Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)
Sam Argent
Chapter 1
JEREMY PEEKED over the windowsill as a tall dark-haired man rummaged through the backseat of a car with a rental tag. Despite Georgia being one of the few states free of the cold wave hitting the US in early fall, he wore a long trench coat that made Jeremy sweat just looking at it. When an older passerby struggling with a grocery sack walked down the sidewalk near the stranger, the man ran to help her cross the street. Polite is a good start. Could my new boss be an actual good person? No, Jeremy had to be barmy to fall into that trap again. His last boss was surprisingly pleasant until he stuck two fingers up the crack of Jeremy’s pants and pretended it was a clumsy accident. Jeremy didn’t care if the new chap helped little old ladies through traffic, he was done blindly trusting employers who turned out to be scum. Hot breath touching the back of Jeremy’s neck made him jump.
“Is that him?”
Jeremy glared down at Simone, who was similarly crouched. “Yes, so stop breathing on me.” He batted at her to move away. The temp agency sponsored by the nosy do-gooding Council had to trap them on a fourth job together. “Why can’t you ever remember personal space?”
“Because I don’t respect you enough to care.” Simone crawled on her hands and knees and forced Jeremy to scoot over to give her room. “He’s not bad-looking.”
“All I ask is that he keeps his hands to himself.” Jeremy slipped a hand into his pants pocket, where his switchblade rested. He had given it a thorough scrubbing after pressing it into Grabby Hands’s nostril. Jeremy glared out the window. “I won’t tolerate a repeat of my last hell.” He heard no response and turned to his coworker, who was now quiet.
Simone stared at him and then shook her head. “You still carry around that switchblade, don’t you?”
“My belongings are none of your concern.”
Her face scrunched up. “Who raised you?”
“A woman who doesn’t judge other witches’ athames.” Jeremy looked at his watch. Since magic-for-hire figureheads were usually flashy mages who thrust out their staffs or wands at bad things while less powerful witches did paperwork, it was a shock the new man had come in before they officially opened. “He’s punctual, which is more than I can probably say about our paychecks.”
Simone groaned. “I can’t believe I got stuck on another job with the asshole-attractor.”
“Says the other jinx. Call me if we get a job or if the building is on fire.” Jeremy left the lobby and headed toward his private office. No matter how many times he requested information, the temp agency had barely told him anything about this Clive he’d been sent to work for, other than he was a wizard from another world. That meant no crime ties unless the boss quickly made seedy friends. No. He shouldn’t make assumptions. Every magic-for-hire job had gone wrong in the most disastrous of ways. Jeremy sighed heavily. Optimism be damned.
Snatches of Simone eagerly introducing herself, as if she believed the otherworlder wouldn’t run home after two months, came through the cracked opening of Jeremy’s door. He could hear pleasantries exchanged, and the promises that they would enjoy working together in the future. What bollocks. When footsteps approached his door and someone knocked softly on it, putting off the inevitable was no longer an option.
“A moment of your time, Mr. Ragsdale?”
“If I must,” Jeremy said.
The door pushed open fully, and Clive blinked at shelves from floor to ceiling lined with jars, packets large and small, various crystals, and other assortments of magical objects that were part of Jeremy’s personal collection. It was an inventory that any witch or wizard in any world would envy. “This is not what I was….”
“Not the level of competence you were expecting from the reject the agency sent you?” Jeremy crossed his arms. “I’m not offended. The feeling is mutual.” He sat a small box on his desk and placed his hands on his hips. He tapped his pointer finger on a silver pocket watch under the line of his gray vest. “Are you here for a particular reason?”
“I wanted to assure you that no matter what sort of job you experienced in the past, I wish your time in my employ to be enjoyable.”
Jeremy narrowed his eyes. “Define enjoyable.”
“Congenial and lucrative.” Clive flashed a bright smile, as if no one had ever questioned his motives before.
If his naiveté isn’t an act, he’ll be dead in a week. “Concentrate on business, and we’ll get along fine.”
“What else would I focus on?”
“You’d be surprised.” Maybe he’s not the type, and I can go my first day without threatening to kill him. Jeremy stood silently for a long moment and glanced at the door. That means leave.
“It was nice meeting you. Oh, by the way, my name is Clive.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Jeremy muttered but kept the distance between them.
Clive tipped his head and left the room.
As Clive disappeared into the hall, Jeremy briefly wondered what it would be like if Clive managed to pull his weight and turned the business into a success. It had been a long time since Jeremy could trust his coworkers not to get him killed. He smiled ruefully. It was in the best interest of all parties that Clive got his fill of aiding those troubled by magic and then moved on. Jeremy didn’t need another death on his head if Clive truly meant to play hero.