowed her squeal, barely managing to hold onto her business persona as she collected the papers for her portfolio. “I’ll provide a copy of this for you by tomorrow,” Wynona said. She hurried to put her stuff away. The session had gone on longer than she’d expected and she had an appointment with her landlord in just a few minutes. She had yet to meet the elusive warlock, as all their communications had been through his secretary. She was eager to show him all the renovations she had done to the shop.
Chef Droxon continued glaring, despite Wynona’s beauty pageant smile, and climbed down from his chair. His green skin kept flushing red with the effort it took to move his round body down to the ground. Wynona made a mental note that perhaps having some tables more suited to any smaller clientele would be a smart move in welcoming everyone to her shop.
“Thank you so much for your business,” Wynona said, standing as well to follow him out.
Chef Droxon waved her off and began barking orders to his employees.
Pity swirled in Wynona’s chest as they jumped to do their master’s bidding. She knew exactly what it was like to have to kowtow to someone’s every whim. Especially someone who enjoyed taking advantage of their power. She hoped they were compensated fairly for their difficult work environment, but odds weren’t in their favor. She’d dealt with people like Droxon her entire life and Wynona knew their cruelness could extend to every aspect of their lives.
Determined to do something for them, she snatched up a packet of teas she had recently bagged. A little goodwill could certainly go a long way. “Thank you so much for bringing those delicious pastries,” she said to the first one she saw. “You’re a wonderful help.” Wynona smiled and held out a bag to the lean man. If she was to guess, she would assume he was some kind of shifter, more than likely a prey type, not a predator. His fearful glances around the room reminded her of a rodent, but her gift made his eyes light up.
“Thank you,” he muttered, quickly glancing toward his boss before accepting the gift.
“Be sure to steep it properly,” she warned him, keeping her voice low as well. “This style of tea does best in a French press.”
He nodded his understanding, stuffed the packet in his pocket and scurried around her. Doing her best to avoid Chef Droxon’s angry gaze, Wynona worked her way around to all the employees. Each and every one of them looked shocked, then thrilled at her praise and present. It left Wynona feeling much better about them having to spend time with such a grumpy boss.
She started to take the few packets left back to the sitting room when she noticed one more worker skulking toward the door. Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she hurried over and blocked him before he could leave. “Excuse me!”
The man was of medium height and completely forgettable in looks. Brown hair, brown eyes, dark bags under his eyes and dry, chapped lips. There were absolutely no telltale signs of what his species was, but in the end it didn’t matter. When Wynona caught his gaze, he backed into the counter, his eyes moving around as if searching for a way to escape. Unlike some of the other employees, the man was extremely quiet. His shoes didn’t squeak at all on her tile floor.
“I just wanted to say thank you,” Wynona said carefully, pausing a few feet away. She didn’t want to frighten the man. Perhaps he was another shifter. She held out the tea bag and gave a gentle smile. “This is for you,” she said, nodding toward the gift. “A little thank you for helping out today.”
The man stared at her as if she had grown two heads, and it began to take some effort to keep her smile in place.
“THIEF!” Chef Droxon’s booming voice rattled the few pots and pans in the kitchen and Wynona automatically covered her head as if the ceiling would collapse at such a sound.
“Out of the way,” the employee in front of her growled before charging.
Wynona screamed as she went crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The man was smaller than her and she pushed him off her, doing her best to scramble to her feet, but since he was doing the same, they only fell once more.
“STOP THE THIEF!” Chef Droxon screamed.
Over the man’s shoulder, Wynona could see Chef Droxon standing in the kitchen doorway, pointing a finger at her and the man.
The baker’s employees poured into the room, running into each other as they ran toward the pile of bodies on the floor. Another scream ripped from Wynona’s throat as dozens of hands began grasping at her and the man. The space wasn’t large enough for them all, so instead of an organized catch, it was a free for all. Her hair was pulled multiple times, along with her arms and feet. Someone accidentally kicked her back, causing Wynona to groan. When another foot landed on her rib cage, she used every bit of strength she had left to roll to her side and curl into a ball.
