Page 109 of Bright Dark Curses

THIRTY-TWO

“And that’s how,” I told my captive audience, “Dru was instrumental in lifting Olmeda’s movie curse. Thanks to her, a dangerous criminal was apprehended, and more movies and shows will be filmed here. Think about all the Hollywood tourism. We won’t be solely dependent on Guiles and Romary and special holidays for our income. All thanks to Dru!”

With those words, I closed my eyes and allowed the awe of my audience to flow over me.

“Avery?” Sonia said from her seat behind her folding table.

I turned my winning smile toward her. “Yes?”

“You can get out of the way now.”

“Yes, Sonia.”

Carefully, I hopped off the small stage and sat next to Dru in the first row of the chairs at the PBOA meeting, all but preening. How could anyone fail to support Dru after my rousing speech?

“Anyone else want to add something before we vote?” Sonia asked.

Dru turned on her seat and glared at everyone present. There was a larger crowd than usual, and a lot of familiar faces occupied seats in the rows behind us.

Tanya, Dru’s friend we had visited for a spell, stood and cleared her throat. “I think her shop will be good for Olmeda,” she stated in a monotone voice, as if reading off a script. Then she sat again.

“Anyone else?”

Ian stood, and my heart filled with pride. He was wearing his usual all-black and a granite expression. When he spoke, his deep voice rumbled with conviction and the merest trace of threat. “The bounty hunter guild has no objections.”

After he sat, I found Hutton among the present and attempted to telepathically force him to say something. He met my gaze, made a face, then stood as well. “The pack has no objections.”

Preston was the next one to stand. I sensed Dru tense beside me, but from the dazzling bright smile he offered the crowd, I didn’t think we had anything to worry about. Not if he didn’t want to end up ostracized by the whole community once I told people what an underhanded bastard he was.

“I am a newcomer here, but in these short weeks it’s been obvious to me what a great member of Olmeda’s paranormal community Druscilla is.” I didn’t need to be looking at Dru to know her eye was twitching. Oh, but Preston was going to pay for that one. “It’d be a mistake to reject the permission for her shop and force her to start her business in another town. She will make a wonderful addition to our range of businesses, and increase the desirability of our town by providing a new range of services.”

“I sell clothes and knick-knacks too,” Bosko complained from the other aisle.

“You sell rags that break up after two cycles in the washer machine,” someone told him.

Laughter spread throughout the room. With an even wider smile, Preston winked at us and sat down.

“Smug bastard,” Dru muttered.

Yep, Preston had better watch out for the foreseeable future. Dru knew how to keep a grudge.

Janet the florist lifted a hand.

“Yes, Janet?” Sonia said.

“I think Dru should have the shop. She’s one of us.”

Murmurs of assent came from the crowd.

“I agree,” someone else said.

“She’s always been very nice,” April said somewhere behind us.

“Hell, yeah, let her open the shop,” a grinning Mark shouted from the back.

More shouts of agreement rose in the air.

Sonia clapped her hands, bringing the room into immediate silence. “Anyone who does not think the petition to open the shop should be granted?”

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