Page 50 of Never Kiss a Krampus
“It’s because of the tree,” Mrs. Carmichael said, watching as I carefully secured a bow on a box of ornaments. “It’s magnificent. It looks like it used to. Like it looked when your grandmother was here.”
“It’s also because of Bastian,” I said, my eyes finding him across the crowded shop. He was straightening a display ofnutcrackers, an activity that required a level of focus that would have seemed absurd yesterday. “He has a certain… presence.”
“He has a certain something, all right,” she said with a wink, patting my hand. “It’s nice to see you smile, dear.”
The crowd began to die down again but there were still several customers in the store when the bells chimed again, and the door swung open with a force that sent them jangling wildly against the glass. The temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees.
Mr. Grinchly entered.
CHAPTER 17
He doesn’t look like an evil wizard, I thought.Just an evil businessman.
Grinchly’s gaze swept the shop, dismissing the joyful chaos with a disdainful curl of his lip. His gaze settled on me like a hawk spotting a mouse.
“Miss Green.”
“Mr. Grinchly.” I pasted on my brightest smile. “I’m afraid we’re getting ready to close soon.”
He ignored me.
“I came to discuss our last conversation. My offer still stands, but time is running out, Noelle. The deadline for payment is the twenty-fourth. Christmas Eve.” He said the date with a smug satisfaction that made me want to pour hot cocoa on his expensive shoes.
“I’m aware of the date,” I said, my smile feeling brittle. “And I’m aware of your offer. I’ll still be declining it.”
His smile vanished. “I hear your little ‘Good Deeds’ proposal was approved.”
The news had traveled fast. “It was. The committee was very supportive.”
“A desperate gambit.” He set the snow globe down with a thud that made me flinch. “Throwing away inventory to bring in a few bargain-hunters. A temporary fix to a permanent problem.”
The urge to throw a ceramic Santa at his head was nearly overwhelming.
“I prefer to think of it as community building.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” He walked towards the counter, leaning against it with an air of casual ownership. “I have to say, I’m impressed. Most people would have given up by now.”
“I’m not most people.”
“No.” His gaze drifted from my face to something over my shoulder, and a look of genuine confusion flickered across his features. “What… is that?”
I followed his gaze. Bastian had stepped out from the back room. He stood by the door to the stockroom, arms crossed, watching Grinchly with an unnerving stillness. The air in the shop, which had been merely tense, suddenly felt frigid.
“This is Bastian,” I said.
Grinchly cleared his throat nervously, then turned back to me. He pulled a business card from his suit pocket, holding it out like he was doing me a favor. “My final offer stands. Seventy thousand for the property. It’s more than generous, consideringthe state of the building and the… shall we say, challenged nature of your business model.”
Seventy thousand. For a building in this neighborhood, with prime street frontage and an apartment included, it was insulting.
“I’m not selling.” I didn’t take the card.
“Miss Green.” His voice dropped, taking on a paternal tone that made my skin crawl. “Be reasonable. You’re a young woman running a seasonal business in a difficult market. Even if this little surge of customers brings a temporary reprieve, how long can you really maintain this? Another month? Two? Why not take the money now, while it’s on the table, and move on to something more… appropriate.”
Appropriate.Like I was a child playing shopkeeper. Bastian shifted beside me. Just a small movement, but suddenly he seemed larger. More present. The temperature around us dropped several degrees.
“The lady said no.” His voice was pleasant. Conversational. And absolutely terrifying.
Grinchly’s eyes snapped to Bastian, really seeing him for the first time. I watched the calculation flicker across his face as he took in Bastian’s size, his imposing presence, the way he stood slightly in front of me like a barrier.
