Page 81 of Moonlight Hearts

“Amory, I like to think you not thinking things through means I’m a good distraction, and I quite enjoy that.”

From behind the counter, Rae groaned.“The energy, bosses.People want to eat here.”

“Huh?”I craned my head to meet their eyes.

Soyer clicked his tongue.“Our energy is no one’s business.”

Rae wiped the counter that much harder.“That’s what I mean.Thus, keeping it away from people would—”

“Thank you, Rae.”Soyer took my hands in his.“Your server is kicking me out.Are you good here?”

I gestured toward where Ben sat in his customary place, but meaning the back too.Thaeros, Levi, and Ant were organizing stuff there.Dwayne had baked and done some other kitchen prep much earlier in the day, and Kasey was getting ready to fry things.

“I think we’re overstaffed, actually.”

“Good.That means you can take it easy.”He squeezed my hands.“Do that.Enjoy this.”

“I will.When are you coming?”

He gave me a most mischievous look.“When I feel like it, my heart.I do hope you’ll have time to miss me, but I’m not actually sure you will.I’d love to get a text from you though.”He turned.“Ben, any issues, you call right away.”

“Yes, sir.”

I frowned.The writer wasn’t going to be able to come in today, and I felt bad for Ben.Soyer realized and grumbled with amusement.

“Ever the worrier, my heart.Try not to have too much fun.”

“You just told me to enjoy it.”

He cocked his head.“I did?I think I misspoke.”He kissed my hands, then let me go.“I’ll see you later.”

The elevator was on a timed system, and apparently Hawthorne’s security also had cameras in there.Considering there wasn’t a lot of space and there’d been a time constraint for finishing construction, it was pretty remarkable that there was an elevator at all.

The only downside, at least for the reopening, was the size.It fit six people, less if they had two heads, wings, a tail, or other non-standard proportions.Even so, when I checked the big clock at three twenty-eight, we were almost full.

I was behind the bar handing Duncan and Lynn a menu each.Duncan sighed.

“This was such a pain, you know.We had to drop by Foster’s.”

Lynn beamed at me.“He’s annoyed because I made him look through their collection of knobs and handles.For my kitchen cabinets.”She opened her bag and pulled out a set of ceramic cat head handles.“Here, look, aren’t these cute?”

I picked one up, only slightly distracted by the two-headed person taking the chair next to her.

“They’re really unique.Are they handmade?”

Duncan groaned.“Not you too.”

Lynn looked at him flatly.“You gave this man a plant when he moved—a plant!—and now you complain he has taste?”

“The plant is really thriving,” I told him.“I usually forget to water it, but Soyer’s great about that.”

“Huh.”Duncan scratched his head.“I didn’t see that coming.”

“Do you collect poisonous plants?”one of the heads from the person next to Lynn asked.They looked… Their eyes were like a goat’s, and they had horns.The other head was human, male-looking, and he gave his non-human head a frown before craning to see Lynn’s menu.

“Oh, sorry.There you go.”I put my last menu in front of him—them.“I’m not sure the peace lily is poisonous.It was just a housewarming gift.”

Lynn pointed her cat doorknob at Duncan.“Wouldn’t it be fun if the gift you gave him were actual poison?”