She obliged with more smiles, and it took me a couple of sips to gain my bearings. “Wait, did you say the new cook? Since when does Mr. Steve give up control of his kitchen?”
The fairy stopped filling up a pitcher with water to answer. “You’ve got me. One day, he’s kicking me out of there saying that only he knows how to do things the right way, and the next, he hires two of the newcomers and starts training them.”
Mouth open, I gawked at Henry and asked him to explain the sudden change in his friend.
He shrugged. “You got me. I’ve known that man for decades, and it’s like he woke up one morning with a personality transplant. He’s even talking about taking days off if he can get the newbies up to scratch.”
Sassy beckoned me to lean forward with a crook of her finger. When I obliged, she spoke in a low voice. “If you ask me, something’s not right about it. Since when do people up and change all of a sudden like that?”
“You got any ideas?” I asked, intrigued and yet too exhausted to attempt to come up with a reason on my own.
Henry scoffed. “I think Patty Lou got ahold of a genie lamp, rubbed it, and got her wish granted to have her husband home more.”
“If there was a genie lamp in town, you better believe I’d find it to use. Then maybe something in my life would go right,” Sassy complained, flitting over to the pass-through window.
I sighed and sipped my tea, glad to see her acting normal again rather than polite out of pity. The bells on the door jingled, and I ignored whoever walked in. The sudden stop of conversation again alerted me, and I swiveled around to notice Nick standing at the front, looking a little lost.
“You can sit down anywhere there’s a table available,” I informed him. “There’s no formalities here.”
“Thanks,” he said, glancing around the cafe.
It didn’t take him long to recognize that he was the cause for a lot of sudden whispers. Instead of running out the door, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out pamphlets.
“Since I’ve got everybody’s attention, I’ll use this opportunity to thank you for welcoming me to your community. I’m Nick, the owner of Serenity Oasis, and I’d like to invite all of you to come and check out my services.” He walked around from table to table, handing out his card and ignoring the wide-eye stares at his tattoos. “Anyone who books an appointment with me before the end of the day will get their first thirty-minute session free.”
The offer of a complimentary service fired up the customers, and within seconds, everyone held one of Nick’s pamphlets in their hand, looking it over and discussing it with great enthusiasm.
The new guy strutted over to the counter and took a seat on my other side. With a devilish grin, he held out a pamphlet in front of me. “Finally got these in this morning. I’ve gotten a few new clients from the cards I handed out at the event in the park, but I’m hoping these will entice more people.”
Henry snatched the leaflet from under my nose and perused it. “This looks too froufrou for me. What in the world is my chakra and why does it need aligning?” he groused.
I gaped at him. “You’re a witch and you don’t know what a chakra is?”
My grouchy assistant grunted in response while he kept reading through the services. “Here, I recognize this.” He tapped on the paper. “Massage.”
“If you want to book a time, I’ll give you a thirty-minute session on the house,” Nick jumped in.
I respected the man’s hustle but doubted it would work on Henry. “Good luck getting him to relax. I swear, he’s wound tighter than an eight-day clock.”
“I’ll have you know that I’ve visited many massage therapists in my lifetime.” Henry waggled a finger at me. “Don’t think you know everything about me, missy. Just for that,” he turned to Nick, “if you make it a full hour, I’ll book a session right now.”
The spa owner raised his eyebrow. “Forty-five minutes free and I charge you for fifteen. Deal?” he asked, extending his hand.
“Deal.” Henry shook on it and stuck his tongue out at me.
I snorted. “You’re such a child sometimes.”
“Yes, but I’ll be a very relaxed child. Come on, Nick. Let’s see if we can get the rest of your week booked up.” Henry took the new business owner around the room to help him drum up customers.
Sassy approached, carrying a white paper bag in hand. After setting it down in front of me, she reached under the counter and pulled out some napkins and utensils to add. With careful eyes, she watched Nick as he talked to people at each table.
“He’s a tall drink of something,” she murmured, her wings fluttering. “But what would your detective think if he saw you flirting with him?”
I was too tired to be annoyed with her pushy question. “If you want him, you can have him all to yourself, Sass. I’m perfectly fine with the boyfriend I have, and he trusts me.”
I failed to add that I wouldn’t know what he would think since he wasn’t answering my calls or texts. He had told me that he might have to communicate less while he and his old colleagues hunted down the werewolf. But to not give me even a short message at all irked me. Still, no need to give Sassy anything juicy to chew on or spread around, so I plastered a smile on my face and attempted to pay.
The fairy shook her head. “Steve said it’s on the house and to tell you and your brother that he’s real sorry about Vivi. Also, you’re to let him know what he or Ms.
