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My hackles went up. “Excuse me? I called to tell you that the estimations I have received have told me that it’s the rain and wind that carried the pests here. Do I look like I have the divine power to summon pests to destroy your fields and be petty enough to have them devourmine?”
She went silent. “The infestation didn’t stray from your fields?”
“No, it did not,” I ground my teeth. “And this was a courtesy call to let you know the situation we could both be facing, but now I know we are.”
“How are you handling it?” she asked.
“I have called in pest management,” I replied. “I’d advise you to do the same.”
“I think…” Mia paused. “…I would like to meet with these pest managers. Certain chemicals cannot touch my vine, even if it is secondhand. Can you give me the company’s name?”
“My manager is handling it,” I replied.
“I’d like to meet with your manager and the pest control people then,” Mia replied quite pompously.
Like a dog with a frikken bone, aren’t you, Mia?
The tension in the back of my neck was raging up to my skull. “Do you have a pen? I’ll give you Benjie Rowe’s number.”
“Go ahead,” she said almost immediately.
After rattling the number off, I added, “Don’t take too much of his time. He’s a busy man.”
“Because why? I tend to drone on?” I could practicallyhearher eye roll. “Don’t worry, Vega. I’ll be quick.”
Now, I was irritated.
I didn’t know what it was about Mia pressed my button so quickly. Others could tap it, but she banged on that sucker like a bongo drum. Why did her dismissive tone—justhers, not one else’s because God knew a lot of other people, more powerful and influential than she was, had dismissed me, and it hadn’t even ruffled a feather—make me grind my teeth so hard I felt like I’d soon be swallowing dust.
“Yeah, do that,” I muttered.
She huffed, and then, after a scuffle, her brother was back on the phone. “So… Ethan. H-how are you doing?”
“Right now?” I massaged my throbbing temple. “I have a migraine. I have to go.”
Hanging up the landline, I slumped back into my chair and squinted at the ceiling as if I could see through it and to the bright blue sky. “Are you testing me?”
Sighing, I got up, went to my in-office coffee maker and made a cup. I hadn’t eaten at all, and I called out for delivery and went back to my desk, pulling up files, filling orders, making invoices, studiously ignoring the fact that Mia could turn up on my doorstep at any moment.
My breakfast—a scrambled tofu burrito and buckwheat pancakes—was delivered, and I set aside my work to eat while keeping an eye on the laptop for any emails. A few popped up, but they were from suppliers confirming our orders. Nothing drastic. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
Eight hours later, I was wrong.
While fixing my dinner at home, I heard bangs on my door.
Frowning, I plucked the earbuds away—anddamnit, the audiobook on business rebranding was getting to a critical point—when I yanked my door open and found Mia fuming on my doorstep.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“I need to speak with someone who has some sense,” she replied. “May I come in?”
“Mia, if this is about the fields, I am sure Benji would have handled it,” I said stiffly. “You showing up at my home is out of bounds, Mia.”
She scowled. “It's not a party for me either, but I cannot have your men spraying the field with the chemical they’re planning to use. That might kill my vines quicker than the damn bugs.”
I groaned internally. “Then what do you want?”
Mia bit her lip, and I fought back the sudden burn in my chest. “Can we talk about this inside? It feels strange doing this on your doorstep.”
