Page 5 of Foxer Upper (Harmony Glen #8)

GABE

She whips her tail around, aiming the pointed tip at me. “Gabe! I haven’t seen you in a while.” She grins, showing off her fangs. “Seat at the bar?”

“Ladies, you’re both looking lovely.” They each preen and I lean an elbow on the bar. “Hey, Vienne, what do you call a male succubus?”

She frowns. “An incubus.”

“Wrong.” I shoot her a wink. “A yuckubus!”

Vienne rolls her eyes, but Gilly cackles. “It’s true,” Gillian says. “Why sleep with men when women exist?”

“Besides,” I add, “who needs men when you put the ‘cock’ in peacock, right?”

She sniffs primly. “I never strap and tell.” I chuckle as she shakes her head, ruffling her feathers. “I do like my plumage, though. Peahen coloring is so dull. I’ll take the cock of it all any day.”

Vienne snorts and mutters something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like “immature jokers.”

“Sit down,” Vienne commands. “I’ll make you a drink.”

“Actually, I was hoping you might have a table on the deck,” I say. “I’m meeting someone.”

Her dark brows shoot up. “Gabric Duval, are you on a date? I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

“It’s not a date. It’s a business meeting with a friend. Maggie.”

Gillian perks up at that. “The pretty blonde who’s semi-new to town?” She turns to Vienne. “I think it is a date. It’s about time.” Leave it to Gilly to already know who Maggie is.

I frown at the pair of them. I love them, but they’re a piece of work. They look young, and they’re both gorgeous, but these two are a pair of gossiping old biddies. They should be living in Miami and playing canasta. “It is not a date,” I grumble. “Can I have a table or not?”

Vienne chuckles. “Sure, head out there and take your pick.”

The deck is empty, so I take a seat by the railing, with a nice view of the river.

It’s a cool evening and the café string lights overhead are twinkling.

As I wait for both Maggie and a server, I consider how to approach this potential job offer.

It’s too creepy to tell a woman I’ve met exactly twice that I’m happy to work for her for free, just because I find her interesting.

I suppose I could settle on a rate and then just forget to bill her, but she’d probably pay me anyway. She strikes me as somehow chaotic but organized when it comes to her business. Like she’s happy to make a mess with her projects, but would never lose a receipt.

No, I need a better strategy. Maybe I should just let her pay me and not worry about it. But I don’t want to be a strain on her finances, and she was pretty clear that her budget is small.

I have an idea about the diverse tools segment, at least. I think we should film it in the hardware store.

We can set up a good background and go over some of the items; I’ll demonstrate how they’re used and how they differ from similar human tools.

As long as Harmony Hardware is mentioned a few times, I’ll consider it free promotion for the store and waive any further fees. I think she’ll go for that.

Maggie shows up a few minutes later and slides into a chair, a little breathless.

Her hair is down and she’s wearing a red dress and boots.

On her, the simple outfit is very sexy. Hell, everything about her is sexy, at least to me.

That’s a big part of why I’m here. The twin desires of helping her and getting to know her better are getting harder to resist.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to feed Jasper and he was oddly picky tonight.”

“Jasper?” I ask.

“Oh, my cat. I found him living on my property and just adopted him. Anyway, have you ordered yet?”

“Nope. But it looks like your timing is perfect.”

I gesture as a server of indeterminate gender and species glides up to the table, setting down two glasses of water. “I’m Bix,” they say, “and I’ll be taking care of you this evening.”

“Hi, Bix,” I reply. “Can I start with a beer? Whatever’s on tap? Vienne will know what I like.”

“Of course.” They nod and turn to Maggie. “For you?”

She chews her lip and studies the menu. “I’m not sure. Gillian told me to come here and Vienne would make me something, but I haven’t thought about what I want.”

“It’s your first time here?” Bix asks.

Maggie nods.

“In that case, there’s nothing to worry about. If Gillian sent you, Vienne will want to make you a specialty drink—something off menu. Is that acceptable?”

Maggie beams. “That sounds great.”

“Wonderful. Please take a few moments to review the menu and I’ll be back shortly.” Bix glides away and I open my own menu.

“The focus here is more on the drinks than the food,” I explain. “It’s more of a small plate situation—lots of appetizers, burgers and fries, nothing too fancy. They have a cook, not a chef, if you know what I mean. I hope that’s okay.”