“ENOUGH!” A deep commanding voice finally brought the entire situation to a halt.
Strong arms went around Wynona and she sagged in relief as they pulled her to her feet. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely. Her heart was still trying to leap out of her throat and her body ached from the beating she had just taken.
“Are you alright?”
She blinked and finally brought her rescuer into focus. Silvery grey eyes, almost the color of the stainless steel sink behind her, met hers. Right after she got hit with a bout of attraction, a sinking feeling hit her in the stomach. This was going to be far from a good first impression.
“Miss?”
Wynona finally found her tongue. “I-I’m fine, thank you,” she whispered. Immediately embarrassed by her response, she cleared her throat and stepped back. “I’m fine, thank you,” she said as she brushed off her clothes. “Just a little bruised.”
Those penetrating eyes turned from her and glared daggers at the rest of the room. Only then did Wynona start to register the chaos that was still happening around her.
“Just what is going on here?” the man demanded. His blond hair was slicked back in a smooth business-style look and his suit was a perfect match for his eyes, looking custom tailored, if Wynona’s guess was right. She had a sneaking suspicion that she had just met her landlord.
Chef Droxon was still screaming angrily as he marched toward the struggling thief and snatched something from his pocket. “How dare you take my recipes!” Chef Droxon shouted in the man’s face. His green face flushed a weird brown as he screamed in anger. His words began to blur as Gnomish flooded through his thick lips until the cursing and shouts were completely unintelligible.
The man who arrived late grabbed the thief by his collar. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
The thief looked terrified and shook his head, refusing to speak.
“We should call the police,” Wynona said in as soothing a voice as she could manage. “I’ll be right back.”
Though she was sure one of the employees had a cell she could use, Wynona decided they had their hands full holding onto the thief. She wiggled her way through the crowd and made her way to her office, where she quickly called in the emergency. Once that was done, she took a moment to redo her hair and make sure she didn’t look quite so bedraggled before making her way back to the kitchen. “The police are on their...” She trailed off when she realized everyone was now yelling at each other.
“Where did he go?”
“Couldn’t you hold onto him?”
“Did anyone look in the alley?”
Chef Droxon and the blond-haired man were speaking. Well, the blond was speaking, but Chef Droxon, as usual, was screaming at the top of his lungs.
Wynona stared, looking around the room in confusion until she realized a key aspect was missing. The thief. He was gone. She gasped and put her fingers over her mouth.
The blond jerked his head her way at the sound, then left an open-mouthed gnome and headed her way. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, his concern audible in his voice.
“Oh, yes,” Wynona said, still flustered. “I’m fine. But...what happened to the man? The one who tried to steal Chef Droxon’s black binder?”
The man sighed and brushed a manicured hand over his hair. “I’m not quite sure. I was speaking to Droxon when there was a rustle behind us. Next thing I knew, the thief was gone and the workers were all blaming each other.”
Wynona frowned. “Did he use some kind of magic to escape?”
The man shrugged. “Not that I could feel, but I’ll admit I wasn’t paying much attention. I thought they had a good hold on him.” He smiled. “Forgive me. I should have introduced myself earlier. Roderick Caligari. Warlock.”
Once again a gasp escaped her lips. “Mr. Caligari, I’m sorry. I suspected that’s who you were.” She gave him a rueful smile and shook his outstretched hand. “Wynona Le Doux. I’m your tenant in this building.”
“I assumed so.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Good to meet you as well. I should have known from your fancy signature on the contract that you would be as beautiful in person.”
Wynona smiled, but gave him a look. “Well, that wasn’t cheesy at all.”
He chuckled. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“I guess that depends on what you were trying to accomplish.”
“I was hoping to gain a smile from a beautiful woman,” he explained casually.
Heat crept up her neck, but Wynona held her ground. “Thank you for the sweet compliment, but I think we have bigger things to deal with.” She nodded over his shoulder. “It looks like the police have arrived.”
Roderick spun. “Indeed.” He glanced back with a bright smile. “But call me Roderick. Mr. Caligari is too formal.”
Wynona gave him a soft smile. “If you want.”
