Page 4 of Moonlit Alexandrite

I mumbled another apology and looked up at the reason we were out of bed at 9am on a Sunday. The small brick building, with ‘for sale’ out the front, was all my dreams crammed into 200 square feet of shop floor.

“It’s perfect,” I gushed, visions of paints and fabric swatches dancing before my eyes.

“Look inside before you put money down, okay?” Colbie’s voice was like a bucket of cold water, shocking me out of my fantasy, but this was why I had brought her along. Where I was a dreamer with a defective succubus, she was pragmatic. Could be something to do with her other side, but she never wanted to talk about it.

“Are you ready to make an offer?” asked a beautiful woman with creamy mocha skin, and black curls bouncing around her shoulders as she strode toward Colbie and I, where we loitered on the sidewalk.

“Hestia?” I asked hesitantly.

She arched a sharp brow and gave me a quick once-over.

“Of course,” she said, dismissing us, and opening a binder she had tucked under one arm. “Shall we get this over with? What is your offer?”

“Actually, we would like to look around the premises first. Right, Lex?” Colbie said, as she elbowed me forward with a pointed look. Hestia started, the surprise on her face was almost comical.

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“Erm, the real estate chick?” Colbie sassed, popping her hip.

“I am a Goddess, little girl —”

“I would love it if you could show me your favorite part of the shop, Hestia,” I broke in quickly, heading off the clash of personalities happening before me. Hestia huffed, but the small smirk proved the compliment had been accepted.

The space she showed me through was a dream. High ceilings and an open floor plan allowed for shelving and displays, as well as an area I hoped to turn into a workstation for on-site craft lessons. Through the back windows, Starlight River flowed down toward Moonlit Falls, the town’s namesake. I had been wanting to go up to the huge waterfall since I moved in with Colbie, but between helping her at the art gallery, creating pieces to display in said gallery, and life, I hadn’t made it yet. Tuning back into the room, I cast a quick glance at my BFF, before smiling at Hestia.

“I’d like to make an offer.”

* * *

“She was kinda scary,”I admitted to Colbie as we wandered into Jewels Cafe . Colbie grunted in agreement as she perused the menu. I loved this place. It had opened only recently, but was extremely popular. It was a bonus that the storefront I had just bought was only three doors down.

“Here comes trouble,” Nephrite called, as the jingle of the bell announced our arrival.

Colbie wandered over to talk to the friendly barista as an insistent thump on my calf announced Mocha’s demand for attention. I scooped him up in an awkward cuddle — he was a big cat — and tickled him under the chin.

“There’s my handsome man. How are you? Has your tree been staying put lately? Are you okay, my handsome man?” Mocha gave an indignant yowl when I mentioned his cat tree, which had become possessed not long ago and wandered around town, but he doubled down on the purring as I kept scratching.

“Oh my horses, did Lex really do that?” I heard Nephrite say, as I placed Mocha down and retrieved my iced tea from the counter.

I took a long slurp of the sugary goodness before realizing both sets of eyes were on me. “Did I what?” I asked, narrowly avoiding dribbling my syrupy beverage down my chin.

“I was telling Neph about your purchase this morning,” Colbie said.

“Oh!” I couldn’t contain the grin, even if I had tried. Not that I particularly wanted to, it's not every day that you start building your dream business. “It’s going to be so amazing! I can’t wait to set the space up!”

“Well, if you need any help with renovating or landscaping, I know a few people around town.”

“And I have impeccable taste,” the espresso machine said. “I know all the top designers in Milan.”

Colbie startled, and I laughed at the look of shock on her usually unflappable face.

“Did… did that coffee machine just talk?” Colbie asked, as though questioning her sanity.

“Oh, that’s nothing,” I said, waving toward Nephrite who shook her head with a grin. “I met her mate’s talking dick not long ago.”

“You. Met a dick. And you didn’t tell me about this?!” Colbie’s voice was becoming increasingly high-pitched as she spoke, and I hurried to calm her.

“It was a platonic meeting, I swear. He was quite charming, actually. In fact…”

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