fangs descended, and she spoke with a hint of growl rumbling in her throat. “You can go get your own cloth and clean where I tell you, or you can find another job. And don’t ever talk to me like that again.”
“Finn won’t let you fire me!” Jennifer’s eyes glittered with angry tears.
“Finn’s not the owner. And he wouldn’t tolerate you treating any of the managers with disrespect.” Blair stared straight at Jennifer, who, being less dominant, dropped her gaze and muttered, “Fine.” Then, as she walked off, Flora heard Jennifer mutter “bitch” under her breath.
“You’re suspended for the day!” Blair yelled after her.
Jennifer stomped out the front door without looking back, and let the door slam shut.
What was the deal with Finn and Jennifer? Flora wondered. Bitter ex? Why hadn’t Finn said anything about her?
Blair had already headed back to the bar, so Flora shrugged and resumed cleaning.
Finn stopped by mid-afternoon, and took Flora to a small restaurant called the Blue Monkey. It was a couple of blocks from the Lion’s Den, and there were tables set up outdoors.
The tables had doily tablecloths, and were decorated with potted plants and candles. A waitress quickly brought them coffee and menus, and Finn ordered hamburgers for them both.
“Oh, coffee, how I love thee,” Flora said to her coffee cup, and then took a long sip. She let out a low purr of satisfaction. “Maxwell House. My favorite.”
“Should I leave you and Maxwell alone?” Finn said with a grin. “Unless you want me to just stay here and watch. Some girls like that kind of thing.”
She took another sip and set the cup down. “You’re good. You just need to understand that Maxwell has been bringing deep, dark satisfaction to my mornings for many years now, and nobody will ever come between us.”
“Wow. I never thought I’d be jealous of a coffee cup.” He pretended to look hurt.
She leaned back in her chair and looked at the merchants sweeping the sidewalks in front of their shops and the customers walking out of the grocery store next door with armloads of bags.
“Wow, this almost feels normal,” Flora mused, dipping a French fry into a small pool of ketchup. “Except for the constant fear of death…and the lack of any cubs. No cubs anywhere. I just realized that.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad here,” Finn said. “We have enough muscle patrolling the streets to keep the murder rate relatively low, for everyone who pays their protection money, anyway.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Of course. Murder’s bad for business. Dead customers can’t shop at our stores or pay protection money.”
They fell silent, and she chewed her roast beef and watched the street for anything or anyone who might want to kill her. She did feel safer with Finn there, but she had a feeling it was a bad idea to relax too much in Darwin. Ever.
She realized that he was staring at her quizzically.
“No, I’m not going to tell you why I came to the Badlands,” she said.
“Suit yourself, Woman of Mystery.”
“I like that.” She nodded approvingly. “Makes me sound sexy, like some kind of spy or something.”
“You are sexy. Spy or not.” He stared into her eyes, and desire flooded her body. “You’d be just as sexy if you told me what you’re running from. Even sexier, really, if that’s possible.”
“Nice try,” Flora said. “You get an A-plus in the flirting department. Not to change the subject, but why are there no cubs here?”
“You are changing the subject,” Finn said. “Considerably.”
“So are you. Seriously, why no kids? Do you guys eat your young or something?”
Finn choked with laughter, and she looked down at her hamburger suspiciously, then back up at him. She set the burger down and pushed it away. “You don’t, do you? Say something. You’re freaking me out.”
“No, you crazy feline, we do not eat children. That burger came from a cow. This just isn’t a place for families.
“Finn won’t let you fire me!” Jennifer’s eyes glittered with angry tears.
“Finn’s not the owner. And he wouldn’t tolerate you treating any of the managers with disrespect.” Blair stared straight at Jennifer, who, being less dominant, dropped her gaze and muttered, “Fine.” Then, as she walked off, Flora heard Jennifer mutter “bitch” under her breath.
“You’re suspended for the day!” Blair yelled after her.
Jennifer stomped out the front door without looking back, and let the door slam shut.
What was the deal with Finn and Jennifer? Flora wondered. Bitter ex? Why hadn’t Finn said anything about her?
Blair had already headed back to the bar, so Flora shrugged and resumed cleaning.
Finn stopped by mid-afternoon, and took Flora to a small restaurant called the Blue Monkey. It was a couple of blocks from the Lion’s Den, and there were tables set up outdoors.
The tables had doily tablecloths, and were decorated with potted plants and candles. A waitress quickly brought them coffee and menus, and Finn ordered hamburgers for them both.
“Oh, coffee, how I love thee,” Flora said to her coffee cup, and then took a long sip. She let out a low purr of satisfaction. “Maxwell House. My favorite.”
“Should I leave you and Maxwell alone?” Finn said with a grin. “Unless you want me to just stay here and watch. Some girls like that kind of thing.”
She took another sip and set the cup down. “You’re good. You just need to understand that Maxwell has been bringing deep, dark satisfaction to my mornings for many years now, and nobody will ever come between us.”
“Wow. I never thought I’d be jealous of a coffee cup.” He pretended to look hurt.
She leaned back in her chair and looked at the merchants sweeping the sidewalks in front of their shops and the customers walking out of the grocery store next door with armloads of bags.
“Wow, this almost feels normal,” Flora mused, dipping a French fry into a small pool of ketchup. “Except for the constant fear of death…and the lack of any cubs. No cubs anywhere. I just realized that.”
“Oh, it’s not so bad here,” Finn said. “We have enough muscle patrolling the streets to keep the murder rate relatively low, for everyone who pays their protection money, anyway.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Of course. Murder’s bad for business. Dead customers can’t shop at our stores or pay protection money.”
They fell silent, and she chewed her roast beef and watched the street for anything or anyone who might want to kill her. She did feel safer with Finn there, but she had a feeling it was a bad idea to relax too much in Darwin. Ever.
She realized that he was staring at her quizzically.
“No, I’m not going to tell you why I came to the Badlands,” she said.
“Suit yourself, Woman of Mystery.”
“I like that.” She nodded approvingly. “Makes me sound sexy, like some kind of spy or something.”
“You are sexy. Spy or not.” He stared into her eyes, and desire flooded her body. “You’d be just as sexy if you told me what you’re running from. Even sexier, really, if that’s possible.”
“Nice try,” Flora said. “You get an A-plus in the flirting department. Not to change the subject, but why are there no cubs here?”
“You are changing the subject,” Finn said. “Considerably.”
“So are you. Seriously, why no kids? Do you guys eat your young or something?”
Finn choked with laughter, and she looked down at her hamburger suspiciously, then back up at him. She set the burger down and pushed it away. “You don’t, do you? Say something. You’re freaking me out.”
“No, you crazy feline, we do not eat children. That burger came from a cow. This just isn’t a place for families.
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