“I do.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.” She followed him farther into the kitchen as the police were taking statements. She knew she’d have to do the same, though she wasn’t looking forward to it. She hadn’t even opened her shop yet and already the police were here. This didn’t bode well for the future. She muttered a quick prayer that her landlord wouldn’t kick her out, deeming her as trouble before she’d even had a chance to begin.
“And you are?” An officer stood in front of her with a pad of paper and a pencil. She appeared to be a vampire, if her almost translucent skin was a clue. The slight red ring around her pupils was the clencher.
“Wynona Le Doux,” Wynona said, ignoring the officer’s widened eyes at her last name. “I own this shop.”
The officer nodded and wrote down a few notes. “Did you witness the incident?”
“I did,” Wynona said. “But I’m not leaving any time soon. Why don’t you take care of Chef Droxon and his workers, allowing them to leave. I’ll wait here for you to have time for me.”
The officer looked around uncertainly. “Are you sure, Ms. Le Doux? We can certainly take care of you first.”
Wynona held back a sigh of frustration. She truly despised the hold her family had over the general public. “I’m fine. Really.” She smiled as kindly as she could manage in her exhausted state. “Please take care of Chef Droxon and his employees. I’m sure they’re all ready to leave.”
The officer nodded sharply, then turned and did as Wynona suggested.
Propping the kitchen door open, Wynona walked into the dining area and dropped into a chair. She rested her head in her hands. This was not how she’d expected today to go, but at least it had a mostly happy ending. The Chef’s black book was safe, and she still had a contract with the best baker in all of Hex Haven. She had even discovered that her landlord was extremely handsome, which was a bonus. At least, it was if he stayed her landlord after this.
Roderick walked in and sat across from her. “This wasn’t exactly how I pictured us meeting for the first time.”
Wynona smiled. “Me either. I had planned to have tea and leftover pastries at the ready.”
His eyes flitted back to the kitchen door where a dozen voices continued to speak over each other. “Perhaps it’s just as well. As tempting as those pastries sound, if we’d met under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have had the chance to hold you in my arms so quickly.”
Wynona laughed quietly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She’d never had anyone flirt with her so openly. Really, she’d never had anyone flirt with her like this at all. It was equal parts flattering and awkward. “You’re quite the charmer.”
He smirked. “I try to be.”
Wynona laughed a little more. “Are you waiting to give your statement?” She wasn’t quite ready to continue their current topic. Roderick was handsome, but she wasn’t really looking for a relationship. Besides, when he found out she had no powers, odds were he would hightail it out of there before she could say Abracadabra.
“I am.”
“I guess now is as good a time as any to have that tea. Give me a moment and I’ll get us something to drink.” Having something to do helped calm Wynona down and she was feeling decidedly better by the time she had steeped two cups. “Chamomile, lemon balm and passion flower,” Wynona stated when she set down the cups. “It’ll help us calm down.”
“Thank you,” Roderick said, dunking the infusion ball a few times. “It smells heavenly.”
“Thanks,” Wynona said. She grabbed a platter. “I even managed the leftovers I mentioned earlier.” The eclairs still looked as fresh as the moment they’d been displayed. There HAS to be some magic in these. But how?
“I didn’t expect to be so spoiled,” Roderick said with a grin. He put the cup to his lips. “At this rate, you’ll be able to use my glowing review to advertise your business.”
Wynona wasn’t sure when she’d laughed so much. “I’ll look forward to it,” she returned.
“Miss Le Doux?” The vampire officer from earlier was standing in the kitchen doorway.
“Yes?”
“Can I take your statement now?”
Wynona waved a hand at the table. “Have a seat and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
The officer frowned, then did as asked. “You’re...are you related to President Le Doux?”
Wynona nodded, keeping her face perfectly pleasant. “I am.”
“Huh.” The officer shook her head. “You’re not quite what I would have expected.”
A wide, genuine smile graced Wynona’s face. “Why, thank you Officer...”
“Nightshade. Amaris Nightshade.”
Wynona nodded. “Officer Nightshade. I do believe that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”