“More than. I’ve had a busy day, and the last thing I want to do is try to pick apart an avant-garde creation. I’m fine with something simple. In fact, even the salads look good.”

Bix is back in a few minutes with a beer for me and something in a tall, frosted glass for Maggie. It’s amber, but thicker than beer, and there’s a cinnamon stick poking out of the top.

“This,” Bix says, a smile on their face, “is something new that Vienne is trying. If it works out, she intends to add it to the autumn menu. You’re the first customer to try it: a butterscotch on the rocks.”

Maggie chuckles at the pun and take a sip, then another.

“It’s unusual. If I were a reviewer, I would say it definitely has the buttery creaminess of the candy, as well as hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

I think the cinnamon might be the alcohol, maybe schnapps?

Maybe the butterscotch, too?” She glances at Bix for confirmation, but the server simply smiles.

“The warmth of the flavors are sharply contrasted by the ice and the chilled mug. It’s really good.

” she proclaims. “A beverage of contradictions.”

Bix’s face lights up. “I’ll pass that on to Vienne. Are you ready to order?”

Maggie and I opt for similar things: she goes for the black bean burger with curly fries, and I choose the cheeseburger with a side of steak fries. After we order, she pulls a notebook out of her purse.

“I guess we should address the reason we’re here, right?” I nod, and she continues. “About the specialty tools in the hardware store. I really want to make a video about them?—”

“Oh! I had an idea about that.” I explain to her my thoughts about appearing in the video in exchange for publicity, and she beams.

“That’s perfect!”

“The only thing is that we’d have to film in the evening, when the store is closed. The lighting might not be the best.”

She waves that away. “Not to worry. I’ll bring in the equipment we need. Lights, a tripod, my good camera…it’ll be great.”

“Sounds good. With regard to your home renovation—I had a thought about that too. Why don’t I come over some weekend when we’re both free and you can show me what you have going on? I can give you some opinions and you can decide what to do from there.”

She blinks at me in disbelief. “Are you sure? You’re willing to give up part of a weekend just to advise me on my project?”

I shrug. “Sure, why not? I’m not so busy that I can’t manage that.”

Bix appears with our food, and we both dig in. But from the thoughtful look on Maggie’s face, I can tell she’s not done with the conversation.

“Wow. Everything you’ve offered is very generous. You are a good guy, Gabe Duval.” She leans back and takes a sip of water. “At least, you sure seem to be. But I don’t know much about you. Care to change that?” She grins and I smile back.

“All right. What do you want to know?”

“Anything. Where are you from, do you have siblings, do you like Harmony Glen, what are your hobbies? I just want to get to know you better.”

“Fine, but it’s quid pro quo,” I warn with a wink, and she nods.

“Let’s see…most of my family, including my parents and both my brothers, live in Canada. I was born and raised here and opted to stay when Mom and Dad moved back, but they’re originally from Quebec and they missed it. We FaceTime pretty regularly, though.”

“Ah, I guess that explains the vaguely French-sounding name,” Maggie says, and I nod.

“As for Harmony Glen, sure, I like it here. What’s not to like? It’s monster friendly, the community is nice, the people are good. It might not be the most exciting place in the world, but it’s safe and comfortable. My business is successful and I have a decent life. Nothing to complain about.”

She raises an eyebrow. “No offense, but that sounds like lip service from someone who is truly bored.”

I sigh. She saw right through me. “I don’t know if bored is the right word.

It’s not like I’m unhappy or dislike my life.

But I have settled into a pretty regular routine.

You might even call it a rut. Could it use some shaking up?

I don’t know. Maybe I’m one of those people who’s averse to change. What about you?”

She’s grinning again. “I love change. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a chaos gremlin. Which is why my job suits me so well. I’m always doing different things, and I can do them from anywhere. Plus, it’s fun.”

“It’s lucky you found success with something that suits you so well,” I say. “When we met, you told me you recently moved back after living away. What’s the story there?”

“Well, I actually grew up here in Harmony Glen, and I went to college nearby, in Ithaca. A few years after I graduated, my parents decided they were ready for a change. They wanted to move closer to New York City, without actually being in the city itself. I was a little worried for them, so I decided to tag along, although I got my own place. In a twist that shocked me and surprised them not at all, they loved it and I hated it. So, after four years away, I decided to move back. Buying a house here gave me a place to live, a property investment, and content for my job. Win-win for me.”