Page 113 of November

Colter shook his head but then, strangely, nodded beforehe turned and left the shop. Seeing that Lainey was still busynothelping Mr. Barnard, who appeared to need books pulled down from a high shelf, Maisie grabbed her bag from under the counter and walked out the door, knowing Lainey could cover the counter and also knowing that she needed a break.

“Hey. You’re early,” India noted when Maisie sat down at the café table across from her. “I just came down to work before lunch.”

She closed her laptop.

“Your brother stopped by the shop just now.”

“Colter?”

“You have more than one?”

“No. I have a sister, though. What did he do? Why are you upset?”

“He couldn’t get me on the agenda, after all.”

“What? Why not?”

“Your uncle.”

“My uncle?” India asked.

“Not yours. Sorry. His.”

“His uncle?”

“India, his uncle.” Maisie motioned with her hand as if India should understand her just from that. “He needed some favor.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“WhywouldI? I barely know Colter’s uncle on his dad’s side. I think I’ve met him a handful of times in my life.”

“He owns some big company.”

“Yes, I do know that.”

“Well, Colter used up his political favors to get some property zoned for him.”

“Oh,” India said. “Okay. So, now, he can’t do what you need?”

“I guess he could have, but he had to use the rest of his favors foryou, too.”

“Me?”

“A parking garage?”

“What about it?” India asked.

“That’s all he said.”

“We’re expanding the parking garage behind the building. I met with vendors this morning, but we haven’t done anything with the city council yet.”

“He said something about permits.”

“Permits? We’ll need them, but the vendors will be applying for those,” India replied. “Maybe one of them reached out. I don’t know. Either way, I had no idea he even knew about that. You don’t think I asked him to–”

“What? No,” Maisie said. “But why are you changing a parking garage, exactly?”