Page 5 of Live Love Lasso

Ah, this must be my father’s contact. I’ve never met Letitia, but I learned about her when I got my master’s—the potions community is relatively small. She moved to Pine Gulch almost a century ago and built Glimmer from the ground up. It’s a smaller potions house but thriving…and expensive.

I hold a hand out to shake hers. “Letitia? I’m Lem⁠—”

She slides both hands into wide black sleeves, eyeing my proffered hand like it’s a snake. “I’m aware of who you are. Your father told me to expect you.” Bright purple eyes drift down my figure, her thin nostrils flaring as she gives me a brusque once-over.

I stand quietly. I’ve got to feel this out. This certainly doesn’t seem like an auspicious start, but actions speak louder than words. I’ve just got to kick ass at this job so I can return home with her blessing. Then I’ll pick back up with the family business and forget this little misstep.

“Come with me,” she barks, turning and disappearing through the doorway once more.

“Good luck,” the black-haired pixie says sweetly, although it’s clear she doesn’t mean it in a kind way. So much for small town hospitality, I guess.

The hall behind the door is narrow, dark, and filled with full potion bottles. Letitia points as we walk. “You’re not to touch anything. I’m aware of why your father sent you here, and since your error, I don’t know what I can trust you with. You’ll start as an apprentice, cleaning our first-level potions room. Once I learn more about your capabilities, we’ll move you up if it’s possible.”

Cleaning. Cleaning? I bite my tongue. I haven’t cleaned a potions room for probably four decades. I did that time already. But I suppose this is part of Father’s plan. Knock me down a peg or two to remind me to be careful.

Joke’s on him, though, because I’ve already knocked myself down quite a few pegs.

“Very reasonable,” I say agreeably. “I aim to be a quick and thorough study.”

Letitia says nothing as the hallway opens into a cavernous room. Desks placed haphazardly around the room are covered with potions. Several witches, vampires, and a few pixies stand at the desks, absorbed in potions work. I’d sigh at how beautiful a sight it is, but Letitia moves quickly through the room, disappearing down yet another dark hallway.

A big green troll male smiles and waves, a potions recipe card in one hand. I wave back, summoning my best smile, although everything inside me is clenched and unhappy. The potioneers seem absorbed in their work. Just as I would be, if I were mid-potion.

Straightening my back despite my unease, I follow Letitia into the hall, ducking into a room on the right. It’s all dark with floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in dusty tomes. Not a single window in the space. If I had to guess, I’d say we’re somewhere beneath the auction house, given how far we walked. It’s a weird setup.

Letitia settles gracefully into a black velvet wingback chair, steepling her fingers as she glares at me. “Let me be clear, Miss Denton. I do not want you here, and were it not for a favor I owed your father, you would not set foot inside Glimmer, given your recent gaffe.”

I open my mouth to respond, but she lifts a palm to silence me.

“You are never to be alone on the production floor. I may actually assign you to a mentor who can babysit you during the course of your stay. Your father sent me a list of things he’d like you to learn while you’re here. It’s my goal to get you through them as quickly as possible so I can return you to him forthwith.”

So many thoughts perch on the tip of my tongue. So many retorts. So many excuses. But I swallow them all down because I want to get home fast too.

Letitia sighs. “You may leave back the way you came. We’re done for today.”

I scoff. “But…it’s early. I’d be more than happy to get started now, even if it’s just the cleani⁠—”

She pinches the bridge of her nose with a loud sigh. After a moment, she glances at me. “It does not bode well that you cannot follow the simplest of orders, Miss Denton. Was I or was I not clear that you could go?”

Grief for my situation rises to join the irritation inside me. Giving her a clipped nod, I grab my things and stalk out of her office, down the hall, across the potions floor and back to the front desk. I ignore the black-haired pixie, and although she says something as I push out the door, I don’t hear her through the blood pounding in my ears.

What I do know is that I need a drink.

Stat.

Ten minutes later, I drag my suitcase through the doors into Whiskey Business Saloon. Apparently, downtown has several bars, but this one was on my side of the dusty main street, so here I am.

Sliding onto a barstool made out of a western saddle, I lay the boot box down and look around for a bartender. The bar itself is in the shape of a horse shoe with shelves full of liquor and mead occupying the center of the space.

A cute purple-skinned gargoyle pokes his head around the edge of the shelves. “Hello there. You haven’t been sitting at the bar long, have you?” He rounds the corner, shuffling big leathery wings at his back.

I shake my head. “Literally just sat down, and I need a drink stat. I don’t suppose there’s a chance you’ve got blood-laced whiskey, do you?”

He groans. “Ugh, no. Not in PG. I’ve got regular whiskey, but we don’t carry anything fancy.” He cocks his head to the side and eyes me. After a moment, he waves a finger toward my dress. “That’s not from Temani on 17th in the city, is it?”

My mouth drops open, and I nod.

He snaps big purple fingers and grins, revealing wicked white fangs. “Thought so. I’d recognize that ruffle pattern anywhere, and it’s gorgeous on you.”