Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(45)
“Oh, you will.” She shooed Jeremy away from her desk and toward the inner door. “The good knight is expecting you.”
Jeremy cradled his forehead since he was too lazy to drink a tonic after resorting to drinking himself to sleep. “Why do you bug me as soon as I walk through the door?”
“Why are you ten minutes late?”
Desmond whispering in his ear flashed in his head, so Jeremy cleared his throat. “I just am. Where’s Edarra?”
“She’s off getting me a few things.”
Suspicion filled Jeremy. He was supposed to accompany Clive to a wedding to block the bride’s future mother-in-law from pulling an Endora and sabotaging it again. What instigated the sudden change of my plans? Surprises never boded anything nice, so he stomped to Clive’s office while hoping he hadn’t given up the thought of getting fired too soon. As he raised his hand, the door opened to Clive in a black tuxedo examining him from head to toe. “I’m pleased to see you looking well this morning.”
“Simone said you wanted to see me.”
“Jeremy, I know I’m not as close with you as I am with the others, but you can come to me if you have a problem.” The knight scratched his head like a nervous schoolboy. “You and the others mock my wealth, but I’m not ashamed of it. I earned it, and it’s never a waste if I can use it to help someone.”
“Help who?”
“If you need a consult with a specialist or to buy a service from the Great Mother, I can afford it.”
This probably worked out in his head as a noble request from a lord to his peon, but how the bloody hell could he not see how much he just fucking insulted me? Consult? People break into the office for my supplies, and he thinks I need a consult? “Since we’re being friendly….” Jeremy smiled brightly. “Love, loss, failure, or betrayal?”
“I’m sorry?”
“They’re the four main reasons we get travelers from other worlds. You either loved someone, lost someone, failed miserably at your life, or whoever you were serving sold your ass out. Which one? You want to shove your nose in my affairs, so why don’t you share first?”
Clive’s jaw stiffened, and for the first time, Jeremy witnessed actual anger on the knight’s face. His demeanor changed from relaxed to a military sharpness that would have made a lesser man step back. “Desmond has agreed to the Great Mother’s terms, but Simone will be too busy preparing the spells for tomorrow. I need you to meet with him on my behalf,” he said in a cold voice.
Jeremy blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”
Clive closed his office door and shoved past Jeremy. “I don’t care how you feel about the man, you will show him respect if he’s civil and think of someone other than yourself. We need his cooperation to prevent more deaths.”
“Wouldn’t Simone be more useful since she’s his fan?”
Clive stopped in his tracks and faced Jeremy. “I’m asking that you do your damn job.” He snatched the lobby door open and moved out of Edarra’s way as she pushed a rolling metal tray inside the office.
Simone shook her head as Clive went outside. “I would have decked your sorry ass.”
“Why can’t you mind your own business?” This is fucking ridiculous. I saw him yesterday. Dammit, don’t do this to me. Jeremy’s hands clenched. “Are you sure you don’t want to see him, Simone? It makes more sense if you go. I bet you could convince him without any problems.”
“I have personal reasons not to be seen meeting privately with him.” Simone drummed her nails on her desk. “Add this to the column of ‘you brought this on yourself.’”
Jeremy turned to the Amazon. “Edarra, you’re nice. People like you.”
Edarra shook her head. “You wouldn’t want me to do it, because you’re right.” She smiled bitterly. “I’m in the failure group. There are a few things left on the list to buy, so I’ll take care of that.” She followed in Clive’s wake, and the office held a heavy silence in their absence.
“Whatever you’re going to say, please just don’t,” Jeremy whispered. “I’m tired, and I want to get this over with.”
“If this was only about your feelings, maybe,” Simone said. “But you hurt Edarra too. Why the fuck do you keep taking these jobs if you’re so damn miserable?”
“Because I don’t have a choice!”
“That doesn’t mean you get to make everyone around you miserable too.”
Jeremy wanted to go outside, but the sooner he left, the sooner he would have to confront Desmond again.
“You know, you could actually have fun if you’re not an asshole about it. Take in the show without bitching and eat one of those bougie doughnuts.”
“My problems are bigger than a doughnut can handle.”
The chair creaked as Simone leaned forward so she was almost standing in her chair. “I’ll tell you a secret. Everyone has problems bigger than a doughnut can handle. I’m telling you to have fun so that stick up your ass comes out long enough to relax your throat muscles choking on your foot.” She stuffed a folded piece of paper into Jeremy’s jacket pocket and then pointed at the door. “I’m done with your ass. Go make yourself useful and suck up to Desmond.”